Page 182 of Primal Bonds

She licked dry lips. Fane had deceived her—and yet, for some damn reason, she trusted him to help her to the extent he could.

“What, exactly,” she asked Sindre, “are the terms of this deal?”

The king brought his hand back to his side. “You owe me, Marjani Savonett. You will stay for as long as I desire.”

Crap, there was her full name again. At least he didn’t know her true-name, the one given to her by her parents. But she still felt a pull to obey him.

“I owe you? How?”

“You spent the night in my castle. You ate my food, drank my ale.”

Fane made a small movement. “That was my food, willingly shared. She ate and drank nothing of yours. And she stayed in my room.”

“But I own you,” Sindre returned.

Fane’s eyes flickered. But he just replied calmly, “Room and board when I’m at the court are part of the terms.”

Marjani’s gaze darted between the two men. Was it true? She didn’t actually owe Sindre anything?

The king’s mouth compressed. He strolled past her, hands clasped behind his back. She stayed in place, gripping the dagger and turning with him in a strange little dance.

He halted. “Name your price. Cash. Land. Precious stones.” He flicked his fingers, and a handful of diamonds the size of walnuts showered onto a round marble table.

Marjani’s jaw slackened.

“Well?” Sindre demanded.

She wrenched her gaze from the glittering pile. “I’m not for sale.”

“No? Then take it and give it to your brother Adric. He’s done his best, but it will be a long time before your clan recovers from the Darktime. And meanwhile, you live in your cramped city dens instead of running free as your animals. You have so few young—one or two live births a year at most. If something doesn’t happen soon—or if Adric dies—your clan won’t survive.”

“Damn you,” she breathed. Because it was true. Every word of it.

And together, those diamonds were probably worth more than the entire clan made in a year.

She fingered the dagger’s ivory handle. “Stay here at the court. What does that mean?”

“You’ll be my guest. No cages, I promise.”

“And how long is a few days?”

“That’s negotiable. A turn of the sun, perhaps more.”

“And my duties?”

Suddenly, Sindre was right in front of her. He ran a finger down her cheek. “Take the diamonds. I promise you’ll enjoy yourself. And your brother will thank you.”

She sent a last look at the diamonds and backed up. Because she couldn’t do it, not even for the clan. And Adric wouldn’t thank her. In fact, if she sold her freedom for the clan, it just might break him.

“I said, I’m not for sale.”

“As you say.” Sindre snapped his fingers.

A black-haired female with an Irish woman’s creamy skin appeared with two crystal flutes balanced on a silver tray. She crossed the floor with a supple grace that reminded Marjani of a fada, although she didn’t smell like a fada.

In fact, like the big guard, she had no scent at all. And why did the guard look so familiar?

Sindre took the crystal flutes from her tray and offered one to Marjani. “Champagne?”

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