Prince of Wolves - Tasha Black Page 0,21

driving him mad.

He pulled back again to look around for a quiet place where he could take her. It was a big farm, surely, they could find a spot…

Instead, he saw his breath plume in the air before him.

“No,” he murmured.

“What’s wrong?” Ashe asked.

“Ronan,” he called for the pup, then turned back to Ashe. “We have to run. Now.”

To her credit, she asked no questions, only looked up at him expectantly like a soldier waiting for orders.

He had no idea which way the enemy was approaching from. But he knew he could not draw them closer to those poor families who had entered the orchard with them.

He took Ashe’s hand and they ran deeper into the misty rows of trees. Ronan racing along at his heels.

The mist seemed to be taking on substance. It felt like they were running through frozen cotton.

A jolt of icy pain pierced Varik’s shoulder.

He spun to face his adversary.

A tiny, glowing figure pirouetted triumphantly in midair.

“Ouch,” Ashe squealed from behind him.

“Snow pixies,” he said, throwing her his jacket so that she could use it for cover.

She swung it in a wide arc, managing to take out a cluster of the little bastards. She fell on top of them, trapping the wee beasties under his thick leather coat.

“Nice,” he said.

Another one bit his arm with teeth like tiny needles of ice.

He turned and smacked it out of the air.

Ronan trotted over to investigate, then howled in pain.

Varik smacked two more down and grabbed their little bodies, wincing as they bit down on his fingers.

Ronan had taken his own assailant into his mouth and was shaking it vigorously like a chew toy, as a tiny pixie scream issued from it.

Another was already fleeing the scene, apparently realizing these victims fought back. But that wouldn’t do at all.

“Catch them,” he called to Ashe. “Don’t let any of them get away, or they’ll report back to Faerie that they’ve found you.”

He shoved his two into his satchel and came over to retrieve the ones she was holding under his jacket as she ran after the one that was trying to get away.

They had six now, which meant there should only be the one left. Pixies typically gathered in sevens.

He suffered a few more nasty little bites, but managed to shove the squirming half-dozen into his bag. As soon as they were secured, he sprang to his feet and took off in the direction Ashe had gone.

He was awash in guilt. In part, it was the result of the pixies’ light venom, which could interfere with emotion in large doses.

But he couldn’t believe he had allowed Ashe to be placed in such danger. On any other job, he’d have noticed them coming before they had a chance to do any harm.

Ashe was just too distracting.

He rounded a row of trees and nearly slammed into her in the freezing mist.

Ashe stood in wait, feet shoulder width apart, dark hair streaming down her back. Ronan crouched at her heels, his little hackles raised.

The remaining pixie turned and charged them.

Ashe took a wild swing, but the creature ducked and hung in midair just out of her reach for an instant, then headed back for her.

This time, she waited until the last possible moment and then smacked it hard enough that it squealed and swirled to the ground.

Ronan snatched it up in his little jaws before she could retrieve it. He shook it vigorously, as if chastising it for its audacity.

“Okay, buddy,” Varik said, kneeling to retrieve the errant pixie from his pup.

Ronan surrendered it, but growled at it even as Varik shoved it deep into his bag.

They were victorious, for now.

But Varik knew this wouldn’t be the end of their troubles.

12

Ashe

Ashe gazed at the scenery zipping past the window on the ride back to the apartment.

Ronan was on guard in the back seat, growling at Varik’s pixie-filled satchel. Beside her, Varik thought out loud about what to do next.

“If they sent pixies, they’re serious,” he mused. “This won’t be the end of it.”

“Why would they send pixies when they already sent you?” Ashe asked.

“Because they don’t trust me,” Varik said, his jaw tight.

“Why not?” Ashe asked.

He was quiet for a moment.

“I’m the most sought-after bounty hunter in Faerie,” he said at last. “Why would it take me more than a few hours to retrieve a princess from the mortal realm when she doesn’t even have magic to defend herself?”

Ashe nodded.

It hurt, but he was right, she didn’t have any magic. She would always