Page 47 of Poison Nights & Twilight Alchemy

The trio turned to the Leper then, waiting for his order.

“Elevated company for a swamp rat.” The Leper’s grin widened, exposing his rotting gums as he slowly raked his overt stare down her form. “The fleshmonger needs fresh workers in the Glen. How’s about it, moppet?”

Her? Disgusting bastards. She spat on the ground. “That’s my answer. Now leave.”

“Or is itwitch? Rumor has it my boy Reed is traveling with one. A witch can perform quite the pleasure, I hear.” the Leper’s gaze turned slitted.

The three men’s eyes lit with a darkness and hunger that sent a chill through Dulce, and they edged closer toward her.

The fog lifted beneath sulphury sunlight, revealing four horses tied to a tree.

“Thank you in advance for the horses,” Reed purredwith a mock bow, producing one of the kitchen’s many spit rods she hadn’t realized he’d taken. Before Dulce could blink, he lunged forward and swung it with vicious force into the nearest man’s head, who went down like a collapsing bridge.

“You’ve really saved us a lot of trouble,” Reed continued, spinning to catch the second man with the end of the iron rod in the stomach. He made a terrible choking noise as he doubled over, and Reed kicked him in the head, leaving him sprawled along the grass, still.

Dulce would step in with magic if she needed, but at the moment, it was much more entertaining watching Reed fight with incredible skill.

The third man looked wary, but he rolled his shoulders, inching closer to Reed, daggers in each hand. “This is the day you die, Reed. Once a mangy Glen dog, always a mangy Glen dog.”

“That was always your problem, Fowles,” Reed said calmly, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Thinking you’re better than a dog.”

The man lunged at Reed with a wild cry, swiping blindly at Reed’s face, but in a blur of steel his knives flew from his hands, and he screamed in pain, falling to his knees, cradling badly broken wrists. Reed didn’t hesitate to swing his weapon across the man’s throat, and despite the viciousness the vile man’s eyes had promised, she winced.

The Leper stood still, studying Reed with apparent indifference. Dulce knew the man could never outrun or outfight Reed. He would be foolish to attempt even a sliver of violence.

“You won’t get far, swamp rat.” The Leper clenchedhis jaw. “I have eyes everywhere. I will find you, and I will collect my reward in exchange for your head. Consider that a warning from a friend.”

Reed took Dulce’s hand and led her toward the waiting horses.

“Much obliged,” he called over his shoulder. “But sorry to be the one to tell you, you have no friends. Only those who fear you.”

He untied two of the horses and slapped their withers, sending them cantering off across the field toward Silver Birch Straits and home. The next horse, he helped Dulce to mount, untying its reins and placing them in her hands. And finally, he unbound the fourth horse and mounted it himself.

“We should have dinner sometime,” he shouted to the Leper. “You know, after Ms. Bankroft and I save the world and everyone knows you tried to stop me from helping her. For profit.”

“You’ll regret this!” the Leper screeched, the sores across his forehead oozing as he turned beet red. “I could’ve helped you out of the mess you’ve made for yourself. You could’velived.Now”—he shrugged his massive shoulders, struggling to collect himself—“it’s out of my hands.”

Reed smirked, kicking his horse into action. “Out of your hands is just the way I like it!”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

REED

By the afternoon, the endless rows of birch trees had blended into a blur of black and ivory, the music of their ghostly white leaves rustling in the wind like gentle waves. Rocked by his horse’s movements, Reed followed Dulce as they continued their journey north, exhaustion pulling at them.

Fingers going numb with cold, Reed smiled to himself at how easily the Leper’s men had fallen, how spectacularly they’d failed in capturing him. The Leper should’ve kept his trap shut about Dulce bringing anyone pleasure—he’d brought it all upon himself.

“You fight incredibly well.” Dulce grinned, glancingover her shoulder at him as her horse led the way. “You could join the royal guard if you wanted.”

“There’s only one woman I want to call Majesty.” He smirked.

She laughed just before her smile slowly fell. “Once we return to Moonglade, I’ll get everything sorted for you. There will be no bounty on your head, I promise.”

“And you? Won’t the villagers discover you’re a witch if gossip spreads further?”

“Rumors are easy to manipulate.”

“They’ll regret the day the Great Alexandra Josephine Bancroft intervened.” Reed winked, making her laugh once more, which was precisely what he wanted.

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