“Huntsman,” Lissa’s familiar voice caused Aeric to turn.
A shaft of sunlight dappled through leaves beside her, making her appear almost radiant in its morning glow. Her skin was nearly translucent, but instead of just bits of her, all of her was on display this morning. Her hair was a wild, silky mass tumbling across her breasts and back.
He swallowed hard.
“Where am I?” Aeric asked with a voice grown hoarse. She was still a good sixty yards away from him.
Today, just as yesterday, she wore no clothing. At some point she should definitely consider putting on clothes. The nudity was becoming a mild distraction. He shifted on the balls of his feet.
Her eyes were wide and she looked exhausted. Taking a step forward, he extended his arm to her. “Are you well?”
“Stop!” She held up her hand. “Don’t walk, don’t move. Last night the lands betrayed us.”
Realizing what he’d been about to do, Aeric jerked his arm back to his side. Had he really been about to walk out to her? What kind of fool was he becoming?
Shaking his head at his temporary insanity, he cleared his throat. “What is going on here? I wake up this morning to find a fire burning beside me, trees all around, and all my goods gone.”
She nodded. “I was burrowed inside the earth, had I seen her, heard her, I would have warned you. By the time I came to, it was already too late.”
He shook his head. Not understanding how he’d been moved so far. “What has she done with my things? How did she move me while asleep?”
Lissa wrung her hands in front of her. “She did not move us, huntsman, she rearranged us. You cannot make it out of there. Not without seriously harming yourself, each hole goes down for an eternity into the ground. You’d fall with no end.”
“How did you get out?”
She moistened her lips. “I don’t know. But when I awoke I was not within the circle of death. Rather just outside of it, I believe she did not know I was with you.”
He gnashed his teeth. “Then how am I to leave here? Do you have rope, or branch to toss me, to help guide me out of here should I fall?”
“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “That would never work. I’m not strong, nor substantial enough to hold you.”
She was probably right, he outweighed her by a good four stones, if not five. “Lissa, I cannot stay here.” Glancing around, looking for anything that might be of any help to him, and recognizing that there was absolutely nothing within reach, Aeric had to admit things were looking grim. Even though he appeared to be surrounded by a solid layer of dirt and grass, he recognized it for the illusion that it actually was. The ground around him was literally riddled with dark spots, all of which were sinkholes.
There was a very stiff breeze out this morning, ten yards ahead the long meadow grass was waving, but the grass all around him was completely still. There wasn’t even the barest flicker of movement to it.
Any trees he might have grabbed on to for support were well outside of reach; there was a hole in front of him, behind him, and to either side of him. Each one overlapping so that there wasn’t even a slight bit of land for him to step toe on.
Heart hammering, only just realizing that one wrong roll during the night would have sent him spiraling down to his doom, he forked his fingers through his hair. Turning to sand wouldn’t work either. Because to lose even one grain of himself down a hole could lead to catastrophe.
“If you’ve got any ideas, Lissa, now would be the time to share them.” He looked up at her.
She was standing off to the corner, whispering furiously with Cheshire.
The purple and black-stripped cat shrugged before flicking a glance his way. “You’re screwed, hunter. Farewell both, and Lissa, do not be such a stranger. I positively cherish our tete a tetes.”
The cat vanished in a silvery plume of smoke.
Lissa sighed.
“What were you whispering about just now?” Aeric asked with an edge of distrust.
She shoved a thick curl out of her eyes. “I think I may know of a way to get you out of there.”
“How?”
“The broker.” She nibbled on the bottom corner of her lip, looking positively nervous.
His eyes narrowed. “The cat mentioned that name. And just what is the broker?”
And that’s when he noticed a small golden ball held in the palms of her hands. There was nothing particularly special looking about the bauble, just a small bit of gold. “This is the way out. I toss it and it creates a bridge for you to safely walk across.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Her lips pinched. “I wasn’t sure whether you’d want me to. The Cheshire told me I should just do it, but I wanted to ask your permission first. After all you are a man and men are generally wont to save themselves in moments such as these.”