I had a feeling I knew where he disappeared to.
“It’s not just here in Vinguard.” Ward told Noora. “Our Goddess, Veretis, her call has been affecting shifters in other parts of the Harrowlands. It would have been impossible for him to resist unless you were already mate bonded.”
“We’ll help find him. We just have to figure out how to get in the temple without waiting in line for the next century and find what’s causing this.” I patted Ward’s chest even as he looked at me like I was crazy.
Noora’s eyes welled up again. “You’ll help?”
“Mates gotta stick together. Right?” I said.
That brought a smile to her face. “You could make a sacrifice. The temple is open to those who tithe but the Queen personally reviews sacrifices as quickly as possible. Whatever you’re looking for would have to be in her throne room.”
“Who’s going to be the sacrifice?” We all looked at each other, assessing. I pointed at Ward.
“What? I’m not anyone’s sacrifice.” Ward grumbled, vibrating again.
“Robe guy thought you looked like a great sacrifice,” I told him.
“I’m not a sacrifice,” Ward said. “It’s barbaric—something the ancestors in the Shadow Veil had to deal with.” He stepped back from both of us.
“You would make a pretty good sacrifice,” Noora encouraged. “You’ll need a Flesh Chain, though. I have a client who can get one.”
“I’m not sacrificing myself to the Queen of Flesh, and I'm definitely not wearing one of those.” Ward's grumble turned into a snarl.
“That sounds… gross.” I leaned over to Noora. “But we would appreciate any help. We will try to find Brightpaw.” Turning back to Ward, I said, “No one’s going to donate you to any temple for real.”
He fisted his hands, clearly agitated. “No one has ever threatened you with being staked and chained, your bear baited until you die.”
My eyes widened. Nope. No one ever threatened me with that before.
“Give us a moment.” I whispered to Noora, “I will convince him.”
“I bet you will.” Noora stood and opened the door to our room. “Thank you for caring. I would do anything for him.”
I wish I had that amount of confidence in whatever this thing was with Ward. Maggie definitely wasn’t right about my love life, but maybe she wasn’t totally wrong, either. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to try getting physical.
Ward refused to set me down. I peered into our room, which was the size of a broom closet. Or maybe it was actually a broom closet. The single cot with a flat pillow hid a collection of jars, extra linen and literal brooms. As Ward closed the door, his eyes glowed. Luckily, being stuck in the smallest room in all of Vinguard with an agitated shifter wasn’t awkward at all.
Chapter11
Ward
Emotions churned close enough to the surface that my eyes glowed an eerie amber. She didn't trust me or my bear and now I was supposed to trust her enough not to sell me to a temple full of flesh peddlers. The room wasn’t helping, either. I hated being confined in small spaces. I dug my den as big as possible because of the lingering fear.
She glanced around the closet, settling on the cot. It shook as she touched it. “Talk to me, big guy. Did someone actually try to chain you and use you as a sideshow?”
I didn’t want to sit next to her like a friend, but I also didn’t want to upset her by being upset, which, conversely, made me more upset. The memory bubbled up in a well of fresh pain. There wasn’t even room to pace.
I tightened my hands into fists. “I settled in a new town after the incident with the King—somewhere no one would know me.”
Evie reached out a hand and her touch calmed me enough to get the rest out.
“Many oddities called Fairmer home. Including the mage that eventually taught me magic. I got used to seeing all manner of things in the town—Fae who wore their wings openly, wizards with families, vampires in the daylight.”
Evie hung on my every word. I flexed my hands against the memories pouring forth.
“I did a lot of growing up in a decade. I got comfortable letting my bear roam free again. Too comfortable. I forgot I was the oddest of all. The Bard of Fairmer thought I would be a wonderful addition to his sideshow. When he came with chains and a warlock, I realized I needed my bear hidden and magic at my fingertips.”
She regarded me steadily, without a trace of the pity I expected. “I’m so sorry, Ward. Is he still alive? I could venom him real good for you. Maybe squeeze him to death?”
