“You okay?” Eno asked as he got the rope off the girl’s ankle.
“She tried to bite me!” Caelan cried.
Eno couldn’t help it. He laughed right in his king’s face. “What do you expect? We’re foreigners in her land, and she doesn’t understand a word we’re saying. Of course she’s fighting any way she can for her freedom.”
“Yeah, but biting isn’t nice.”
The girl’s dirty tricks weren’t limited to biting. The long trip to the camp was filled with multiple escape attempts that included scratching, biting, kicking, and even trying to play dead once. She was crafty and sneaky, and Eno couldn’t help admiring her ingenuity.
But as the camp came within sight, Eno found that her fighting stopped and her demeanor grew quiet, her eyes locked on the magical protective barrier Rayne had raised around the camp. Eno didn’t believe the fight had gone out of her, but rather she knew that at least for now she was beaten. She needed to plan for a more careful escape.
And he needed to keep a very close watch on their prisoner. Fear and desperation made normally kind-hearted people ruthless in the worst of times.
“Lower the dome, Rayne,” Caelan called out as they reached the camp, sounding thoroughly exhausted from the trek.
Eno felt a shiver run through the young woman’s body as the glowing green dome fell away in a shower of glittering sparks that disappeared into the dirt and plants. His hand tightened on her tense shoulder and gave her a little push forward when Caelan moved again.
Both Rayne and Drayce jumped to their feet when Eno escorted their unexpected catch into the camp.
“Whoa…um…she’s…she’s not Empire,” Drayce stammered. “She’s…dude, what is she?”
“Don’t be rude,” Rayne snapped, but even he couldn’t rip his eyes from the teen. Not that Eno could blame him, but it was rare for the king’s advisor to be anything but the perfect specimen of decorum, regardless of the circumstances.
“No, she’s definitely not from New Rosanthe,” Caelan agreed. “Or at least, not originally.” The king walked to the other side of the fire closest to Drayce and dropped with a heavy sigh. “I’m guessing that she’s from Green Spring.”
“Did she fight you?” Drayce demanded.
“Oh, fuck yes,” Eno chuckled. He directed their guest to the fireside farthest from Caelan and pressed on her slender shoulder until she finally sat.
“But I think it was more out of fear for her life. I’m not sure she intends to harm us,” Caelan tacked on.
Rayne lifted his arms and returned the protective dome to its place over their small camp, allowing them to relax next to the fire without worrying about being attacked by the more feral inhabitants of the Ordas. The girl’s feline eyes were wide as they watched Rayne work, a little whimper leaving her as the shield fell around them, but Eno couldn’t decide if it was the sound of wonder or fear.
Before returning to the fire, Rayne picked up two canteens of water, handing one to Caelan and the other to Eno. He snagged a third and poured some water into a cup. Kneeling next to the young woman, Rayne held it in front of her so that she could see exactly what was in the cup prior to lifting it to her lips. She haltingly sipped it, drawing away several times as if she still didn’t trust it. Her bright-yellow eyes darted from person to person as she drank the water.
When the cup was empty, Rayne carefully put it aside and sat on the ground next to her. Eno kept a close watch on the girl, making sure those sharp nails of her weren’t working on the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back. He did believe that she didn’t intend to harm them, but he wouldn’t put it past her to attempt something if it was to save her own life.
“Has she said anything?” Rayne asked.
Caelan shook his head. “Nothing, but I don’t think she can understand us.”
“And you can’t use your new god powers to read her mind?” Drayce demanded.
That earned a dark look from the king. “No, my new powers don’t include mind reading. At least, not yet. Trust me, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know if they ever kick in.”
Drayce clutched his head with both hands, his eyes wide. “Dude, no. What if you try it on me and you melt my brain?”
“Would anyone notice?” Rayne mumbled.
Eno snorted out a laugh before he could catch himself, and Drayce flipped him the bird. Rayne naturally ignored him, his glasses glinting in the flickering firelight as he stared at the girl. Uneasiness churned in Eno’s stomach. Rayne was sitting far too close to their prisoner for his comfort. Rayne was a skilled fighter, but it didn’t mean that Eno was ever going to stop being protective of the man. He would have preferred if Rayne were sitting on the other side of the fire, next to Caelan and Drayce.