6. The Bargain – Rosemary #2
He grinned, flashing brilliant white teeth as he came forward again. He eyed the blade still held within my fist as he offered me his hand. "A pleasure to see you again, Rosemary. You can call me Elias."
I switched the dagger to my other hand, shaking his hand briefly before pulling away. As charming as he was, I still didn't trust him.
"I meant what I said earlier. I really do need your help.
I know how you feel about the unseelie, but I need you.
What if I promise to enter a blood pact with you to protect you and do you no harm throughout our journey?
I will travel with you deep into the Everland Forest to procure the daemonacus flower. "
I slid the dagger back into the sheath and narrowed my eyes at him. What he offered was something nearly unheard of. "What's in it for you?"
He dipped his chin, looking at me through his long, dark lashes. "I need you to use some of the flower to make an extra dose for me. The petals of that flower are known to be the strongest ingredient for breaking unbreakable curses. Strong enough to save my lovestruck brother from his fate."
"Lovestruck?"
Elias shoved his hands into his pockets, feigning innocence. "Oh, yes. Did I forget to mention that his love cursed him? I need to save him."
I frowned. "The one he fell in love with cursed him?"
"Not exactly," he stated, irritation dripping from his words. "He was cursed because of his love."
An uneasy knot twisted in my stomach. Something in this story felt familiar, but I couldn’t grasp what it was. Still, I couldn't help feeling suspicious. "Are you an unseelie prince?"
He almost laughed, smirked. “A prince? Me? Can you imagine?” He leaned closer, his voice dropping, “but I'd be a prince for you, if you'd like, princess."
I ignored the nickname. "When was he cursed?"
"Hard to say, really. I only just learned that he'd succumbed to it a few decades ago." He smirked. "We unseelie aren't as family-friendly as the seelie. We see each other infrequently as we get older. Decades can pass without a moment's thought."
He tried to play it off as no big deal, but the easy grin didn't reach his eyes, and the rounded slump of his shoulders told a different tale. He was worried about his brother.
And I did need a guide. I was determined and stubborn enough to do this on my own, but if I wanted this journey to be successful, I would need help. A blood pact wasn’t something to be taken lightly because it bound you. He’d be physically incapable of hurting me, and he’d be bound to protect me.
"Fine," I said with a sigh. "Let's make the bargain. But if you try anything..."
"I know," he replied, that wicked smirk in place again, "you'll cut me." He winked. "I got it."
I pulled the dagger free again and sliced the flesh of my palm until a well of blood bubbled free. The pain came hot and fast, and I winced as cold air whistled through my clenched teeth. I held the tip of the dagger out for him. When he held out his palm, I dragged the blade across his skin.
"Do you swear not to harm me, ever? To help me on my journey through the Everland Forest to get the flower I need, protecting me as we go in exchange for a dose of the potion?"
He clasped his hand against mine, our blood mixing as he tightened his hold. He brought his other hand up to graze along my jaw. I should have flinched away, but something held me in place. "Oh, princess," he said, "I thought you'd never ask."
My heart raced. "Say the words."
"I promise to protect you and cherish you always..."
I lifted my hand, halting his words. "The right words."
"I promise to do you no harm and to protect you and help you on whatever journey you demand of me, through the Everland Forest," he murmured, his gaze dropping to my lips.
"And back," I demanded, my voice breathier than usual.
He smiled. "And back. As long as you give me a dose of the potion you make."
This felt like a mistake, but I'd tried everything else to awaken Briar. "It's a bargain," I said, "but if something happens and there is only one potion available, it's mine. Deal?"
Doubt flashed behind his gray gaze before he replied, "It's a bargain."
Our blood heated as the pact took effect, magic crackling between our joined hands like lightning in a bottle.
The sensation shot up my arm and straight to my heart, and for one impossible moment, I felt connected to him in a way that defied explanation.
Something ancient and primal stirred in my chest, recognition without memory.
My breath caught as his thumb traced across my knuckles, the simple touch sending fire through my veins. His eyes darkened as he stared down at our joined hands, and when he looked up at me, the intensity in his gaze stole what little breath I had left.
"Rosemary," he whispered, my name falling from his lips like a prayer.
The way he said it, with such reverence and longing, broke something loose inside me. Before I could think, before I could remember all the reasons this was madness, I found myself leaning toward him. His free hand cupped my cheek, and then his mouth was on mine.
The kiss was desperate, hungry, like a man drowning who'd finally found air. I should have pulled away, should have remembered he was unseelie, my enemy by blood and birth. Instead, I pressed closer, my hand fisting in his tunic as the world disappeared around us.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, reality crashed back like cold water. I jerked away from him, my hand flying to my lips.
"Why did you do that?" I practically growled at him, though my voice shook with more than anger.
He looked as stunned as I felt, his fingers rising to touch his own lips. "I... I don't know," he admitted, his usual cocky demeanor completely absent. "Something about the bargain, the magic. You looked at me like..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."
"No, you shouldn't have," I said, but the words lacked conviction. My palm was healing already, a dark tattoo forming in its place, a crescent moon connected to a burning sun. Symbols for the seelie and unseelie kingdoms, now permanently marked on my skin.
He stared at his own palm, where the same marks were appearing. "I've never seen bargain marks like these before."
"What do you mean?"
"They're usually simple binding runes. These..." He held up his hand, comparing it to mine. "These look like something much older. More permanent."
A chill ran down my spine. What had I just bound myself to? And why didn’t I regret it?
"We leave at first light," I said, not bothering to turn his way again, and walked away.
Oh, gods, how I hoped it would work.