Once again, she was right. In fact, some of the humans in the area might join in and help them murder me.
Eira was now close enough to touch me, which I knew was exactly her intention. If she positioned herself in front of me and I tried to escape, I would be jeopardizing the bargain I made with her. If it came to a fight, I couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get hurt. All it would take was one flash of pain from the fae bond, and Denton would have the opportunity to cut open my throat.
“Tick tock, Sir Hunter.” Eira cocked her head, her long hair draping over one shoulder. “What’s your answer?”
I said nothing and offered my most fearsome glare. Somehow, this only seemed to amuse her, as her smile returned. “Let’s give him a little incentive, shall we, Denton?”
The cold blade met my flesh once more, and a sizzling heat erupted along my skin. I gritted my teeth as the smell of scorched flesh met my nostrils. “All right.All right! I accept the terms of your bargain.”
Denton immediately removed the knife. I massaged my neck, which still burned from the contact with the iron. “Swear it,” I growled, still glaring at the princess.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I, Princess Eira of the Winter Court, swear to you…” She frowned. “What’s your name?”
“Theron.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What a droll name. All right, then,Theron, assassin and hunter and all-around brutal killer of the Winter Court, I swear to you that if you safely smuggle me into the palace, that I will release you from our previous bargainandensure your survival should the queen seek your life.” She spread her arms, eyebrows raised. “Good enough?”
I wracked my brain, sifting through her words before I muttered, “Use her name.”
“Pardon?”
“Calista. Use her name.”
The princess stilled, her expression frozen for one brief moment. And I knew I’d caught her. She’d only saidthe queen. If she managed to seize the throne before Calista hunted me down, then she could just let her stepmother end my life without a second thought.
Eira recovered quickly and hitched a smile back on her face. “Right. I swear to ensure your survival shouldCalistaseek your life. Satisfied?”
Once more, I hesitated as I tried to find a loophole in her terms. When I was satisfied, I nodded once.
“Good. Now you swear it.”
Damn.I was hoping that, since she was half human, she wouldn’t require me to swear in my own words. If one party in a fae bargain didn’t make a verbal vow, there were often loopholes to exploit.
With a sigh, I said, “I, Theron of the Winter Court, swear to smuggle Princess Eira safely into the Winter Palace, on the condition that she releases me from our previous bargain and guarantees my survival, should Queen Calista seek my life.”
Eira offered a sickly-sweet smile. “Perfect. Our bargain is struck.”
“Our bargain is struck,” I echoed glumly. Power thrummed in my veins from the force of our bond.
“You’re playing with fire, Eira,” Denton said in a low, ominous voice. “We don’t even know what his fae magic can do.”
“I’m assuming it helps him kill people more efficiently,” Eira quipped. “Otherwise my stepmother wouldn’t have hired him.”
I remained silent. I didn’t want to give away anything. But if they were only speculating about my magic, I was at an advantage.
The only problem was, I had no special magic. Only basic fae glamour, which any ordinary fae could manage. For years, I’d practiced and searched within myself, but no power had manifested itself.
If Eira and her followers found out, then I’d be even worse off—if that was even possible.
“I’m coming with you,” Denton said, standing a bit straighter so he appeared almost as tall as I was. There was a protective look in his eyes that made me wonder if he was more than just a friend to the princess.
“Like hell you are,” Eira shot back. “You all have your duties to attend to. If you don’t return, someone will notice. He agreed to the bargain, so your work here is done. I’ll meet you at the full moon.”
I frowned as I processed this information. Return where? Just where did these humans come from that was so important? I’d assumed they were local to Knockspur, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
“Be careful, Snow,” said one of the villagers, lowering his pickaxe. He was an older man with a white beard surrounding his pale face. “I don’t trust the looks of this one.”
“I don’t either, which was why I got him to swear he wouldn’t harm me.” She cast me another smug look that made me want to strangle her.
