The Hunter
I was a bloody fool.
All I could do was stare, horrified, at the princess’s smug expression as my brain struggled to make sense of it all.
The Snow Princess looked human. Why hadn’t the queen warned me?
Shivering bones…
I remembered the keen look in Calista’s eyes when she gave me my assignment. She omitted key information on purpose. She knew she couldn’t afford to lose me.
This had all been a trap to ensure I would fail. She had no intention of letting me go.
“My, my, I’ve really broken you, haven’t I?” The princess chuckled and waved a hand in front of my face. “Hello? Sir Hunter?”
I blinked and fixed a lethal stare on her, my nostrils flaring and my hands quivering with rage. Instinctively, I reached for one of my daggers, but a searing pain in my head had me hunching over the bar, groaning in agony.
Princess Eira barked out a laugh. “Blood and ice, that didn’t take you long, did it? I must really get under your skin for you to want to murder me that quickly.”
I dropped my hand, and the feeling dulled to an aching throb in my temples. Dazed, I blinked the fog from my eyes, once again cursing myself for my stupidity. It had been so long since I’d tried to break a bargain that I’d forgotten how excruciating the fae bond could be.
The last time I’d attempted such a thing was when Calista had given me my first assignment.
When I’d seen the man I’d been tasked with killing—a fae lord of the Winter Court Calista no longer wanted on her council—he had been a charming fellow with a wife and four children.
I had hesitated, not wanting to take his life.
But when I’d tried turning away and leaving, the fae bond had taken hold of me.
I had learned the hard way that I either needed to fulfill my bargain with the queen and kill him…
or the magic of our agreement would kill me.
Movement snagged my attention. The princess sauntered toward the back door with a skip in her step. I nearly fell off the barstool in my haste to follow her.
She slid out the door, and I bounded after her, only to find a blade at my neck.
“One move, hunter, and I’ll slit your throat.”
I stilled, arms raised, as I scrutinized my attacker. He was a burly fellow, almost as tall as me, and twice as thick. A mop of light brown hair fell over his eyes, which bore into me with hateful rage.
“You really think your pitiful blade can stop me?” I asked.
The man grinned and pressed the cool metal tip to the flesh of my neck. I hissed as a trail of fire burned against my flesh.
Shit. The knife was made with iron. It could, in fact, kill me. I might be able to best him in a fight, but if that dagger cut me too deeply, it could be the death of me.
I glanced around, searching for a way out.
But six other figures stood behind the man, all of them wielding weapons ranging from daggers to clubs to pitchforks.
And lingering behind them all, that infuriatingly smug expression still on her face, was the Snow Princess.
Her arms were crossed, her eyebrows raised in expectation.
“What do you want?” I growled.
“I want safe passage to the palace,” said the princess.
I choked on a laugh. “No. Go ahead and slit my throat now because the queen will have my head if I sneak you in.”
“Nothing would please me more,” growled the man in front of me.
“Denton,” the princess warned, her cheery demeanor faltering.
Denton sighed and fixed his murderous gaze on me once again. My eyes flicked over the crowd surrounding me. Some male, some female, but all of them were human.
So, the Snow Princess had allied herself with the humans. It wasn’t surprising, since she was just as despised by the fae folk as they were.
“If you sneak me into the palace, my people will overthrow the queen,” said the princess. “She won’t have your head if she no longer holds the crown.”
I snorted. “You think you and your small band of humans have any chance against her blood magic?”
“How about this?” The princess drifted closer, her pale eyes alight with energy.
“We strike a bargain. You agree to bring me with you to the palace. And I’ll agree to not only keep you safe from my stepmother’s wrath, but also to release you from our previous bargain.
Remember, in the tavern? When you foolishly said you wouldn’t harm me? ” Her mouth stretched into a wide grin.
I stared at her. “That means that, as soon as we set foot in the palace, I will be free to end your life.”
The smile never wavered from her face. “That’s right.”
“Eira,” Denton said slowly. “What are you doing?”
Eira ignored him. “Do we have a deal?”
“How, exactly, will you prevent the queen from killing me?”
“That’s not your concern. But you know how fae magic works. If I swear it, it must come to pass. Otherwise, my life is forfeit.”
Shivering bones, she was right. If she swore a faerie bargain that I would live, and Queen Calista still managed to execute me, then Princess Eira would die as well.
Was she insane? If the queen caught wind of this bargain, all she needed to do was end my life, and Eira would perish. She would get everything she wanted.
“You must be quite confident that you can overpower her,” I said slowly, trying to buy myself more time before I responded. It would be idiotic to agree to such a bargain, but I had an iron blade at my throat. It wasn’t as if I had much say in the matter.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, stranger,” she said. “I have my methods, and I am confident I can best the queen.”
“Eira,” Denton hissed more urgently.
“Agree to my terms, or we’ll end your life right here, right now,” Eira went on, her voice resonating with authority.
She lifted her chin, all humor vanishing from her face as her expression took on a deadly gleam.
“It would be no great loss. Here in Knockspur, a member of the queen’s fae court is bound to get himself into a bit of trouble.
No one would bat an eye if they saw us cut you to pieces. ”
Once again, she was right. In fact, some of the humans in the area might join in and help them murder me.
Eira was now close enough to touch me, which I knew was exactly her intention.
If she positioned herself in front of me and I tried to escape, I would be jeopardizing the bargain I made with her.
If it came to a fight, I couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t get hurt.
All it would take was one flash of pain from the fae bond, and Denton would have the opportunity to cut open my throat.
“Tick tock, Sir Hunter.” Eira cocked her head, her long hair draping over one shoulder. “What’s your answer?”
I said nothing and offered my most fearsome glare. Somehow, this only seemed to amuse her, as her smile returned. “Let’s give him a little incentive, shall we, Denton?”
The cold blade met my flesh once more, and a sizzling heat erupted along my skin. I gritted my teeth as the smell of scorched flesh met my nostrils. “All right. All right! I accept the terms of your bargain.”
Denton immediately removed the knife. I massaged my neck, which still burned from the contact with the iron. “Swear it,” I growled, still glaring at the princess.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I, Princess Eira of the Winter Court, swear to you…” She frowned. “What’s your name?”
“Theron.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What a droll name. All right, then, Theron, assassin and hunter and all-around brutal killer of the Winter Court, I swear to you that if you safely smuggle me into the palace, that I will release you from our previous bargain and ensure your survival should the queen seek your life.” She spread her arms, eyebrows raised. “Good enough?”
I wracked my brain, sifting through her words before I muttered, “Use her name.”
“Pardon?”
“Calista. Use her name.”
The princess stilled, her expression frozen for one brief moment. And I knew I’d caught her. She’d only said the queen. If she managed to seize the throne before Calista hunted me down, then she could just let her stepmother end my life without a second thought.
Eira recovered quickly and hitched a smile back on her face. “Right. I swear to ensure your survival should Calista seek your life. Satisfied?”
Once more, I hesitated as I tried to find a loophole in her terms. When I was satisfied, I nodded once.
“Good. Now you swear it.”
Damn. I was hoping that, since she was half human, she wouldn’t require me to swear in my own words. If one party in a fae bargain didn’t make a verbal vow, there were often loopholes to exploit.
With a sigh, I said, “I, Theron of the Winter Court, swear to smuggle Princess Eira safely into the Winter Palace, on the condition that she releases me from our previous bargain and guarantees my survival, should Queen Calista seek my life.”
Eira offered a sickly-sweet smile. “Perfect. Our bargain is struck.”
“Our bargain is struck,” I echoed glumly. Power thrummed in my veins from the force of our bond.
“You’re playing with fire, Eira,” Denton said in a low, ominous voice. “We don’t even know what his fae magic can do.”
“I’m assuming it helps him kill people more efficiently,” Eira quipped. “Otherwise my stepmother wouldn’t have hired him.”
I remained silent. I didn’t want to give away anything. But if they were only speculating about my magic, I was at an advantage.
The only problem was, I had no special magic. Only basic fae glamour, which any ordinary fae could manage. For years, I’d practiced and searched within myself, but no power had manifested itself.
If Eira and her followers found out, then I’d be even worse off—if that was even possible.
“I’m coming with you,” Denton said, standing a bit straighter so he appeared almost as tall as I was. There was a protective look in his eyes that made me wonder if he was more than just a friend to the princess.
“Like hell you are,” Eira shot back. “You all have your duties to attend to. If you don’t return, someone will notice. He agreed to the bargain, so your work here is done. I’ll meet you at the full moon.”
I frowned as I processed this information. Return where? Just where did these humans come from that was so important? I’d assumed they were local to Knockspur, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
“Be careful, Snow,” said one of the villagers, lowering his pickaxe. He was an older man with a white beard surrounding his pale face. “I don’t trust the looks of this one.”
“I don’t either, which was why I got him to swear he wouldn’t harm me.” She cast me another smug look that made me want to strangle her.
With that thought came a searing heat straight through my brain. I clenched my teeth. Even thinking about hurting her triggered the magic of our fae bond. Curse this wicked woman.
Gradually, the humans bid farewell to the princess, some clapping her on the shoulder and others embracing her tightly. They seemed quite fond of her—much fonder than mere allies.
At long last, only Denton and a short woman with blonde hair remained. The former kept shooting nasty looks my way. I watched him with mild curiosity.
“I don’t like this, Eira,” Denton whispered.
Eira shoved his shoulder. “Go, Denton. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“You shouldn’t—”
“Denton.” Her tone sharpened. “Leave. Please.” Her eyes widened with emphasis, and Denton’s mouth snapped shut, his jaw going rigid.
Oh, yes. These two had definitely been lovers. Whether they still were, I couldn’t tell. Tension rippled between them, but it could be because of my presence.
I could use this information to my advantage. A lover meant leverage. If I got my hands on Denton, it wouldn’t be difficult to coerce Eira into undoing both our bargains.
At long last, Denton stomped off, his burly figure soon vanishing among the snowflakes.
I looked expectantly at the blonde woman, who had a small dagger clutched in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the Snow Princess.
“You, too, Stella,” Eira said softly.
The woman—Stella—only bared her teeth at me. I lifted my eyebrows, utterly unimpressed. The sight of this puny human wielding a butterknife did not faze me in the slightest.
“If you double-cross my friend, I’ll chop off your balls and force them down your throat,” she said. “Understood?”
I couldn’t help but snort loudly. “Is that so?” I tugged on my belt, exposing the array of long knives I had at my disposal, all of them longer and sharper than Stella’s.
In a flash, Stella flicked her wrist, and her blade went flying. I dodged, but not quickly enough; the dagger grazed my wrist. Hissing, I cradled my hand, staring at the line of blood trailing down my skin. My flesh burned as if she had branded me with a hot iron.
Nostrils flaring, I shot a venomous look at Stella, who bowed. “I, too, have an arsenal of daggers. They may be small, but they are sharp. And made of iron, of course.” Her lips curved upward in a cold smile.
Eira covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I’d listen to her if I were you.”
Fury rippled through me, and I contemplated snapping the human’s neck. I had no bargain with her, so it would not inconvenience me in the slightest.
But all Eira would need to do would be to step in between us, and it would be over. If I laid a hand on the Snow Princess, our bargain would punish me for it.
And, though I hated to admit it, Stella was quick and precise. If I hadn’t moved, she would’ve sliced open my artery. For a human, her speed was impressive. I still doubted she could best me in combat, but right now, she had the advantage. I couldn’t risk it.
“We’ll be fine, Stella,” Eira insisted, nodding at her friend.
Stella drew closer, her eyes as cold as steel as they drilled into me. For a petite creature, she had a rather fearsome gaze. Her jawline and nose were all sharp edges, and even her cold blue eyes seemed like chips of jagged ice. Everything about her was icy, unyielding rage.
I was certain she couldn’t overpower me. But I still pitied the man who was on the other side of her blade.
At long last, Stella strode away, her lithe steps making me wonder if perhaps her line of work was similar to mine. She moved like an assassin.
Eira huffed a sigh and turned to face me with that same easy smile on her face. “Shall we set off for the palace then?”
I forced a yawn. “I don’t think so. I’m awfully tired, and I’ve already booked a room here for the night.” A slow grin spread on my face. “I’d like to linger in this town and see some of the sights first.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I know what you’re doing.”
“Good. I certainly hope so. Because if you thought I’d make this journey easy for you, then you’re a bigger fool than I am.”