Page 47 of A Lick of Flame

“Touch her and die,” Orion says; his voice is filled with promise.

“Remind me why we can’t kill him?” the brute growls.

“We get five gold coins when he is delivered,” Harrison says.

“Delivered where?” I ask, my voice filled with panic. Orion was right. They have an ulterior motive.

“That’s for him…not for her.”

“For the last time, Ethan wants them both untouched. The girl still has her maidenhead, and the fae pay big money for maidens.”

We hear horses approaching. It must be Ethan and some of the others. All I can think is that they’re selling us to the fae, and Olivia is in on it. I feel betrayed.

“Keep your cod in your breeches and your mouth shut. Once we get our coin, you can buy all the whores you want,” Harrison says under his breath.

“Fine,” the brute grumbles.

“Someone tie him up,” Harrison commands as the hoofbeats grow louder.

“You tried to escape again,” Ethan says as they arrive. He laughs. “If nothing else, you are tenacious, and I admire that in a person.”

“Let us go,” I say, injecting venom into my voice. “Please don’t sell us to the fae for a handful of gold coin.”

“A handful, you say?” Ethan snorts. “Do you know how much Orion is worth?”

Orion gets to his feet, and several men draw their swords.

“Don’t try anything,” Ethan says, his eyes on the fae. “Tie him up. He’ll need to be watched more closely until we hand him over.”

“My people won’t pay a cent for me,” Orion says. “You’re wrong if you think I’m worth anything to them.”

“Not to them, no, but to—” he starts to say when loud screeches fill the air in piercing chants. It’s a language I don’t understand.

“What is that?” Harrison yells.

“Tie him up!” Ethan yells.

There is the clatter of horse hooves all around us, followed by more screeches and clicks.

“It’s one of the tribes,” Orion says. “They’re coming for us, and they don’t take captives.”

Several of Ethan’s men turn their horses and run.

“Don’t listen to him. Secure the fae. We can fight them!” Ethan growls.

No one seems to make a move to dismount. Meanwhile, the sound of horse hooves grows ever louder, as do the screeches and chants. It’s unnerving and hard to tell how close they are or even where exactly they’re coming from. Perhaps from all sides.

“We should run!” Harrison yells.

A horse goes up on its back legs…and then another. I’m not sure if it’s Orion’s handiwork or whether the horses are spooking outright for the fast-approaching tribe.

“Tie him up, Luke,” Ethan instructs. “Pull your swords, men,” he says unnecessarily because even in the near blackness, I can see the glint of blades.

Luke starts to dismount as the others begin to form a barrier, ready for battle.

In a startling move filled with agility and strength, Orion leaps onto my horse behind me, and Midnight takes off. One of Ethan’s men tries to block our escape, but Orion knocks him from the saddle in an almost casual fashion. Then we’re riding fast, and from behind us, chaos ensues as shouts and screams echo around us.

Metal clangs against metal. A horse neighs in distress. Men scream.

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