behind him at his left shoulder. The Shepherd averted his gaze and the Wanderer turned to see Ella Bandita had her crystal stargaze in hand. The morning light beamed through the windows and set the colors in a swirl around her. She frowned, dropping her stargaze and pulling her pistol from the holster.
“Leave now, Wanderer,” she said. “Or I’ll kill him too.”
In the midst of the stolen hearts beating all around her, the calm in her voice was eerie. Although she glared at the Wanderer with the contempt he knew so well, all he could see in Ella Bandita was pain.
“Please wait,” he said. “I have something for you.”
The Wanderer was flooded with tenderness as he gazed at her. Ella Bandita faltered for a moment, confusion flickering across her face. Then she scowled and stepped away. She cocked the hammer, staring at the Wanderer while pointing her gun at the Shepherd.
“Do you really think I’m in jest?”
But the Shepherd had already come around him.
“You’re not going to shoot me, Woman,” he said. “So put down your gun.”
Ella Bandita peered at the Shepherd making his way to her, his pace unhurried and his posture erect. The shock of recognition made her eyes wide. The Wanderer had never seen Ella Bandita dispossessed before, but she was thoroughly unnerved from the Shepherd’s presence. Her cheeks flushed when she slipped the pistol back in its sheath.
“You really have stayed young,” he said. “You look exactly the same.”
She nodded, but said nothing. The Shepherd and Ella Bandita were locked inside a stare until he broke away, drawn to the hearts climbing the walls. His vivid green eyes took in each one until he reached the pinnacle of the tower. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, his features quivering. When the Shepherd looked at her again, Ella Bandita glared back at him with de fiance in the tilt of her chin. Then he glimpsed the crystal stargaze resting above her breasts and the thin vein pulsed in his temple.
The Shepherd gripped the charm and twisted the chain to her neck. Ella Bandita didn’t resist, gazing at him coolly, even as the silver links dug into her flesh. When he tore the stargaze from her throat, she cried out and the cacophony of hearts reached a crescendo.
The pitch was enough to drive any man out of his senses. The Wanderer didn’t know how much longer he could stand it. The raging pulses urged him to howl, pull his hair out from the roots, and tear at his flesh. The Shepherd still gripped the stargaze in his fist and swept his arm in an arc, the stolen hearts howling even louder.
“How could you?” he shouted. “How could you want this?”
The Shepherd grabbed Ella Bandita by the arms and pulled her with him to the passage. Both stunned and relieved, the Wanderer followed them outside where the raucous pulsing was tolerable. The Shepherd kept his hold on Ella Bandita and nodded to the Wanderer.
“This is your last chance,” he said, and let her go.
The Wanderer was already pulling the gathers of the black velvet bag open. Ella Bandita glanced inside and blood drained from her face.
“Where did you get that?”
“The Caverns,” he said. “I’m here to offer you a trade.”
Warmth suffused her cheeks as she stared into the cradled palms of the Wanderer.
He had to restrain himself from rushing to Ella Bandita. He was overjoyed to watch her face grow radiant, knowing the change was from seeing her heart beat again. But she looked back to the tower, and her features hardened, her expression savage once again.
The throbbing started again, but the sensation was of dull uneasiness that made him aware of the stolen hearts pounding at his back, their dissonance ringing in his ears.
“If I take my heart back,” she said. “Then my pact with the Sorcerer is no more.”
“That’s hardly a misfortune. You have the chance to redeem yourself.”
The Wanderer wished he’d taken a moment before he spoke, immediately
regretting his words. Ella
“Leave now, Wanderer,” she said. “Or I’ll kill him too.”
In the midst of the stolen hearts beating all around her, the calm in her voice was eerie. Although she glared at the Wanderer with the contempt he knew so well, all he could see in Ella Bandita was pain.
“Please wait,” he said. “I have something for you.”
The Wanderer was flooded with tenderness as he gazed at her. Ella Bandita faltered for a moment, confusion flickering across her face. Then she scowled and stepped away. She cocked the hammer, staring at the Wanderer while pointing her gun at the Shepherd.
“Do you really think I’m in jest?”
But the Shepherd had already come around him.
“You’re not going to shoot me, Woman,” he said. “So put down your gun.”
Ella Bandita peered at the Shepherd making his way to her, his pace unhurried and his posture erect. The shock of recognition made her eyes wide. The Wanderer had never seen Ella Bandita dispossessed before, but she was thoroughly unnerved from the Shepherd’s presence. Her cheeks flushed when she slipped the pistol back in its sheath.
“You really have stayed young,” he said. “You look exactly the same.”
She nodded, but said nothing. The Shepherd and Ella Bandita were locked inside a stare until he broke away, drawn to the hearts climbing the walls. His vivid green eyes took in each one until he reached the pinnacle of the tower. Then he squeezed his eyes shut, his features quivering. When the Shepherd looked at her again, Ella Bandita glared back at him with de fiance in the tilt of her chin. Then he glimpsed the crystal stargaze resting above her breasts and the thin vein pulsed in his temple.
The Shepherd gripped the charm and twisted the chain to her neck. Ella Bandita didn’t resist, gazing at him coolly, even as the silver links dug into her flesh. When he tore the stargaze from her throat, she cried out and the cacophony of hearts reached a crescendo.
The pitch was enough to drive any man out of his senses. The Wanderer didn’t know how much longer he could stand it. The raging pulses urged him to howl, pull his hair out from the roots, and tear at his flesh. The Shepherd still gripped the stargaze in his fist and swept his arm in an arc, the stolen hearts howling even louder.
“How could you?” he shouted. “How could you want this?”
The Shepherd grabbed Ella Bandita by the arms and pulled her with him to the passage. Both stunned and relieved, the Wanderer followed them outside where the raucous pulsing was tolerable. The Shepherd kept his hold on Ella Bandita and nodded to the Wanderer.
“This is your last chance,” he said, and let her go.
The Wanderer was already pulling the gathers of the black velvet bag open. Ella Bandita glanced inside and blood drained from her face.
“Where did you get that?”
“The Caverns,” he said. “I’m here to offer you a trade.”
Warmth suffused her cheeks as she stared into the cradled palms of the Wanderer.
He had to restrain himself from rushing to Ella Bandita. He was overjoyed to watch her face grow radiant, knowing the change was from seeing her heart beat again. But she looked back to the tower, and her features hardened, her expression savage once again.
The throbbing started again, but the sensation was of dull uneasiness that made him aware of the stolen hearts pounding at his back, their dissonance ringing in his ears.
“If I take my heart back,” she said. “Then my pact with the Sorcerer is no more.”
“That’s hardly a misfortune. You have the chance to redeem yourself.”
The Wanderer wished he’d taken a moment before he spoke, immediately
regretting his words. Ella
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