Fox looks nervous, as if I’m going to break into a jig just to spite him, but I’m not. He seems legitimately nervous, which isn’t something I’d ever take lightly.
Turning back to the wolves, Fox nods. I wonder if he’s speaking silently again. He must be, because the group moves again, approaching cautiously.
Except for the wolf, who Fox referred to as “she,” all the soldiers appear to be male. All of them have pale skin and light hair, ranging from white-blonde to honey, to a gingery red. They’re all tall, like Fox, and appear to be just as muscular, though it’s hard to tell how much of their bulk is armor.
The man in the lead is undoubtedly naturally bulky and might even be more muscular than Fox. I didn’t know that was possible. His long hair and beard are a dark shade of blonde, closer to brown, and his blue eyes narrow in a way that makes me want to take a step back.
The men stop and stand in front of Fox and me, and no one actually says anything. The silence makes my skin crawl.
“Viktor,” Fox says to the man in front. “I see you’re still alive.”
The soldier—Viktor—grins wickedly, but he doesn’t reply out loud.
Fox makes a frustrated sound, and leans over to me pointedly. “He said that he was just thinking the same thing about me.”
Viktor scowls, but takes Fox’s hint. He clears his throat and his voice comes out gravelly, as if he hasn’t used it in a while. “I am surprised to see you, Fox. Last I heard you were shipped off to Dyaspora.”
“I was,” Fox replies flatly.
I notice a ripple pass through the group, shoulders tensing and hands shifting to weapons.
“Bullshit,” Viktor snaps. “No one escapes Dyaspora.”
Fox just stares at him, unblinking. I watch the man’s certainty waver under that cold gaze.
“So you’re back,” he says, recovering himself, “and with a witch.”
I stiffen beside Fox, biting my tongue against the urge to tell him I’m not a witch. This probably isn’t the moment to argue about the semantics of titles.
“I’m not back,” Fox says flatly. “We’re just passing through.”
“Passing through on your way where?” Viktor asks, shrewdly.
“I don’t see how that matters to you,” Fox replies, his voice dangerously calm. “What areyoudoing here?”
Viktor’s mouth twists into a half-smile. “We were sent to take care of the wyvern, but it looks like you beat us to it.”
Fox nods curtly. “Happy to take it off your hands. We’ll be on our way.”
“Wait.” One of the other soldiers, a man with a short reddish-blonde beard, steps forward. His eyes are locked on me as he notches an arrow. The blood drains from my face as he aims directly at my chest. “We saw the witch using her power.”
Fox’s growl makes my skin prickle. “Put that down,” he says, voice deadly quiet. “You might get one shot off, but you won’t be able to make another before I’ve driven those arrows through both your eyes.”
I watch the soldier’s face pale as Fox’s threat lands. Viktor glances back at the man with the crossbow, his eyes narrowing slightly. A moment passes where nothing is said aloud, but I can tell they’re communicating. Finally, the bearded soldier lowers his bow, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Good choice,” Fox mutters beside me, his voice low enough that only I can hear.
“He’s right, Fox,” Viktor says, turning back to us, with a smug smile that says all too clearly that he’s enjoying this. “It’s good to see you after all these years. I might even be inclined to let you go in exchange for the story of how you managed to escape Dyaspora, but I can’t. We have laws against her kind. We can’t just let the witch go.”
Fox’s body tenses next to mine. “There are no fucking laws,” he spits, his voice vibrating with barely controlled rage. “This whole area is covered in Fae villages.”
Viktor’s eyes narrow. “They can’t use magic either. It’s outlawed for the entire kingdom.”
“Since when?” Fox demands.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve been back here.” Viktor shrugs. “We have to take the witch to the queen.”
Fox goes completely still beside me. I can practically feel him calculating, weighing options. The muscles in his jaw work beneath his skin.
