He held his breath and waited for the sound again.
There.
It was coming from near the stream behind the densest patch of foliage. With slow, careful steps, he moved forward, softly prodding the earth with his lead foot to avoid snapping twigs or kicking loose stones. The hoofbeats grew clearer, approaching the stream from the opposite side of the brush. Then it stopped, replaced with a gentle splash. Then another. The creature was likely drinking from the stream. Teryn edged closer and closer until he was finally able to glance around the edge of the brush to the rushing waters on the other side. His breath caught as his eyes took in the animal facing away from him. But it wasn’t a deer at all. It was…a horse. An enormous white stallion with hooves the size of?—
His foot shifted, caught on a loose rock. He regained purchase, but the sound had already caught the creature’s attention. It stopped drinking at once and swiveled its head toward Teryn.
He blinked several times, certain his eyes were deceiving him. Perhaps it was hunger. But no matter how he tried to battle both reason and visual evidence, there was no denying the white horn protruding from the horse’s head.
It wasn’t a horse after all.
20
Teryn swallowed hard, feeling as if his throat had turned to sand. His heart hammered against his ribs like it would break free from his chest at any moment. He didn’t dare blink. Didn’t dare move a muscle as he waited for the unicorn to dart away.
It didn’t.
It simply stared back at him, its russet eyes penetrating, probing. That was when Teryn remembered the spear in his hand. And the reason he held it.
Not the reason he’d come to the stream, but what had prompted his practice earlier that morning.
This enormous, impossible creature was the very reason Teryn was in these woods.Thiswas his prey.
Sweat slicked his palms. His forearms felt stiff, as if they were rebelling against the command Teryn was trying to give.Lift. Throw. Kill. That was what he’d come here to do. With one throw, straight to the lungs or heart, he could win two of Mareleau’s prizes. The horn. The pelt. After that, only one live unicorn to serve as the princess’ pet would stand between him and victory. He tried to feel emboldened by the thought, but his stomach only clenched tighter. Revulsion crawled up his spine, prickling his skin like tiny knives. He’d hunted before. He was no stranger to killing an animal. But, for some reason, this felt different. Wrong.
Damn it, he cursed silently to himself.You must do this. You cannot fail now, you sorry fool. Lift. Throw. Kill. Done.
Steadying his nerves, he took three deep breaths, then slowly angled his body to the side. He paused, waiting to see if the movement would set the creature fleeing. Instead, it took another step closer. There was something defiant in its posture now, the way it lowered its head, the way its lips began to lift from its teeth. Teryn saw its horn in a different light. This wasn’t simply a pretty faerytale decoration. It was a razor-sharp weapon. If Teryn missed, he’d be on the receiving end of that horn. Feeling a greater sense of urgency, Teryn lifted the spear. The unicorn stepped forward again, lips flapping with angry breaths. Teryn’s muscles tensed. Sweat dripped down his forehead and into his eyes. Another wave of revulsion swept over him, sending his stomach churning. He knew what needed to be done but his body wouldn't respond. Nor would his heart.
Throw, damn it! Throw!
He lowered his arm the briefest increment, not toward the creature but…down.
A sharp pain seared the side of his neck. He flinched back and slapped his palm to the sting. The unicorn hadn’t moved, hadn’t charged, and yet something wet and warm dripped down Teryn’s neck. From the corner of his eye, he could see an arrow protruding from the cherry tree a few yards behind him. Someone had shot at him. Before he could fully register what that meant, he felt the cold tip of a blade press against the underside of his jaw. Without moving, he glanced to the side, but only caught sight of an arm.
“Who are you?” The voice was quavering with rage, and…feminine.
Teryn slowly opened his palm, letting his spear drop at his feet. Then, raising both hands, he carefully shifted to face his opponent. His eyes widened as his gaze took in a petite young woman dressed in a linen shift and unlaced bodice, her skirt tucked between her legs and into a leather belt to form something like pants. She had a quiver of arrows at her back and a bow slung over one shoulder. Her hair was sodden, trailing rivulets down her tan arms—arms that bore black ink from palm to inner elbow.
“Got your fill or would you like to paint my portrait too?” She tapped the underside of his chin with her blade, forcing his gaze back to her face. Her cheeks were tinged pink as if his assessment had embarrassed her. Or enraged her, more like. She scowled. There was something familiar about her dark eyes, but he couldn’t place why. Perhaps it was just that she was so unexpectedly stunning. In a wild and terrifying sort of way. Like a wildfire. He had no doubt she was equally as dangerous. “I said who are you?”
“You don’t know me?” Too late, he realized the folly of his question. While he expected his face to be well known in his own kingdom, this was Khero. Besides, he didn’t quite exude royalty in his current state.
She lifted her chin. “Why should I?”
He assessed her again, studying her grip on the dagger. Her height. Her reach. She was shorter than him by at least a foot. Even though she appeared comfortable enough wielding a blade, his reach was far greater.
She stepped in closer, angling the blade so its edge kissed the skin at the base of his throat. “Answer my question. Who are you?”
“My name is Teryn Alante,” he said, keeping his voice level.
She gave no indication she recognized his name. “You hunt unicorns.”
He hesitated before answering, which earned him a sharp bite from the dagger’s edge. “Yes.”
Her eyes roved the side of his neck, then inspected his hunting vest, as if she were searching for…something. Her expression flickered with confusion before she steeled it behind an icy mask. “Who do you work for?”
Teryn frowned. “No one.”
