Page 5 of Bound By Blood
"No." He scoffed. "I got here because I cut my own path."
"Then why couldn't you come into the house?"
"Houses are different," he muttered.
She scurried in front of him and crouched. "All right. We got off on the wrong foot, I'll grant you that. I do not have anything against you and other blood fae or any fae of any type. I don't want any trouble. I just need to stay safe and keep my home safe. You understand that, right?"
"And I have nothing against humans. Even if one did just club me in the head with a pan. I am not going to hurt anyone. And I don't want to either. But you have to let me take that thing back. I need to take it back and reabsorb the magic."
"That sounds like it would hurt the puppy."
He dropped his forehead against the ground. "It isn't a puppy. It is nothing but dust and dreams and phantoms."
"No. I love him already. He's going to stay with me."
He swore, his face still turned down, his voice muffled by the grass.
"Listen." She remained crouched near him. From this vantage point, he didn't seem nearly so frightening, and if her gut instinct was right, there was a little more to this. Maybe he could be reasoned with. "I'll take good care of him. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know why you need him, but I'm not going to let anything happen to him. I don't know what to do with you now, though. I don't want to leave you out here all night."
"Well, that won't happen anyway. I'll be out of these ropes soon enough."
"I don't want to drag you off into the wilds either." She gestured toward the edge of her land. The boundary marker was so pale it almost glowed in the moonlight. "I live here at the edge. I sell stew and soup to travelers, no matter who they are. And I don't usually venture past that line. But I know what lies beyond that border. I know it would happily devour you, but I don't wish that on you, even if you would hurt a helpless dog."
"You don't want to drag me across the boundary line because you're afraid for me?" He said this slowly as if mulling it over. A low laugh followed. "Oh, this is ridiculous."
"You're saying that there aren't creatures beyond that would happily devour you?"
"No. They would. If they could. But they won't."
"Yes, because I'm not going to give them the chance. No one deserves to be eaten alive. I don't even cook crabs alive."
"Very noble of you." He tilted his head to glare up at her. His eyes were a deep purple that sparkled silver with flecks of jet and indigo, the moonlight making them seem almost enchanting. "Listen. These ropes won't hold me long. And we both know I can dismantle your house. Why don't we start fresh?"
"Does that mean you'll let me keep the dog?"
"No."
"Then pass."
"What other option do you have?"
"I could hit you with the skillet until you're unconscious?"
"Fair enough. I'll pass on that."
She hesitated. How much longer would the ropes hold him? He didn't seem to be working his wrists or his ankles, but that didn't mean that he wasn't doing anything. His long slender fingers flexed as if he was trying to start some sort of spell or incantation.
Polph. She shouldn't even be out here talking to him beneath a waxing moon. The fuller the moon, the stronger the blood fae, and daylight wouldn't drive him away, even if it might weaken him. All other dangers aside, this wasn't good.
She had to stop him before he managed to create some sort of spell or magic a weapon into existence. But what could she do?
She pressed her lips in a tight line. "I'm sorry!"
"Well, you aren't forgiven—"
She sat on his back and grabbed his hands.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
