Page 179 of The Spider Queen
I looked at my wrists, which were chafed with red marks.
Lacerations.
How do you know?
I can see them. You’re showing them to me.
They burn.
I know how to heal them.
How?
Turn around.
I swiveled my head. Thane leaned against a tree, looking no worse for wear. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Indisposed.” He grimaced and placed a hand to his forehead. “That forest troll clocked me good.”
“You’re immortal. How did you get taken by surprise?”
“Forest trolls are notoriously underhanded. Where is your furry little friend?”
“I think he went to get me some water.” My heart rate had finally been returning to a normal beat, but now it thudded in my chest for an entirely different reason. Thane’s gaze was heated.
The forest troll pushed through the brush, interrupting our reunion. He stooped, leveling his gaze at Thane and baring his teeth.
Thane made no move to come near me, and I had no desire to get up. I wasn’t even sure I could.
“There’s venom in the Flowers of Fire,” Thane explained, his voice droll, his gaze still on the furry beast. “It has minor paralyzing capabilities. So their prey can’t get away while they devour it.”
“Your realm sucks,” I said to him.
He grinned.
The furry beast snapped its jaws. He pulled his attention away from Thane to crouch down in front of me. He took my wrist in one of its large paws and turned it over. He made a noise of distress and lifted my wrist to his mouth.
“Is this thing going to eat me?”
The troll glared at me and then spat on my skin. The throbbing around my wrist eased immediately. I relaxed when the troll took my other wrist and repeated the action.
“Was that going to be your way of healing my burns?” I asked Thane. “By spitting on them?”
“I was going to find a type of plant that makes a nice salve.” He took a step toward me. The troll growled in warning.
I rolled my eyes and looked at the troll. “Okay, look. It’s kind of hard to have a conversation with you when you’re like this. But I have a feeling you have the capability of changing. So why don’t you morph into your other form, have a discussion with me, and we’ll talk about what it is you want.”
The troll stared, blinked bright red eyes, and then the air around him shimmered. And once again, my jaw gaped open.
Chapter 21
He was stunning.
Brown skin the color of the tree trunks. White hair down to his shoulders. And a lean, muscular body. The lower portion covered in a loincloth. His eyes were still red—that hadn’t changed—but they no longer looked feral. They were warm as they raked over me.
“Your realm holds some interesting surprises,” I said to Thane.
“Your realm?” The leaves on the trees shook at the sound of the forest troll’s voice. “You are Guardian of the Bridge?”
