power outward, to dazzle him with the possibility of the Charmer’s Bond, but fatigue struck hard and fast. Adrenaline fled my system, and darkness tinged my vision at the sudden expense of power. At once, the warm light dissipated, and the Poi saw me only as an intruder in his territory, one within reach of his jowls.
He snarled, lips pulling back to reveal finely pointed teeth coated in venom. Darting forward on precise feet, he already knew the outcome—I was just late on the uptake. He bit the soft flesh of my hand and shredded skin as he dragged down toward my fingertips.
A high-pitch curse burst through my lips, and I stumbled backward into the field. Exhaustion and pain claimed me as I crashed heavily onto the ground. I’d failed. I should’ve known better, trying to charm a beast so soon after depleting my power. It’d been ages since I’d been this foolish. What was it about these assassins that made me push myself beyond my limits? Black spots bloomed across my vision, and my limbs grew heavy. These men were taxing and damning and annoying and…and I wanted to do right by their beasts. That’s why I’d pushed myself.
Before I could examine that thought further, harsh ringing sounded, and I settled into the wave of night that followed.
* * *
“Why would you let her run off by herself?”
“She saw a beast. What was I supposed to do?”
“Stop her.”
Between the cotton in my ears and the crackle of a distant fire, I vaguely recognized the hushed tones of Kost and Oz. Weighed down by fatigue, I couldn’t force my lids to open. I’d overclocked myself. Used too much power in too short a span. Kost was right: I shouldn’t have tried to tame the Poi.
“How’s she doing?” Noc. Was that concern lacing his words? Or just the fog doing weird things to my senses? Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. Three shadows bled against the canvas of my tent, wavering in the orange light of a fire.
“We bandaged her hand, but that doesn’t cleanse the poison.” Kost’s words were clipped.
Poison? Oh. With sluggish and clumsy fingers, I pulled back the edges of my calfskin hide to get a look at my right hand. Poi venom. Black sludge oozed from the bandages, and an onyx matrix of darkness tracked my veins. “Shit.”
The three figures outside went ramrod straight before peeling back the entrance to my tent and clambering in.
My gaze fell to Noc first, and my pulse went from canter to full-blown stampede. Wild jet-black eyes pinned me in place. I sank deeper into the blankets to put distance between us. “What?”
Edged words forced their way through his clenched teeth. “What were you thinking?” Behind him, Kost pressed his lips into a fine line. Oz didn’t make a sound. Sad eyes lingered on the fluids seeping through the bandages of my hand.
“Where’s Calem?”
Heat of a different kind flashed through Noc’s hardened features. “Hunting. Presumably better than you.”
I forced myself into a sitting position. Dark sludge drained to my fingertips. “No need for quips. I saw a beast. I tried to tame it and failed. End of story.”
“Is this what we should expect of your taming abilities?” Kost folded his arms across his chest. With his sleeves rolled past his elbows, I spied the tense muscles of his forearms. He was a harbinger of disappointment. I wanted to throttle him.
Instead, I bit back a growl. “The beast was for you.”
Silence stretched between us. Anger fled from Noc’s face as he crouched before me. “I see.”
“Do you?” I cocked an eyebrow at him, trying to get a grip on his ever-changing mood. “I was trying to fulfill my end of the bargain.”
Kost scowled. “I haven’t told you what kind of beast I want. Your efforts were futile.”
Oz ran his thick hand across his cropped hair. “Kost…”
“You’re insufferable, you know that? You would have wanted this beast, trust me.” I clenched my hand and fought back a yelp, pain spiking through my arm and speeding toward my shoulder.
Kost tensed. “Don’t presume to know what I want. You know nothing about me.” Without another word, he stalked out, heels meeting the earth with more force than necessary.
A weight settled in the pit of my stomach. I needed Kost to want this beast. More than that, he needed to love his creature so he’d be inclined to honor Noc’s promise. A beast worthy of erasing the bounty for good. Maybe they’d never accept another hit on