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“If you die, I’ll probably die too.”
“Rest. I’ll watch.”
“So, you don’t need to sleep, and you can see in the dark…”
He turned away and leaned against the nearest tree, looking into the pitch black like he could see a damn thing. His arms crossed over his chest, and he stood still, like the cold didn’t bother him at all.
The shivers started immediately, and now I couldn’t stop shaking.
“Zip up the bedroll completely. It’ll trap your body heat inside and keep you warm.”
“Sounds like you’ve done this before.”
“Maybe I have.”
“So, the Teeth pay you to kidnap people? To bring them prey to eat?”
He said nothing.
“Because I’m the worst person you could have possibly taken. When my father finds out—”
“He’ll come to your rescue. Yes, that’s the plan.”
My heart plunged into my stomach. “This has never been about me.”
He stared into the darkness.
“You want my father.”
“And there’s nothing he won’t do for his little girl.”
I launched myself out of the bedroll and rushed him, but he turned at my approach and grabbed both of my arms before I could do anything. His hands were like steel, clenching my body with the grip of a dragon’s talon. He forced me back, overpowering me like my lifetime of training was inadequate.
I did the only thing I could—and screamed.
His palm immediately covered my mouth to stifle the sound, but I twisted away and screamed again. “You know what’s lurking out there?”
I pushed away to scream again, but this time, he squeezed my neck and choked me out. I kicked and punched, threw my elbows hard down on his forearms like my father taught me, but this guy was made of stone.
My view quickly disappeared, and I felt myself slip away, felt my body drag as he maneuvered me to the bedroll waiting for me. I slipped under, the world turning black, and then it was over.
* * *
When I woke up, I was on the horse, tied up so I wouldn’t fall off. It was dark, the moonlight barely enough to reflect off the snow around us. Aurelias guided the horse forward by the bridle, stepping into the darkness as if he could see as clear as day.
I didn’t know how much time had passed. Maybe he’d packed up and left immediately once I was knocked out. Maybe he only stopped in the first place so I could rest, and once I didn’t need that, he continued on.
He was in a hurry.
“How long’s it been?” My voice came out like a croak. The cold didn’t help either.
“A couple hours,” he said. “Scream again, and I’ll gag you for the remainder of this trip. Final warning.”
“Fuck you.”
A quiet chuckle came from the front of the horse.
“You’re one of the Teeth.”
