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I don’t stop to think. I scoop her into my arms. “You didn’t kill it, and it’s smart enough to move on to an easier territory to hunt. You saved my life and probably the lives of at least one villager.” I press a kiss to her temple on pure instinct. “And the villagers would have killed it after it took one of their own. You did a good thing, little witch.”
She gives a sad little laugh. “I know what you must think. It’s a silly thing to be sad about. But we humans fuck up too much shit, you know? It’s not the wild’s fault that we’re so determined to show up where we’re not wanted.”
I hug her even tighter to me. “Are you going to ask me to track down the beast and heal it?”
“What?” This time, her laugh sounds a little bit closer to the woman I’m coming to know. “Of course not. There might be others, and while I’m sad at the thought of hurting it, I don’t want to die. Or for you to die.” She tilts her head back and looks at me. Her brows draw together. “You really would do it, wouldn’t you?”
I don’t want to. The thought of venturing deeper into the trees makes my skin threaten to crawl right off my body. I don’t know that it would return to this place once it’s healed, but it’s possible. The beast being so close to the village is a recipe for disaster. If the villagers weren’t able handle it themselves, the Cwn Annwn would be summoned back to this place to deal with the problem. And they … we … wouldn’t stop until it’s dead.
“It would be a bad idea to track it down and heal it,” I say finally.
“Oh, Bowen.” She rests her head on my shoulder. It feels rather nice. “I’m going to let you carry me because that was a bit of a reckless move on my part, to pull that spell with so little prep, but don’t think it’s because I like you.”
I smile against her hair. “Of course not.”
“I don’t like you.”
“Mm-hmm.”
She sighs. “Right. I don’t even sound convincing to myself. Whatever. Take me back to the ship, Captain. I’ll be a good little sailor, at least for a while.”
CHAPTER 12
Evelyn
BOWEN DOESN’T SAY ANOTHER WORD AS HE CARRIES ME around the perimeter of the village and back to the ship. Probably because he’s very much a man not overly in touch with his emotions and I’m doing my best not to weep over a murderous cat monster.
Bunny always said I was too soft when it came to furry friends.
Then again, she suffered from the same affliction. She constantly fed strays and nursed sick creatures back from the brink of death, and she never met a swan she didn’t want to talk shit to as if it were human.
She wouldn’t have faulted me for defending myself … except I wasn’t defending myself. I was defending Bowen. I could have run like he ordered me to. Truth be told, I had started to. It was only when I looked back and realized the cat could teleport to avoid his magic that I realized exactly how much trouble he was in.
The fool didn’t even have his sword, and it was absolutely my fault. He came out here to bring me back, to save me from myself. The fact that he didn’t bring a weapon with him speaks volumes … and it was going to get him killed fighting that beast.
If he died, Miles would take over the Crimson Hag, and that outcome is unacceptable. That’s the only reason I saved him. Yep. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t have that thought until just now. Totally checks out.
Bowen stops and I lift my head to see that we’re near the docks. Not close enough to be seen by the ship, but there’s no way he can carry me back without someone noticing. I clear my throat. “I’m good. You can put me down.”
“Evelyn.” His arms tighten around me, ever so briefly. “Thank you.”
My traitorous heart gives a little thump. Too much has happened in too short a time. From my thwarted escape attempt, to my ill-advised kiss, to the humiliation of coming from a little dry humping, to the attack by the giant cat.
“What was that thing?” I’ve never seen anything like it. We have big predators back home, and some of them are even paranormal in nature, but that was on another level entirely.
“Cat-sìth.” He frowns and shakes his head. “I have no idea how I know that. I’ve never seen one before.”
He sets me on my feet and I can’t help searching his expression. It’s bothered in a completely different way than I’m used to. I’m not the cause of that frown. “Just because you haven’t seen one doesn’t mean you don’t know what it is. I’ve never petted a lion but I can identify one on sight.”
His lips curve a little but his eyes are still distant. “I don’t … I’m nearly certain I’ve never heard that term before.” He shakes his head again. “It’s no matter. Ezra gave me a lot of lessons when I was an unruly teenager. It’s entirely possible it’s rattling around in my head from that time.”
I don’t know him well enough to press, even though I can tell he doesn’t actually believe that. “Maybe it’s your home realm and that’s why you know.”
Bowen’s expression shuts down. I didn’t realize how much he’s relaxed and opened up until it’s gone. “That’s not it. I have no past before the Cwn Annwn. Stop trying to create a problem where there is none.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to point out that no one pops into existence at thirteen, no matter what flavor of paranormal they are, and Bowen is clearly from the same source as humans. The Cwn Annwn didn’t birth him.
But I’m tired.
