“What’s your name?” he asked.
There was no point in lying. “Etarla.”
“If I were here to kill you, Etarla, you would have never opened your eyes,” he said as he shifted to his feet and stood. He towered over me, all thick thighs and coiled muscle. “You know why I’m here.”
“These arenotmy eyes.” The words were a plea.
“You do know how that sounds to someone who is looking at them, in your face, as we speak, right?”
I shook my head slowly, willing him to understand. “Myeyes are brown. Whatever they are now…they’re hers. Not mine. They’ll fade, and you’ll see this is a mistake. Whoever sent you will punish you.”
Without a word, he bent toward me, his hands finding the space beneath my arms. They could crush my ribs right now. It probably wouldn’t take much effort. But the grip was only firm as he brought me to my feet with disturbing ease. His hands remained as I wobbled, deep bruises creating weak spots in my legs.
A slight tightening of those fingers was my only warning. There was a dizzying rush of movement, and then I was staring at naked trees. My bound hands and back were flush against something solid and warm, and a thick, muscled arm banded across my chest.
My mind hadn’t even caught up when cold glass touched my lips.
“Drink,” he ordered.
That definitely wasn’t happening.
I ground my teeth together and flailed with all I had. That arm was an iron vise, holding me tight to his body with little effort.
But my feet were free.
I stomped as hard as I could on his boots, earning a string of cusses. For a second, the glass disappeared, and I raised my foot again to—
Fingers pinched my nose shut. The glass found my mouth again.
I struggled harder, refusing to open my lips, even as oxygen ran low.
“You’re only hurting yourself,” he said, annoyance tinging the words as my legs kicked high, throwing all my weight back. He didn’t budge, nor did he sound remotely winded.
Then all my air was gone, and the need to breathe overcame my will to fight.
My jaw dropped, and air and liquid found my throat at the same time. The hand that still closed my nose sealed my mouth shut. I sputtered as things went down my throat the wrong way, a sickly sweet taste coating my tongue as my eyes watered.
Then the hand left my face, and hacking coughs jerked me forward against his arm. I spit and gasped as he held me, stickiness dripping down my chin.
“You. Bastard.” I heaved the words out.
“You’re right, but you could have simply drank,” was his calm response.
I whipped my head around—
Except I couldn’t. My head was too heavy to whip anywhere.
“That’s a…terrible…answer.” Numbness encased my tongue.
His annoying hand cupped my chin, gently tugging until my head was resting on his chest. Whiskers tickled the side of my head. “The effects of the draught are quick. It’s not worth fighting it. You won’t be harmed.”
As if I would trust that. Tingles ate my feet and traveled up my legs. “Would…you…belieeeve yyyou?”
I turned limp as my eyelids became lead. That big body shifted, and then I was weightless and encased in heat.
I didn’t get to hear his response.
Chapter 4
