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The night was a disaster.
Not because of the cold or the rain, or the cramped quarters, or because those three bites of rabbit had been woefully undercooked. It was a disaster because every time Evie closed her eyes, she saw a far different picture. One that involved a moonlit meadow, a half-naked vampire, and a silent battle to unclasp the buckle on his pants.
A blush stole across her face even as she thought about it, driving her to madness as her eyes shot open and fixed upon the ceiling of their little cave. The others were resting deeply, nothing but the sound of their steady, shallow breaths. Asher appeared to be sleeping as well, but there was no way for her to be sure. After being pressed so shamelessly against each other by the others, they had tried to mitigate the inevitable teasing by facing in opposite directions. Their backs were pressed against one another, but aside from that they were staying completely apart.
Of course he’s sleeping. He SHOULD be sleeping. So should you.
That internal voice had grown more and more persistent as the night dragged on, constantly admonishing all those lusty fantasies intent on keeping her awake.
You’re on a mission to SAVE THE REALM, remember? Maybe time to stop thinking about the pretty vampire and try to get some sleep?
Easier said than done.
It was like she couldn’t escape it. The distracting images paraded shamelessly through her mind.
The little sparks of pain when his fingers knotted in her hair. The feel of his arms tightening around her when his tongue slipped into her mouth. His smooth skin beneath her fingers. His lean body contracting around hers. Then there was always the sight of his teeth sinking into his lower lip as he leaned back on his elbows, gazing up at her with that irresistible grin...
Stop it!
Her body flushed as she pressed her fists into her eyes, as if that could somehow keep the images at bay. How had she never noticed before? How had she been able to tear her eyes away?
Growing up in the castle, the two of them had already shared most every experience one could imagine. They’d attended royal dances with each other, learned to spar with each other, gone swimming with every summer in the enchanted lake. They’d both seen each other wearing far less clothing than they had been just a few hours before, and yet the memory consumed her completely.
Go. To. Sleep.
Her eyes peeked open once again and she decided on a compromise. She would go to sleep...just as soon as she checked to see if Asher was sleeping himself.
As quietly as possible, she twisted around beneath her cloak—taking great care not to wake up Cosette, who was sleeping on the other side. The little shelter was so dark, the entire thing might have been a wasted effort. It was so quiet, there was no way anyone could be awake but her.
Then she turned around to find herself staring into a pair of sparkling eyes.
“Can’t sleep?”
She pulled in a quick breath, immensely grateful that for once the vampire might not be able to see her blush. He was lying on his side with a hand propped up beneath his head. He was also smiling. The kind of smile that made her think he’d been watching her for a long time.
Her eyes drifted to his lips, then she shook her head quickly. “Nope. What about you?”
He shook his head as well, eyes twinkling in the faint light. “Every time I try, I keep thinking about this girl...”
She bit back a grin, propping herself up the same as him. “Sounds promising. Tell me about her.”
He raked back his hair, shaking his head as if it was a bit overwhelming. “Well, she’s beautiful. Brave. Opinionated. Decent shot with a bow.” He cocked his head thoughtfully, eyes flickering up to the ceiling. “Thinks she’s a lot funnier than she is...”
A punishing fist flew towards his face, and he caught it with a grin.
“Relax, Everly. You don’t know her.”
The princess giggled before she could stop herself, stifling the sound in her cloak. “So this mystery girl...why’s she keeping you awake?”
He shrugged mischievously, those heated eyes drawing forth another blush. “The thing is, she kind of crawled on top of me—”
Evie clapped a hand over his mouth, glancing quickly at the others. They all appeared to be sleeping. But an eternity of teasing was a heavy price to pay for being wrong about such a thing.
“Would you shut up?” she hissed. “It’s bad enough they already—”
His lips closed over hers, stealing the last few words right out of her mouth.
For a split second she merely froze, utterly stunned that it was happening. By the time she caught up he was already pulling away, stretching out on his back with a little smile.
“Goodnight, Princess.”
She blinked in the darkness, then settled down as well. “...goodnight.”
* * *
BY THE TIME THE SUN rose a few hours later, neither Asher nor Evie felt as though they’d gotten more than a few minutes of rest. Each one sat up slowly, pushing back tangles of messy hair, then wincing as the ceiling was ripped off the little shelter and beams of sunlight came piercing through.
“Good morning!” Ellanden said with a bright smile, tossing the carefully-woven branches into the shrubs. “No point in leaving a trail behind for the giants. Get up—we let you guys sleep long enough!”
The princess and the vampire blinked slowly, wondering if they were really awake.
Already, the little campsite was a thing of the past. The fire had been expertly scattered, the remains of the rabbit carefully hidden away. There was no sign of the girls, but judging by sounds of splashing water and violent oaths they weren’t far, just down the slope by the river.
“Must I drag you out of there myself, or are you coming?”
Evie rolled her eyes and pushed to her feet, shaking the pine needles from her cloak before slipping it over her shoulders. There were still a few cooked roots and berries left from the previous night’s dinner, but when she reached for them the fae held them up with another obnoxious smile.
“How did everyone sleep?” he asked cheerfully, dangling the food out of reach. “Hopefully you got some more rest than my friend Asher. Poor guy was tossing and turning all night.”
The vampire ran his tongue over his teeth, fighting the urge to bare his fangs.
Evie went straight for open violence, striking the fae with a tree branch before taking the roots and berries for herself. “I’m so glad you’re enjoying all this.”
He flashed a wicked grin, shaking the leaves from his hair. “Well at least one of us should be enjoying themselves. And seeing as the two of you have come up against a bit of a wall—”
“Flasks are filled. Clothes are clean.” Cosette nodded a quick greeting to the others as she and Freya returned from the woods. “Morning, guys. Have any intimate late-night discussions?”
The couple froze at the same time, while Ellanden shot her a sour look.
“I was just getting to that.”
“No time,” his cousin replied sweetly, cocking her head towards the trees. “We’ve got to get moving if we want to find a village and stock up on supplies before nightfall. We may have left the giants behind, but there’s still plenty more that can kill us in this forest. I, for one, want a weapon.”
The playful mood faded slightly as each of the friends recognized their plight.
Being lost in the middle of the woods with no supplies and no weapons was one of the fastest ways imaginable to get yourself killed. Granted, the gang had a few things on their side. The witch, for one. The vampire, for another. Not to mention the fact that each of the others knew at least fifty ways to kill a man with their bare hands.
But those kinds of skills didn’t mean much against a long-range weapon. A pair of bandits with a bow could do just as much damage without taking nearly so much of a risk. They needed to arm up. This new world was nothing to be taken lightly.
“And how do you suggest we buy these weapons?” Ellanden asked innocently, taking his place in the front as they eased back onto the mountain trail. “Should we barter with the girls?”
A punishing volley of sparks hit the back of his head, while Asher simply rolled his eyes.
“Not your famous horse-thief idea again.”
“I’m telling you, it’s the only way,” the fae insisted. “And you wouldn’t have to do any of the work if it offends your delicate sensibilities. I’m more than happy to take care of it myself.”
Asher nodded wisely, keeping his eyes on the trail.
“Because if there’s one thing we vampires are known for, it’s our delicate sensibilities...”
For the next few hours, the friends continued walking along the alpine trail. The air was bitter cold, considering winter had passed them, but as they made their way slowly out of mountains the world began to thaw. Little flowers began peeking through the foliage. Birds darted through the canopy above them, lifting their voices on the breeze. The rocky night was forgotten and the gang was actually starting to enjoy themselves, when the trail spilled suddenly onto a well-paved road.
The three friends jumped down immediately. The witch and the fae instinctively held back.
“Does the trail continue on the other side?” Cosette called quietly, glancing up and down the road. “Maybe there’s another path we could follow—”
“Yes, or we could take the conveniently-located road,” Evie interrupted, gesturing theatrically around her. “The quickest way to find a village is by staying right on here.”
Cosette pursed her lips, while Freya shook her head.
“We can’t travel on the main road. It isn’t safe.”
Asher scoffed impatiently, while Ellanden smiled like she’d said something adorable.
“While I admire the caution, between the five of us—”
“The five of us are the problem,” the witch interrupted shortly. “A lot’s changed since you guys dozed off in that wizard’s cave. Fae are coveted. Vampires are not a welcome sight. You guys think you’re so formidable. That’s great. But you’re also a target.”
The prince’s smile faded ever so slightly as the vampire glanced carefully up the road.
“Well, what about the two of us?” Evie suggested, nodding at the witch. “We could go on ahead and see if there was—”
“Absolutely not,” the men said together.
“The world might be different,” Ellanden murmured, “but some things will never change.”
The princess’ eyes flashed as she placed her hands on her hips.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m not a vampire. I’m not a fae—”
“No, but you’re a beautiful woman.” Asher gave her with a little wink. “You’re in the most danger of all.”
Ellanden threw up his hands impatiently. “So what does that mean? You expect us to make it all the way to the sea by taking nothing but remote mountain trails? I’m all for caution, but we really don’t have that kind of time...”
He trailed off mid-sentence, lifting his eyes to the road. The vampire was already staring, brow creased with a slight frown. After a moment, they threw each other a quick glance.
“A few men and a wagon. Couldn’t be more than ten.”
The vampire nodded, lifting his chin as if sniffing the breeze.
“Fewer than that. And there’s something else...fish?”
“Perhaps they’re merchants,” Cosette inserted. “Few are bold enough to travel, what with the lack of royal enforcement, but others have no choice.”
“Even merchants come heavily armed,” Freya muttered, folding her arms across her chest.
Asher listened another moment, then shook his head slowly. “I don’t think they’re merchants. I could have sworn—”
But what he was about to say, the others would never know. Because at that very moment, a little caravan of people made their way around the bend in the road.
The fae let down their hair quickly in some useless attempt to hide what they were, while the vampire flipped up the hood of his cloak. Wise precautions, but if they were fearing some kind of ambush they needn’t have worried. The men coming towards them looked as surprised to see them as they were to have stumbled upon the caravan themselves.
“Good morning!” the one in the front called preemptively, waving a cautious hand. The roads were no longer what they used to be. Even when travelling with a decent-sized force, one had to be careful. “And what brings you fellow travelers so far on the northern road?”
His face relaxed ever so slightly when he saw they were young. He relaxed even more when he saw they were unarmed. Then it sharpened with a smile as he started making plans.
Ellanden approached warily, flashing a polite smile himself. “Just doing a little scouting before returning to the rest of our group.” His eyes flickered swiftly over the horses. “We heard there might be a village nearby.”
The man glanced back the way he’d come. “Just five miles or so, though I wouldn’t exactly call it a village.” He stared a second longer than was warranted, studying the young man with the hint of a frown. “You from around these parts?”
Ellanden nodded casually, checking for weapons at the same time. “Not far.”
“Well, don’t let us delay you,” Freya inserted with a tight smile. “We have miles to go and it’s already mid-day...”
She tried to take a step forward, but the man didn’t move. A faint grin lit his face as he looked her up and down, eyes flashing over the rest of the gang.
“You’re a strange group,” he murmured, almost to himself. There was a quick double-take when he got to Asher—who quickly glanced away. “You going to the village to trade?”
“Perhaps,” Ellanden said bracingly, already wishing they’d taken the girls’ advice and gotten the hell off the main road. “Like I said, we’re only scouting. It depends on the rest of our group.”
The man nodded slowly, fighting back a smile. “Your group...of course.” Instead of stepping aside to let them through he leaned casually against the side of the wagon, smiling as five other men stood loosely by his side. “Though, if you are meaning to trade, I’m sure we could provide whatever you might be looking for.”
His gaze felt on the three girls.
“For a price, of course.”
Evie stiffened dramatically, while the vampire hissed quietly by her side.
At that point, Ellanden decided to embrace his original plan.
“Well, I hardly have the authority to allow something like that,” he said sweetly, stepping amongst their ranks under the guise of examining the horses. “But it isn’t out of the question.”
When we get to this mysterious village...I’m officially murdering the fae.
“If you like, I’d be happy to relay your offer to the others,” he continued. “They should be along shortly. And I know there were things they were hoping to acquire.”
His fingers trailed lightly down the harness, slipping out the nearest hook. It was so casually done, Evie wouldn’t have noticed it herself if she hadn’t been looking. One down, three more to go.
“Ah yes?” the man said conversationally, casting a backwards glance at his men. “And what are those? You’ll find we have quite the selection.”
Another hook down. Then another after that.
You’ve got it—just one more. Then we’ll we leave this place in the dust.
“Just the usual,” Ellanden answered casually, running his hand along a horse’s neck. “Rope and a canteen, my friends were hoping for a bow—”
He looked down suddenly, stiffening in surprise. His hand froze above the final loop in the harness before he backed away swiftly, abandoning the enterprise altogether.
Evie stared in astonishment at the back of his head.
Come on! You’re backing out now?
Without a second thought, she stepped forward to replace him—bypassing the vampire’s restraining hand and flashing the man in charge a charming smile.
“So now you know everything about us, what about you? Where are you headed?”
Ellanden shook his head discreetly, but she ignored him—running her hand along the horse’s neck just as he’d done himself. Just a few more inches, then she’d free the final loop.
“There’s no clear destination,” the man answered, watching the princess with a predatory smile. “We tend to go wherever opportunity takes us.”
Her fingers slid smoothly down the leather, coming to rest on the metal circle.
“That’s fascinating,” Ellanden said sharply, a silent warning in his eyes. “But Freya’s right, we really should be leaving—”
“What’s the hurry?” the man interrupted with a twinkling smile. “It looks like your friend here is just getting comfortable, and it isn’t often we get to see such a pretty face.” His arms folded as he looked her up and down. “I can only imagine the talents she’s picked up on the road...”
Evie’s eyes flashed as she unclasped the final circle. “You have no idea—”
A splash of water hit the back of her neck.
...what the hell?
In what felt like slow motion she looked over her shoulder, watching as the ‘horse’ she’d been freeing shook free of the harness, lifting a pair of huge leathery wings. The scent of rotting kelp swept over the caravan as she tripped a step backwards, staring in open-mouthed surprise.
“Kelpies,” the man said dryly. “I wouldn’t get too close.”
Holy crap!
The princess swallowed hard, rooted to the spot.
“Hard to ride,” he continued casually, pulling a large knife from his belt. “Even harder to steal, though I have to admit I’m impressed you were brave enough to try. Your friend over there thought better of it. Probably saved his own life in the process.”
Ellanden’s eyes snapped shut for a split second before he yanked the princess back.
The others were already clustered nervously around them, hyper-aware of the fact that each of the men standing in front of them was heavily armed. And there were more in the wagon.
“I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding,” the fae murmured respectfully, angling Evie safely behind him. “We’re sorry to have wasted your time—”
“What are you talking about?” The man grabbed the harness and ripped it loose, freeing the pack of kelpies with a wicked smile. “The fun’s just getting started...”
