Still. He saved my life. Nursed me back to health. And he has treated me kindly. For that, I leave him some food, the bed roll, and his sword. He'll be able to work out of the knots eventually, leaving me enough time to escape.
I stoke the fire and add wood to it, to keep night critters from getting to him. As I do, my hand plunges too close to the fire, and I pull back, expecting the bite of a burn, but instead, I feel nothing. I see nothing. I turn my hand back and forth, waiting for the tell-tale redness and swelling to show, but it doesn't. As a blacksmith I've had my share of burns, and I know this should have hurt. I wave my hand through the fire again.
When the fire does not react to my skin, I plunge my hand deeper into the flames, then pull it out. I'm covered in sweat, but not from the heat. My hand is perfect. Not a mark on it.
I don't know what this means, but I don't have time to dwell on it now. Instead, I retrieve my sword, pack some supplies, and mount the horse. I've lost too much time already. I must be off before the drugs run through Tavian's system and he awakens.
It's slow traveling in the pitch of night, despite one of the moons being near full. The coverage of trees keeps everything cloaked in heavy darkness, and I have to walk my steed slowly to avoid breaking his leg.
So I hear it right away.
The crunch of twigs in the distance.
The sound of a large body moving through tree and brush.
The heavy breathing of an animal far larger than me.
And then there is a great roar, and the horse whinnies and bucks, throwing me to the ground as it darts off into the night.
"Blast it all to hell!" I whisper through my shaking teeth as I try to right myself. There's another roar. I pull out my sword and squint, trying to see something other than the silhouette of trees in the darkness.
It comes closer, and it's huge.
By the time I see it, it's too late. A giant claw flashes toward me, swiping at my head. I duck just in time, and swing my sword blindly, hoping to hit something critical.
I think I just hit a tree.
Cursing, I scramble up and put my back against the largest trunk near me. It's the best cover I can find. Raising my sword, I wait for the next attack.
The beast is fast, pushing itself through bramble and bush without concern. Its girth shakes the ground beneath my feet. It throws itself toward me, a beast made of teeth and fur and muscle and claws. A black bear of the Outlands.
My sword nips at the bear’s shoulder, but doesn't slow it down.
Then something else growls in the night.
And the beast I'm fighting shrieks in pain as something attacks it.
I scurry away and keep my eye on the bear as I walk backward toward safety.
A white tiger with black stripes fights the bear.
The tiger is big, but nothing compared to its foe. But it's fast. And deadly.
They fight viciously, and I know I should run, but I'm frozen in place, unsure of what to do. This tiger is familiar. I remember dreaming about it when I was unconscious. But it was only a dream, wasn’t it?
I scramble to find any supplies that might have fallen off of the horse, but find nothing. At least I kept my sword on me. I continue backing away from the two beasts, sword still up, when the tiger swings wide, exposing its chest while trying to get the kill.
The bear doesn't hold back, and bites into the tiger's shoulder. The white beast groans in agony, but doesn’t falter. It claws through the bear’s throat.
They both crash to the ground, and suddenly the forest is silent. The bear remains still, but the tiger makes a pained noise and tries to stand. It falls again, and then scoots itself away from the bear and toward me, until it can no longer move.
It is so still.
I wait, holding my breath, to see if it will get up.
It doesn't.
Instead, the tiger slowly turns into a naked man.
It turns into Tavian Gray.
Chapter 5
SLY DEVIL
"Things aren't always black and white. Not in your world, and certainly not in mine."
—Asher
"What the ever-loving Hades?" Sly says with exasperation as I run to Fen.
I feel his pulse, which is still strong. There's a wound in his side that doesn't look fresh, but reopened and is bleeding heavily. "He was tortured before coming here. He should have had a healer."
Sly shrugs. "That man has to be unconscious for my healers to get at him."
I raise an eyebrow. "So now would be the perfect time to summon one, don't you think?"
Dean nudges open my door, wearing nothing but a very skimpy pair of underwear that leaves little to the imagination. "What's all the noise?"
He notices Fen unconscious and the pile of man-goo on my floor and shakes his head. "I miss all the fun. I assume he's still alive?" He asks, looking at Fen.
"Yes, help me get him to bed."
Dean grins like the fool he is. "I thought you'd never ask. I wasn't kidding about that threesome."
"My no wasn't a joke either," I say pointedly.