She flexed the fingers on her free hand and called upon the ivy, just as she did earlier this morning. She kept the rest of her body perfectly still, watching the man, and moved her fingers slightly. Urging the vines to come forth, coaxing them out little by little.
The vines slid silently over the top of his boots just as he got the shackles free from his belt. Turning to her, he smiled, a cruel, wicked smile, and slammed the first shackle around her wrist. His arrogance shone in his features.
But he was too late.
The ivy at his feet tightened abruptly with one swish of Tallulah’s free wrist, and before he could come to terms with what was happening, he slammed hard into the frozen ground.
“Fuck!” He cupped the back of his head. If he was angry before, he was completely enraged now. “Stay where you?—”
Tallulah swished her wrist, sending the ivy farther up around his neck and over his mouth. She clenched her fist, a mix of terror and adrenaline rushing through her as she took down a third hunter in less than a few hours.
The man gasped for air, clawing at the green vines that grew tighter and tighter around his mouth before his eyes rolled back, and he stopped moving.
Tallulah stilled. Watching him, waiting for him to wake up. Crouching to his side, she focused on his chest for any movement. There was none.
Her breaths came in short spurts, her chest tightening. She hadn’t meant to kill him, even though a small part of her thought he deserved it. She pressed her palms to his chest, the iron around her wrist clanking loudly as she bent down. Blowing out a long breath, she relaxed back on her heels. The ends of her dress soaked from the snow.
Breathing.
He was still breathing. She had only rendered him unconscious. Her relief lasted only moments. Her eyes widened. She had an even bigger problem. She’d used her magick again and surely more men would be nearby. Not to mention, she now had an unconscious hunter to dispose of.
Four
This wasthe second time in a row Evren had woken up with a sore head. But this was different. A deep ache set in the back of his skull. How much had he had to drink this time? He groaned as the fog in his mind lifted. Where had he been yesterday? Where was he now?
His room at the inn was small, unimpressive, and dark. But when he opened his eyes now, the first thing he saw took his breath away. Stars danced above him through a large, domed glass ceiling. The moon was high and bright, as full as she’d get in the sky. He was lost momentarily in the beauty of his new surroundings. The glass and the stars and the silver light of the moon.
His eyes drifted lower to the rest of the room. Ivy hung heavily on nearly every surface. Thick and green and shimmering under the moonlight. Something about it felt familiar. Something about it…
He surged forward, attempting to stand up, only to realize he couldn’t. His body struggled against the vines that tightened around his middle and his arms, tying him securely to a wooden workbench in a corner. His wrists, bound by his own iron shackles, were useless behind his back. He wriggled again; the plants moaning but not snapping as he pushed and pulled to free himself.
“You’re wasting your time,” a soft voice said from somewhere he couldn’t locate. “Those vines won’t move, won’t break unless I tell them to.”
His memory slammed back into him with full force. Pounding, viscous images of the events that transpired after he parted ways with Markus.
He’d found those two hunters gasping for air near the clearing by the cliffs. Had helped them back to Davenport and then resumed his hunt. He then followed that tug in his stomach until it led him to a small storage shed in the forest.
Evren didn’t notice the greenhouse at first. Its rounded shape covered in snow was easily bypassed. But he noticed her right away, and yet, he’d hesitated. He’d taken his time pulling the shackles from his pocket and, with that fraction of a moment, everything changed.
The Enchantress stepped into view, drawing his attention. The light of the moon illuminated her sharp features. Her dark hair hung loosely well past her shoulders, her tan skin glowing in the silver light. Her eyes, the brightest blue he’d ever seen, were narrowed at him. The sage dress hanging loosely from her body was ripped on the bottom, the seams coming undone. Though it still snugged on her hips?—
She cleared her throat and heat flooded Evren’s cheeks when he realized where his gaze had landed.
“You’ve made a grave mistake, Enchantress.” Evren focused on the ivy that still gripped him. “Others will sense your magick, you won’t stay hidden for long.”
Others would come, wouldn’t they? He wasn’t so sure. The men he’d helped back to Davenport were sure to come looking for the woman who disabled them, unless they were too cowardly to seek her out. They weren’t even coherent enough to interrogate, so there was a chance they wouldn’t remember what happened at all.
But then there was Markus.
Shite. Markus had already left for Copenspire, and they weren’t to meet for several weeks.
His eyes dragged back to the Enchantress. She’d moved fully from the shadows and perched herself on the velvet sofa in the middle of the room, bringing her knees to her chest. Her eyes scanned every inch of him, making his blood boil. This was his moment, his chance to capture one last of these despicable creatures and collect his coin, and she had foiled it all.
Though she wasn’t despicable. Not in a literal sense. He hated the thought as soon as it entered his mind.
She’s bewitching you, you idiot. So, he pushed the thought further away, forcing himself to see her for what she really was. A monster.
“What’s your plan, then?” Evren spat, forgoing any more attempts to free himself. “Kill me? Keep me captive? Sacrifice me to this apparent Mother Gaia?”
