Page 36 of Betrothed

Fawn laughed wetly. She stroked his hand and leaned into his touch. “I did.”

“Will you stay?”

“As long as you’ll let me,” she whispered.

Zax smiled. His glowing eye flickered. Then he went limp.

Fifteen

Zax awoke to find himself lying stomach-first on a cave floor. His cheek had been pillowed underneath a skirt that smelled of Fawn. His wounds were tended to and bandaged. But more importantly, Fawn was leaning over him with those big brown eyes.

“I had to pick some of the petals out,” Fawn explained, brushing her hands cautiously over his bandaged back. “I cleaned the tweezers as best I could, but we should keep an eye on them.”

Zax did not know what tweezers were. But he was happy to watch Fawn speak. She had been so worried about displeasing him before, he realized now. She was not worried anymore, plucking at his loincloth and telling him they should wash it the first chance they got.

“It’s been a day,” she continued. “I haven’t heard anyone around, but we should move soon. Errol won’t let us shame him like that. He’ll chase us down. I’ve been thinking, we should find your brother. What is his name again?”

“We do not know,” Zax reminded her. “He has never told us. How is your ankle?”

“What? Oh.” Fawn twisted to look at it. “I’m fine. I won’t be up to any hikes, but I’m okay for short distances.”

“I will carry you,” Zax promised.

“Okay,” Fawn said, sounding grateful. She pulled her jacket tighter. It was colder up here, Zax could tell from the icy air, even though he could not feel it as much as she did. At least they would not have to reach the mountain peak, where there was still snow. His brother lived on the other side of the mountain, near the base.

“We can get, well, we can get the spells you wanted us to get,” Fawn said in a rush. “But we can also ask your brother to help us fight them off! He’s older, right? That means he’s bigger. And harder to kill. If we combine our forces, we’ll be able to take down those three easily.”

She pulled her pack open and began rummaging through it.

Zax sat up cautiously to peer inside. There was a hole in it where she had caught one of the first arrows. He could spot clothes and bandages and full waterskins, plus the knife she had used to threaten Errol. And⁠—

“The jerky I made you,” Zax said, surprised.

Fawn caught him looking at the bag of jerky and sighed. “I found it in my pockets when they took me back. I thought it could be useful on our journey. Are you hungry?”

Zax was rarely hungry; he mostly ate for satisfaction. “No. But I would like some.”

She tore a strip of jerky in half and gave it to him. He took it gladly, relishing the brush of her fingers against his own. They sat there, chewing on their halves of the jerky strip while the afternoon light shone into the cave.

Zax watched her jaw work, overjoyed at the simple fact that she was there to be watched. Fawn, here, now! Of her own free will! He should never have kidnapped her. He knew that now. But he was glad he had, for it had led them here to this moment. She would pledge herself to him now, forever.

“I will let you go,” Zax said suddenly. “If you ask.”

Fawn looked up at him with eyes that were both happy and deeply sad—an expression he had seen often from her, and had not known why until now.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “And the same to you.”

“Of course.” Zax touched her hair, brushing a curl away from her eyes.

Fawn caught his hand. “That reminds me. I kept meaning to tell you, I’m sorry for my hair.”

Zax waited for her to explain. But she only sat there, holding his hand apologetically.

“Why?” Zax asked. “What is wrong with it?”

“It’s… well, it’s very short,” Fawn said. “Not very ladylike.”

She laughed. Zax would have laughed with her if he were not injured and tired and so in love he could not concentrate.