know if they had big insects?”
Her voice trembled and he felt a moment of guilt. No not a moment, hours … days of guilt. He had treated this woman unfairly, taken her against her will but … he couldn’t live without her. “Princess, take a look around. Everything is big here—the trees, the leaves, the rocks. It stands to reason there would be big insects. But since you’re so accustomed to them, you’ll be fine. I’ll see you back here at sunset.”
“Sunset?” Her voice was just above a whisper. “But that’s hours away. I—”
Spinning around, he met her eyes, and the fear he saw almost made him abandon his plan. Almost. He had to make her believe she was coming with him willingly. Little did she know she had about thirty seconds before she was removed. Again. By him. “Yes, twelve long hours, unprotected, all alone. Unless…”
“Unless, what?” One hand drifted up and tugged on a braid, otherwise her posture was perfect. She sat as still as a statue.
“Unless you come with me right now.”
Chapter 13
‡
F ighting the urge to jump to her feet, Caprice examined the log she sat on and the floor of this strange place. She gasped; she couldn’t have controlled it if she’d tried. The place was alive. Crawling, searching, moving, racing over her feet, inching up her hands, they were everywhere. Creepy crawlies ! She jumped up, brushing the colorful creatures off as best she could, praying they hadn’t gotten inside her dress.
What had he said? There were bigger versions of these things living here? With pincers? She fought for control. How she wanted to scream to the heavens. She had never felt so uncomfortable in all her life. She was soaked, her dress was plastered to her body, and the liquid falling from the sky stung her. Too warm! Gods, to think she had prayed for warmth. Her skin looked blotchy and red, as confused as she at this strange land.
Looking at the giant in front of her, she wondered at why she had help set him free. She had actually felt sorry for him, sorry for what her father had done, sorry for The Trade… And how had he repaid her? By kidnapping her in turn. She felt equal parts fury and pain. Then she got mad all over again at the idea that he had any effect on her at all.
“Are you coming or not?”
Narrowing her eyes, she cocked her head to the side and studied him. His fists were clenched and he seemed distracted, not meeting her in the eye. Was he telling her the truth? Were they really trapped in an unknown land?
What choice do I have?
She walked forward, bypassing his hand. Taking a few steps beyond him, she stopped and waited. She had no idea where to go and had to allow him to take the lead; the idea of it made her blood boil.
For once, he didn’t say a word, but she heard a long sigh as he passed. He began thrashing through the brush, pushing away the vegetation to make a path for them to walk through. Sounds began to creep in, as if the place had grown silent, studying them at first, and now found them inconsequential. Cackles and caws, and high-pitched screams echoed through the air. Flapping and buzzing sounds scraped against her ears.
And by gods, the smells. They were… intoxicating. She didn’t have the words to describe the sweet perfumes permeating the air. If she weren’t so furious, she would have stopped to enjoy some of the colorful flowers peeking through miles of green.
“Wait here.” He’d led them to a stony structure, dilapidated, but it still had four walls and a roof. It was no bigger than her room at home. She turned her back on him, refusing to acknowledge anything he said. In truth, she wanted to see more of this beautiful land. If it just weren’t so loud, and so warm and so… wet .
“It’s clear. We can wait out the rain in here.” He spoke through gritted teeth and then growled when she refused to turn and acknowledge him.
Glancing at the sky, feeling the large drops of water hitting her face, she knew she had to
Her voice trembled and he felt a moment of guilt. No not a moment, hours … days of guilt. He had treated this woman unfairly, taken her against her will but … he couldn’t live without her. “Princess, take a look around. Everything is big here—the trees, the leaves, the rocks. It stands to reason there would be big insects. But since you’re so accustomed to them, you’ll be fine. I’ll see you back here at sunset.”
“Sunset?” Her voice was just above a whisper. “But that’s hours away. I—”
Spinning around, he met her eyes, and the fear he saw almost made him abandon his plan. Almost. He had to make her believe she was coming with him willingly. Little did she know she had about thirty seconds before she was removed. Again. By him. “Yes, twelve long hours, unprotected, all alone. Unless…”
“Unless, what?” One hand drifted up and tugged on a braid, otherwise her posture was perfect. She sat as still as a statue.
“Unless you come with me right now.”
Chapter 13
‡
F ighting the urge to jump to her feet, Caprice examined the log she sat on and the floor of this strange place. She gasped; she couldn’t have controlled it if she’d tried. The place was alive. Crawling, searching, moving, racing over her feet, inching up her hands, they were everywhere. Creepy crawlies ! She jumped up, brushing the colorful creatures off as best she could, praying they hadn’t gotten inside her dress.
What had he said? There were bigger versions of these things living here? With pincers? She fought for control. How she wanted to scream to the heavens. She had never felt so uncomfortable in all her life. She was soaked, her dress was plastered to her body, and the liquid falling from the sky stung her. Too warm! Gods, to think she had prayed for warmth. Her skin looked blotchy and red, as confused as she at this strange land.
Looking at the giant in front of her, she wondered at why she had help set him free. She had actually felt sorry for him, sorry for what her father had done, sorry for The Trade… And how had he repaid her? By kidnapping her in turn. She felt equal parts fury and pain. Then she got mad all over again at the idea that he had any effect on her at all.
“Are you coming or not?”
Narrowing her eyes, she cocked her head to the side and studied him. His fists were clenched and he seemed distracted, not meeting her in the eye. Was he telling her the truth? Were they really trapped in an unknown land?
What choice do I have?
She walked forward, bypassing his hand. Taking a few steps beyond him, she stopped and waited. She had no idea where to go and had to allow him to take the lead; the idea of it made her blood boil.
For once, he didn’t say a word, but she heard a long sigh as he passed. He began thrashing through the brush, pushing away the vegetation to make a path for them to walk through. Sounds began to creep in, as if the place had grown silent, studying them at first, and now found them inconsequential. Cackles and caws, and high-pitched screams echoed through the air. Flapping and buzzing sounds scraped against her ears.
And by gods, the smells. They were… intoxicating. She didn’t have the words to describe the sweet perfumes permeating the air. If she weren’t so furious, she would have stopped to enjoy some of the colorful flowers peeking through miles of green.
“Wait here.” He’d led them to a stony structure, dilapidated, but it still had four walls and a roof. It was no bigger than her room at home. She turned her back on him, refusing to acknowledge anything he said. In truth, she wanted to see more of this beautiful land. If it just weren’t so loud, and so warm and so… wet .
“It’s clear. We can wait out the rain in here.” He spoke through gritted teeth and then growled when she refused to turn and acknowledge him.
Glancing at the sky, feeling the large drops of water hitting her face, she knew she had to
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