“We need two more sleeping bags plus the biggest tent you have,” Verkor states.
“The bags I can give you, but you can’t afford the tent,” the merchant says.
“Yes, I can.”
I start to zone out on the merchant and Verkor. It’s the same thing no matter where you go. I focus on Finley, who is currently taking the smallest steps towards the back of the merchant's stall. She stops, looks at something, then takes a couple more steps. I watch her repeat this until she stops by the tents. She glances over at Verkor and the merchant who are still arguing over price. Finley meets my eyes, winks, then takes the biggest tent. Swift and quietly, she makes her way back around the stall and out of eyesight. I chuckle, drawing Verkor’s attention.
“Where’s Finley?” he asks.
“Just buy the bags and meet us by the horses.”
“We still need the tent.”
“Trust me, don’t worry about it. Get the bags and let’s go.” Verkor holds out his wrist. The merchant scans the chip in his titanium bracelet, which eliminates us having to carry actual credits. It automatically deducts the amount of credits needed for the purchase. It’s our monetary means for the three realms: magic, hell, and faerie. The merchant hands Verkor the bags, and we’re heading to the horse stable.
“Care to tell me why we don’t need the tent?”
“I’d rather show you,” I smile.
We find Finley and Obsidian holding the reins to our horses with our bags secured on the back of the saddle. My eyes meet Finley’s. A slow smile spreads across both of our faces. Verkor glances between me and Finley. It doesn't take him long to put two and two together.
“What did you do Finley?” Verkor asks. She turns that impish smile on him.
“I got us a tent. The biggest one too.”
“How did you do that?”
She holds up her hand, wiggling her fingers. “Five finger discount.”
Verkor shakes his head. “How did the merchant not see you?”
“She’s a stealthy ninja, that’s how,” I say.
“True,” she chuckles. “You’re a very good distraction. Anyway, we got what we needed because you know that merchant was never going to sell it to you, unless you paid some outrageous price that the tent isn’t worth.”
He sighs. “No changing that now. We need to get going.”
All of us mount our horses, Verkor taking point, followed by me and Finley, Obsidian taking the rear.
“So, how are we going to pass this trip, because days of silence and me are not good,” Finley questions.
“How did you get into thieving?” I ask.
“Coming out with the hard questions.” She sighs. “It’s a long and unpleasant story.”
“You don’t have to tell us.”
“No, I should. We’re mates. Eventually, we’ll be in a relationship…”
“Eventually?” I question, cutting her off.
“We are,” Obsidian states at the same time.
“When did we agree on that?”
“The moment we told you we were your mates and you didn’t deny it,” Obsidian replies.
“Why would I deny you? Everyone dreams of finding their one. I wasn’t looking. I’m not at a point in my life where I’m stable, but shit happens.”
“Is that why you’re going on this journey?” Verkor ask.
“Yeah. I’ve been struggling for so long. I’ve worked my ass off for everything that I have. I just,” she sighs. “I just want to be stable, to not have to take shady jobs just to make ends meet. To not risk my life everyday living where I do.”
“How did you end up here? What powers do you have?” Verkor inquires. I watch as Finley sways with the motion of her horse. A myriad of emotions cross her face in quick succession. Sadness, anger, happiness. We all wait giving her the time she needs.
“I can’t say that one thing led me here, to this point. It was more of a collection of things. I don’t know anything about my birth parents. I was found by a witch abandoned by the trach in a back alley of the magic realm. I was left at a group home and eventually after I’d grown a bit older, I was taken and raised by a witch. She did her best to raise me, but...things got worse when we realized I had no magically ability.” Finley sighs, looking everywhere but at us.
“I was always waiting to be sent away, but I never was. Not even when the kids teased me, made fun of me, and started to say hurtful things. I started to isolate myself, not wanting to deal with it. But some kids took pity on me, and I fell in with the wrong crowd. It turns out they sold drugs, but they made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t question it when they included me in on their runs, but I never did drugs since they’re enhanced with magic.” I saw too many kids my age dying. I knew I didn’t want to end up that way. I did everything I could to get out and do things the right way. I tried to find a job, but many places wouldn’t hire me. Until, this guy took pity on me. He brought me in, teaching me the art of thieving.”
I watch as she smiles, shaking her head.
“I’ll never forget,” she continues. “He thought I was going to be horrible, and at first I was. But I caught on quickly. He gave me easy jobs in the beginning. Then as I grew better and faster, he started giving me harder jobs with more attached to them. It was all well and good until a job went wrong. I was lucky to escape with my life. That’s when I ran into Izzy. She helped me get away and I never went back. The lessons I learned from him followed me throughout my life. It was the fastest way I knew to get what I needed.”
All of us are silent as we wait for Finley to continue. None of us want to rush her.
“I eventually caught the eye of the guy I currently work for. He accessed my skills and once he saw I was better than everyone on his payroll, he gave me the best jobs. The jobs that were dangerous but had a high pay out.”
“Why do you use the violin?” Obsidian ask.
“I don’t like physical violence. I try to avoid it as much as possible. A few marks got violent when they realized that they were being duped, by a female no less. I talked to Izzy about it, and she gifted me with a spelled violin a few days later.”
“Where did you learn to play?” I question.
“That’s the thing. I never knew how to play. I picked up the bow and violin and it came naturally. For the longest time I thought I could play because of the violin being spelled. Izzy assured me it’s not. The talent is mine, but the magic comes from the melodies that I play. When a certain note is played, it produces the magic to make marks more complaint.”
“What are you? Do you have any talents or power?”
“I don’t know. As far as I know, I’m all human.”
I look at Verkor and Obsidian, each of them have a look of deep concentration on their face. If they’re thinking what I am, there’s more to Finley than even she knows. Yes, she smells mostly human, but there is something in her undertone. Something, I can’t place my finger on, which means Finley is not fully human.
Chapter 8
Obsidian
We stop and make camp for the night. Making good progress. Most of the trip was spent in silence after Finley told us about some of her past. I had to reign in my temper a few times. I know there’s nothing I can do to change the past, but if I ever get the chance, I’ll hurt everyone and everything that has hurt her. No way will I let someone take advantage of her again.
“I wish I could get Izzy here. She could spell our tent and make it bigger. We’re going to be like sardines in there,” Finley says exasperated.
“You won’t be saying that later tonight. Being close will generate more body heat. The temperatures drop really low here at night,” Verkor replies.
“And who gets the pleasure of snuggling against me? I have to admit, I toss and turn. I don’t know how well this is going to go.”
“You’ll be between me and Stolas,” I say.
“Speaking of Stolas, where is he?” she says as she looks into the nearby woods. “Shouldn’t he be back
by now?” Her brows furrow and she bites her bottom lip. The worry etched on her face.
“He’s fine. He went further from camp to hunt for dinner. Flesh kills will bring the more dangerous predators out. We don’t want them too close. I did tell you they were out here.” She waves a hand, taking a deep breath.
“I know, I was trying not to think about it, and what could be out there.” She takes a seat by the fire.
“We have the usual animals, bunnies, deer, bears, but there are some magical creatures. Chimeras, minotaurs, griffins.” Shock passes over Finley’s face as Verkor talks.
“No fucking way. Are you sure we’re safe out here?” She turns, searching the woods around her.
“We’ll be fine.” She frowns, not quite believing Verkor. But, it’s good that she knows, she’ll pay better attention to her surroundings. The sound of a twig snapping, causes her to jump. Stolas comes through the clearing, carrying a fawn over his shoulder. I sigh.
“You couldn’t have found something bigger?” I was going to slice a few chunks of the meat off, storing it in my pouch, but how the hell is turning into a fawn going to help us? I’m better off staying as my human self.
“Maybe next time you go out and do the hunting. I’m not taking on some of the things in that forest just to give you some upper hand in a fight. That’s a suicide mission on my own, and I’m not stupid enough to try.”
“I’m with Stolas on this,” Verkor says, looking up from the fire he started.
“How am I supposed to help in a fight if I don’t have a piece of strong animal meat?”
“You’re freakishly strong. I doubt you would even need it,” Stolas replies. I sigh.
He’s missing the point entirely. How am I supposed to protect my mate if I’m not at my strongest? My human side will always be slightly weaker. I don’t even notice that Finley has walked over to where I’m perched on a fallen log until she’s kneeling before me with my hand in hers. I growl at the sight. An image of her on her knees before me with my cock in her mouth and my hand fisting her hair pops into my head. I vow to make that happen as soon as I can. Finley seems to be oblivious to my reaction to her.
“Is it really necessary? Are you physically compromised if you don’t have some form of animal meat?”
I see the worry in her gray eyes. I cup the side of her face, running my thumb over her cheek. “No. I just want to be at my strongest should I have to fight and protect you.” She leans into my hand.
“What you fail to realize is, protecting her doesn’t just fall on you. She has Stolas and me as well.”
I know Verkor is right, but it’s a deep need in me. I reach around her, pulling up the hood on her cloak. Her cold hands grip my wrist. A moment of understanding and clarity pass between us. I lean in ready to punish her mouth with mine when all hell breaks loose. Five fae on horseback come charging through our camp. I stand, whirling, placing my body in front of hers. Instantly, Verkor and Stolas are next to us, surrounding her. Safely positioning her in the center of us. The fae ride in a circle around us. We back up, squeezing in tighter against Finley.
“What do you want?” Verkor shouts. “We haven’t done anything.”
One fae jumps from his horse, pulling a knife from his under his cloak. I feel Finley’s hands on my back, causing me to tense. As subtly as I can, I move my hand to my waist to find...nothing. Fuck, my weapon and pouch are in my bag which is still attached to my horse. How the fuck could I be so stupid?
“Anyone have a weapon?” I growl.
“Nope.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Of course Finley would have a weapon on her.
“What’s going on? What do they want? I can’t see around the mountain in front of me?” Finley says as she tries to peer around me.
“I don’t want you to. How many weapons do you have on you?”
“Enough for all of us.”
No way am I letting her fight, but I’m smart enough, now, not to tell her that. “As quickly as you can, give us each one.” A few moments later, I feel a handle in my palm. There is barely any weight to the dagger, but it will do. I wait until the fae is within arm’s reach before grabbing his arm and pulling him close to me. I plunge the dagger into his stomach. It’s not enough to kill him, but it’s enough to slow him down. He stumbles back a couple of steps, places a hand on the wound that’s bleeding. His companions jump from their horses, charging us.
The fae that comes at me has a short sword, but doesn’t know how to properly wield the weapon. He grips the handle with both hands, lifting the sword above his head, bringing it down toward me in an arch. I move to the side, landing quick blows to his ribs. He grunts and stumbles back. I follow, not giving him any time to recover. I kick out with one foot, hitting him in the stomach. I quickly roundhouse kick him to the head, knocking him out cold. He falls to the ground, his sword falling silently to his side. Picking up the sword, I turn to see Verkor and Stolas each fighting a fae, holding their own. My eyes dart around looking for Finley, but I don’t see her.
“Finley,” I yell.
“Over...here,” she grunts.
I spot her off to the side, battling a fae. He strikes out, backhanding her across the face. I instantly see red. I roar, charging forward, my body instantly shifting as I go. All my senses heighten. I can hear the rapid heartbeat of the fae hurting my mate. I hear the sharp intake of breath Finley does at the sight of me. I don’t smell fear coming from her. No, I smell the fear coming from the fae. It’s a tangy aroma. One that makes my animal happy. But, I’m not satisfied. My animal is not satisfied. The fae needs to die. I stand before him, feeling the fire in my belly building. The smell of ammonia hits me. It’s coming from the fae and offends me. Opening my mouth, unleashing the flames, catching the fae on fire.
Finley
Oh. My. God. A real life chimera is standing right where Obsidian just stood. I stand unmoving, unsure of what I just saw. I knew shifters were real. I just never saw one do it in person. Every shift I witnessed had been a recording. Seeing it in person is something else. I mean, my mate just shifted and set a fae on fire like it was no big deal. I do have to say this chimera isn’t as grotesque as I thought it would be. This massive lion head swivels in my direction. It’s big amber eyes staring me down, because he’s just as tall as I am. He’s huge. I could easily leave my horse behind and ride the chimera.
“Guys,” I whisper. “What do I do? Is he going to eat me?”
“Lower your eyes and don’t move. I don’t know how Obsidian will act in this form. Plus, you’ve never been around for one of his shifts,” Verkor responds.
I do as he says. After what seems like hours, even though it was only minutes, I see goat hooves appear in my line of sight, followed by a head nudging my stomach, and a serpent tail wrapping around my ankle. I look up meeting the lion’s eyes. He nudges me with his head again. I look over to Verkor who moves to stand near me. Silently with my eyes, I beg him for what I should do. He understands my look.
“I think he wants you to pet him,” he whispers.
Tentatively, I lift my hand, which is visibly shaking. The chimera is impatient, much like Obsidian. It moves its head to my hand. My fingers touch the coarse hair of the lion’s mane. I take a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. He’s not going to eat you. He only wants you to pet him. Obsidian is still in there. I can do this. With a surer touch, I pet the lion. He rests his head against my stomach. I use both hands to rub from its ears to right before the fur of the goat takes over. I repeat this process over and over, causing the chimera to purr, which sounds more like a car engine and less like a cat.
“Obsidian, we need you to shift back. We have to move camp. Finley won’t be safe with the fresh kills here. We have to pack up and move now,” Verkor states. In the blink of an eye Obsidian stands before me once again. He pulls me into his arms, kissing me. It’s over before it really begins and I’m almost questioning if it actually happened.
“I would never hurt you, in any form. My shifting essence recognizes you as it’s mate. The need to protect you is strong. You never have to fear me.” He kisses me once again before releasing me. “You weren’t hurt were you?”
“No.” Obsidian runs his fingers down the side of my face that was struck by the fae. I wince. I forgot about that.
“This is going to bruise. If he wasn’t already dead, I would kill him for this,” he growls.
“You kinda did.” I smile and feel the tension leave my body. “It’s only a bruise. Better than my life.” I reach out and grab his hand, lacing our fingers together. We turn to face Verkor and Stolas. Obsidian takes a moment to survey the area around us. There’s a burning, crisp body behind us, two dead fae to the right where Verkor and Stolas were fighting, and one to the left. I frown, something doesn’t seem right.
“Where is the fifth fae?” Obsidian questions.
“He got away,” Stolas replies.
“Great. What do you think they were after?” I ask.
“I don’t know. It could have been a number of things. They could know what Obsidian is or they could have wanted money, food, or our shelter,” Verkor states. “Either way, he won’t be back tonight and we need to hurry, pack, and put a few miles of distance between us and this spot.”
“I think we need to take the longer route from here on out. We’re too exposed on this trail,” Obsidian says.
“Do you think that’s necessary?” Verkor inquires.
“I do. We don’t know why those fae came after us. If he goes back and tells his friends, we could be looking at more attacks, especially if they think we’re still on this road. I would rather be safe than sorry.”
Verkor nods his head in agreement, followed by Stolas. I nod, not knowing what to say. Quietly and efficiently, we pack up camp and are on the move. Navigating a horse in the dark with only moonlight is hard. We’re all quiet on the trek. Leaving me with too much time to think. Why did those fae come after us? Did they know why we’re here? Is this a sign how what’s to come? I realize I’m lucky that the guys are with me. I won’t have been able to take on those fae by myself. I can’t deny that having them insert themselves in my journey turned out to be a good thing.
Stolen Warriors Page 8