But Fin didn’t make a move. He crouched down onto the ground in front of us, using the sword shoved into the ground as a crutch.
“You don’t want to kill her,” he said. “You’ve spent some time coming up with these plans. If you kill her now, you’ll have to find another baby factory to force into submission.”
I groaned. “Don’t say baby factory. Gross.”
“Shut up,” Esteban said against my ear. “Women don’t get issued opinions in my household. You must learn that before I bless you with my seed.”
I gagged at the thought.
Fin made eye contact with me, so many questions in his eyes. One rang out above the rest.
Can you free yourself?
As much as I hated the idea of someone in my mind, I had to admit during battle, it would come in handy.
Fin continued his casual lean on the sword and eyed us. “What about my Captain? Are you going to release him?”
“When I’m done with this body, I’ll kill him. He is a mage, after all. One of my kind, not yours.”
I tried to jerk away from him, but he pressed the gun tighter to my temple. “Now, now, pet, settle down.”
Fin struck, the sword pointed right under the captain’s chin. He’d moved faster than even I could see.
The captain/Esteban didn’t loosen his hold on me, and when I squirmed, he only tightened his grip. The crazy bastard was playing a game of chicken using someone else’s body. Not cool.
“Well, it seems we are at an impasse,” the captain said.
Fin nodded. “Release the girl and we can settle this between us.”
To my surprise, he did. As I scrambled away, he extended the gun toward Fin. At this range they would both kill each other, or at the very least mortally would each other. Could Fin withstand a gunshot to the head? I had no more magic or life force to offer up. My body screamed at me from every nerve ending that I’d already given him too much.
“Like men then,” Esteban said.
They circled each other, both arms steady and poised to strike at any moment. If I jumped in now either I would die, or one of them might make a misstep, and kill the other or themselves. Shit. I sat on the sidelines like a helpless damsel, and I resented it with all my god damned might.
Fin’s arm shook the tiniest bit. He barely had the strength to stand upright, let alone hold a man at sword point indefinitely. I looked around, grasping to find something to do, something to use. Whatever it took to save him.
When I glanced back up at them, the captain turned the gun to his own chin and fired. The sound echoed through the clearing, leaving my ears ringing.
The captain fell where he stood.
Chapter Twenty
I should have moved faster.
But with my wounds, and the magic loss, I could barely crawl, let alone run. But I should have tried. Me not getting to my feet and rushing over to the Captain when Fin did, is what got me caught all over again.
Several goons charged out of the tree line and dragged me to my feet. One bound my mouth and covered my eyes with duct tape, and several men held me tight between them, caging me in with their bodies. I couldn’t kick out, or run, or maim them in any satisfying way at least.
Esteban’s disgusting true form had zoomed right back into his body. He swaggered up and joined the goons holding me in the center of the clearing. They dragged someone else up to stand next to me; I caught the faint scent of apples. Her hair grazed against my arm. They hadn’t taken Sol out of here. She’d just been bound up to keep her quiet while the fighting ensued.
Without sight, I focused on as many sounds as I could catch. The faint beat of the goon’s heart as he held me tight against his chest. The rustle of Sol’s hair caught in the movements of those around us. I listened for Fin to see me, to approach, to save us.
“Oh, fairy boy,” Esteban called, sing-song.
And that was when I saw it. A watch. A pocket watch actually. Hanging from his jacket pocket.
I heard the faint crunch of Fin’s boots on the pine needles as he approached. Somewhere, the sound of dripping sent a shiver down my spine.