“But I won’t be able to sleep. It will be uncomfortable.”
“You brought it upon yourself, Ms. Sunder.”
“I promise I won’t try to escape again.”
He gave me an expression that seemed to ask,do you think I’m gullible?
“Fine.” I extended my wrists, which he tied in front of me, leaving a long line of slack. After that, he proceeded to tie my ankles together.
“Lay down with your head that way.” He pointed toward the front of the tent.
I did as he said and stared up at him from my prone position.
“Good night.” He grabbed the slack he’d left around my wrists and took it with him.
As he exited, my arms were pulled overhead by the rope. “Hey, that hurts!”
“No, it doesn’t,” he called from outside.
“Dammit,” I cursed under my breath. I was tied like a dog on a leash.
I tossed and turned for several minutes, tugging on the rope. Jeondar tugged back every time. I thought I would be unable to sleep, but once my frustration ebbed and exhaustion took over, my eyelids fluttered closed and I drifted off.
There were vivid howls in my dreams, which quickly turned to nightmares featuring a massive, savage wolf with taloned fingers.
CHAPTER 11
Onthetenthmorningafter my kidnapping, we found ourselves halfway to The Sunder Mountains. I had never traveled so many miles outside of a car or plane, and I had no idea how to judge distances. The mountains appeared considerably bigger, but they were still a fair distance away.
The forest had flanked our right from the moment we left Pharowyn, but now it curved to form a barrier in front of us, which according to Jeondar was called Mid Crosswood and we would have to cross in order to reach the Summer Court, his home in the city of Imbermore.
I was tired of being on the road, even if I’d grown used to being on horseback and my butt didn’t hurt anymore. Still, I longed for a hot shower and a proper bed, and a night’s sleep that involved no ropes and no infernal howling from wolves. The ropes rubbed my wrists raw, and the howls triggered terrible nightmares that featured a decayana with talons instead of pincers, talons that managed to catch me and squeeze me until my insides popped out. Not fun.
Jeondar was securing the pack horses while Silver made sure to put out the fire.
As I fed Dandelion the core of an apple, Kalyll talked to Kryn a distance away. They seemed to be joking about something, and a wide smile illuminated the prince’s face. He didn’t smile often, especially after his mood grew somber as the morning wore on, a daily occurrence that caused him to pull ahead of our party and ride up front by himself. Then at night, he and Arabis disappeared, never having spent one night around the fire with the rest of us.
Now, he laughed at something Kryn said, and as he shook his head, looking amused, caught me staring. His dark blue eyes captured mine with that hypnotic quality they possessed, one I’d begun to suspect might be some sort of magical skill.
With a quick word of dismissal to Kryn, he approached me, never breaking eye contact. He had a certain swagger as he walked, but it wasn’t an affectation. No, it was something that had its roots in self-assurance and strength—two things he possessed in spades.
“How are you this morning, Ms. Sunder? Did you sleep well?”
“No, I did not.” I bit out the words, feeling rude, then reminded myself I didn’t owe good manners to my captor. “Jeondar ties me up every night, and it’s very uncomfortable.”
He grunted deep in his throat. “I suppose, at this point, that’s an unnecessary precaution. You won’t try to escape again, will you?”
“I almost got myself killed last time, so I guess not. I’m resigned to the fate you have imposed on me. I only hope that when all of this is said and done, you’ll return me where I belong.”
“I assure you,” he inclined his head respectfully, “I look forward to that moment.”
His words bounced inside my head. They could be interpreted to mean that he couldn’t wait to be rid of me, but his polite demeanor told me he simply wanted to do the right thing. My gaze roved around awkwardly. He could be so proper and respectful that he made me feel brutish in contrast.
I thought for a moment, realizing that at this rate, the five weeks—or however long I ended up spending in Elf-hame—would be miserable, except it didn’t have to be that way, did it? My philosophy had always been to make the best out of any situation. There was much I could learn in Elf-hame to improve my skills. In the past, I’d even contemplated spending some time here researching Fae healing techniques. And now, here I was, whether or not I wanted it. Why waste the opportunity?
Straightening, I swallowed my anger and pride and said, “Perhaps, if you and your friends will agree, we can call a truce. I realize that trying to escape is futile. For better or worse, I’m stuck here.”
The prince winced at the last part, but seemed attentive to my offer.