Page 203 of Primal Bonds

Chapter 22

When Fane awoke that evening, his fever had broken and he felt much better, although weak as an infant.

Night had fallen. The cavern was dark except for a small fire with Marjani crouched beside it, grilling some kind of white fish on a small metal grate. She’d put her T-shirt back on, but her feet were bare. The pool shimmered beside her, the water black in the dim light.

He fingered the thin wool blanket covering him. Where had that come from? He pushed the blanket down to his waist and propped himself up on his forearms.

Marjani immediately crossed to him. “How do you feel?”

“Better, thanks.” His voice came out as a croak. He moistened his dry, cracked lips. “But thirsty.”

“Hang on and I’ll get you some water.” Picking up a ceramic cup, she filled it in the pool and brought it to him.

He drained the cup in a few gulps and then turned it in his hand. It was ceramic, the kind the locals kept for everyday use, with no handle and a speckled gray glaze. “Where in Hades did you get this—and the blanket?”

“I made a quick trip outside while you were sleeping. I found a stream to fish in and a little hut with bunk beds and some basic supplies.”

He nodded. “The locals rent them to hikers.”

“I wish I could’ve left them something in return, but my backpack is back at the court.”

He set the cup on the floor and sat cross-legged, the blanket on his legs. “You’re fucking amazing.”

“It was either that or go hungry,” she said with a shrug. “And I’ve been in worse situations.”

“Yeah, I imagine you have. You’re a soldier, aren’t you?”

“I was.” A shadow crossed her face. “I mean, I am.”

He’d upset her, the last thing he wanted to do. He pushed the blanket off his lap. “I need—”

“Of course.” She helped him to his feet and pointed to a small tunnel behind the pool, where he found the hole she’d dug for wastes. When he was done, he tossed some dirt into it and washed up in the pool.

She was crouched by the grill again. His stomach rumbled at the fish’s mouthwatering scent. As he lowered himself onto the cavern floor beside her, she divided the fish into two portions and handed him a plate.

His hands were shaking with hunger. He gripped the plate and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“You have to eat with your fingers.”

“No problem.” The fish tasted as good as it smelled. He quickly downed the first couple of pieces, then forced himself to slow down. It wasn’t much, but it filled him. His stomach seemed to have shrunk.

He set down his plate. “How long was I out, anyway?”

“Two days. It’s around midnight right now.”

He gave a low whistle. “No one came looking for us?”

“I heard the goblins the first night, but I haven’t seen or heard anything since.”

He contemplated the glowing charcoal embers. “The king wants you, then. He wouldn’t have sent the goblins after me.”

“Why not?”

“He knows I can’t go far without his consent. It would break the geas.”

“Why did you? Accept the geas, I mean.”

He moved a shoulder. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. My mom had just died, and I didn’t fit into the human world anymore. I was a fisherman in Newfoundland—had my own boat with a crew of two. But people were starting to notice how I never seemed to age. Then I found out I had a fae Gift. My dad’s an envoy, too. You’d like him—everyone does. Give the man a bottle of wine and a box of crackers and he can make a party. He wasn’t home much, but when he was, life was so damn fun.”

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