Page 26 of A Dance With Fire
Pathways of the Future
The Fire Dancer’s body went slack as if she was too weak to hold herself up at all, like she had shut down and given up.
Clay darted forward to catch her, but Ryker was already there. He moved so quickly; in a second her legs were already under his arms, and he had her body cradled to his chest. His familiar dug her sharp claws into his shoulder at the disturbance but otherwise remained perched where she was.
The manacles and chains around the Fire Dancer’s wrists made her feel heavy, but Ryker could tell she had a delicacy about her. Not that she was thin. Curves spread through her body in all the right places,notthat Ryker particularly cared. He was more preoccupied with leaving this place at the moment. The close proximity to the iron made his head pound and the magic inside him sputter.
“Let’s go,” Valerio snapped with impatience.
He wasn’t usually irritable, but these were dark times, and this was a strange situation.
When the seer had knocked upon the door of their safe house, demanding they come to the temple and rescue one of their own, Valerio had scoffed in her face.
“Risk my men to save one female?” He spoke those words in a tone that said, ‘Now, why the fuck would I do that?’ But Valerio would not say such a thing, for he was not a vulgar man.
The seer—Davina, she said she was called—had then given Valerio a glimpse of the future. A prophecy that claimed this Fire Dancer would help save their race.
They’d debated, had spent the better part of a few hours arguing the pros and cons. They almost hadn’t come.
Ryker wished they hadn’t.
It was obvious she didn’t want to go with them. She was terrified and trembling, and Ryker didn’t have the patience to deal with someone who didn’t want to be saved, not when there were hundreds of Fae begging to be rescued. He much rather would have spent his time finding them instead of this fearful thing.
“Heal her,” Clay ordered. His eyes raked over her body in the darkness. As they could see in the dark, Ryker knew Clay was inhaling every curve that the sheer material draped over her could not hide.
Prick.
“No.” Ryker shouldered past the other Fae and they began walking, then running, trying to get as far away from this place as possible.
The emperor’s soldiers would send the hounds out next; trained bitches that could make out the scent of a Fae from a mile away.
As he ran, the sudden jostling had his familiar digging her claws tightly into his shoulder for purchase. He didn’t wince. He hardly felt much pain anymore unless he was using his magic.
They moved quickly through the night, faster than they'd ever run before.
“Whose genius idea was it to leave Uric behind?” Clay complained, his arms pumping at his sides. He wasn’t even winded as he ran, but the thrill of danger delighted him. It shone in his eyes. He was a mischievous little fucker and relished in a good fight.
Ryker itched to break that pretty boy nose of his.
They were a blur through the dark streets of Tuath. Any humans peering out of their windows at this time would merely glance and see fog blurring across the grounds.
Better for them. Better for them all.
Yet, the dogs were following.
“Shit.” Valerio skidded to a halt near an alleyway.
Ryker shifted the Fire Dancer in his arms and glared at the figure who had appeared before them.
Her hair was unbound, the hood of her cloak around her shoulders. A vacant look was in her eyes, but when she spoke there was nothing but clarity in her words. “She will fight you.”
Wind whipped at her dress and cloak. Her hair pushed away from her face to show her ears.
“What are you doing, Davina?” Valerio demanded. He shoved his own hood down. Half of his dark hair was pulled back into a knot and the other half spread down his back, disappearing into the black cloak. The sides of his head were shaved; all the better to show his ears.
It was a sense of pride for them. They were warriors, after all. Humans would have them hide what they were, so showing off what made them different in appearance was imperative.
“Protect her at all costs.” Davina stepped forward and bowed low before Valerio. “And may the Ashera of the Seelie rule again… my prince.” She straightened and stepped around them, walking away in the opposite direction.
