“Half-brother,” Deidre stressed.This was the first time I was seeing her this angry.
Tisvali chose that moment to shoot three arrows in quick succession, breaking the tension.
The others stopped and turned to look back in the direction of the shots.
My head spun from the sudden change in direction so I didn’t see a thing, but I heard Tisvali say proudly, “How about that, Lake Lady?Three zombies nailed in the head from this distance in broad daylight?”
“You idiot,” Deidre hissed.“Karim may be signing his death sentence, and all you care about is competing with me?”
Tisvali’s shoulders slumped.“I was trying to distract you and improve your mood.”
“You thought I needed a distraction?Ugh!What I need is your support in this.”
“No, you need a distraction, because otherwise you are incapable of seeing that this is a battle you cannot win,” Tisvali insisted, his chest puffed out.“The Prince has taken his decision, and it’s not up to anyone to question it.”
“ThePrinceis also our friend,” she snapped.“And as myfriend, he will hear my opinion on this stupid decision.”A pause.“I say his decision is stupid.”
“Yes, you are my friend, Deidre,” Karim said.“That is why I cannot put your life in danger by letting you carry Jasmine.”
One blue eyebrow soared.“You sure didn’t hesitate to bring me out here during the daytime.”
“Dying in a fight is one thing–we are all prepared for it; being executed is another.I will not let you risk it.”
“Nah, executing me would be an overkill.My family’s legacy is already tainted,” she stated, but there was hesitation in her voice.“My father made sure of that when he spread his seed, succumbing to thecurse of his blood.”
What was that curse about?This was the second time Deidre was mentioning it.
“You still have a chance at finding a braid partner,” Karim told her as we resumed moving.“If I let you do this, that chance may be forever lost.”
“I don’t want to link my braid with anyone in the Kingdom, and you know it.No one will accept my half-human genetics, anyway… Even Tisvali can’t stand to watch my weeklysaccabaprocedure.”
“Hey, no elf should be made to watch hairs being removed,” Tisvali grumbled.“Any potential braid partner would fail to pass such a gruesome test.”
“You are covered in werewolf guts, and you call the sight of my legs covered in liquidsaccabagruesome?”
“Blood and guts are a natural sight.Saccabaover legs that aren’t supposed to have a single hair on them, is not.”
She scoffed before her lips curved into a knowing smile.“Trying to distract me again, ain’t you?Well, you failed!”
The smile disappeared when she turned to Karim again.“Let’s ignore the idiot, my legs, and my never-going-to-happen braid linkage.I get it: you won’t let go of Jasmine.But please consider taking her to the healers instead of fixing her arm and ankle in your home.We can tell the gossiping asses that you carried a human because you had to save the life of the only person capable of replanting an edelweiss.Not only will you not be punished for your transgression then, but you will be praised for your sacrifice.”
Karim chose not to reply, and I soon saw the entrance to the cave ahead of us.It was camouflaged so well that I wouldn’t have been able to spot it, had we not left the underground world through it.
“Karim!”Deidre moved to block our way.
I looked up just in time to catch the look he gave her in response.There would be no changing his mind.
“Ugh!Stubborn males.You make us love you and then youexpect us to back off and let you die of your own stupidity?”
Deidre was right.Why not go to the healers, if they could both save me and ensure that Karim would not get punished by his half-sister?And over something the two of us hadn’t done and would never do?
“Karim?”He kept going to bypass Deidre, so I placed my hand on his chest to catch his attention.
He stopped abruptly.His eyes were now locked with mine, his nostrils flaring, his hold on my body suddenly firmer.
I tried not to be distracted by how good that felt.“Your friend has a point,” I told him carefully, knowing I was overstepping.“You kept your promise to keep me safe: I’m still alive, and I’m back in your kingdom.You don’t have to risk your reputation by bringing me to your home for healing.The healers can–”
“They will kill you.”His voice was flat, but his body was a coiled spring against me.“You need our healing plants to prevent an infection, and the healers would never spare any for a human.The only help they’ll offer is a blade at your throat.”
