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“Quickly, now,” he said, motioning for me to walk ahead.
In a daze, I took the flower and marched down the road.
“What just happened?” Zara whispered, hurrying to walk beside me.
From behind us, Ortiz called out, “You will not be laughing when I take every last thing of value from you. In the end, Talia Balcázar, you will marry me.”
Darkness closed over my mind then. I didn’t realize I’d slowed until a firm hand pressed against the small of my back. Had I really just made a bargain with a fae? Zara clung tightly to my trembling arm as we made our way back through the city.
Outside his opulent tent, the tall fae stepped around me and held me still with one hand on my shoulder. I realized then that I was shaking.
“Our bargain…” I began, unable to finish the sentence.
“I will give your father a horse that will win the race. I promise it will not lose, but we must make haste.”
My jaw dropped.
“You agreed to a bargain,” he added in a low voice.
This wasn’t kindness. He wanted something from me in return, but what did I have that a fae could possibly want?
Zara tugged at my arm, but I ignored her. “I…what must I do?”
“But Tal, he’s fae,” Zara whispered.
The stories claimed a fae deal was binding. In a moment of panic, I’d agreed to his terms without knowing what they were. I swallowed and nodded, steeling myself to face whatever horrid bargain I’d just agreed to.
He glanced around, as if searching the street for enemies. What would a fae fear in the streets of a mortal village?
When he looked down at me again, his eyes glowed amber, a sinister reminder of his magic. “To uphold this bargain, you must marry me.”
6
Talia
Minutes later, his words still echoed in my mind as I patted Corona’s neck with trembling fingers, wondering how on earth I’d ended up in this situation.
Eager to be in the saddle and away from Puerta, I peeked around the horse to glare at the fae saddling his own mount, a magnificent dapple-gray mare. This man claimed he could save my family, and a fae—at least according to legend—couldn’t lie. If marrying him meant saving them, then it would be worth it. But only an hour remained until dawn, and only five until the race. How could he fix everything that had gone wrong so quickly?
I’d been terrified of one day having to marry Ortiz. This couldn’t be worse. At least, this man was handsome. Although, marriage to a mythological creature wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. Perhaps every tale I’d ever been told had some truth in it, even the horror stories and the children’s fables.
Behind me, Zara hung close, uncharacteristically silent. Nearby, the blond fae was adjusting the reins atop his bay mare. I’d heard Romero call him Hector. A third unsaddled horse wearing only a halter stamped his foot in the soft earth. He wasn’t the horse I’d come to Puerta for, but if he won the race, it was as good as finding Sol. This one was a fine horse, tall and muscular, but I’d seen plenty of beautiful, confident horses lose races they were expected to win.
Romero stepped around my horse. He had donned a large cloak, identical to the one the blond fae wore.
“We must hurry,” he said, his voice low. “Are you a fast rider?”
I wanted to laugh, but only a small wisp of air rushed from my lungs. “I train champions with my father,” I said, keeping my voice flat. I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at this man.
He let out a small grunt of amusement. Then, without warning, he reached for my waist and hefted me up. Instinctively, my leg swung over the saddle, but inside I reeled at his touch. He’d lifted me like a child.
“I know how to mount a horse,” I grumbled.
As I settled onto Corona’s back, his hand tucked my left foot neatly into its stirrup. Startled, I stared at the top of his hooded head.
His hand held my bare ankle below the leg that was so boldly exposed by my recent alteration. My cheeks flamed and I tried to pull the fabric around my calf, but it was little use. His hood obscured his eyes, but I could feel his gaze on my knee. The slit had seemed so necessary in my rush to find Sol. Now, I wished more than anything that I could sew the dress back together and pretend none of this had ever happened.
“Romero, my father won’t be pleased with our bargain,” I muttered. Not that it mattered. I’d made the deal. I would uphold it.
