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Bristling, I swallow the lecture about being called athing. I don’t want to end up as part of the stink in his cart, and I clear my throat. “He’s not mean.”
“Ha! He’s an ogre. His father once made three of my cousins carry a giant boulder because it made him laugh.”
“How far did they have to go?”
“They didn’t make it but four steps before they were crushed to death.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I shake my head and press my lips together. What kind of fucked up torture is that? “But Orcus isn’t cruel like that.”
“Maybe ya just don’t know him well enough, eh? Who’s to say he hasn’t gone and abandoned ya for another lass?”
The bond rankles. “He hasn’t abandoned me.”
“Guess we’ll see about that now, won’t we? I’ll skin him, but it’ll cost ya.” Harald pulls out a tiny toothpick and pops it into his mouth.
“If you skin him, I won’t have anything to give you.”
Harald tugs on a lock of my hair.
“Ow!”
“Two handfuls of this’ll cover the cost. I’m running low on thread.”
I don’t even want to know what he uses the thread for. Besides, I’m not going to want Orcus skinned. He wouldn’t betray me. He didn’t even want a mate to begin with. I have a feeling he’d probably snarl and growl at anyone who tried to seduce him. I bite back a smile.
The road Harald had mentioned comes into view. I turn down the path, heading out of the forest and into a valley. Long green grass sways as a stifling breeze coasts over my skin. Out from under the shade of the trees, it’s even hotter. I eye the giant stone structure that’s barely visible in the distance. Jutting up from the valley in jagged peaks, it looks more like a mountain than a castle. Prometheus releases a dramatic yawn and nuzzles my neck.
“Hey, sleepy.”
Food.
“Yeah, we still don’t have any. I’ll get you some food when we get to the castle, hmm?”
“Ya shouldn’t talk to it,” Harald mutters.
Prometheus growls from its spot on my shoulder, leaning his face toward the trull.
“I ain’t scared of a little birdie like ya, ya hear me?” Harald places a protective hand over his cart. “Stay away from my skins.”
A puff of fire catches the cloth cover and I squeal and quickly blow it out but not before I catch the scent of cooked meat. My stomach turns as I realize cloth isn’t covering the cart. It’s skin.
“Don’t go barfing on me,” Harald says with a laugh. “Are you a plant eater?”
I cover a gag with a cough. “No.”
“Why are ya so green in the face then?” Harald smirks. “Too much ogre cock?”
“Uh, that’s none of your business, and I eat meat, but I’m fairly certain that’s not beef.”
“Beef? No, the cover is made out of banshee. Their skin is soft but durable.”
A bird flits by and Prometheus flies off my shoulder, shrieking as it chases after the creature. The bird squawks and zips away faster than the baby can fly.
“Prometheus! You’re flying!”
Harald pulls out the toothpick and points at the dragon. “Ya think it doesn’t know that?”
I glare down at Harald. “It’s exciting. Prometheus hasn’t flown before. Don’t ruin the moment with your attitude.”
