by Nicole Hall
“A warning, to ensure our protection while we slept. I modeled it off the spell for your home.”
Samantha nodded, oddly touched that he’d remembered. She grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder while he did the same. “Okay. Let’s see if we can explore this village without drawing attention from any of the people.”
Luc adjusted his pants then turned to her with a sly grin. “You’re going to get upset, but I have an idea.”
“I hate this idea.” Samantha closed the door softly behind her and took in the grimy interior of what functioned as a stable.
They’d circled the village in the trees, avoiding the occasional patrol, until they’d come across a building bigger than any of the others. At first, she’d thought it might be a town hall of some sort, but as they’d moved a little farther, the wall closest to the trees opened up large enough for the birds to travel through.
The presence of the birds at that end convinced them to try the human-sized door set on the other side of the building. Unlike the night before, no villagers wandered the streets, but Luc hurried them through the door anyway.
The inside was mostly one large room. Wooden half-walls created smaller areas, she guessed for when the birds wanted some privacy? Samantha didn’t see any gates or locks of any kind, not even doors. Six blue-feathered birds scratched through the straw, pecking at bits of fluff that floated through the air. None of them seemed to notice the intrusion, even when Samantha jostled a rack of worn leather saddles.
Luc checked the adjoining stalls, kicking up dust that tickled her nose. “These are empty, but there are plenty of them wandering around near the big door.”
He hadn’t finished his sentence before the orange speckled bird she’d noticed the night before came tearing into the room. It circled the space once then skidded to a stop in front of Samantha.
It cocked its head and fluffed its feathers with a questioning squawk.
Samantha tentatively reached out to touch its head. She had faith that her shield would protect her from being eviscerated by its giant talons, but she didn’t want to scare it. The bird didn’t move as she ran her hand down its smooth beak. Luc eased up behind her, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the creature that was the size of a small horse.
“Grab the reins on that one.”
“We’re not stealing their giant birds.” Samantha took a chance and reached up to stroke the feathers between the leather straps of its bridle.
“It’s not stealing. They’re not restrained. No ownership markers. These are community vehicles, and we have need of the community.”
Fairly certain the bird wouldn’t attack, Samantha turned toward Luc. “What about the saddles? The birds might be free to come and go, but the saddles seem like they’re worth something.”
He sighed. “Either leave the crystals for use of the saddles or find saddle-less birds and we’ll ride bareback. Your insistence on honor is laudable, but not helpful in this situation. Even if I wanted to spend the next month walking to the neighboring village, we couldn’t carry enough provisions to last us that long.”
Samantha grimaced. “I hate when you use logic against me.” The orange speckled bird nudged her arm with its head until she raised a hand to pet its neck. “You look like you belong in a koi pond, you ridiculous bird.”
Luc’s lips tipped up at the cooing noises it started to make. “I think it likes you.”
“I think it doesn’t know anything about me.”
“It’s a she, and she has discerning taste.” The deep, female voice from the opposite doorway made Samantha start. The bird flinched at her quick movement and disappeared into one of the far stalls.
She squinted at the newcomer in the dim light. “I’m sorry. Are these your birds?”
The woman laughed and walked out of the shadows. Small and wrinkled, wearing worn pants and a dusty tunic, she reminded Samantha of a grizzled ranch hand in an old Western. “No. The birds own themselves. We feed them, and they keep us connected to the rest of the clans.”
Luc subtly placed himself between her and the woman, leaning nonchalantly against a pillar in the center of the open space. “How interesting. Community birds. Do the saddles also own themselves?”
Samantha huffed and sent Luc a dirty look. “Don’t be rude.”
The woman laughed. “The saddles are traded among clans freely as well. We use them to guard the doorway and welcome travelers that made their way through. Other clans have other needs.”
Luc whistled quietly. “You’re a long way from your ward.”
She rubbed a weary hand over her face. “Yes. We used to patrol the area between here and there, but since Aecantha closed the doorways, there hasn’t been a need. I won’t ask how you folks got here, not my business, but you’re going to want a quinat if you plan to go elsewhere.”
Samantha assumed quinat was their name for giant rideable birds. The translation spell she’d cast years ago at Keris’ behest wasn’t always able to suss out the meaning. “Could you tell us where we are in relation to Aecantha?”
She laughed again. “You’re really not from around here if that’s what you’re after. Aecantha closed their borders a while ago. Some snit about a stolen artifact. You’re in Rayl. The next closest village is Berens, on the coast, but Aecantha is inland. Less places to stop that direction, but better climate. You have any trouble, you tell them Catia sent you.”
The urge to ask more from someone willing to give real answers—unlike Keris’ ambiguous information—tempted Samantha to stay as long as the woman would let her and gorge herself on knowledge. Luc caught her eye and gave a nearly imperceptible head shake. Fine. She’d save those questions for a time when there wasn’t a hit out on her.
“How do you ride these magnificent beasts?”
“It’s a matter of trust. If the quinat likes the look of you, it’ll offer a minor bond. Accept the bond and you’ll be able to ride. Any other questions?”
Samantha smiled at the orange speckled bird poked its head around the wall. “Yes. How do you know it’s a girl?”
Catia clucked at the bird, who tentatively approached. “You see the big bunch of feathers on the back of her head that stick up?” She waited until Samantha nodded to continue. “That’s her crest, and only females have them.”
Samantha looked around at the other birds, all with crests. “You only ride females?”
She shrugged and pulled a saddle off the wall with surprising strength. “The males tend to be excitable and more likely to run headlong into danger.”
“I understand that,” Samantha muttered.
Both women eyed Luc, who held his hands up in surrender. “I’m only interested in one woman riding me.”
Catia turned to Samantha with a raised brow. “You’ll have your hands full with this one.”
Samantha grinned. “You’ve been very helpful. Please take these tokens as thanks.” She held out four glittering stones in her palm.
The woman’s eyes sharpened as she stared down at them. “I do believe I will. Thank you.” She held out her hand, and Samantha dumped the stones into her palm. After tucking them safely away in her pants, Catia saddled the orange speckled bird, who continued to stare at Samantha.
“She’ll be a good fit for you. Your man can have his pick of the ones by the door.” She nodded to the group of blue feathered birds.
Luc glanced over then pulled a second saddle off the wall. “Can you point us in the direction of Aecantha?”
“North. There’s a trail marked with shiny, black stones. The next village you’ll come to is Pasheen, about three days’ ride from here. The quinats pick their pace, so I don’t advise trying to hurry them along. Aecantha is another three or four past that, but there are more villages along that way.”
Samantha gaped. “Aecantha is more than a week away?”
Catia grunted as she tightened the last strap on the saddle. “You’ll need provisions. Am I right in assuming you don’t want to be known
about the village?”
Luc mimicked her motions, saddling a serene bird who ignored him completely. “Yes. We’d prefer our presence here to be circumspect.”
She nodded. “I’ll be back shortly then.”
The stable door clattered shut behind her, and Samantha raised her brows at Luc. “We trust her?”
He carefully secured the straps then straightened, dusting off his hands. “Do we have a choice? While eight days by quinat sounds delightful, I’d rather not walk that distance.”
Samantha agreed, and she’d liked Catia. The bird—quinat—nudged Samantha’s shoulder until she relented and ran a hand down the soft feathers of her neck. “I’m going to call you Koi because I can’t keep referring to you as ‘the bird’ in my head, and because it amuses me.”
Koi made a trilling sound in her throat, extending her neck to rest her head on Samantha’s shoulder.
Luc chuckled. “It looks like I may have some competition for your affections.”
Before Samantha could come up with a good response, Catia returned with two packs that attached to the saddles. She tossed one to Luc and secured the other to Koi.
“This should last you to Pasheen.” Catia patted Koi’s chest, then headed back for the door. “Good luck with your travels. The quinats will know what to do when you release them. Remember, the bond is what lets you ride them. Without it, they’ll knock you right off, and maybe try to trample you for good measure.”
Samantha didn’t want to move and upset Koi, who might have fallen asleep judging by the odd whistling noise coming out of her. “Thank you again. We’ll take good care of them.”
Catia laughed. “You’d be better off taking good care of each other. The quinats are a sturdy bunch.” With a wave, she let the door slam closed behind her.
Luc leaned against the pillar next to him and let his eyes roam over her. “Would you like me to take care of you, love?”
For the second time, Samantha’s retort was interrupted by strange voices. Her eyes widened as they came closer. “Luc, get over here.”
She led Koi into the farthest stall and hunched down behind the half wall, where Luc and his bored-looking mount joined them. The quinats chirped a greeting to each other, then both set about eating the straw suspended in buckets along the wall.
The door creaked open, and two sets of footsteps shuffled into the stable. If those people came this direction, their hiding spot wouldn’t be hiding much.
“I thought I saw Catia come in here, but it looks empty.” The voice belonged to a woman, directed away from them.
Samantha started to ease up to get a look, but Luc grabbed her shoulder. She opened her mouth, not sure what she intended to say, but he shook his head slightly.
A man’s voice drew her attention away from Luc. “What’s the rush? You see her every day, anyway.”
The woman sighed. “The magic around the doorway changed again, and I wanted her to go out and get some new readings. I’m telling you, something weird is happening to the realms. My cousin told me about a crop of new matings recently and how her friend suddenly had access to a lot more power than usual.”
The door creaked again, and their footsteps retreated while the man scoffed. “Who cares? You know matings come in waves. And one person who could be exaggerating? If you want new magic, let me tell you about what happened at the challenge ring…”
Their voices faded away as soon as the door closed. Luc’s hand had shifted around to the back of her neck while she’d been listening, leaving a trail of tingling skin in its wake. Samantha waited in the silence for a few more beats, then relaxed and met Luc’s gaze.
He smiled reassuringly then planted a hard kiss on her before standing. “Let’s get out of here before anyone else comes looking for our fairy godmother.”
Samantha swallowed hard and nodded. She could never guess from one moment to the next what Luc would do to torment her. He’d backed off that morning, but it hadn’t taken long for him to resume his usual disdain for her personal bubble. The heat from his kiss spread through her blood, igniting nerve endings she’d hoped to ignore for the time being.
She led Koi out the opening in the back past the other quinats milling about and into the woods. They still needed to make the bond before they could ride. Luc followed behind her. In only a few steps, they’d crossed the trail and entered the forest without encountering any other villagers.
Samantha felt his eyes on her and forced herself not to respond outwardly, but her mind was still caught on the press of his mouth against hers. If he could affect her so strongly with a something as simple as that kiss, she was in a lot more trouble than she’d thought.
8
SAMANTHA
Samantha stopped far enough into the forest that she couldn’t see the village any more. Koi seemed content to let her lead, but as soon as she stopped moving, the sassy bird squawked and danced around at the edge of the reins.
“Why do the clans always have to resort to bonds to do their magic? Sigils are cleaner and don’t come with the prospect of permanence.”
Luc led his quinat past her. “Perhaps they enjoy the permanence. Then again, I’d expect a people that essentially lived forever to be flightier.”
Koi pushed against Samantha, almost knocking her into Luc. “What do you mean?”
“Immortality gets boring after a while. At least in Terra, the humans are always doing something interesting. I’d wager not much changes here.”
Samantha patted Koi’s neck. He sounded as if he spoke from experience, and it made her wonder if his obsession with harassing her stemmed from boredom. “People say the same thing about small towns in Terra, but the residents probably don’t consider their lives boring.”
He tipped his head. “A good point, especially as I’ve met Keely, who claims to have grown up in a small town. I may visit one day; her family’s imp intrigues me.”
She bristled at his mention of her friends. Keely may not be under her protection anymore, but Samantha cared about the girl a great deal. Luc’s admiring tone didn’t help either. Keely had probably already invited him.
“I wasn’t aware you and Keely were that close.” Her voice sounded stiff, even to herself, and Luc’s amused gaze found hers over his quinat’s neck.
“Jealous, love?”
Samantha tapped her fingers against her thigh as she considered. Seth would dismember Luc and scatter his pieces across the realms if there were any chance at all of Keely being charmed.
“Not jealous of Keely, no.” Jealous of his fascination with the imp? A little. Or maybe it wasn’t jealousy so much as fear that his interest had waned. Like he’d said, immortality was boring, and she’d been the shiny new thing.
But since she’d stupidly let Luc get close a few months ago, he’d continued to surprise her with his depth and his persistence. At some point, she’d gotten used to being the center of his attention. What a dangerous habit to have developed.
Luc stepped around his quinat and lifted her chin. She hadn’t even noticed she’d been staring at the ground. “What you do to me is a world beyond intrigue.”
Samantha’s heart stuttered at his reassurance. She needed to add perceptive to his list of attributes. Also, arrogant, but she was pretty sure she’d already added that one a few times. That didn’t stop her from wondering what it would be like to indulge, to live the fantasy promised in his eyes.
Koi squawked, breaking the moment, and Samantha jerked her head out of Luc’s grip. “Pretty words for the woman you’re stuck with in a different realm.”
He stepped back, grabbing his reins. “That doesn’t make them untrue.”
Might as well be. Samantha tried to dismiss his comment, but it held fast. She’d never been as immune to him as she’d wanted him to think. Magic buzzed from his direction, and he climbed onto his quinat. Samantha searched her mind for a safe distraction.
“You should name her.”
Luc frowned. “Why?”
“Why
not? I thought you liked giving out nicknames.”
He chuckled and patted the bird’s neck. “I dub thee Sherlock.”
Samantha rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You can’t call your female bird Sherlock.”
“Well, who decided that Sherlock had to be a male name? And why are you adhering to gender-based naming traditions?”
“I’m…” She shook her head. “Nevermind. Call her whatever you want.”
Samantha turned her back on his grin so she could focus. His antics had reminded her of why she often wanted to smother him with a pillow. But only once she’d gotten him naked and had her wicked way with him. Then the smothering.
Koi stood waiting patiently for once, as if she could tell Samantha needed a second of peace to calm her racing blood. Hell, maybe she did. The quiet movements of Luc and Sherlock—Samantha rolled her eyes once, then let it go—reminded her that Luc had completed the bond on the first try. Determined not to let him show her up, Samantha blocked out their noise and the shivery feel of Luc’s eyes on her.
Creating the bond with Koi proved to be simple. The quinat had been reaching out since the stable, so all Samantha had to do was accept. The light connection allowed her to communicate empathically. The birds didn’t understand words, but feelings and images seemed to work just fine.
The saddles didn’t have any stirrups, so she heaved herself onto Koi and swung her leg over. Koi cocked her head and watched, but at least she stood still. Once seated, she turned the bird toward Luc.
He inclined his head in a mock bow and clicked at Sherlock. The bird took off at a trot—did birds trot?—and Koi followed.
Having never ridden a bird before, she’d expected a jolting stride. Instead, Koi’s movement reminded her of gentle waves on the ocean. The blur of the trees and the wind in her hair indicated a high speed, but she only swayed back and forth a little with the motion.
Samantha glared at Luc’s back as the quinats ran, frustrated but unsure why she felt put out. He’d given her an honest answer about his feelings, and she’d been the one to push for him to name his bird. Why did it feel like he’d won that battle?
