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I nodded. That was about all we could do at this point. No use worrying needlessly over things we couldn't change.
"I wanted to speak with you alone while they are occupied," Bach said softly, turning on the log to face me. "About last night. About the tournament."
I swallowed my apprehension and drew in a bracing breath. "What about it?" I asked evenly.
Bach reached out and brushed a fluffy brown lock of hair away from my eyes, tucking it behind my round, human-like ear. "I don't know what the outcome of the tournament will be. It's possible that we are the only ones who were stranded out here and that we've lost anyway. But…I plan to speak with the king and queen when we return. Raven team will withdraw from the tournament."
I stared at him in shock. "You what? Why?"
His expression softened as he stared into my eyes. "I'm not the only one who is completely enamored with you, Rina. My best friends and teammates are also drawn to you. And after last night, we can't in good conscience continue with this farce of a competition. If we withdraw, we will be free to engage in whatever relationship we wish." He stopped and drew in a breath. "We could explore what lies between us without any rules or expectations. That is, if you wish it. We would be free to choose you. And you would be free to choose us—any of us. All of us. Whatever you prefer."
I huffed. "And you assume your teammates would be okay with that? With you taking them from the competition and ruining all their hard work and their attempt to protect Mirri?"
His chiseled lips quirked up into a wry expression. "We spoke. Last night. After you drank all of Fife's brew and passed out cold." He winked at me then. "You have the cutest little snore."
I rolled my eyes. "I snore like a wild beast. But that's beside the point. You can't withdraw from the competition."
My heart fluttered in my chest as I tried to say what I meant to say without running afoul of the queen's secrecy spell. My throat ached, and it was like the spell knew what I was thinking. I knew I'd choke the moment I tried to speak.
Bach's brow creased as he frowned at me. "Do you not want us then? I'm not implying that you would have to lay claim to us all. Or to me specifically, for that matter. But I won't deny you or my closest friends the chance at happiness for the sake of a loveless marriage to some strange noblewoman."
I swallowed around the ache in my throat. There was just no way out of this. There was no way to make him stay the course with this stupid tournament without either divulging my secrets or hurting his feelings. I was just going to hope he forgave me when he learned the truth.
"I don't want you to withdraw from the competition," I said as coolly and evenly as I could manage. "Listen to me carefully." I set my food aside and took his big hand in mine. "Do not withdraw. Do not ruin your chances. What has passed between us has been fun. An amusing way to pass the time. Nothing more." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I know how noble and self-sacrificing you are, Bach. But I am serious when I say that if you withdraw from this tournament, you and I will both regret it for the rest of our lives."
He took a breath, as if recalibrating his view of things. But when he spoke, I wanted to groan. "You accuse me of being self-sacrificing," he said gently, giving me a fond smile. "But I know you feel something for me. For all of us. I know the events of last night crossed a line, but it was always going to come to that. There's some sort of pull, some connection between us. I know you feel it. You're simply too good, too devoted to your employer to think of your own happiness. But we could make you very happy, Rina. I swear it."
I shook my head, trying not to cry or shout. I had to make him see reason. If they withdrew from the tournament now, I might end up forced into bonding with someone else. "You're wrong," I bit out. "Bach, just stop this nonsense and see reason. Do not withdraw from the tournament. If you do, you'll ruin more than your own life. The Prize will be devastated. I will be devastated, Bach. I do not want you to do this, and not because you mistake me for some self-sacrificing idiot. Do you understand me?"
It was the closest I could come to telling him the truth. But he didn't make the connection. And even if he had, the queen's spell would just step in and wipe his mind, like it did with Adder.
He sat back and took his hands from mine, his bright blue eyes hooded. I couldn't read his expression. Maybe he was hurt by my words and my vehement rejection. I hated that, but I hoped he was at least a little bit offended. Because at least then he would give up on this stupid idea and stay in the tournament long enough for me to make sure Raven team won.
Adder returned to the clearing just then, whistling a tune under his breath as he swung the newly filled flasks. I had never seen the stoic man look cheery before. It was unsettling. But he really was handsome when he smiled.
"Mistress sharp ear," he said with a curt bow, handing over one of the flasks.
I took the flask and sipped the fresh, cool water as I glanced at Bach. The big, horned fae arched a brow at me, as if to insinuate out that I had something to do with Adder's current good mood.
I narrowed my eyes at Bach as I lowered the flask. "No," I told him firmly, as if I was reprimanding a misbehaving dog.
Adder glanced between us. "Are you two arguing so early in the morning?"
Fife and Mirri chose that moment to come ambling into the clearing. Fife grinned at me. "The flowers are in good condition and ready to be plucked," he said with a saucy wink that told me he absolutely meant that to sound like an innuendo. I forced myself not to smile back or laugh at his words.
"Good to hear," I said evenly. Standing, I brushed my hands off on my breeches and looked around the clearing. "Let's go harvest them so we can get out of here. You all have a tournament to win. And I have places to be."
Mirri gave me a confused look, then glanced at Bach before returning his attention to me. "Is something wrong, Rina?"
I shrugged. "I'm fine. We're all fine. Just as we are." I leveled a look at Bach. "As long as no one does anything stupid and unwanted."
An uncomfortable silence filled the clearing as they all realized what I was talking about. I handed the flask to Adder and squared my shoulders. "Thank you all for a wonderful evening," I said, feeling utterly foolish. "But we need to focus on more important things. I'm sure the king and queen have sent people to look for us by now."
Bach sighed and got to his feet. "We'll take as many flowers as we can carry without ruining them. That way, we can help as many people as possible until the next harvest is ready. But how should we best transport them, given that we have no supplies and no mounts?" He looked at Fife for answers since the cleric seemed to be the gatherer among them.
Fife's bright green eyes were focused on me, but he pulled his gaze away with apparent effort and looked at his leader. "I can spell them. A plant with such strong magical energies is tricky to work spells on, but I should be able to manage a simple working that will keep them from being crushed. We can put them in the cooking pot, a couple layers deep. That should be enough to heal the ills of an entire village. I think it's the best we can do."
The others nodded, and we got to work.
