Chapter 1
Aida
Their horses were not far, lingering just beyond the thick brush growing alongside the overgrown trail. He insisted on carrying her. Whether it was to anger Er’it as the darkness closed in on them or because he did not trust Aida to keep her word was anyone’s guess. She didn’t argue, not as Er’it’s ragged shouts and hoarse yells filled the night. Promises of vengeance, death, and destruction.
“You sure about this, Rhyn?” The one named Brossom heaved himself up onto a sturdy pony, clutching at the reins as if he were ill-used to riding.
“You heard her,” Rhyn said as he climbed onto his horse with Aida clinging to his neck. Settling her across his thighs, he offered a slanting smile that did little to reassure. “She’s worth more than gold and jewels. I’m sure someone will pay a pretty coin for her.”
“He’s a blood mage,” another said, coming up beside Rhyn.
“So I noticed. Yet he wasn’t able to break through Miyenth’s charms or Brossom’s limited magic.” Legs tensing under Aida, he urged his horse forward. “I’d not like to test it further, mind. Let’s be off with our prize.”
Among grunts and mutters of agreement, they headed deeper into the forest. Silent as death and twice as quick, Rhyn and his men seemed to flow between the trees. Brush holding no barrier to them, ditches and caves were avoided as if they knew every inch of the land hidden beneath the thickening canopy.
This place was nothing like Logoria. Everything was green and fresh, not a single mote of choking dust floating in the air as Rhyn wrapped his arm around Aida and pulled her tight against his chest. Tension wound through her spine, a different fear tight on its heels when his lips brushed against her neck.
“Even for riding hard on a trail, you smell incredible, little imp.”
Aida thought he’d say more, perhaps grab at her as the other males had, but he didn’t. Sitting tall and proud behind her, he kept Aida snug against his front and guided his horse through the dense trunks, following some path only they could see in the blackness.
Surrounded by quiet, cocooned in warmth, Aida found her lids growing heavy. Lashes fluttering as they met, she startled awake only to find Rhyn’s thumb smoothing over her cheek, his breathy hum of some reveling tune whispering through her tangled hair. She hadn’t slept a night through in what felt like decades. Gentle strides of the horse rocking her back and forth, she fought against the dragging weight of exhaustion. She’d remained awake the night before and could do so again. One slow blink became two, the forest changing as her eyes flew open once more. Her ragged inhale was somehow silenced, going no farther than the tight grip of Rhyn’s arm.
Gritty and raw, her very eyes ached as she concentrated on the shadows flitting by—darker shapes swelling and fading, monsters in the dark. Somehow, she hoped one would be Er’it coming to take her back, to stop her from this path. Aida wanted to kill herself no more than she wanted him to sacrifice her. Still, if this thing contained within her would give him such power that the people closest to him feared for his soul, she would do it.
Joyless mirth scalded her insides, burning her up into nothing but an empty shell of bitter despair. She didn’t understand her need for him—why she would crave his presence, his very touch—when he hurt her so. Er’it had little need of her beyond what pleasure he got from her body and what would be his upon her death. He cared nothing for her feelings, wanted nothing to do with her heart. So why, then, did she seem so eager to give it to him?
Lost in the endless circle of her thoughts, she didn’t realize her eyes had closed and was unaware of how she listed into Rhyn’s arms. Swamped with vicious nightmares and ghosts of tenderness, Aida dreamed. Sun-drenched fantasies of a smiling Er’it cupping her cheek and murmuring sweet words into her hair. Stealing kisses that turned hot and violent, his body forever hard against all her softness. The brutal strength of him between her thighs. Laughing with her. Holding her as she cried. Soothing her fears and helping her to explore this world he unfolded before her.
Aida whined as she was jostled awake, burrowing deeper into the dark warmth at her side. Perhaps if she feigned sleep, Er’it would leave her be this time. No matter that she came alive under his touch, exhaustion wore her down to the marrow of her bones.
“Easy now,” Rhyn whispered against her temple, adjusting her weight in his arms.
Aida sucked in a hard breath through her nose, eyes flying open. Thin rods, crammed together and woven with thick cords, formed square walls. Thick patches of dried grasses and what looked like mud peeked out between the narrow canes. Startled gaze flying around the strange structure, she squeaked as Rhyn hefted her higher against his chest with a coarse chuckle.
“You know, some tribes have a tradition where the new husband carries his bride over the threshold of his home.”
Canting her head with painful slowness to stare wide-eyed at the smiling male, Aida pulled her lips in between her teeth and bit down hard.
“Your luck that I’m not one of them, eh?” His laugh was full and warm, a belly laugh that made Aida shake with the force of it against her side.
“Now then,” Rhyn said, easing Aida to her feet. “You going to give me that knife, or am I going to have to take it from you?”
“I-I don’t have a—”
Rhyn snorted a laugh, catching Aida by the wrist. Whirling her around so she faced the back wall, he kept her tight against his front.
“You’re a bad liar, imp. Maybe even worse than you are a thief,” Rhyn murmured against her ear, tugging her back when Aida leaned forward. “Hand it over.”
“I will not use it against you,” Aida said, shrugging hard to dislodge the creeping prickle working down her shoulder from his warm breath. Though she meant the words, her hand still found the hilt tucked into the band of her skirt. It was a wonder she hadn’t sliced herself open on the ride to wherever they were. Though if Rhyn had known the entire time, perhaps he had kept that from happening.
“Means little to me, imp. I’ll not have my prize wielding a weapon. Give it over.”
“Please, don’t do this. I-I have to have it.”
A growling sigh rumbled through Rhyn’s chest. Grabbing her arms, he whipped Aida around to face him and hunched to bring their faces close so he could meet her eyes. “I’ll not hurt you unless you give me cause, imp.”
“P-Please, I need to—”
