Chapter 17
Emmeric
Chilly autumn air wrapped around them as they rode through the night. Iyana had been sitting as straight as humanly possible in an attempt to keep space between her and Emmeric. Eventually she began to flag, her body relaxing into his, then jerking back away. Eventually she fell asleep slumped against his chest, sheer exhaustion dragging her under. He kept his arms bracketed around her tightly to keep her from falling. Her body was so warm against his, her lavender-coconut scent surrounding him, and he fought the urge to curl into her. But something told him she wouldn’t appreciate waking up being cuddled by a man she loathed. And he needed to keep up appearances for Zane.
Speaking of Zane… While Iyana was sleeping, Emmeric and Talon dropped off the back of the group so they wouldn’t be overheard. Still, they whispered as a precaution.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on between you and Zane?” he asked.
“Nothing,” said Talon, still looking straight ahead. The burgeoning dawn let Emmeric see Talon’s left eyelid twitch—his tell.
“You can’t lie to me, Tal,” he said. “Seriously, you’ve made him smile and laugh. I’ve never seen him do either of those things in the past ten years.”
Talon sighed. “We flirted a bit the other night.”
Emmeric’s eyebrows shot up. “The prince flirted with you? The prince we’ve only ever seen with women?”
Tal shrugged. “Doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t like men, too.” He sighed. “I don’t know, man, but I feel bad for him.”
“Feel bad for him?” Emmeric parroted.
“He’s lonely, Em,” said Talon, gesturing towards Zane. “I asked him the other night, and he has nobody to talk to. About anything. He needs a friend.” Emmeric still couldn’t grasp the concept of Talon being friends with the crown prince. “I mean, we’ve seen his life. His dad is a jackass, and if he’s not out of the city, then he’s in his room by himself. The women have never lingered. And I—I’ve noticed in the past there are times, when his father is in an especially foul mood, Zane won’t leave his room for days after an audience. And when he does he’s more guarded, and doesn’t train. I think Uther beats him, Em.”
That was a lot. Emmeric felt bad for never noticing the pattern, but he was there to guard the door and collect his paycheck, not to protect the prince from his own father. Leave it to Tal to observe every detail of the prince’s life, and piece together an entirely different man from the one presented on the outside.
“He seemed to lighten up a lot last night before…” Emmeric nodded towards Iyana, still asleep in front of him. She was drooling slightly; it was adorable.
“What are we going to do about this?” Talon asked.
Emmeric deflated. “I have no ideas. I don’t think I can get her out of here without Zane catching all of us. I’m hoping he’ll come get her.”
“That man with her,” Talon said, “that was…” He left the end of the sentence unspoken.
Emmeric nodded, glancing again at Iyana. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep, instead of the murderous little hell-cat she became whenever he was around. One side of his lips quirked up.
“Old man,” Talon chastised. “You have to stop.”
“Stop what?”
“This,” Tal said, waving his hand between him and Iyana. “For a woman who supposedly means nothing to you, you sure look like you want to wrap her in your arms and never let go. You’re going to get the both of you in trouble. Not to mention, she may never forgive you for kidnapping her.”
“I know, I know,” said Emmeric. He tilted his head back and groaned. “She’s in my head, Tal. And I can’t get her out.”
A few hours later, when the sun had risen fully, Emmeric shook Iyana gently to wake her up. Except she didn’t wake up gently, instead flailing, catching Emmeric in the gut with an elbow, and almost falling off the horse. He caught her before she toppled over with one arm, the other hand pressed against his bruised ribs.
“What the fuck,” he wheezed.
She sneered at him. “Maybe you deserved it.”
“Maybe next time I’ll let you fall.” He cocked his head, and they stared each other down—Iyana twisted sideways so she could glare at him properly. Neither one wanting to relent first. Emmeric finally gave in. “We’re giving the horses a rest. I thought you might want to walk around a bit.”
She said nothing, but bit her lower lip while thinking, his gaze instantly drawn to the motion. Gods, those lips. The feel of her mouth succumbing to his within his dream flashed through his mind, and Emmeric quickly dismissed them before his body could react.
He knew she was weighing the odds of being stubborn and staying on the horse, and then maybe making a run for it… She nodded minutely. Emmeric swung his leg off the back of the horse, sliding gracefully to the ground. Iyana was about to attempt the same, but he grabbed her hips before she threw herself to the ground; her hands were still tied, and the fall would have resulted in Iyana smashing her nose into the hard-packed dirt. Lowering her gently, her body slid achingly over his. Her mouth parted, and her eyes softened, but they shuttered off the next second, effectively blocking him out again. Attempting to step away from him, she stumbled. He caught her, letting her find her balance, and let her rip herself out of his hold.
“Don’t try to run. You know we’ll catch you,” he said to her retreating back. Iyana paused for a moment, then muttered something about all these men inside my fucking head, and she stomped behind a tree to relieve herself.
Zane sidled up next to him as Emmeric was watching the tree to make sure she didn’t actually try to escape. Zane stood there, hands in his pockets, the picture of relaxation. Emmeric knew not to trust it.
“Who is she to you?” Zane asked.
Fuck.Truths and lies flitted through his mind, and he decided a combination of both was safest. “The old woman that had me captured, she’s her granddaughter. I didn’t mention it before, but the old woman died while I was there. That’s how I was able to escape. She…she may blame me for her grandmother’s death.”
“Did you kill her?” Zane asked nonchalantly.
“No,” said Emmeric. “It was just a shock seeing her in Huton. I thought she would stay in the village, since she’s their healer now.”
Zane patted his shoulder awkwardly. Emmeric tried to remain stoic. “Let me know if she gives you trouble,” Zane said.
“Yes, sire.” Emmeric bowed his head.
Frowning, Zane shook his head. “Out here, I think—I think I’d like to be Zane.”
“Okay, Zane,” said Emmeric, giving a shy smile mirrored on Zane’s face. Small talk didn’t appear to be either of their forte. Where was Talon when they needed him? Before things became even more awkward, Iyana emerged from behind the tree. She glared at Zane and Emmeric both and stuck her tongue out at them.
Talon sidled up at that moment and chuckled. “Oh, I do like her.”
After a light meal, they were repacking their horses when Talon grabbed his head and moaned.
“Are you okay?” Emmeric asked. Iyana was standing nearby, watching the exchange, hands still bound before her.
“Don’t worry about me, old man,” Tal said with a pained grin. “Just hungover.”
Iyana raised her hands. “If you’ll let me in my pack, I can help you.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Talon said, his gaze flicking to Zane. Emmeric’s eyes widened in shock because usually he was the sensible one, while Tal would take anything someone gave him. At least it made for some entertaining stories. Like the time someone had spiked Talon’s beer with hallucinogenic mushrooms and he’d spent the rest of the night flirting with a broom.
“Why?” asked Iyana, annoyed. “Afraid I have a weapon and I’ll stab someone?”
Talon barked a laugh, then grimaced. “I’d actually pay good money to see you stab someone, Smalls. Go for it.” Ah, there he was.
Iyana narrowed her eyes at the nickname, but rummaged around in her bag, hindered by the rope around her wrists. Pulling out a small vial, she handed it to Talon. “Here, I made this yesterday. You’ll need to drink the whole thing.”
“You trying to poison me, Smalls?”
“Why would I do that?” Iyana asked, genuinely confused.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Talon swept his hands around, surveying their situation. “We only kidnapped you, separated you from your boyfriend, and have you tied up.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she mumbled.
Talon perked up. “You hear that, Em? She’s single! And you already have her in ropes, you dirty dog.”
“Phaedros take me now…” Embarrassed, Emmeric rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Talon laughed uproariously.
“Why would you give this to me?” Talon asked Iyana.
She shrugged. “I’m a healer, and I have something to ease your pain. Besides, maybe I like you.”
Talon grinned widely. “Sorry, Smalls, you’re not really my type. Maybe if you had a di—”
“Talon!” Emmeric yelled. His friend only chuckled, but Iyana smiled as well.
“Drink it or don’t,” she said, shrugging. “You’ll just have to take my word I’m not trying to ruthlessly pick you off one by one.”
Talon’s eyes twinkled. “There are worse ways to die, I suppose.” He uncorked the vial with his teeth, spit the cork to the ground, and drank down the entire potion. They all waited with bated breath, but nothing happened.
Zane ventured, “Are you sure that one worked?”
“Of course I’m sure,” Iyana snapped. A minute later and Talon’s eyes lit up.
“I feel great!” he shouted, lifting Iyana into a bear hug, spinning her around. She squealed and giggled. “Thanks, Smalls.”
“Any time,” she said, smiling. Leave it to Tal to befriend the prickly Mouse.
They continued on through the late morning and afternoon, mostly in silence. Iyana still attempted to keep as much distance from him as was possible in a saddle, which wasn’t much. It was obvious how uncomfortable she was, fighting against the motions of the horse.
“Relax,” he told her softly. She scoffed, lifting her bound hands and flipping him off over her shoulder. He lowered his voice further. “I tried to help you. I didn’t tell him anything other than I was in your village, and I ‘escaped.’ Uther is the one who asked for you specifically.”
She turned slightly in the saddle, her brown eyes wide. “Uther asked for me? Why?”
“Gods only know, but it can’t be for anything good.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more back in Huton.”
“Sorry doesn’t change the situation, Emmeric.”
“You’re right,” he conceded. “That doesn’t mean you need to be uncomfortable for the next three days.”
She grumbled, but slowly eased back, relaxing against his chest, sighing in relief. “What does he know about Altair?” she murmured.
“Nothing,” Emmeric said quickly. “I swear.”
“But Talon knows.” It wasn’t a question.
“He does. But he’s aware of me also, and I trust him with my life.”
“So now you’re accepting your role in things?” Iyana asked skeptically.
He shrugged one shoulder. “The evidence is stacked against me. The further I drifted from you, there was this tightness coiled in my chest that worsened with almost every step. And now that you’re here, I can breathe easily.”
“I felt it too,” she murmured, rubbing her chest. He couldn’t take it anymore and reached around her. She stiffened, but he only untied the rope’s knot. Red rope burns encircled her slim wrists, making Emmeric wince in shame. Iyana rubbed the ache and shook out her hands. “Thank you.”
“Oh, so the mouse does have manners,” he chuckled, sensing her frown. “Why did you give Tal the potion earlier?”
“I remember you and Grandmother,” her breath hitched, “said what your friend had done. You called him Talon then, and I recognized the name. I wanted to thank him, without getting him in trouble.”
“It gets easier,” he said, leaning into her further. A small shiver coursed through her.
“What does?” she asked, a little breathily.
“The loss. I know how it feels to lose a loved one. It never goes away, not completely, but it does ease. And before you realize it, you’re recalling happy memories instead of sad ones. There are times, though, that are harder than others—birthdays, holidays, the anniversary. Soon, other things take precedence over the grief, but they continue to hold a special, warm place in your heart, and it gets easier.”
“Who?” she whispered.
“My parents. When I was fifteen.”
“I’m sorry.” He heard the sincerity in Iyana’s words. In response and thanks, he squeezed her thigh lightly. The gesture seemed to break any unspoken truce they had just developed, because she slapped his hand away. “Don’t get any ideas back there.”
Emmeric rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I don’t like mice.”
Iyana wiggled in front of him, shifting side to side and forward to back. He gritted his teeth, waiting for her to find a comfortable position as her ass ground all over him. When she didn’t immediately stop, he felt himself hardening. He halted her movements by gripping one of her hips. Hard. “Iyana,” he growled in her ear.
“I thought you didn’t like mice,” she whispered. She’d probably meant it to be more snarky—the little minx was doing this on purpose. Two could play at that game.
Leaning directly into her ear, he said, “But I am still a man.” And he thrust his hips against her backside to show her how much of a man he was. Her sharp intake of breath dropped straight to his cock and Emmeric smiled smugly. But she settled down after that—he had to fight against his body to force it to calm down—and they finished the day’s ride in relative peace.
Bunking down for the night in a small copse of trees, Emmeric tried to afford Iyana some semblance of privacy by setting up her bedroll away from the others. As he was readying his own bed for the night, she clutched onto his shirt.
“Please, Emmeric,” she whispered furtively, “let me go.”
He placed his hand over hers. His fingers tingled, and he swore little sparks flew at the contact. “I can’t, Iyana.”
Yanking her hand from his, she spat, “Why not?”
“Zane has realized there’s something…more between us.”
“There’s nothing between us,” she hissed.
“There is, and you know it!” he whisper-shouted at her. Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. “He asked me about you this morning. What you are to me. I gave him an excuse, but he’s not buying it. If you were to escape now, he’d know it was me.”
“So come with me,” she pleaded.
He shook his head sadly. “You don’t want that.”
“Of course I don’t, but you can’t just do nothing.”
“There’s nothing I can do, Iyana.”
“Bullshit,” she spat. “If you don’t help me, I—I’ll expose who you are.” Emmeric was taken aback. She was trying to blackmail him?
From the other side of camp, Zane shouted towards him, “If she’s a flight risk, tie her to the tree.”
Emmeric hung his head, then looked at her, silently begging her to cooperate. “Don’t you fucking dare…” she said. Really, she left him no choice. So, pulling out the rope, he tied her to the tree. It hurt even more because she didn’t fight him. Iyana only stared at him with unshed tears threatening to fall. Almost as though everything he’d done before then was forgivable, but now there was no coming back from this.
He might as well go all in.
“If you so much as breathe a word of my involvement,” he said, “you’re damning yourself with me, and I will tell them everything about Altair.” Effectively shutting her up, he curled inside his bedroll, guilt eating a hole through his heart.
Iyana
Once she was certain the five men were all asleep, she began fighting against her bonds. But she quickly realized it was no use. Grudgingly, she admitted Emmeric knew how to tie a good knot. So she attempted to get as comfortable as one could be tied against a tree, and assessed her surroundings. Not that it would do much good if she couldn’t get free, but any information might be valuable.
The stars twinkled far in the sky, and her mind turned to Altair. Iyana was sure he was fine, but why hadn’t he come for her yet? He had fought off two wild wolves on his own; he should be perfectly capable of dealing with five humans. Maybe he was waiting for the right moment. Still, she thought of the stars above her, and how they had assisted her before.
Please,she begged, please help me get out of here. Or show Altair where to find me.
There was no answer.
Iyana struggled for hours to stay awake, waiting for Altair to arrive and whisk her away from danger. But, because she was still only human, sleep dragged her under.
Hours later, she awoke with the dawn, hope in her heart. Only to find she was still bound to the tree.