by Lisa Daniels
Once the wounds were cleaned and new bandages added, he picked her up and hauled her into the bedroom. Oswald was placing new sheets on the bed. Somewhere in her mind, Annora wondered how it was possible that the man could have moved so quickly. They hadn’t been gone five minutes, yet everything looked perfectly in place. It missed only the flowers that had once been on the window sill.
“Thank you, Oswald. A masterful job as always.”
“Sir.” He bowed and left the room.
Annora glared up at the man. “Elian.”
The sound of his name was clearly a surprise as he stopped lowering her to the bed and looked into her eyes.
“Why are you doing this? I’m nothing to you.”
He dropped her and turned his back on her without a word.
“Let me go.” Her voice was low.
“So that you can go out and get yourself killed?”
“I don’t see what business it is of yours.”
“What would Bree say to that?”
Annora was shocked into silence for a moment. When she finally found her voice she asked, “What do you know about Bree? Are you threatening me?”
The man turned to look at her, his cold eyes looking slightly amused. “Did that sound like a threat? It was you who said that you would be breaking your promise to her. I simply made sure you could explain that one yourself.”
Annora’s mouth felt dry. “You were at the bandit camp. Are you one of the bandits?” She looked him up and down. “You certainly know how to control people.”
Elian almost looked offended.
The young woman shook her head, “No, not a bandit. More like a military man. But I thought you were….” Her voice trailed off. Suddenly she had his undivided attention. Elian took several steps toward her and placed his hands on the bed.
His face was inches from hers. “You thought I was what, exactly?”
Annora’s expression hardened. “Competition.”
Elian’s eyebrows shot up, and then he started laughing as he stood. “Competition? What kind of competition would that be? See who can find the dumbest way to die? I mean, what you did against the orthrus was quite reckless, but your performance in the bandit camp was about the most idiotic display I’ve ever seen. I have no idea what you do for a living, but I think it is time for a change in profession.”
Annora’s nails dug into her hands, but she said nothing.
He looked down at her. “I have things to tend to.” With that he turned and moved toward the door. He stopped in the doorway, a strange smile on his face.
“What?” Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at him.
“There are two guards outside your window, two at your door, and I will make sure to have one stationed under your bathroom window. Thank you very much for pointing out that other potential exit. I don’t recommend trying to escape. It will just prolong your recovery and take up more of my time.” With that he left the room.
After Elian had left, Annora realized that the scratches on his neck had entirely disappeared. Looking at her nails, she wondered if perhaps she had dreamed the whole thing. The new bandages on her legs and hand told her that it had not been a dream.
Rubbing her hands in her hair, the dragon slayer tried to figure out what was going on. The man she had thought was her competition was clearly a part of the military. He had men who answered to him and it was quite obvious that he was accustomed to being obeyed.
Then she looked down at her body. The clothing was all wrong, and she felt naked despite the fact that more of her body was covered by the outfit, nor did many of her curves show.
The only thing that matters is finding a way out of here.
And the only way to accomplish that was to gain a bit more strength. Knowing that Elian was not competition made it a little easier, so she decided to take a day or two before attempting her escape. She absently ate the food on her table as she looked around the room. There were men outside the door and window, but they could not see what she was doing inside. Glad to at least have some privacy, Annora explored the room. A grin spread across her face as she came across a loose board in the wall. That was all she needed.
She crawled back into bed and willed sleep to once again claim her. As the dragon slayer drifted off, her last thought was that Elian had saved her not once, but twice. He wanted her to know that by bringing up the orthrus. She was now very much indebted to him.
“Well, shit,” she mumbled into her pillow. “I would rather thank the dragon that interrupted the fight than the beast that’s trapped me here.”
It took a while, but her mind finally settled, and Annora slept without dreaming.
Chapter 6
A Change of Mind, Then Shift in Thought
Upon waking the next morning, Annora felt well rested for the first time since she had run into Bree. Her mind felt clearer, but it still felt as if it was moving slower and with less focus than she was accustomed to.
At least I can tell that it isn’t working as well as it should. Annora was by no means stupid – dragon hunters did not live long if they were. Her carelessness was entirely uncharacteristic of her, and it all started after the incident in the alley. Of course, the initial choice to ignore the injury had been the first terrible decision, so it could not be blamed on the poison. Her desire to get revenge on the dragon had overshadowed good judgment. Knowing that it had as much to do with her personal history with dragons, Annora realized that she was too old to be taking such a personal approach to her job. Her ability to deal with them was usually very cut and dry. The fact that she had made it personal was her first mistake. It had seemed like the best way to pay back the people of Marked Tree, but it had also made it difficult to stay objective.
With a deep sigh, she sat up in the bed.
“Finally awake.”
Her head turned and she noticed Elian sitting in a chair at the other end of the room. Her response died in her throat.
Don’t react emotionally.
“Thank you very much, Elian. I cannot tell you how much your efforts mean to me. If not for you, I wouldn’t have made it past that first night when we met.”
Elian raised an eyebrow and it looked like there was something he wanted to say. Instead, he simply nodded.
Annora continued, “I never gave you any reason to be so protective, but it seems you have followed me, making sure that my own carelessness wasn’t fatal. I don’t understand why you did it, but I appreciate it.” She looked at him. “Despite your cold attitude, you have been rather caring.” The young woman stopped just short of telling him that he had actually come across as quite charming the night they met. Something told her that he was used to hearing that, and while she was thanking him, Annora had no desire to make unnecessary compliments when it was clear his ego was large enough. After all, what right did he have to keep her locked up in the room? Whatever he wanted from her must be big.
Elian’s expression changed in small degrees as she continued. “Whatever it is you want to ask of me, I will listen and consider it. I am sorry that I cannot promise more, but only a fool would make a promise without knowing the request.”
The shock in his eyes faded as a small grin turned the corners of his mouth. “It seems like something that would be in character for you.”
She gave a curt laugh. “After what you have witnessed since the alley, I can’t expect you to believe differently.” It was obvious that he expected some sort of explanation, but Annora was not about to go into details about her personal life. The man already knew far too much, and that made her incredibly uncomfortable. The thought of Elian and Bree meeting was something that made her feel chilled to the bone. If Bree had any idea what had happened after their last brief discussion…
Elian stood up and walked over to her. “I’m sure you had your own reasons. And I’ve no doubt that you aren’t about to tell them to a stranger, no matter what that stranger has done for you. As you are respecting my decision not to say why I have helped y
ou, I shall respect your right to ignore whatever caused your dangerous behavior for the last week.”
Annora dropped her head in her hands. “It’s been a week?” Her voice dripped with agony and regret.
“Actually, a little more than a week. Do you need to know the current date?” His eyes sparkled as he asked.
“No, dates don’t really mean much in my line of work.”
Elian stood by the bed and Annora could not help but notice the way his muscles rippled as he leaned against the wall. Not back to fully functional yet, then. The thought was a good sign that she was well on the road to recovery.
“And what is your line of work?”
Annora pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked out the window. “Does it matter?” Her eyes went back to his, and there was definitely defiance in them as she stared him down.
A moment later, his head tilted and he replied, “I would guess an actress who is taking a role far too seriously, but I’ve never met an actress who would survive an orthrus attack, let alone take out so many bandits so quickly.”
The dragon slayer nodded. “You are correct, I’m not an actress. Well, not intentionally.” She remembered the one time Saskia had persuaded them to be in a play as part of a plan she had to get back at a boy that had hurt Bree. It had been brilliant, even if Annora had never felt comfortable. Her part had been pretty simple, she pretty much played herself, but with the weapons on the opposite sides than she was accustomed to using them. It had reinforced the idea that women had no idea how to handle weapons as the change in weight had thrown off her ability to draw them quickly. After the second time the sword clattered on the ground, Annora had opted for looking menacing instead of appearing incompetent. It was the only way to keep her reputation. In the end everything worked out, and Annora got to offer the finishing blow to the man’s ego, a satisfying feeling that more than made up for the humiliation of the play.
Annora shook her head, finally realizing that her mind had wandered again.
“Are you alright?” A barely hidden look of concern fought against the cold demeanor Elian was trying to maintain.
Giving him a faint smile, she replied, “Yes, sorry. I missed what you were saying. Just got a little,” she moved her hand in a twisting motion beside her head, “caught up in some memories.”
Elian was unable to hide his confusion.
She gave a little laugh as she realized he was failing to keep up whatever he was trying to do. It made the young woman feel more at ease to see that even this man could fail at something. She decided to explain a little. “I was in a play once. We were getting back at this guy for breaking my friend’s heart. And-”
“Bree?”
Annora nodded, “Yes. We were quite young then. Life was so much… simpler back then. Anyway, I was terrible, so if I ever had any desire to be an actress, it died with that play.
“And did you?”
Annora cocked her head to the side. “Did I what?”
The corner of his mouth tugged up as he said, “Ever want to be an actress?”
“Oh gods, no! Having that much attention on you, always having to smile and talk to people.” The dragon slayer couldn’t help but shiver at the thought. “I would much rather face a horde of giants than deal with people every day.”
A strange look crossed his face. “A horde of giants? Really? Either you have a serious fear of attention, or you are more reckless than I thought.”
She waved a hand. “I wouldn’t come out alive in either circumstance. Death by giant seems much more appealing. And they never pretend to be on your side. I prefer to know my enemy than have to figure out who is really my friend.”
“Hmmm,” he reflected on what she said. “I can see your point. Although I would prefer to always come out on top. Assuming you will win makes it so much easier to achieve.”
Annora couldn’t tell if he meant it or if he was pulling her leg. She gave a noncommittal shrug. “Anyway, it was a good memory.”
“You must have gotten him in the end, though.”
“Indeed. I had almost entirely forgotten about it. That makes me feel so old.”
Elian opened his mouth as if to say something, but he stopped. The dragon hunter was pretty sure she knew what the question was, and since it kept them away from the subject of her profession, she volunteered the answer. “27.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“I’m 27.”
He gave a short laugh. “That’s not even remotely old.”
Annora frowned and looked at him askance. “Well, it’s not old if you aren’t human. It puts me at about middle age. How many people do you know that have reached 60 years old?”
Elian shifted his weight, and the young woman realized he was not looking her in the eye. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a human to reach that age.”
“Exactly.” There was something he wasn’t saying. Since he had not asked her for her age, Annora felt it would be wrong to ask his, but suddenly she was curious.
He pushed away from the wall, his handsome face turned from her as he headed toward the door. As he opened it, Elian said, “I am very glad to see you are doing better. Keep improving and-”
Annora quickly threw her legs over the side of the bed and rose to her feet. “Oh, yes, thank you very much, but I cannot possibly keep abusing your charity. You have done too much already. Just let me know what you need me to do and I will consider it while I finish my current… work.” She silently cursed herself since she had brought the conversation back around to her occupation.
Elian closed the door. “Oh, it’s not a problem at all. It’s my pleasure.”
Annora realized that he was avoiding looking at her. Too late she realized that her clothes were nearly see through. Getting out of there was too important to get distracted now. “No, I mean it. I have been too much of a burden on you. There is no way I can continue to use you like this. I promise I will return and I’ll give you-”
Elian was waving his hands in front of his face as he stammered, his head turned away from her, “No, no! I insist- you stay and get better, and then we will talk about the rest.”
Annora noticed the pink flush on his cheeks. Ah, that made the whole situation that much more uncomfortable. She had never been good with flirting or making men think of her in terms beyond a killer. Her cheeks immediately started to feel hot just looking at his embarrassment. Still, she tried to press her case because the last thing she wanted to do was stay in that place one more day. It was true that the young woman had another way out, but if she could repay him, that seemed like the best path forward. The image of him watching the dragon flitted across her mind, and Annora was quite certain that he was still after it. That meant they were very likely to meet again.
“Unless I am your prisoner, it’s time for me to get moving. My head feels better, my back is pulling, but not painful, and my ankle feels almost as good as new.”
His eyes moved back toward her and the red in his cheeks intensified. “Your arm is still bleeding unpredictably.” Annora looked down and saw that he was right. Small blood stains showed through on her fresh bandage. “Your ankle is only working well because it is tightly bound. One wrong move or sudden side dodge and you are going to be right back where you started. It would be entirely irresponsible to let you go, even if you feel fine.”
“Aren’t I the best judge of my current abilities?”
Finally, he met her eyes and he slowly and deliberately shook his head.
“Are you saying that I’m your prisoner until you decide to release me?” Annora’s face became like stone.
“If that is how you want to look at it, yes. So, you may as well return to your bed and get some rest if you want to get out of here.”
“No.”
Ignoring the way her outfit highlighted her body, Elian focused on what mattered. “Maybe you don’t understand. You don’t have a choice.”
Annora folded her arms across her chest. “What happe
ns if I scream?”
The man shrugged his muscular shoulders. “You get winded and annoy a lot of patrons in this establishment. Also, it’s not a great way to say thank you after everything I’ve done.”
“I’m pretty sure that we already covered my appreciation for what you did.”
“Then why don’t you show it, and go make sure you recover?”
“Because I am fine now.”
Tired of arguing, Elian leaned down and tried to pick her up at a speed that should not have been possible. As soon as she saw what he was about to do, Annora dropped and rolled away from him. He adjusted his movements, but his hand only brushed her body. His cheeks became bright red as he realized that he had run his hand over her lower back and lower.
Trying to keep his composure, he moved forward. Again she moved out of reach. His hands ran around her stomach before she could move again, and he pulled her to him. Annora felt his body against hers and she was again very aware of just how well-built and handsome the man was. As these thoughts floated past, her elbow automatically dug into the man’s stomach. The woman nearly regretted it as she was certain that the muscles were almost as hard as her elbow, and he had definitely been expecting the move. She brought her foot through his legs and pressed against the back of his knee, causing him to drop her as he tried to regain his balance. Seeing her chance to get out, Annora made a break for the door.
The arms were around her waist before she got it open.
“It’s obvious I’ve been underestimating you.” He lifted her up, this time carrying her like he had when she was sick. To his surprise, Annora shaped her body like a V and nearly slipped through his arms. His hands ended up wrapping around her left ankle and left wrist. She swung into him, causing Elian to lose his balance. They fell on the floor. Unfortunately for Annora, Elian maneuvered so that he fell on top of her. She was entirely pinned to the floor with no way out as long as he continued to press down.
Elian couldn’t even look at her as he spoke. “This is ridiculous. You can’t possibly win. Look at your arm.” He was trying to look at the ceiling while keeping an eye on her movements. The woman clearly knew how to fight, and it was not a style that he knew at all.