“Remember, though,”Alaric added, not taking his eyes off Serafina,“this bargain changes nothing between us. Should you make any attempt to run, I will hunt down this friend of yours and end him myself.”
Ah, well played. As far as threats went, it was a good one. Hopefully, it would make my job easier.
A muscle twitched in Serafina’s jaw. “Understood. I’ll need my herbs.” She scanned his massive form with a critical eye. “And lots of them. Would the trogg have medicine here?”
“It’s unlikely,” I said. “When they tended you, they had limited supplies.” And fewer skills. If they’d been more adept, maybe I wouldn’t have been forced to give her my flame.
“Then I’ll have to visit the manor.”
“Absolutely not.” This time, I’d not be overruled by the pair. “Mere spans ago, it was completely overrun with wendigos. Who knew if they lingered?”
Alaric’s green eyes turned contemplative, and I clenched my jaw, growling, “You cannot possibly be considering this.”
“Take her to Rottbarry,”Alaric said.“She can search for this Speck fellow on the way.”
“Are you mad with fever? Only someone with a death wish would set foot in Rottbarry.”
“The faster Serafina gets her herbs, the faster she can begin my treatments.”
Ah, so this was the reason for his poor judgment. Like a lot of males with an attractive woman, he wasn’t thinking with his brain.
Fool.
“The wendigos are nocturnal,”Alaric’s voice interrupted my musing.“If you leave immediately, you should have plenty of daylight to see the job done. I’ll have Myrna prepare a pair of horses for you. She can tell you which of the remaining trails are safest to take down the mountain.”
Serafina beamed up at the beast, unconcerned by the danger. “Wonderful. We can search the pasture first before heading to Rottbarry.”
While I would use the opportunity to uncover the real Serafina hiding behind that pretty face.
Chapter Eleven
SERAFINA
Speck was notin his pasture.
Thanks to Thorne, neither were the nerf. The wooly beasts had taken one look at my grumpy escort and bolted for the hills. Apparently, they were excellent judges of character.
I had little opportunity to ponder their strange reaction, too worried about Speck. Surely, we’d find him at the manor. I let the thought reassure me, allowing the gentle sway of my speckled mare to settle my nerves.
While traversing the steep mountain trail, I’d taken a moment to reconsider my situation. With both Alaric and Thorne’s assistance, the odds of finding Speck were far greater than mine alone. The part where Alaric believed he owned me, I’d deal with once Speck and I were reunited. For now, I’d tolerate just about anything to find him.
Even my surly escort.
Side-by-side, our horses clomped along a dusty road that would lead us through Nefarr. Birds chirped as they flew overour heads. Tall grasses whispered in the breeze. Bright sunlight heated the top of our heads, and I was reassured, knowing the wendigos lived in darkness. In fact, the only dark cloud in sight was the one that hovered over Thorne.
I studied him from beneath my lashes, struck again by the rugged perfection of his features. It was a crime this arrogant man was so undeniably gorgeous. Even while scowling. With his broad shoulders and corded forearms, the ladies at Rottbarry Manor would have fought for his attention.
It was fortunate that I was immune to his charms. Fortunate my pulse didn’t skip a beat every time those sparkling blue eyes swung in my direction. Nope. All I felt for him was annoyance. Thank goodness. Giving your heart to someone was nothing but a fast track to misery.
“See something you like, Princess?” His deep voice rolled over me in a manner that made me shiver.
I dragged my focus from the way his muscular thighs gripped his horse, only to find those hypnotic eyes of his on me. I shifted in my saddle, my blood strangely warm despite the mild temperatures.
“Hardly,” I scoffed, tipping my chin at a lofty angle.
“You know, you still haven’t answered my question.”
“Which one?” Since leaving the mountain, he’d only asked me about a hundred. Traitors to the crown were subjected to less.
