Chapter 2
His heavy body hurled against me, and we both tumbled to the ground. Above, the sky faded from red back to its normal black. The moonlight cut slivers across the land.
The man groaned over me, and before he had a chance to say anything, I flipped him onto his back, sword pointed right above his collarbone.
His eyes popped open, wild at first. Then his gaze snapped to me where I sat atop him, and a calm settled over his features.
I kept my sword firm against his neck. His brown eyes moved up and down, studying me, no doubt horrified that the “princess” he’d set out to rescue in the waking world was not like the one that he now faced.
My hair no longer fell in perfect waves that all the previous rescuers waxed poetic about.
Instead I kept it in a simple braid, wild strays often escaping and plastering onto my sweat-slicked skin.
The dresses they claimed I’d liked sounded very impractical, and instead I wore brown leather pants with a white loose-fitting tunic.
So no. I imagined I didn’t look like her. Like the Princess Seraphina everyone expected. The woman I had no memory of and no desire to remember.
But he didn’t comment on my appearance. In fact, he drank me in in a way that made me squirm atop him, his gaze resting on my necklace, the spindle that hung from it. I gripped it protectively.
“Is this how you greet all your rescuers?” he said, nodding to my legs clenched around his waist, and I didn’t know if he was referencing the sword or the fact that I was most definitely straddling him.
His voice was low and had a calmness to it that unnerved me.
“I have to say, it’s not the worst way to be threatened. ”
I scrambled off his body, keeping my weapon at his throat.
“I’ll save us both the trouble. I am not a princess, not the one you want anyway.
You are not going to rescue me and be king of the fire court.
You’re not going to get riches or glory.
All you’re likely to get is a sore ass, from me kicking it.
“I’ll point you in the direction of the exit and you can go your merry way.
You’re not the one who’s cursed, here, so you get to leave whenever you’d like.
Let everyone know the princess attacked you and ran you off.
Better yet, tell all the men of Gilraeth.
Make them understand there’s no need to make the trip. I’m not worth it.”
Based on the way his eyes widened, I gathered I possibly went overboard.
Except . . . no snarky comments came about my appearance or the way I wielded a weapon—so un-princess-like—or a reprimand about the way I’d just spoken.
In fact, he didn’t look like any of the men who’d come before, now that I thought about it.
No fine silks or handcrafted leather boots.
Instead, he wore black leather pants, much like mine, and a form-fitting sleeveless black vest that hugged every muscle of his chest. His skin wasn’t smooth or pale.
Scars riddled his bare arms and hands, and his brown hair hung in loose waves down to his shoulders.
His nose was crooked, his jaw strong and straight.
I tensed, my sword pointing firmly at him.
He raised his hands, for the first time his gaze wandering from me to our surroundings. Tall, spiked spears stood around the perimeter of the mesa where we stood.
“It’s to keep them out.” I kept my sword raised, still on alert.
“Who?” he asked.
“The nightmares,” I ground out, not used to this.
No one ever asked about this, bothered even noticing all the precautions I’d put in place.
“Do you never leave this mesa?” He turned, moving his body in a circle as he surveyed the sharpened arrows and bow I had leaning against the cave wall, the little catapult I’d managed to build with heavy stones laying next to it, ready to be shot into the sky should any intruder try to, well, intrude.
“This is amazing.”
I frowned, sword lowering. It didn’t sound like he was disgusted by me. It sounded like he was impressed. Who was this man and why was he here?
Before I could ask, he turned. “Have you ever been anywhere else in this . . . place?”
“Of course,” I snapped.
Actually, I didn’t remember much from my early days here, but I didn’t want to admit that to him.
It made me sound crazier than I already appeared.
I just knew that whatever was down below this mesa was a danger.
I was safe here, had created a bubble where I could exist without constant terrors hunting me.
He surveyed the area a moment longer but turned that assessing gaze back on me. “We’re going to have to leave here.”
Ah, bossing me around. Now that was distinctly man-like. “I don’t think so. See, you aren’t in Gilraeth anymore. I don’t have to play by your rules.”
He chuckled, his lips quirking just the tiniest amount, like he was enjoying this. Maybe I was a little too.
Hands so quick I barely registered the movement, he slipped a dagger from his worn boots and aimed it straight at my stomach, the point right above my navel.
“Seems we’re at a standstill.” He nodded to my sword.
“Mm,” I agreed. “Except.” I tipped my head behind him, where Hemy towered over us, perched on top of the cave.
He turned as Hemy let loose a wave of fire. Before I could dive away, the idiot barreled into me, knocking the wind from my lungs and the sword from my hand.
Our bodies tangled together as we tumbled through two of the stakes—and right over the edge of the cliff. I heard Hemy’s roar in the distance but could no longer see my home, my haven. No. No, no, no, no.
We hit the hard ground and rolled, his body finally separating from mine.
I couldn’t stop the forward momentum as I tumbled down, down, down, hitting rocks, dust flying overhead, tumbleweeds catching at me.
Sharp stabs shot through my back, my arms, my legs.
Still, I rolled, round and round at a dizzying speed that made my head spin.
Finally I landed with a crash . . . right into a cactus.
I let out a moan, looking at all the little barbs that now stuck out from my arms and shirt.
My head pounded. A few vultures circled overhead, and I shuddered at the thought of being so exposed.
Dark sand glittered for miles, nothing but gray tumbleweeds and cacti punctuating the dreary land.
Fire and blood. I was going to kill him.
I reached for my sword, realizing I didn’t have it.
I’d lost it. Perfect. Just perfect. I arched my neck, looking up at the tall cliff far, far above.
It would take forever to get back up there, to my safe place.
So I’d better get moving, and if I found that bastard, I’d—
“You’re looking a little . . . prickly,” an amused voice said.
I turned and let out a growl as he took in all the barbs sticking out of my skin. “You idiot. Do you know what you’ve done? I can’t protect us down here. I have no weapons, no arsenals, nothing.”
The little spindles sent sharp jabs into my skin, and I started plucking them out one by one.
“Do I look like someone who needs to be protected?” he asked.
“Why? Why are you here? You don’t look like anyone who’s come before to rescue me. You don’t look like someone who cares about riches or who wants to be king.”
He took a step forward. “I’m none of those things.”
I gritted my teeth. “Then why are you here?”
He narrowed his eyes. “How much do you know about what’s happening in our home land? What’s happened to you?”
I sighed. “Please tell me you’re not going to try and remind me of who I was before.”
He quirked an eyebrow just as a vulture flew overhead, landing on the branch of a thin blackened tree. He nodded his head to the bottom of the hill we’d just fallen down. “Come on.”
I eyed him warily but followed. He sat and patted the ground next to him.
“What do you know?” he asked again.
“What I’ve been told. That I’m a princess who likes dresses and tea parties and gossiping at court with the other ladies. That I’m particularly good at the pavane.”
“The dance?” he asked.
“Yes.”
I shuddered at the memory of the man who’d tried to get me to dance with him. He’d been shocked when I stomped on his foot instead of following his instructions, but to my credit, I’d told him I didn’t want to dance and he had swept me up in his arms anyway.
I tapped my chin. “Let’s see, what else do I know? That a sorceress cursed me and is currently ruling over the fire court. To what end no one seems to know.”
His eyebrows drew together at that, and I wondered if he knew more than anyone else but brushed the thought away. It didn’t matter, in the end.
He leaned forward, arm slung around his bent knee, and I could see the gold flecks dancing in those brown eyes. “So the real question, Princess, is why haven’t you been rescued yet?”
“Don’t call me that,” I growled. “It’s Sera.”
“Cute.” He tilted his head, our faces far too close for my liking. “But I like princess better.”
I could tell this man was going to be more of a challenge to get rid of than the others. Especially now that we were down here together, not in familiar territory.
“I haven’t been rescued yet because no one knows how to break the curse.”
Including me. But I would figure it out. I would get out of here, and I would be who I wanted to be, not who everyone else expected me to be.
A look crossed his face, one that I couldn’t decipher. “If you say so, Princess.”
“Listen,” I said. “We’re in danger. I can point you toward the exit. I can handle myself and I can break my own curse.” I stood, dusting off my pants. “But thank you for your time, it was very nice meeting you.” I paused. “Actually, I’m lying. It wasn’t. Good day.”
I started walking away.
“Madden,” he said, and I stopped.
“I’m sorry?”
“That’s my name. Madden. I believe you meant to ask, because that would be the polite thing to do.”
“Well I’m not feeling particularly polite today.” I shot him a sweet smile. “Good riddance.”
I turned again, and a sticky cold swept over me at what towered over me.
“Looks like neither of us are going anywhere,” Madden said from behind.
I stilled, watching as the fully formed dragon rose up in front of me, nostrils flaring, black scales shiny under the moonlight. This wasn’t Hemy, and it definitely wasn’t a friend.
No, this was a nightmare. Exactly what I'd been trying to avoid.