“Arabis?” Kryn asked the blue-haired female, Cylea.
Arabis?My ears perked up. Was this the person in charge?
“She’s already gone with…” her eyes flicked toward me, “… him.”
Nope, not her.
Silver set to work by the fire pit. A black round pot, like a witch’s cauldron, hung over the embers. He poured water in and walked to a saddlebag that rested on the ground. He came back holding a pouch from which he took out different herbs that went into the pot. He rubbed his fingers together and sniffed them, enjoying the scent the herbs had left behind. It was a familiar motion, something I did while I prepared remedies with various ingredients. It was strange watching him move lithely around the fire, despite his muscular frame. He looked like a ballerina pretending to make soup on a stage, twirling among prop trees. The Fae were graceful beyond measure, male and female alike. If not for my circumstances, I might have enjoyed the performance.
I watched all of this out of the corner of my eye, still pacing while I pretended not to be aware of what was going on around me. Maybe they would get distracted, and I would be able to slip away. Maybe I could still make my date. I huffed at the pathetic thought. Ethan would think I stood him up and whatever chances I might have had with him would disintegrate. He could have his pick of women. Why would he bother with someone who got herself kidnapped right before her first hot date?
“When ishegetting here?” I blurted out. “I need to know what’s going on. Now.”
Everyone ignored me, even Jeondar.
“You all are useless. Clearly. Little peons to some asshole.” I figured that would make them mad, but they weren’t taking the bait. “Where is he? Prancing around the woods?”
“Somebody gag her, please,” Kryn said. He was brushing one of the horses, a tan one with a long red mane like his.
Jeondar pointed at the log once more. “Why don’t you sit down? Patience is a virtue, you know.”
“And not kidnapping people is common decency,” I retorted.
Sitting close to the fire, supervising Silver’s cooking, Cylea snorted. I thought I detected a hint of sympathy in her eyes, but if it was ever there, she concealed it quickly.
“Believe me,” Jeondar said, “if there was a different choice, you wouldn’t be here.“
“There are a million different choices, you asshole.”
“Not forhim.”
Cylea cleared her throat as if warning Jeondar. He pressed his lips together and joined Kryn. He focused on a white horse, patting its neck tenderly and pulling something from his pocket—a sugar cube?—to feed the animal.
I must have paced for an hour before I got tired and finally sat down in front of the fire. By now, Silver’s soup was bubbling. He’d thrown in meat and vegetables at some point, and the smell that wafted from the pot stirred my hunger. I’d only taken a few bites from the meal Jeondar offered me earlier, and my breakfast of honeyed bun and tea was long gone. So when Silver passed around bowls full of soup, accompanied by bread, I ate without complaint, even as the sun kept going down and I despaired.
“We should be on our way,” Kryn complained as he tore pieces of bread and threw them into his soup.
“Yes, we should,” Cylea agreed with a sigh. “But under the circumstances, it will take twice as long to get there.”
Jeondar shook his head, looking sad and concerned. The sky was a blend of dark blues and purples, and the fire was starting to cast dancing shadows over everyone’s faces. Silver got a couple of logs and set them on top of the embers. Jeondar leaned forward, stretched out a hand toward the logs, and in an instant, they caught and started to smolder.
My eyes snapped to his amber gaze. He was no regular Fae. He had control over fire. I wondered if others also processed special skills.
Witchlights, I was more outmatched than I’d imagined.
Silver had just finished gathering everyone’s bowls, when the sound of metal against metal, like two swords glancing off each other, reverberated through the woods.
Jeondar jumped to his feet immediately and gestured with one arm. “Get back in the tent.”
The others stood too, their expressions alert as they spread out through the clearing, hands hovering over their weapons.
“Now!” Jeondar ordered when I remained sitting on the log.
Something about his expression told me this wasn’t the time to be contrary, so I did as he said. He followed close behind me and lowered the tent flap as we entered. He set out to light a few lanterns with his bare hands, making the interior look cozy and welcoming, even if it was a prison. The smell of aeradonus hung pleasantly in the air.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he said. “Get some sleep.”
As if.