Chapter 9

A full, intense throbbing in his head made its way through the fog of unconsciousness. Roan knew immediately that he was bound, and that he was lying on the rough wood of the cage he had ordered. Oh, that bitch. He was going to...

“You will do no such thing. I shall kill you.”

Groaning harshly, Roan’s eyes blinked open to look through the bars at the snarling face of Draen. He would have vomited if he had anything in his stomach. He’d never been spoken to in such a manner. As though the panther had to yell across a great chasm though he was right there, but inches from his face, and he heard the echo before the words themselves. It made his head spin.

Squinting at the cat, he swallowed the bile in his throat and peered around. He could not see much past the immense feline, but the glow of dusk was in the sky and the flickering of a fire made Draen’s face even darker. Only the smooth fur around his eyes reflected the glow of his magic.

“Where...?”

“Where is unimportant. Cylthan begs me not to end your life without due cause, so we are taking you to a place that you cannot escape until we are a very far distance from you.” His eyes narrowed dangerously, burning with an icy fire. “Do not give me due cause.”

With another dry swallow, he squirmed to sit up in the small cage. Peering at the panther, he tilted his head curiously. “Is this what she hears?”

Taken off-guard, Draen’s face softened in thought as though deciding whether or not to be truthful. Making his decision, Roan could see that thick rope of his tail flick back and forth sharply to either side, the face drawing taut again. “No. I have a special connection with her. She is pure. I do not wish to be within your mind any more than I must. You are foul.”

Somehow, that seemed so funny coming from a cat. Despite everything, it made him chuckle under his breath. “You really have no idea.”

Peering about again, the shimmer of the panther’s spell was bright to him, though no one else would see it. Draen had used his own inscriptions against him. Pursing his lips with a big breath of suppressed rage, knowing his own thoughts were not safe, he returned his attention to the feline.

“Your eye will not help you, Seeker. I will pluck it out.”

Raising his scarred brow, he scoffed with a smirk. “You’d be surprised how many people have already tried that.”

The cat’s glowing eyes narrowed. “Then I shall remove your face.”

Brow threading together, Roan shook his head, calling the feline’s bluff. “You’d have to remove the spell for that.”

In the growing darkness, the panther’s teeth were so white and disembodied, but it was not a snarl that eerily drew up his face. “Do not tempt me. I have already tasted your blood.”

A sudden rush from his mind left him dizzy enough to groan, leaning against the bars, signaling that Draen had withdrawn the connection. Turning, the panther strolled leisurely towards the fire just as Cylthan appeared through the brush. Stretching as though he had not been threatening the Seeker, he chuffed at her.

“No,” she replied to whatever he had said. “Not a deer, pheasant or even a rabbit. Place is practically empty. I hardly even heard birds. I’m too hungry to concentrate.”

Draen moaned pitifully at her. She glared at him. “I’m not in the mood for your sass, saipaki! If you think you can do better then go!”

After a pause, she turned her glare to Roan staring back at her. Snapping her head back to the fire, he saw her slight shudder despite the darkness that had closed around them, and it made a corner of his mouth curl up.

She shook her head. “You said your magic is solid, so just go. Maybe the night will be kind to you.”

Staring at her for a few seconds, Draen finally gurgled and stretched again, yawning wide in Roan’s direction before locking eyes with the Seeker. To be honest, Roan was curious where they intended to take him. Settling back into a more comfortable position, he raised a brow at the panther, once more infuriatingly calm.

Flicking his tail, Draen prowled around the wagon, making certain to piss on a nearby tree, before melting into the velvet of the night.

Left alone, the insects and crackling fire were the only sounds. She stared at the fire, her face tense and sour. It twisted even harder when her stomach whined loudly.

“I have rice.”

“What?” She snapped around to peer at him in aggravation. God, she wanted to reach through the cage and slap that expression off his face.

“In a small pack under my saddlebag. On the left. I have a bag of rice. It’s not much, but a little salt and pepper and it fills the belly. Could even have a cup of tea while you wait.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Glancing at his horse she had tied to a tree with the other, she looked back at him. “Why would you tell me?” She cocked her head. “Unless you think I’ll feed you?”

He still smirked in that smug way she really hated– like he was in control of the situation from inside the cage. “You’re not like me.”

Face scrunching in fury, she growled and shook her head. “I’m not releasing the spell. I don’t even know how. It’s not like his memory spell. It’s one of the most powerful spells he has, so you’re shit out of luck.” This time, it was her turn for the cold smile. “I hope you don’t need to take a piss.”

Without another word, he continued to stare at her with that relaxed, arrogant, irritating curve to one corner of his mouth.

Her lip curling into a sneer to bare a long canine, she stood and walked to the horse out of his sight to hide her shiver. Every time she got close to him, it made her nerves tingle. Under his dominating gaze, it became a hum in very distracting places.

Pausing beside his horse, she rubbed her arms with a big breath. At first, she had thought the feeling was just an attraction. After all, he had no business being that hot and the scruff that had grown on his face only made him more exotic considering elves did not. Now, she really wasn’t sure.

At least he was telling the truth about the rice and tea. And the best part was that he carried everything needed to cook it.