“Mywoman is working with my dragon inside that stall. Surely you weren’t planning to cause her harm with your puny blade.”
“Release me, and I won’t tell them you interfered.”
Truly, you’d think my stellar reputation would’ve beenenough to keep anyone from trying something like this. “We’ll discuss this while we walk.”
I released my threads only enough to allow him to drop to the ground, then tightened them again, pinning him to my side as I flitted to the mountain peak above the aerie. While he remained bound by my threads, I took in the gorgeous view. It truly was spectacular with the broad, lush valley below, the mountains beyond, and the blue sky arcing overhead. Not a single cloud around to mar the lovely surface. Too bad a dark pall hung over the entire area.
If my fury and I were successful, it would fade, replaced with something my people would one day welcome. Some of them, that is. The rest could be persuaded, or, like this fae male, they would discover that they must take a walk with me. I’d leave it up to them.
“Who sent you?” I asked, hauling him up and perching his toes on the edge of the jagged cliff.
Arms spiraling, he gaped at the long drop behind him before wrenching his head back around to shoot me a glare. “They’re watching.”
“I’m sure they are, yet I’ll note that they’re not coming to your assistance at this time.”
His swallow took a long time to go down.
“Who?” I leaned near him and whispered. “You can tell me. I won’t share the name with anyone else.”
“I can’t,” he groaned. “They’ll—” His words cut off.Someonecut them off, that is. His eyes blazed and bloody spit surged up his throat to bubble down across his chin. He’d been poisonedor magically tainted in some way. He’d soon die, either from this or from me.
I shot some of my threads into the sky, spying, but I didn’t find anyone in the nearby woods or the broad ledge-covered area around the peak.
His hands rose to wrap around his throat, and he gurgled.
“Tell me who sent you, and I’ll make your death as pleasant as possible,” I said. All I needed was a name.
His eyes rolled back in his head.
A subtle sound behind me sent me spinning, but I found no one there.
The male was torn from my grip . . .
. . . and he fell.
I snapped my threads toward him, determined to grab onto him. I’d torture him to get that name. A gust of magical wind snatched him up and flung him against the cliff. As he dropped, what was left of him smacked against the jagged cliffside until he finally impacted with the ground.
I flitted from one location to another until I’d studied the mountain peak from all angles, but I didn’t find anyone to question or kill. Without a name, I couldn’t protect my fury, and rage ignited through me at the thought.
Where is she?I asked Drask. He’d left her to hunt, though he’d soared around above the castle first, watching until she went in through the back entrance.
He didn’t know where she was now.
A flit to the suite showed me she hadn’t arrived there yet. I jumped to the servant’s hall on the first level and found herstanding in front of a painting mounted on the wall, her head tilted as she studied it.
Another flit, and I stood behind her, taking in the way her leathers stroked her delicious curves, the way her thick braid hung down her spine like the finest blade, and the way she nibbled on her lower lip—something I longed to do myself.
My heart surged as if the entire sea leaped along with me. Every breath she took commanded mine to follow; every smile was a sun thawing my winter-weary soul. She was both the anchor grounding me and the storm that tore me from the safe shore. I loved her beyond words, fiercely. A simple look from her could pierce my defenses as if they were nothing but air. Every speck of me yearned to exist solely for her happiness. I shuddered with feelings so potent they verged on pain.
I could stand here forever just watching her, basking in her presence. To think I’d nearly lost her, that I might still lose her.
Could this plan work? I hated that I had doubts. My furywouldsee this through. Even if doing so might destroy her.
When I placed my hands on her shoulders, she jumped and whirled around, the tip of the blade I’d given her gouging my throat.
“Lovely to see you, too, Fury,” I said with a smile as I pinched the tip and dragged it to the side—not drawing blood, though I’d gladly give it if I thought it would please her.
I encircled her with threads and used them to lift her, pressing her against the wall beside the painting. Then I could cage her with my palms on either side of her shoulders and nudge her legs apart to step between them.
