“I shouldn’t?—”
“Don’t start that again,” I say sternly. “It’s cold tonight and I don’t want you getting too close to the fire again. Have to keep you healthy and well so we can finish this quest and I can be free, all right?”
After a moment, she nods.
“All right.”
“Good. Then come get some bread and sausage. It’s probably cold by now, but we can heat it up.”
I take her hand and draw her closer to the fire. We sit side by side and eat the last of the bread and sausage and share the wine bottle filled with water. We talk too—she tells me a little of her life as a Princess and I tell her about being a Drake.
“It must be wonderful to fly away, any time you want to,” she says wistfully.
“We live free in my country,” I tell her. “Every man has his own place. We don’t live in palaces or castles, but we enjoy our lives.”
“Living in a castle isn’t nearly as nice as you might think,” she murmurs. “There’s always someone watching you for one thing—watching and judging.”
It’s surprising to me to hear what her life is really like. I imagined that she was spoiled and catered to—but reading between the lines, it sounds more like she’s picked on or ignored by the other women of her Court. All because she’s curvy, which is fucking ridiculous. All Drake Shifters love curvy women but it sounds like Irena’s people can’t stand them.
I have to admit, it gives me sympathy for her—which is something I never thought I’d have for any of her people. Not after the way her bastard of a brother trapped me and kept me chained up for his own amusement. Not after the way our people have been enemies for years.
After we wash up—using a little of the water from the bottle—we settle down to sleep. Irena looks uncertain until I beckon for her.
“Come here, sweetheart—time for bed.”
She comes to me without protesting this time and snuggles against me like a soft little kitten. I can’t help it—I feel that protective, possessive feeling coming over me again. I pull her closer and she nuzzles me, her head tucked under my chin and her face pressed to my chest.
The dirt and stone floor of the cave isn’t comfortable, but the soft, curvy little princess pressed against me makes up for it. I put my arms around her and together we drift off to sleep.
40
IRENA
The next morning, I wake up thinking that the events of the day before must have been a dream. But if they were, then why am I wearing the ragged gown the witch gave me and why am I curled up against Valen’s broad chest?
I guess it all really happened, I think and blush when I remember sucking Valen not once but twice—and the second time just because I wanted to. Also, I let him touch me and make me come. I can’t believe I did all that! If anyone at Court ever found out…but they mustn’t. I can’t tell anyone the things I’ve been doing lately.
The quest, it’s all for the quest—I have to get the Healing Draught, I remind myself firmly. No matter what I have to do, it’s worth it as long as I can get that and cure Mother.
It’s a poor excuse but I make it work and turn my attention to starting the day. Though if I’m honest, I’d rather cuddle in Valen’s muscular arms—which is wrong. No matter what he says, we’re still enemies. I have to remember that. We’re only together for as long as this quest lasts. After we finish, we’ll part ways and never see each other again.
Why does that thought make me sad?
No matter—I shove my sorrow away and get moving. There’s nothing more to eat and only a few swallows of water left to drink—we share them equally. Then we step out of the cave and start looking for the path.
It takes some time to find it but at last I catch a glimpse of it, curving through the trees.
“There!” I point it out to Valen and he breathes a sigh of relief.
“Fucking finally,” he growls. “Come on, Princess—let’s get back on it.”
But the next forward step we take, the path completely disappears and we’re suddenly in a different part of the forest—a part we passed a few minutes ago. I know because I remember admiring the fan-like purple leaves of a vine climbing up a birch sapling.
“Hey—what happened?” Valen stops short, looking around in disgust and confusion. “Goddess damn this fucking forest! Where is the fucking path?”
“Stop—don’t move. Don’t move your feet at all,” I warn him. I tell him about my experience yesterday and how I heard red-beard back at The Slaughtered Lamb talking about how you have to go back to move forward.
“So we need to walk backwards?” Valen looks down at me incredulously.
