by Nicole Hall
She tilted her head. “I’ve heard of imps crossing over, but it’s only speculation that demons existed in their realm.”
Humans and their speculations. “It’s our realm, and we prefer the term lords.”
Samantha sent him a bland look. “Of course, you do. I’m not calling you that.”
“Sometimes fire-caller.”
“Better, but I’d like to save that for the bedroom.”
An unexpected laugh burst out of him. He had such an appreciation for her smart mouth. “Ifrit will do then.”
“Okay. Why were you in Terra instead of torturing lost souls?”
“Still not a demon. And my location wasn’t by my choice.” Luc watched her remember the relevant part of his chosen profession. He worked with exiles because he was one.
SAMANTHA
“I’m sorry. In all the chaos, I forgot.” Samantha hated making stupid mistakes. Almost as much as when someone else tried to impose rules on her. She made the rules, and if she made the mistake, she owned up to it.
Luc picked up a tiny rock from the ground and rolled it between his fingers. “Not to worry. It’s been some time since my banishment has troubled me. Besides, I quite like Terra.”
He had a tone. Previously, even as early as yesterday, she might not have noticed, but the magic that had connected them last night tugged at her. Luc wasn’t telling her the whole truth.
Samantha tilted her head. “No big plans to return triumphant and reclaim your place in your realm?”
Luc laughed dryly. “No. I believe I’ll leave those dreams to Seth. I’m well rid of my realm.”
This time, the connection lay dormant. Interesting. And concerning. She’d have to be careful in what she said to him since their bargain appeared to have come with an internal lie-detector.
He tossed the pebble into the underbrush and turned her way. His jaw firmed, and tension stiffened his shoulders. “My turn. Tell me about the dagger.”
Samantha blanked for a few seconds. There had been so many daggers in the last twenty-four hours that she couldn’t figure out which one he wanted to talk about. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
His gaze didn’t waver. “The one you asked me to help you find.”
“Oh, of course, though I’m not sure how much help that will be since we’re here, and by all accounts, it’s not here.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Samantha shrugged one shoulder. This information she could share at will. “It’s an old dagger with magical properties. I’m not aware of its specific history though. Carved wooden hilt with no cross-guard and a curved blade about the length of my hand.”
“Why do you search for it?”
“To find it.”
“For yourself?”
Here she entered dangerous territory. Samantha had no idea why she needed it, only that she did. Her visions had made it clear that the dagger was a necessary part of her future, but she couldn’t tell Luc that without revealing her status as an oracle. She opened her mouth to deflect, but he slashed a hand her way.
“No. No obfuscation. No lies. Trust me with the truth.”
Samantha stared down at her hands, searching for a way to give him what he asked without compromising herself. The last thing she needed was for him to ditch her in a fit of justified pique and get himself killed. “I don’t know the truth. An oracle told me to find the dagger, so I’m trying to find it.”
“Oracle.” He spit the word, but not at her. “You’d be better off forgetting whatever advice you received.”
She nodded, unwilling to face him for fear he’d read the deception on her face. “Maybe, but I don’t regularly go around discarding information that could be helpful. So, I’ll keep looking, and when I find it, I’ll decide what to do with it.”
A rasp in the sparse grass made her glance up. Luc had pulled his bag closer to dig through it. To her utter shock, he removed a leather sheath holding a dagger with a familiar wooden hilt.
“You found the exact dagger I need in less than a week with no description to work off of, and you managed to bring it with you to this realm.”
“Yes, that sums it up quite nicely. Except for one bit. I knew what it looked like.”
Cold apprehension replaced Samantha’s amused frustration. “How?”
“I saw the sketch at your house.”
Her brows shot up, and she stood. “That sketch was in a locked drawer in my bedroom.”
Luc flashed her an unrepentant smile. “I know. After you passed out in my arms, I had some free time. I could say I was looking for information to enlighten me on your condition, which is true, but I wanted to know more about you.”
Panic began to creep in when she remembered what else she kept in those drawers. “So you invaded my privacy?”
He rose smoothly to join her. “In hindsight, I perhaps should have taken more care, but my actions have brought you what you desired. Would you like the dagger or not?”
If he’d found the letters, he must not have read them or he never would have come back. They detailed how her mom blamed her visions for her father leaving, and her responses warning her mom of the death she foresaw. Responses that returned unopened right up until her mom died in a car accident, just like she’d predicted.
Samantha forced herself to breathe past the tightness in her chest. In truth, she didn’t particularly care that he’d gone through her room. He’d helped her while she was vulnerable, and she’d have probably done the same in a reversed situation. Sudden bouts of unconsciousness warranted a search for more information. Luc didn’t need to know that though.
“We’re going to talk about the egregious lack of respect for my personal space, but I can only handle so many lectures at once. The dagger is for me? No strings attached?”
His grin widened. “No strings. Besides, I prefer silk ties.”
“Do you have to make everything into a sexual reference?” Being restrained had never appealed to her before last night, but the thought of Luc at her mercy brought some pretty specific fantasies roaring to life.
She reached for the dagger, but he pulled it back out of her reach. “I’ve changed my mind. There’s one string. I want you to wear it.”
“If this is some kind of kinky role-playing thing—”
“No. No games this time. We’re short on weapons, and I want you to have every available avenue to defend yourself should the need arise.”
He extended his arm again, and Samantha pulled the dagger from the sheath silently. She was disappointed it didn’t make the metallic shink noise she was used to from movies, but then, in real combat situations, silence was probably better.
As soon as the blade cleared the leather, she sensed a hint of relief, and a pulse of heavy magic made her hand tingle. She almost dropped the weapon, but insulting a potentially sentient magical dagger seemed like a bad idea. Samantha’s eyes shot up to Luc’s.
“It’s not just magical. It’s an artifact. The sheath conceals its power?”
Luc nodded and reached around her to wrap the belt at her waist.
“You think I can’t attach my own accessories?” Samantha had the oddest urge to lean in and run away at the same time.
He yanked her hips closer and met her eyes from a breath away. “I think it’s more fun if I do it.”
Heat spiraled through her at the brush of his fingers against her stomach. The position rocked her forward, bringing her body into contact with his again, his mouth inches from hers as he focused down on the buckle. Samantha closed her eyes against temptation until she felt his warmth retreat. She needed to get a handle on the chaos reigning in her body.
“The elders would love to get their hands on this. The sheath is warded so that only the person who wears it can remove the dagger. Don’t take it off.”
“You’ll regret that the next time you try to get me naked.”
Luc chuckled. “Now who’s making sexual references?”
Samantha pursed her lips and nodded. “I bla
me you for that.”
He leaned in to drop a swift kiss on her mouth, then backed away before she could protest. “I can work around the sheath. Don’t take it off.”
Samantha raised her fingers to her tingling lips as he turned away to dig through his pack again. The casual kiss marked a crossroads for her. She could rebuff him, put him firmly in the no touching zone with a few words, but the new aspect of their relationship excited her.
The sound of ripping fabric drew her attention to the smoking embers of their fire. Luc had turned his back to her and was shrugging off the ragged dress shirt he’d been wearing. Samantha bit her bottom lip at the expanse of bronze, muscled back. He must have sensed her staring because he glanced over his shoulder and smirked at her before lowering his hands to the button of his suit pants.
Samantha cleared her throat and turned around. Fabric hit the ground, then more rustling. She wanted to say something—anything—to distract her, but her mind was stubbornly blank of anything except the visual of naked Luc. Even the forest was silent, no bird or animal noises. Not even a breeze. She frowned. Actually, why was the forest so silent?
“You can turn around now. I’m properly covered.”
She counted to five first, just in case. He wore boots, low-slung jeans, and a plain black tee-shirt that showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist. “You had all that in your bag?”
“It’s bigger than it looks. Are you going to put the dagger away or wield it as we hike?”
Samantha raised a brow and stared down at the deadly looking weapon that she’d forgotten about in her hand. “I only have experience with kitchen knives. What am I supposed to do with this?”
Luc shrugged. “I’m no expert, but I believe the pointy end goes into the bad guy.”
She met his dark eyes. “Why do I feel like you’re much more of an expert than you let on?”
He took the dagger from her and examined the hilt. “I have no idea what would give you that impression.” He expertly spun the weapon in his hand and presented it to her with a flourish.
Samantha’s pulse rocketed at his display, so she took a slow breath to steady herself before she reclaimed the gift. Aggression and violence weren’t her thing. Oh, no? A sarcastic inner voice whispered.
The memory of those clever hands on her haunted her dreams, but that didn’t mean she wanted a repeat performance. Liar. She muzzled her inner voice and kept her eyes firmly locked on the blade until she’d sheathed it at her hip.
Enough day-dreaming. They needed to focus on the current problem, namely being stuck in a foreign realm whose leaders were potential enemies. Luc had asked her for a plan, but Samantha could only see one path forward. They’d have to travel to Aecantha, even though they didn’t know which direction or how far.
“We need to find Keris.”
He shouldered his pack and used his magic to quell the last embers of the fire. “The one who rebuffed you when you tried to assist her? Do you even know what she looks like?”
“Yes to both. I could try to contact her again telepathically, but that ability is hit or miss with me. Even if the elders are a threat to us, Keris will help.”
“Oh yes. I’m sure she’ll have no problem separating her loyalty to her people from her dedication to you.”
Samantha sighed, but she begrudgingly accepted his logic. If she contacted Keris telepathically, she’d be risking both their lives. Too bad she couldn’t use that ability with anyone else. Maybe it would be better to wait until they could find out why Keris had pushed her away.
Even so, she didn’t want to give in so easily. “Your sarcasm isn’t helping.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Sarcasm always helps.” He turned toward the trees, and Samantha had an idea.
“Wait. I can hide us from the elders.”
Luc faced her again. “How?”
She picked up her own pack and looped it over her shoulders. “The ability I used last night to stop your magic. I can… mute us, for lack of a better description. Other magic-users, which is everyone here, won’t be able to sense what we are.”
His eyes narrowed. “That will work with both of us?”
“Yeah. I’m confident I can shield us both from detection, but—”
“There’s always a but.”
She glared at him. “But it’s a low-key channel. I can’t use any offensive magic or telepathy while I’m doing it.”
“Will I have access to offensive magic?”
“It’s like a shield. In this case, I won’t be negatively affecting your abilities. It mostly stops anything that would expand past our immediate circle and keeps it contained.”
Luc studied her, then nodded. “You maintain the shield. I’ll protect us if it comes to that.”
She recognized that accepting her unique ability without argument took a certain amount of trust. Most magic-users would run far away at the prospect of being restricted against their will. Hell, she’d run too. Luc didn’t seem worried that she’d take advantage. Or he trusted himself to be powerful enough to push through her shield if need be. Probably the second.
Samantha propped her hands on her hips. “We’ll have to stay fairly close for the shield to work. No wandering off after something shiny.”
“Fine by me. It’s easier to provide protection while you annoy murderous shop-keepers if you’re in my vicinity. Any other useful tidbits before we start off?”
None that she could share with him. She shook her head, and he walked briskly into the forest. Samantha jogged to catch up, then had to practically power-walk to stay even with him.
“Hey, speed racer, can we slow down a little?”
He sent her an arched look, but slowed his pace. “I was under the impression you wanted to reach a village before nightfall.”
“How do you know there’s a village this way? For that matter, why am I following you?”
“You recognize my natural leadership?”
She snorted. “Try again.”
The ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Before you so rudely interrupted me last night, I sensed a gathering of magic in this direction. Far in this direction. Most likely a village. I thought we’d skulk around and try to gather some information before setting off half-cocked on a random path.”
“Nothing closer?”
“Not unless you count trees and mostly non-magical forest creatures.”
Samantha’s brows rose. “Mostly non-magical?”
“It felt like passive magic. The creatures weren’t actively using it.”
She glanced into the woods, still strangely silent except for their footsteps. Most of the trees were bigger around than her car, and the occasional bunches of flowers they passed came up to her waist. Passive magic didn’t sound too bad, but with the size of the flora here, she didn’t want to meet any of the fauna.
They walked for hours as the sun moved overhead. None of the mostly non-magical creatures showed themselves. Samantha considered herself in good shape, but she’d never hiked this far before. Despite the cardio, she wasn’t really sweating.
The enormous trees provided plenty of shade, but they also blocked the breeze she could hear rustling the leaves in the canopy far above them. She didn’t think that would be enough to keep her cool, yet she never got too warm.
Samantha made Luc stop several times to rest, and each time, he’d quiz her on the clans. At first, she answered his questions stiffly, afraid he’d push too far in a direction she refused to discuss, but eventually, she relaxed into the rhythm of the conversation. They spoke less about the realm and more about themselves, much to Samantha’s relief.
The more comfortable she became, the more she felt the little current of magic connecting them. The power of their bargain grew stronger with every story they shared. She knew to stay away from questions about his past before Terra, but he seemed happy to exaggerate his adventures since then.
About the time that the sun passed below the tree line, they came upon a worn path, the first
they’d seen since arriving in a heap in the middle of nowhere. Samantha pulled Luc to a stop.
“We should get off the trail. I don’t know what kind of reception we’ll get if we run across anyone.”
He led her into the trees, circling around toward the village until they found a stretch of underbrush thick enough to hide them. A small gathering of buildings, cottages at best, grouped together in front of them. Samantha crouched behind a bush that tickled her with tendrils of ferns, and Luc leaned close to whisper to her.
“This is the source of the magic I sensed. I trust your shield won’t give us away?”
“No. That’s the point.” She peered over the foliage, and her eyes widened. “Look at that.”
Large birds with long legs and ostrich-like bodies roamed between the buildings. Unlike ostriches, the feathers continued up their necks and ended with a tuft at the back of their heads. Samantha counted three with royal blue feathers, one with white, and one with light blue covered in speckled orange spots. Two of the blue ones wore halters with the reins draped over their backs. Sharp-looking beaks and talons shined black in the fading light. The people of the village ignored the giant birds.
Samantha held her breath as the orange speckled one squawked and pecked at a little girl carrying a basket, but she tapped its beak lightly and told it ‘no’ in a firm voice. The bird shook its head and fluffed its neck feathers before backing away.
Samantha frowned as globes stationed outside each house lit up with magic light. “This isn’t Aecantha.”
“Are you sure?”
She laughed low. “Yes. Those birds aren’t native to their village.” She squinted at the small gathering of houses. “And I think Aecantha is much bigger than this, with a fountain and a wide-open space in the center. We’re at a different clan.”
“Would a remote clan know of Keris? Or be familiar with the elders?”
Samantha chewed on her lower lip. “They’d have their own elders, but whoever’s in charge might know Keris. My shield doesn’t do much good if we immediately give ourselves away and word gets back to whoever hired the redcaps.”
