fun.” Beth peers into the distance.
“You can’t run from the wrath of the Ancestors.” Para motions to her warriors. They disperse, dragging their dead with them and seeping into the red oblivion on either side of the road before disappearing. The one with the scales and the obsidian blade remains, guarding Para’s back.
“Wait. I need your oath.” I’m asking for more than simple words. An oath among the fae is so serious as to be unbreakable. Any fae who ignores this fact will be branded an outcast and never allowed to speak amongst their brethren without reproach. And if the oath is serious enough, it can kill the fae who breaks it. “A promise to the Ancestors that we will be safe in your realm and that you will not attempt to take my mate.”
Para bristles, then gives a curt nod. “I will give my oath to the Ancestors that you shall not be harmed and will be treated as honored guests if you promise to never speak of what you see during your time with the Vundi.”
“And my mate?”
“She will not be harmed.”
“And you will not attempt to take her.” It’s not a question.
“We will allow you to speak to the high priestess and the council of elders. You have my word that she will not be taken before that time.”
Her companion’s eyes, now slitted like a snake’s, narrow, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“And after?”
She presses her lips into a fine line.
A growl rises in my chest, bloodlust bursting in my veins.
“She can’t promise that, Leander. Not yet,” Taylor says softly. “But that’s what the talks are for. It gives us a chance.”
A guttural shriek tears across the wide plains.
“Decide quickly,” the male Vundi says. “There’s more in the storm than simply dust.”
“Do you agree, winter king?” Para presses.
Taylor leans against me, a silent promise that she isn’t going anywhere. “Please, Leander.”
I bend to the will of my mate, because she is the only reason my heart beats and my breath stirs. “I agree.” The sizzle of magic whips through the air, and the deal is struck.
“Follow me.” Para turns and heads into the low brush as her companion eyes us.
“You will return my mate’s blade.” I glare at him.
He doesn’t respond, but motions for us to follow Para, the sword still in his grasp. I’ll retrieve it later and may use it on him for good measure.
Gareth shoots me a look. “I don’t trust her.”
“Neither do I.” I lift Taylor onto Kyrin and climb up behind her. “But we need to beat this storm. I’ve heard enough tales of what lurks in the swirling dust to know we need shelter. We must follow, but keep your wits sharp and your magic ready.”
“Always.” He settles behind Beth, and we follow Para into the red wastes as the storm bears down, promising ruin.
2
Taylor
“Are you certain the Vundi didn’t harm you?” Leander asks for what seems like the dozenth time.
“I’m fine. Really.” I squeeze his hand. “It was weird. One minute I was awake and then, bam, snooze-city. That guy is like a creepy-eyed sandman, or maybe the Lunesta-Man. He could make a killing back home.”
“I would never allow him to kill you or anyone you cared about.” His arm tightens around my waist.
“No, I mean he’d make a lot of money. Humans have a ton of anxiety, so they sometimes need help falling asleep.”
“You don’t seem to have trouble.” He guides Kyrin through the brush and gently sloping red dirt. Para walks ahead of us, her back straight as she navigates the terrain like she was born to it.
I shrug. “I used to toss and turn, but now … Now that I’ve been here, it’s been easier.”
“You mean now that you’ve been sleeping with me.” I don’t miss the cockiness in his voice.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” But yes, I think it’s him. Before, I’d run through shadows from my past, every worry I had, even some that verged on imaginary, before I could fall asleep. Now, in his arms, I seem to drift away so peacefully that the transition is nothing more than a ripple across clear water.
I peer into the distance as the red storm grows taller by the second. We’ve been traveling away from the road and perpendicular to the storm for half an hour. Now I can hear the rumble of the wind, the rush of dirt brushing against dirt, and every now and then, a peculiar screech. Para doesn’t seem to notice it as she forges