Page 50 of A Lick of Flame

By the time we arrive, my body aches, and my mouth is dry. I’m pulled from my horse.

Maya moans.

“Maya, are you alright?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says in a small voice. Then we are being led somewhere.

“Sit!” someone commands. I don’t recognize his voice. We do as instructed. Maya sighs, sounding concerned.

“The female needs food and water,” I insist as the sack is removed from my head, and I stare up at Bard.

Hamlin removes the sack from Maya’s head as well.

“Let us go,” she snarls.

“You will be well looked after,” Bard says. “You’re worth a lot of coin. Your pretty friend included.” He nods at Hamlin, who lets us both take our fill from a waterskin. He holds the skin to each of our mouths so that we can drink.

“You’ll eat when the food is ready.” Bard starts to turn away.

“Please, can we talk?” I ask him. “We rode together for many years. We—”

“I have never met you, fae.” His eyes are blazing. His jaw is set. “I do not know who you are.” He shakes his head.

“I think you do. You know exactly who I am. You recognize me. I know it. It’s me. I am Dante. We rode together for a long time. I once pulled an arrow from your belly and nursed you back to health. Your favorite food is hog head stew. Your favorite ale is from a—”

“Lies! All lies! The Dante I knew was a man. You are no man.” He points at me; his eyes are hard and filled with rage.

“I can explain everything. Give me a chance, for old times’ sake,” I implore him just as Hamlin arrives with iron shackles.

Kakara help me! There is no way I can get out of those. Bard knows it, too. He is far more clued up than that simpleton Ethan will ever be.

“I don’t know you at all. Perhaps I never knew Dante, either. Perhaps it is Dante who is the liar.”

I watch him walk away.

Damn it all to hell and back.

I want to shout after him, but I don’t. He has made himself abundantly clear.

Bard’s sidekick shackles my arms.

“It’s me, Hamlin,” I try again. “I—”

“You heard our leader. We’re selling you both for enough coin to last our whole lifetime. You’re not the man I once knew.”

“You’d be selling out a friend. What about the code?”

“You’re a fae.” He snaps the shackles onto my ankles. There are eight men surrounding us and more nearby. I can’t do anything that wouldn’t jeopardize Maya’s safety. “The code does not extend itself to the likes of you. One more word, and I’ll gag you.”

Then he starts to put shackles on Maya.

“She doesn’t need those,” I tell him.

Hamlin gives me a scathing look and snaps on the irons.

I push out a heavy breath but hold my tongue.

Once he is done shackling her ankles, he leaves as well. We are surrounded by men. They stand a mere ten or twelve feet away, their eyes on us. No, their eyes are on me, almost daring me to try something, anything, so that they can retaliate. They won’t kill me, but they might just beat me bloody. I recognize more than one man, but I know it will be futile to reach out to any of them. I look over at Bard, who is untacking his horse.

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