Bloody hell. This man is making my life impossible. Because I cannot leave him to die, but saving him means risking my own life.
I swear a string of expletives under my breath as I grip under his arms and half lift—half drag him back to the cave. He's heavier than he looks, a solid build of muscle, and it takes a lot to move him.
Once back in the cave, I kindle the fire and cover him with furs to warm him, then I set to examining his wounds. They are deep, but not fatal. Still, he's losing a lot of blood. I clean them as best I can with melted snow, then pull out my crystal pendant. Clutching it in one hand, with the other laid gently over his chest, I whisper the words I know will aid in the healing.
When I'm done, fragile pink skin tentatively holds together his wounds. He will need to take care not to rip them apart again.
Now all I can do is wait and keep him warm.
At some point in the night, the horse that abandoned me comes back, more loyal to his master than me, I guess. I tie him up at the edge of the cave and give him food and water, then return to my patient.
I keep telling myself I should leave. But as he fights imaginary foes in fevered dreams, his brow drenched and body twitching, I can't bring myself to walk away from him. I lay a hand on his face and note that he's finally cooling.
When I lift the furs to check his wounds, a large hand grabs my wrist. "You know, Princess, if you wanted access, all you had to do was ask."
I drop the furs and scoot back. Tavian props himself up on his elbows and flinches only slightly at the pain caused by his movement.
My witty retort dies on my tongue as he stares into me with his emerald eyes. This man is entirely too mesmerizing for my liking.
He smirks, as if he knows what I'm thinking. "I'm surprised you stuck around, Princess. Could have left me for dead and saved yourself."
"Could have," I say. "Probably should have."
"Why didn't you?" he asks as he slowly sits up.
I resist the urge to help him, crossing my hands in my lap instead. "I needed answers first," I say.
He raises an eyebrow. "Really? What kind of answers?"
"You shifted into a tiger? How? I've never heard of this kind of magic."
"Says the Shade who has lived with vampires her whole life." He grins as he stands. The fur drops away and my eyes are glued to the hard lines of his body as he dresses.
"And living in the Outlands would have taught me more?" I ask.
He chuckles. "You know so little of your people. Of your magical ancestry. You think the Outlands, as you call them, are all that's left of the Fae?"
This is news and gives me pause. "What are you talking about?"
"Come with me to meet Metsi, and I'll show you," he says. "There's a whole other world out there. The vampires don't know about it. Some Fae have even forgotten. But it is the way we have survived since the Unraveling."
"Not possible. We've raided every inch of this world. If there were a secret group of Fae living somewhere, we would have found them," I say.
"You vampires think you know everything. Makes you blind to the obvious. You believe you have the world mapped out, and so you have stopped exploring." He puts out the fire and packs his bag. "I'm going to Metsi. She will have information I need. And she may have a place for you. A purpose." He pauses. "Our people are at war. The vampires fight each other. You are as much Fae as you are vampire, don't you want to at least see what might be?"
"Are you giving me a choice?" I ask. "So I can leave if I want? Back to Stonehill?"
"You saved my life when you could have left me for dead. I'm not a monster. But… the horse, the pack, the food… that goes with me. If you leave, you're on your own. If you leave, you'll never know where your people are from. You'll never know what you could be. You'll never know whether Metsi could be a powerful ally or not."
"Are you still going to try to sell me to Metsi?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
"If I can get money for you, yes. But only if you want to stay." He holds out a hand to shake mine. "Deal?"
"And if I leave?" I still have Ari and Fen to consider.
"If you leave now, I won't stop you. But how far do you think you'll get alone, without a horse, without provisions, without someone watching your back?" he asks.
He has a point, and it irritates me to admit it. The weather is harsh. I am alone with nothing but the clothes on my back.
"How do we get there? To the Fae?" I ask, stalling.
"We travel by Waystone. There's one close by. Come, see for yourself."
And so I follow him, but I don't commit. Not yet. Not until I see the Waystone. Not until everything begins to click.
Because the Waystone is familiar. I've seen it before, or one just like it. With Fen, when Ari was missing and we went in search of her.
It is a wall, hidden deep within a damp cave, decorated with symbols of the Fae, a handprint in the center.
I run my fingers over the carved stone. "How does it work?"
"Are you coming?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I sigh. "I guess I have no choice, do I?"