Page 20 of A Lick of Flame

Her hair has since been firmly secured in a tight plait down her back. I preferred it loose and hanging freely about her shoulders like spun gold.

I can’t believe I thought her plain last night. She is anything but plain. Her eyes are a deep blue, like the depths of the ocean. She’s small and weak, but there is an inner strength and fearlessness in her that I can't help but admire. Then there are her curves, which stand out starkly against her slender frame. They are plentiful enough to—

“Why are you staring at me like that instead of answering my question?”

“I was thinking it through,” I mutter. It isn’t true at all. I was taking her in and with far too much enthusiasm for my liking. It has been a very long time since I was in the company of a woman. Especially one as beautiful as this. It is going to be my job to keep her safe over the next week or two. There is so much at stake. I can’t be thinking with the head between my legs. It won’t do. Besides, she is untouched, and I am not in the business of taking maidenheads. I need to fix this problem of ours. Then I have a kingdom to save. A throne to take back. There is no time for anything else.

“Which direction?” I repeat her question. “That depends,” I tell her.

“On what?” She frowns.

“On where we might find some horses to steal.” I lift my brows. “Do you know of any in these parts?”

Her eyes go very wide. “We’re not stealing horses. We’re not stealing anything.”

“You say that now, but I need clothing. A hooded cloak to cover my ears. Without mounts, it would take us over a week to get to Windsar Forest. We’d be more easily targeted, moving at such a slow pace. Unless you have coin, stealing is our only option.”

She scrunches up her nose. “I don’t have any coin.” She shakes her head. “But we don’t need any because I know where we can get horses and maybe even clothing, too. You definitely need a shirt to cover those markings across your back. A blazing fire with etchings of bright gold will attract all kinds of attention. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She gasps, reaching behind herself and touching her own back. “I don’t have one as well, do I? Please tell me it’s just this one.” She touches her shoulder.

I shake my head. “No, you don’t. Just the dragon.”

She looks relieved for a moment. A puff of air leaving her parted lips. Then she frowns. “What is it? What does the marking mean? Why do you have it?”

“Nothing,” I say, and far too quickly. “It’s just a marking. It doesn’t mean anything,” I add, making it worse.

Her eyes narrow with suspicion, but she drops it. “We’d better get going.”

“Where exactly are we going?”

“To the Nezcara Valley. To Xander’s farm. It isn’t too far on foot. We will be able to get whatever we need from there, as he is a friend.”

“A good enough friend to just give you whatever we need?” I lift my brows. “That is a close friend indeed.” There is an edge to my voice.

“He’s been a friend to the orphanage for years. Giving us food and supplies. Helping us become self-sufficient. He’s a good person. There are not many of those anymore, and I have yet to meet a good fae.” She glares at me. “So, I’m not too surprised you don’t understand kindness.”

“In my experience, nothing has ever been free. There is always a payment.”

“See what I mean?” She rolls her eyes. “Xander is a good man. He doesn’t expect anything back in return.”

“We’ll see about that,” I grumble.

“Unfortunately, Xander, his friend Thesha, and one of the sisters, Olivia, were taken by the bloodfae. I think that they are prisoners at the Blood Court as we speak.” Her eyes grow hazy.

“I’m sorry to hear that. If it is any consolation, there are worse courts to become a slave in,” I say, thinking about the emptyfae and their terrible practices. It’s where prisoners are forced to fight in the pits or to work deep in the coal mines. Not that the other courts don’t take part in such barbaric practices, too; it’s just on a far lesser scale. Everything has changed since Snow became corrupted, since she became queen of the entire realm. My heart aches for the friend I once knew.

What happened to you, Snow?

“Are there worse courts than the Blood Court? The bloodfae are ruthless. Then again, all of you are ruthless,” she spits, rage barely contained within her. It’s personal. There is a story there. A reason she hates us. A reason she hates me. For a single moment, I wonder what her story is, then I push the thought aside. It doesn’t matter. Let her hate me all she wants, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of finding the witch. Of breaking the tether.

“At least with this farmer gone, we can help ourselves to whatever we need,” I say.

“His friends are staying at his homestead until his return. We will borrow two horses and some clothing. We shall return them afterward.”

“A sword would be good. Two would be better. You should be armed as well.”

“I have my knife.”

“A knife is good in close battle, but terrible otherwise.”

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