Page 60 of Song of the Shadow Prince
His mouth remained tantalizingly close to the sensitive shell of my ear. “You’re not from here, are you?”
I felt his velvety soft lips on my earlobe. I shook my head but kept quiet, too scared to answer, much less breathe.
“Interesting.” He finally released me and took a step back.
I figured he was asking if I was from a neighboring nation or whatnot, so I played along, unwilling to show my hand just yet. “I, uh… am visiting with nearby friends who—”
“Don’t lie to me, little human,” he interrupted, his lip curling in disgust. “I do not like being lied to, especially when I myself cannot lie.” He peered down at me with a knowing look. “Are you from the place they callEarth?”
My eyes widened and I gasped. “You know?”
He chuckled. “Of course I know. We fae have lived for thousands of years. There’s hardly anything we do not know.”
“So the song…” I prodded.
“It is about a traveler from your world,” he confirmed. “She came here over two hundred years ago… and one day she vanished and was never heard from again. We assumed she returned to her world.”
“So you don’t know how or if she returned?”
He tsked. “Now now, little human. Information comes at a price. What are you willing to pay for your ride home?”
My mouth fell open when I realized I’d just fallen into his crafty trap. Like a drug dealer, the first taste was always free. He’d hooked me, but now I needed to pay for the real deal. Asshole.
I peered up at the canopy-covered skies and squinted to see if the sun had set. Unfortunately the leaves were too dense and they refused to let any sunlight scatter to the ground. In any event, I needed to hurry before Maeve freaked out and went to Lord Zacharia for help.
I sized up Klaus and crossed my arms over my chest. He was really testing my patience. I was scared, yes, but I also wasn’t one to fuck with. I might be stuck in a supernatural world where I was the weakest link, but that didn’t mean I was completely helpless. I had skills. I would have to put them to the test.
“Listen here, Legolas. I’m gettingrealtired of your word play, so allow me to set the record straight. I’m not going to barter with you, I don’t have a pot to piss in and can’t pay you anything, and as you already pointed out, I’m not from around here. So either give me the information I need or tell me to kick rocks barefoot, because I’m done with the games.” I pushed past him with all the bravado I could muster, fully prepared to find my way out of Faelight Forest on my own. I didn’t know how the hell I’d find the way out, but I’d be damned if I was going to let Lord of the Rings here continue playing games with me.
“I said my name was Klaus, not Legolas,” he stiffly clarified as he matched my steps, following me.
“Same diff,” I muttered. Ignoring him, I searched for the X’s on the trees to guide me back to the clearing.
“You’re extremely bold, kitty cat, coming into my territory and speaking to me in that manner. Were you not warned prior to entering Faelight Forest?”
I was probably going the wrong direction. As a matter of fact, I was certain of it, which only infuriated me further. “OfcourseI was warned. Does it look like I care right now?” I deadpanned and turned to look at him.
He bit back a smile. “I see,” he quipped. “Well, little human, I’m going to have to stop you because as I can imagine you already know, you’re walking in circles.”
I stopped and glared at him. “What?”
He shrugged. “You fell into my maze. I thought you would ask me to help you out, but instead you asked me about the song.” He narrowed his violet eyes. “You’re an odd one.”
I scoffed. “I’mthe odd one? Right. That’s just… whatever. So how the hell do I get out of here?” I spun around and looked at my surroundings, but all I saw were identical trees that grew in an unending forest.
A crafty smile slid across his annoyingly handsome face. “Why don’t we make a…beneficialdeal for the both of us—”
I gaped. “Absolutely n—”
He held up his hand. “Before you dismiss me, hear me out.” He stepped forward and invaded my personal space again. “Let me put my mark on you and—”
“Hell to the nah!” I exclaimed and pushed him away.
His mouth fell open, shocked that I’d pushed him. But seriously. Mark me? Was he insane?
“Let me finish, little human,” he growled, his patience obviously wearing thin. “This mark will notify me if you are ever in trouble, and I will come to your aid.”
I frowned. “So… you’re like the 5-0 on speed dial?” He tilted his head, confused by my twenty-first century lingo. “You just magically show up?” I clarified and he nodded. I twisted my mouth to the side, understandably skeptical. “How is this beneficial foryou?”
