Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
LYRA
We set off down the mountain at a rapid march, not wanting to be forced to camp overnight along its jagged face. Snow fell in thick, coin-sized flakes, forming huge drifts that half obscured the narrow switchbacks, and the wind was bitingly cold.
Though flying certainly would have shortened the journey, Adriel was reluctant to take to the skies within Alfrigg’s borders and risk attracting the attention of his patrols.
Still, after several hours descending the perilous trail, I began to question the wisdom of his decision.
More than once, the harsh gusts of wind nearly knocked me off the side of the mountain, and my feet ached in my borrowed boots. The stiff leather ground against the back of my heels, which were already raw from abuse.
At one point, Kaden barked at Adriel to stop, and I nearly collapsed onto a boulder in relief.
The backs of my feet were throbbing so intensely that they seemed to have their own heartbeat, but we couldn’t afford to slow our pace.
At any moment, Semphrys might invade Kaden’s mind and discern our location.
I opened my mouth to ask Adriel how much farther we had to go when Kaden dropped to one knee in front of me. “Take off your boots.”
“What? No, it’s freezing.”
“You’ve been limping all afternoon,” he said, just loud enough for me to hear. “Your feet can’t be in good shape. I can smell the blood from here.”
I opened my mouth to argue but then closed it again. I knew he wasn’t exaggerating because I could smell it too.
Gritting my teeth, I reached down to unlace my boots and gingerly tugged them off. My woolen socks were damp, the backs soaked with blood. Kaden hissed as I peeled them off my blistered feet, fury simmering in his eyes.
“Fuck, Lyra. Why didn’t you say anything? I could have healed these hours ago. Hell, you probably could have.”
“I can handle it,” I ground out, irrationally annoyed by his coddling.
I didn’t tell him that I hadn’t tried using my magic since my attempt during our escape from Dorthus. I didn’t want to admit that my powers were so fickle and only seemed to respond intermittently.
“It’s not that I think you can’t handle it,” he said. “It’s that you shouldn’t have to.”
His warm, rough hand gripped the sole of my foot, and I hissed when his thumb brushed raw flesh. His touch was unbelievably gentle, and yet it still sent a burst of pain through me.
A delicious, calming heat spread over my flesh, seeping into the wound and easing my discomfort. Realizing what he was doing, I tried to jerk my foot away, but Kaden’s grip was unyielding.
“You shouldn’t be using your magic,” I hissed, glancing around as if I expected demons to descend at any moment. “It’s a beacon for Semphrys, and it could alert Alfrigg to our presence here.”
He rolled his eyes. “Please. It takes all of a thimble of magic to heal a few blisters. It’s not enough to attract my father’s attention — or Alfrigg’s. Even if it were, you can’t expect me to stand idly by when you are in pain. Not when there’s something I can do about it.”
His declaration thawed the ice around my heart, warming me from the inside out.
“Is that a mate thing?”
“I haven’t been able to tolerate the sight of you suffering since we met,” he said with a wry grin. “But yes, it is a mate thing.”
I smiled despite myself, lifting my foot to examine the pink, unmarred flesh.
“We’ll get you some better boots when we reach Klod?sch.”
My eyes widened in horror. He wasn’t supposed to know where we were going, but I remembered that Klod?sch was something of a Drathen outpost. We would have to pass through the village regardless of where we were headed.
I reached for my sock, but Kaden was already stretching it over my foot as if he were dressing a child. It wasn’t wet and crusted with blood the way it had been when I’d taken it off. It was warm and dry.
My chest swelled when I realized he’d used his magic to give me dry socks.
Kaden’s expression was focused as he slipped on my boot, tying the laces snug against the top of my foot. As I watched his long, dexterous fingers work, a different kind of heat bloomed in my core.
I wanted those hands all over me. Inside me. I wanted to feel him filling me so that I could banish the ache of not being fully joined with my mate.
Slowly, Kaden lifted his gaze to mine, as if he’d heard my traitorous thoughts.
“Stop looking at me like that, love,” he warned, his voice a low growl.
“I thought we weren’t speaking down the bond,” I challenged. “Or is it just me who’s supposed to stay out of your head?”
“I don’t have to read your thoughts, little huntress. They’re written all over your face.”
My cheeks heated at his assessment, but I didn’t back down. “I can’t help the way I look.”
“I suppose not. But please, Lyra. Do not test my resolve.”
Kaden’s use of my given name was the only hint at just how serious he was. But when he met my gaze, his eyes were burning with such raw male need that my core clenched reflexively.
“You have no idea what it does to me, smelling how much you want me,” he whispered, his gaze flicking to my leather-clad pelvis. “My restraint is already hanging by a thread.” His jaw flexed. “Test me at your own peril.”
It was dark by the time we reached the village. The orange glow emanating from the frosted windows was the only source of light, and the scent of livestock, hot iron, and wood smoke wafted up to greet me.
My knees ached. My calves burned. New blisters had formed along the backs of my heels, the skin raw and painful. Only the gnawing hunger in my belly could compete with the ferocious throb of my feet, and when the scarred red door of the inn came into view, I nearly wept with relief.
It was warm and boisterous inside the tavern. A fire raged in the huge stone hearth, where several plump chickens roasted on a spit. Dark-haired fae with ruddy faces were crowded around scuffed wooden tables, thumping their goblets together and sloshing ale onto the sticky floor.
Adriel cut through the crowd like a shadow, heading straight for the bar. He reappeared a few minutes later, his face pinched in irritation.
“No rooms,” he grumbled. “The place is completely full.”
My heart sank. Despite our rough accommodations the last time we’d been here, I wanted nothing more than to peel off my clothes and collapse onto a flat surface, musty sheets be damned.
“We’ll have to try next door,” said Kaden, his expression distant.
Adriel nodded and led us back out into the snow. The biting wind nipped at my face, and my steps grew heavy as we trudged through the alleyway along one side of the inn.
The snow and mud had melted and refrozen, making for a treacherous walking path. I slipped on an errant peak of ice jutting out of the slippery sludge, but Kaden caught me around the waist before I could right myself.
He removed his hand just as quickly, and I scowled.
I hated how my body ached for his touch — hated how difficult it was for me to honor his simple wish that we keep our distance until he broke the sire bond.
Despite understanding the danger the connection posed, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting him. I craved Kaden as I’d never craved anything or anyone, and even the most innocent touch was enough to send heat surging straight to my core.
Thankfully, the scent of horses and moldy hay wafted up to greet me, dampening the swell of desire. As we passed the stables, the sound of raucous voices and a feminine cackle reached my ears. Another ramshackle building came into view, its windows lit by glowing pink and red orbs.
As we approached, the door flew open, and a dirty fae male with matted black hair was tossed out into the snow. A terrifying-looking female stood in the doorway, hands on her ample hips and her face puckered in anger.
Her eyes narrowed on Adriel and Sorsha, but she stood aside to let them pass. The cloying scent of perfume wafted toward me, and I hesitated briefly before Kaden placed a hand along the small of my back and guided me into a narrow foyer decorated with peeling wallpaper.
The building was smaller than the tavern, with an assortment of round tables crowded into the space. A fae with bluish scales sat in the far corner playing a bouncy tune on a slender keyed instrument that stood vertically on the bowed wooden floor.
A small stage stood at the back of the room, where a female with iridescent pink skin writhed in a chair, completely nude. Flashing a coy smile at the crowd of onlookers, she threw her head back and slithered down the chair — baring even more of her flesh.
We had entered a brothel.
For several heartbeats, I just stood there stunned. Then Kaden let out a chortle and nudged me into the main room.
The stern, plump female hustled in behind me, looking us up and down. “Three pieces of silver for a good time. Five for the night.”
“How much for two rooms and a hot meal apiece?” Adriel asked.
“With or without company?”
“Without.”
Irritation flickered across the female’s face, though I couldn’t tell if he’d offended her or if she was merely annoyed that he wouldn’t be paying for pleasure as well as a room. “Ten.”
Adriel rolled his eyes.
“Ye can’t take up two of me rooms and not expect to pay the full rate,” the female groused. “And I’ll have one of the girls haul up hot water for your bath.”
“Fine,” Adriel gritted out, dropping the coin in her outstretched hand.
“Enjoy the evening’s entertainment,” she said, cracking a practiced smile before flouncing back into the parlor.
A dark-haired female wearing nothing but some glittering scarlet scraps sashayed over and led us to a table in the far corner of the room.
Kaden pulled out a chair for me, and I sat down as another pretty fae with silver hair and feathers for lashes brought over a tray heaped with food and drink: smoked turkey thighs, boiled parsnips, roasted carrots, and a fruity red wine.