And, of course, I was bound by Calista to kill her myself.
But in spite of all that, I didn’t truly want her dead. Not if I was given the choice.
Eira clenched a small bundle of fabric at her side, lifting her chin in defiance. “I don’t owe you explanations, hunter.”
“You’ve made that much clear.” I drew closer, and her hold on the bundle tightened. “But if you think you can sneak away without anyone noticing, then you’re more foolish than I thought.”
Her nostrils flared, her eyes blazing with rage. But she said nothing. My gaze dropped to the wrapped object by her side. I could take it from her. It would be easy to wrestle it from her grasp, even if she put up a fight. Even with the fae bond punishing me for harming her. I had disarmed stronger foes before.
But there was something in the princess’s eyes I hadn’t seen before. And it stopped me, freezing me in place.
Fear.
I had never seen her afraid before. Not ofme. She’d feared for the sake of her animal friends. She’d also been afraid of the Demon Fae, but fiercely so. Ready to fight. To survive at any cost.
But right now, for the first time, she was afraid ofme. I had the upper hand, and she knew it. My entire livelihood relied on knowing my enemy and what they feared the most.
This woman feared me. She feared me exposing her secrets.
A hard lump formed in my throat, my next words dying on my lips. I didn’t know what to say. When I had emerged from my hiding spot, I had known exactly what I would do: find the truth.
But right now, staring at this frightened princess and the defiance and ferocity still burning in her expression, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. This wasn’t the vagabond princess the queen had painted a picture of. Eira had been raised to believe she would be queen someday. Instead, she’d been banished and hunted, barely surviving.
And I played a part in her suffering.
Something loosened in my chest, and I exhaled slowly. “Keep your secret, Eira.” I turned away.
“What?” she blurted.
I glanced over my shoulder, amused by her bewilderment. “I said you can keep this secret. Our bargain requires me to bring you to the castle. I don’t need anything else from you. So I’m letting you keep this one.”
“Theron—” She took a step toward me, then faltered.
I turned to fully face her. She stared at me, lips parted and eyes wide, her face slack with shock.
“You aren’t who I thought you were, Snow Princess,” I murmured. “I’m a killer. A murderer. A blade the queen wields for her own will and pleasure. There is blood on my hands. I may be ordered to kill you. To end your life in the queen’s name. But this much I can give you.”
Something burned in her gaze, something new and unfamiliar, but I turned away before I scrutinized it. Before this princess unraveled me completely.
With the firewood Eira and I had gathered, we cooked the two hares and shared them between the four of us—Kendra refused, as she kept to a diet of worms, insects, and frogs, and she had recently eaten. I sensed Eira glancing at me repeatedly, but I ignored her gaze.
When we finished our meal, I put out the fire and packed our things, and we set off once more.
A strange new silence filled the air between us as we made our way through the woods, each step taking us farther and farther down the mountain. It wouldn’t be long before we reached the base of the Athawood Peaks, and from there, the village of Tolston, which was on the outskirts of the Bloxham Province.
Home. Just a few more days, and I would be home.
Eira continued to stare at me, as if she didn’t quite know what to make of me. As if she didn’t recognize me anymore.
I wasn’t sure I recognized myself.
For years, I had been forced to fulfill my contract with the queen. Nothing had stopped me. Nothing could deter me from being free of her, even for just a short season.
My skill in hunting came from my meticulous planning. But now, for the first time in my adult life, I had no plan. I had been determined to kill the Snow Princess and bring the queen her heart in order to buy my own freedom. But I realized that even if Eira and I succeeded in reaching the palace and nullifying our fae bargain, I wasn’t sure if I could kill her.
I thrived on certainty. And right now, I was filled with doubt. I hadn’t been this lost and confused since myfather?—
I shuddered, my steps faltering. My thoughts were so chaotic, spiraling into territories I’d forbidden myself from years ago.
