I kissed Ellery’s temple before setting her down. Keeping my arm around her waist, I led her over to Callan and Luna. She glanced from me to Ellery before focusing her disbelief on me again.
“Isn’t that… isn’t he… isn’t that theduke’sson?” the woman stuttered.
Callan clasped her elbow. “It is.”
“He’s going to kill us.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s not… at least not yet.”
I ignored that last part because it was true; I still might kill them. “Follow me.”
I didn’t look back as I guided Ellery toward the fire, but I heard the woman whisper behind me. “What’s he doing with Ellery?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Callan replied.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever believe anything again.”
We were almost to the fire when Ianto emerged from the woods. The giant carried a large deer across his shoulders as he ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch.
Some of those in the encampment cheered as he brought the animal over to the area where the animals were hung to be field dressed. Two men took the massive buck from him.
“It’s the giant,” Callan muttered.
At seven foot six, Ianto wasn’t anywhere near as tall as the hundred-foot giants who lived in the realm of Colossal, but he was the biggest man I’d ever known, and the nickname suited him.
“Who is he?” Luna asked.
“He’s a traveling wrestler who makes money off those who decide to take him on.”
“Why wouldanyonedo that?”
“Because it’s fun.”
“You did it, didn’t you?”
“Just once.”
“Of course,” she sighed.
“Ianto,” I called out to the man. “Join us.”
Ianto said something to the men who had taken the deer before strolling toward us. As he walked, he called greetings to those he passed. The giant hadn’t been here long, but he’d madehimself at home, and while his personality often irritated me, his vibrant, outgoing nature was infectious… for most amsirah.
His smile vanished when his brown eyes landed on Ellery, and all the warmth in them vanished. “Who did that to you?”
“I’m not sure who they were,” Ellery said. “But some of them are dead.”
“Good.”
When Ellery settled in near the fire, I sat next to her, and Ianto took the place on her other side. I leaned around her to glare at him, and the big son of a bitch grinned at me.
While I didn’t think he had any romantic interest in Ellery, Iantolovedto irritate me when it came to her. The giant’s eyebrows shot up when I rested my hand on her waist and moved closer.
Callan and Luna sitting around the fire drew Ianto’s attention to them. He tilted his head as he stared at Callan. “You look familiar.”
“You threw me out of the ring a few months ago.”
Ianto laughed as he slapped his knee. His shaggy brown hair shook when he did so, and lines of amusement crinkled the dark skin around his eyes. “I’ve been known to do that a time or two… to those foolish enough to take me on.”
