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“Is that where we’re going?”
He began to descend, flapping his wings once then soaring on air.
“I need to get a decent meal into you before our longer trek into the mountains.”
He didn’t land next to what looked to be a tavern and inn as I’d expected. Instead, he slowed and dropped behind a copse of trees close to the inn. From here, I could read the sign hanging over the door with bright yellow lettering—The Black Boar.
He set me on my feet, his large hand steadying me before he let go.
“Are we hiding from someone?” I asked as he peered through the thin grove of trees at the inn.
“Merely being cautious. Making sure no other Mevian guards are looking for you.”
I’d been so consumed with my captor at the time, I hadn’t thought about those guards. Strange how a mere few hours could change everything. I had no intention of escaping now or ever going back.
“What happened to the other guards in my village?”
“One is dead. The other had better found a healer by now if he wanted to save his arm.” Then he walked on casually ahead of me.
I hurried to catch up. “Dead?”
A frown creased his brow. “They tried to kill me if you recall. I thought I was being kind to let one live.”
An uncomfortable laugh bubbled up my throat. “Very kind.”
“Would you have preferred they kill me? Then drag you off to be that abhorrent lecher’s property?”
He was offended, and I realized quickly I didn’t want to hurt him, not even in the smallest way. I’m not sure where these protective instincts came from in regard to Vallon, but I couldn’t do anything besides act on them.
“Of course not.” I shrugged. “It’s just that sword fights to the death aren’t something I normally witness. Actually, I’ve never seen a physical altercation like that in my life.” Though I had run away before I had seen much of it at all. But I had seen Vallon deftly dodge and swing his sword, fighting two at once with practiced ease.
“I’ve lived a rather quiet, sheltered life away from violence and war,” I added.
“You’re fortunate in that regard.”
I huffed a small laugh. “I suppose I’m a little shocked that anyone was fighting over me in the first place. That’s neverhappened, even if it likely had more to do with the guardsmen’s pride than anything else.”
Vallon pulled me to a stop and faced me, his large hand wrapped around my forearm. His expression had hardened into sharp, tight angles. “The fact that no male saw fit that you were and are a female worth fighting for is their loss. But I’m here now.” He shifted closer, those crimson eyes bewitching in their intensity. “And I’ll kill anyone who dares to even touch you.”
For a breathless moment, I simply stared back, soaking in his lethal promise. I tried for levity, smiling as I said, “You’ve taken your father’s vow very seriously.”
His answering reply was a sweeping examination of my face, ending at my mouth. Then he dropped my arm and urged me forward with a hand at my back. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
Chapter
Ten
MURGHA
After Tessa disappeared and Papa had recovered from his illness, I’d begged him to gather some fae males and look for her. Other than search near the stream where she’d gone that night, he’d done nothing at all.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Because Tessa was his favorite child, of course, he sank into a depression for a time, drinking and gambling even more than before she’d gone.
Though I’d always believed her letter was coerced, I wondered now if it were true. She’d given me an option to join her with her beast fae mate and his clan, but the idea had seemed so ludicrous at the time. I’d laughed at the very idea of leaving the safety of my home.
But my home wasn’t safe. I could see in the bitterness of Papa’s stares and his lack of any care at all for me that I was in danger.
So I’d gathered some herbs to sell and ventured to the Borderlands a few times, seeking any word or news of my sister. I was terrified at first, seeing wraith fae for the first time. I’d even seen two beast fae females traveling with a child.
