Zoey almost lost her grip and fell when she heard that icy voice. She found the courage to look over her shoulder to see who the voice belonged to although, in her heart, she already knew. The white-haired fata was standing with his arms folded and his fangs out. There was nothing humorous in that smile. She had two options: drop to the ground and run or climb further and hope he did not follow.
Zoey focused on the healing flowers again. She could not run away now. What if she ran away and she could not find them again? She had to think of Violet, who needed that flower.
Zoey was scared as she looked back at the Fata male, who offered no indication that he was going to pounce. Indeed, to her left was the rock he had told her to go for. She reached for it and pulled herself up, ignoring the ache in her arms and back.
“Good human,” he cooed. “Now, use your right foot. There is a place you can put it in the cracks just above your left foot.”
Once again, Zoey did as he commanded. His voice was calm, but that was not enough to make her relax. She was not sure why he was helping her, but she would not think about that right now. She had to focus on climbing, otherwise she would fall and get hurt.
He kept giving her instructions, and she kept doing what he said until she was able to pull herself onto the big cliff where the flowers grew. Once she was on top, her fingers were aching and legs shaking from the strain. From the cliff she had a good view – she could see the river from here. Here, she also realized she was trapped – the cliffs around this one created a wall, and there was no way she could climb further. There was only one way to go – down – to him. She exhaled a small cloud and rubbed her wet nose.
He stood there, looking up at her with a patronizing grin, which made her wonder if he was expecting her to fail despite his help. Would he gain enjoyment from it? His white hair made him blend in, as if he was a part of this place, and she could feel his piercing blue eyes on her. He must have excellent vision, since he was able to spot cracks in the rocks so she could climb. She was so much weaker than him and hated the vulnerability.
She turned to the flowers that were identical to the drawing the weirdly dressed woman had given her. This was what she had been searching for. She almost cried out in delight as she saw how many there were. She just needed one and reached out for the nearest flower, picked it, and stuffed it into her backpack.
Then Zoey looked down, and her stomach turned as she realized how high she had climbed. It was a long way down. The Fata was still leaning against the tree, as still as if he were dead. He was not shivering or wearing a coat, despite the cold. He also stood on top of the snow.
He cocked his head and spoke calmly, as if he didn’t need to raise his voice to be heard. “What’s the matter? Scared you might fall for me?”
“You’re not my type,” she snapped. “Arrogant floating douchebag.”
The truth was that she feared him, but he didn’t need to know that. He’d see her fear as a weakness and find a way to take advantage of that.
At Zoey’s words, the white-haired Fata’s jaw dropped, revealing his sharp canines. Its surprise made her think that no one ever dared talk to him like that and maybe he now thought her a fool. But then he sniffed the air, picking up her scent, which reminded her that he could smell her fear, although she tried to hide it with a placid facial expression.
There was no point in trying to out-wait him. She’d be cold and hungry, and he would still be chilling there like a tombstone. She’d get down and make a run for it. But if he was as fast as Rane….
Zoey didn’t think about it anymore. She started climbing down the ledges despite her shaking – which was a result of being scared instead of being cold. She could feel him watching her step onto a rock and slip on the ice. She cried out as she fell to the ground, fast as lightning. She fell hard onto her ankle and heard a loud crack.
Her backpack had fallen from her shoulders, but instead of reaching for it, she reached for her left ankle – pain shot through it, and it was bent in an unnatural angle. She had broken it! She clutched her leg, desperate to make the pain stop.
But the Fata male was still there, so she tightened her grip with the realization that she could not run from him. She was a rabbit caught in a snare, and the hunter was approaching. He drew near, and she crawled backward until her back pressed against the rocks. He stopped and towered over her. She hated every second of being at his mercy.
“You humans are so clumsy,” he said as he looked at her leg. There was no sympathy in that beautiful face, only boredom, and maybe a little bit of satisfaction. “And breakable.”
“Go away,” she told him.
The corners of his mouth twisted up in amusement. “Most humans wouldn’t dare speak to me that way.”
She was not sure if he was threatening her so she would use the only weapon she had, the past. “Most humans would not have saved your life.”
“That’s a bit dramatic,” he said, “but fair enough. You helped me. I’ll help you.”
He bent down, and she flattened herself against the rocks.
“You’re a liar. You don’t want to help me.” Rane had moved quickly to his friend once she had released the trap. He had been there in a heartbeat which meant that the Fata were abnormally fast. “If you really wanted to help, you would have caught me before I hit the ground.”
“Dramatic, but smart,” he said in his calm, mystical voice. He didn’t hide that he could have caught her, which made Zoey wonder if he was maybe an honest faerie. Maybe he wasn’t violent either, as he had told Rane to let her go the first time. He made no sudden movements or indicated that he was going to hurt her, but she was still scared and uncomfortable. Lambs shouldn’t play with lions.
His eyes went to her foot. “I can heal that for you.”
“No,” she said, still doubting whether to trust him.
He looked into her eyes, intently, and she noticed that his pupils were oval-shaped, like those of a cat. It reminded her that he was a predator and not a friend. He held her gaze, with an intensity she had never experienced before.
“Calm down and let me help you.” His voice was haunting, and he looked directly at her, as if she were the only girl in the world. His stare was so intent she feared nothing could distract him.
“You can’t seriously expect me to follow your orders.”
The Fata blinked and looked truly confused. Well, what did he expect? That she was going to obey him like a dog? He leaned back on his haunches.
“You know stealing from me is punishable by death,” he pointed out.
“So that’s how this works? You threaten me every time I don’t listen?” She gripped her leg tightly and tried to ignore the pain.
“I’m not threatening,” he said. “I’m bargaining.”
Zoey felt like she’d be bargaining with the Devil if she decided to play along, but what other choice did she have?
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll let you keep the flower,” he said, “and in return, you keep me company until twelve o’clock tonight.”
She considered this. “That’s it? And I get to go home afterward?”
He nodded. His lips were slightly parted, and she found it hard to look away from his canines. But she sought his intense blue gaze, and she nodded.
“Excellent.” He grinned like a spoiled kid who got everything he ever wanted.
Then, he unexpectedly reached for her, and she pulled away. He held his hands up in surrender before making eye contact and speaking in that trancelike voice again. “Stop being scared.”
But she couldn’t stop. He terrified her. Her body was shaking and telling her to run as fast and far away as she possibly could. He looked intrigued when she did not stop shaking, and for a moment, they merely stared at each other.
“Just let me help you,” he asked rather than commanded.
“How do I know you won’t rip my throat out?” she whispered.
“You don’t,” he said.
Zoey watched the Fata sit on his haunches as if he were on rock, not snow. The pain in her leg was so bad, she bit back her tears. She wouldn’t show weakness in front of him. It was so silent Zoey could hear herself breathing.
“I expect you to keep your end of the bargain,” he said. “Talk.”
Zoey’s mind went blank, as if she were a baby who was just learning to speak. What could she say to a Fata that he would find interesting?
“What do you want to know?” she asked softly.
“What’s your name?”
That was an easy, common question. “Zoey Wright.”
“Nice to meet you, Zoey, I’m Caynin Quicksilver, Prince of the Everwhite Kingdom.”
Zoey had never heard of the Everwhite Kingdom before. From what she had learnt at school, an Enerly prince, such as Caynin, was one of the most powerful Fata – that would explain why Rane had obeyed him.
Had Caynin expected her to do what he said because he was a prince? But he was not her prince, and she certainly was not going to obey. She’d go along with this bargain, until she had a moment to get away. Escaping from this gorgeous, deadly creature would be hard. His teeth were white as snow and his skin was flawless. His hair was white, but not the same dull-frail white of old people’s hair. His was thick, healthy, and shining. His teeth were sharp, which made her wonder how he did not cut his lips on them.
“You’re staring,” Caynin said, and she immediately looked away, her cheeks burning.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said, which didn’t help at all. “It’s nice to be admired.”
“I’m not admiring you,” she said quickly.
“No, you’re stealing from me,” he said with bitterness that made her nervous. He was capricious, and that made her even more cautious. “Were you intending to sell the Fluver-luzile?”
“No,” she said. “I’m going to use it to save my sister – she is ill and dying.”
Zoey had told him something personal and immediately regretted it because Bree had told her the Fata would use this weakness against her. What had she been thinking?
“I’m sorry about your sister,” he said, making Zoey gape at him. Was that sympathy? Was he capable of human feelings?
“Uh, thanks.”
The sun was shining through the trees, and Zoey looked down at the ground where she could see the trees’ shadows. She could also see her shadow, and then she blinked to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her.
“Just like the small faeries, you have no shadow.”
“Of course not,” he said. “Fatas have lots of magic. Magic is energy, just like a flame. And a flame has no shadow.”
Was he made from energy? Zoey couldn’t help but wonder what he felt like. She retracted one hand from her ankle and slowly reached toward Caynin, as if he were a wild animal. He eyed her hand but made no attempt to pull away. She touched his shirt, which was soft, before sliding her hand into the buttons and feeling a solid warm chest.
“I half expected your heart to be made of ice,” she whispered.
“I don’t have a heart,” Caynin said. She felt a slight beating and realized he was talking figuratively. “Did the Twixies escort you out of the woods?”
“Yes, how did you know?” she wondered and then answered her own question, “You sent them! Why?”
“It’s not safe for a human in these woods.”
She was not going to be fooled into thinking that he cared about her. Maybe he had sent the Twixies because he felt he owed her after she had helped him. Did he expect her to thank him? If he did, he was going to be disappointed.
Her fingers were still in Caynin’s shirt, so she slowly pulled them back. For a moment, they just stared at each other, before Caynin reached for her backpack.
“Give that back!” she yelled.
“You are so feisty.” He opened the bag and reached for the flower inside. Zoey was panicking. She needed that flower more than anything in the world.
“I swear, if you throw that flower away, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” His blue eyes were fixed on her, and she knew it would be unwise to threaten him. He was a prince, used to being obeyed, not threatened.
“I’ll rip your teeth out,” she whispered. This was maybe not the best threat, as she doubted she could do anything to physically hurt him. But if he threw away the flower, which she so desperately needed, she’d find some way to punish him.
“Nah, you’ll miss my winning smile too much.” He crushed the flower in his hands.