Page 56 of A Dance With Fire
Someone screamed, but the panic was far away now. Shula watched with a detached sort of numbness as the arrow flew its way towards Valerio’s face.
It was going to kill the Prince of the Fae.
But in the blink of an eye, Uric was there, hand closing around the arrow just centimeters from Valerio’s face. He crushed it in his grip and the wood snapped in half.
Shula almost expected the Fae to brandish their weapons and prepare for battle. For cries to ring out and for the earth’s floor to be covered in blood and bodies.
But that didn’t happen.
Uric backed away from his prince, and Valerio smirked, staring up from where the arrow had appeared from.
“Your aim is shit.”
And then the trees ruffled. Everyone seemed to huddle together, step back, as an enormous figure stomped out of the shadows.
He was huge, bigger even than Ryker, with muscles that looked like boulders and white sleeves rolled up to the elbows. The Fae man was formidable in size. Orange hair was slicked back into a ponytail, and a ginger beard peppered along a strong, square jaw.
He would have seemed frightening, if he hadn’t been smiling wide.
Or maybe that’s what made him terrifying.
That he could smile like that after shooting at Valerio and with a notched arrow and a bow in his hands as he descended the slope.
He made it a few feet in front of Valerio and spoke.
“Your tracking is worse.” His voice was surprisingly pleasant and held traces of humor. “We’ve been following you for hours.”
“I know. I could hear you panting from the exertion miles away.”
They stayed silent and stared at one another in what seemed to be a deadly face off.
Then the ginger haired man burst into laughter and slung his weapon over his shoulder, dropped the arrow into the quiver at his back and stomped forward, pulling Valerio into a hug.
The two embraced like long lost friends, meanwhile Shula could only stare in confusion.
“What—?”
Clay laughed. “Julius, you fucker!” He cupped his hands around his mouth and cried out. It drew the ginger’s—Julius’—attention towards them. “I’m a little disappointed to see you!”
Julius laughed. “Keep holding your breath, little dick. No humans are killing me yet!”
Clay threw his arm around Shula’s shoulders and tugged her forward, even as she tried to dig her heels into the earth.
Once they were close to the front, he let go of her and threw his arms around Julius and they clapped each other on the back. “How’d everything go?” Clay asked once they separated.
“Check for yourself.” Julius brought his fingers up to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle that echoed across the mountains. A moment later, dozens of people, Fae and human alike, came out of hiding from the trees and shadows, carrying heavy-looking bags and leading a few horses.
Julius’ procession was relatively larger than Valerio’s, and Julius wore a smug expression as if it were some competition.
Valerio just smiled at his friend and clapped him on the back. “You did good,” he complimented.
Julius soaked up the compliment. Shula could tell by the single interaction that the man loved the attention. He seemed to be like Clay in that regard.
Julius’ gaze strayed over to where she was standing awkwardly, and his bright green eyes seemed to pierce her.
“And who is this lovely thing?” His tone was flirtatious, bordering on the edge of dangerous.
She wanted to retreat from the whole situation. Mainly because she knew by looking at him that she and Julius could be friends in another lifetime, one where she wasn’t their prisoner. Then again, he hadn’t been the one to kidnap her, but he was good friends with those who had.
