8. Time for Me to Strangle Nylian

Chapter 8

Time for Me to Strangle Nylian

Hiking through the woods to something that resembled a road sucked.

Had I complained about riding a horse recently?

I took it all back. Every single derogatory word. Horses were great. They were beautiful, magnificent beasts that generously carried me from one place to the next at a brisk speed.

This walking was tedious.

Of course, the things hiding in the woods trying to kill us made the walking worse. The ogres hadn't made a reappearance, but those first couple of days we'd run into wild boars who hadn't cared for us moving through their territory, as well as bears, goblins, and what Nylian had reassured me were orcs. We didn't stick around long enough to spot them. Hearing them from a distance was enough.

While Adeline threatened to sic her brother on them and shrink all the orcs down to squirrels, I wasn't too confident that Jasper had control of that spell. I didn't want to risk becoming squirrel-sized as well.

It wasn't just the boredom from walking or the exhaustion that was getting to me. Nylian had begun acting strange almost from the start of adding Jasper and Adeline to our group. It was as if the man didn't want me talking to Jasper. Was he afraid I was going to get into magic and try casting spells myself? Not likely.

Occasionally, the elf would run ahead to scout the route and make sure we didn't need to take a detour past any troublesome areas. When he would return, I would be swapping stories with Jasper. Each time, the elf would insert himself into our conversation and intentionally chase Jasper off to walk with his sister.

I didn't dare talk to Adeline more than necessary. Soon, Nylian and Adeline would fall for each other, and I didn't want to risk getting caught up in that mess.

I wasn't sure how that was going to happen, though. Adeline and Nylian barely spoke more than a few words and were never alone together. As much as I hated to do it, it was time for me to step in. Those two needed to be well on the road to love before reaching Riverhold. Because if they weren't, they would go their separate ways without a backward glance. We would also need to cough up the money we owed the thief-mercenary.

Besides, I wasn't letting this elf screw up my book more than he already had. He was supposed to have a harem that loved and supported him on this difficult road. What did he have now? A neurotic, useless author who was good at walking into trees. That was not enough.

Of course, I enjoyed the conversations I had with Nylian. He had a dry, sharp wit that always took me by surprise each time it sneaked into his tales. While he was still careful to avoid giving details about his life as a prince, he shared some interesting adventures he'd had with his brother. There wasn't much I could share about my life, but he seemed to enjoy stories about Georgie and her girlfriend, Jack.

As the third day wore on, we called an early halt when he located a flat spot to make camp near a winding stream. I was getting pretty good at helping to set up camp—though considering our nonexistent supplies, setting up camp came down to finding some firewood and removing some rocks from the area so their sharp edges weren't digging into my spine as I slept. If we were out of food, Adeline or Nylian would head off to find or kill something to fill our bellies.

Nylian and Jasper had attempted to give me lessons in cleaning and skinning the rabbits or fowl they caught. I'd thrown up both times, so they gave up on trying to teach me that and let me take over the cooking and firewood fetching.

"Why don't you and Adeline go hunting this time? Work together," I suggested after we agreed on a location.

"Why?" Nylian demanded, his eyes narrowing on my face.

I gulped. I should have been ready for that question, but I wasn't. "Because…"

"Because hunting is hard work, and hard work shared between two people is completed even faster," Jasper chimed in. Sometimes, I loved that kid. He stepped up beside me, the chain on his grimoire jangling softly. "Besides, with the two of you working together, you can kill something bigger, like a deer. With that much meat, we could save some for the next day. Take a break from all the hunting and such."

Oh, I liked that idea. I was tired of an all-meat diet, though. I'd kill for some vegetables. Even another one of Jasper's crappy biscuits, but he was all out of flour. At this point, I was praying we'd run across a farm where we could buy a few vegetables or some fruit from a farmer.

"You want something different?" Adeline demanded. "How about we make this a competition? Jasper and me will head into the forest and hunt up something to eat. You and the elf catch something from the stream. Best catch of the night means best hunters."

"What? No!" This wasn't what I wanted. Why was this woman so determined to mess up my plans? "How about me and Jasper fish and you and Nylian hunt?"

Adeline crossed her arms over his stomach and frowned. "No way. Jasper can't swim." Even Jasper seemed to pale at the mention of fishing in the stream.

"It's not that deep. I'm sure he'd be fine," I argued. I couldn't let go of this chance to give Nylian and Adeline some time alone.

The thief sighed as if I were the densest thing in the forest. "You don't know Jasper. He'd drown in a puddle if you weren't watching over him closely."

"I—"

"No, I like her division of the teams best," Nylian declared, cutting off my argument. "We must meet at the camp at sunset to present our catches."

That was all Adeline needed to hear. She gave Jasper's sleeve a tug, and they were off into the woods, leaving me alone with Nylian for the first time since we'd escaped the ogres.

Now that I was looking at the stream, though, I had to wonder how the hell we were going to catch anything without fishing poles, hooks, and bait. As Adeline and her brother headed off in one direction, Nylian drew his sword and walked into the forest in another direction.

Groaning to myself, I followed the elf. Someone needed to. He was only going to find trouble if left alone.

"How are we supposed to catch fish without poles and bait?" I asked as I trailed after him.

The elf said nothing as he gazed up at the trees. He ambled through the forest, inspecting the trees, before swinging his sword to bring down a sturdy branch about an inch in diameter. He picked up the branch and thrust it at me. "Remove the extraneous branches and the bark; then sharpen the tip to a point. We're spearfishing." He finished with a smile that had its own bite. He was not happy with me.

"Okay," I drawled out, staring at him for an extra second. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Well, that was too short and clearly meant yes.

"Why are you mad at me?" I pressed.

Nylian's sword slashed through another branch with a great whoosh, and I winced. Probably not a good idea to poke at someone who was skilled at wielding a sword.

He jerked the new spear from the brush and stomped to the camp, his lips in a hard, thin line. "Are you disappointed to be stuck with me as your teammate?"

"What?" I croaked as I watched him pass me. That was out of left fucking field. What the hell was he talking about? I jogged to catch up with him and plopped on the ground beside him as we both worked on our spears.

Nylian didn't lift his gaze from his spear as he worked his dagger along the pole, deftly removing the bark to get it to the smooth, bare wood. "You wanted to stay behind with Jasper. Is he your type?"

My knife slipped off the branch at his question, and I almost lost a finger. When my heart stopped racing, I drove the point of my blade into the dirt. It was safer to have this conversation without a sharp edge to eviscerate myself.

"Where the fuck did you get that? No, Jasper isn't my type! Have you lost your mind?"

Nylian paused, his eyes not lifting to look at me, but the muscles in his jaw worked as if he were chewing on my words. "But you walk with him and have humorous conversations with him. You tried to hunt alone with him. Why not Adeline? Or me?"

A loud moan broke from my throat, and I dropped my face into my hand. "I'm not trying to get time alone with Jasper." Lifting my head, I leaned in close to Nylian, who was watching me. "I'm trying to give you time alone with Adeline ."

"Why?"

Seriously? You had to be fucking kidding me. Did I really create a character so lost when it came to love? This couldn't be the hero with a massive harem that I'd sketched out.

"Because she's an attractive, smart, brave woman. She knows how to fight, and she'd be great on an adventure like this. I thought you might want to…" I let the rest of that sentence drift off, praying that he wasn't a total lost cause and understood what I was getting at.

He wasn't, and he did.

"She's not my type," Nylian announced, returning to working on his spear.

I was going to strangle him, story be damned. It didn't matter if I was stuck in his world forever. I was going to strangle Nylian.

"What?" I screamed in his ear. "How is she not your type? She's the perfect type for you. Adeline is sexy and funny. She can probably ride a horse and kill things a hell of a lot better than most people."

For the first time since we'd sat, Nylian's expression softened and a small smile even teased the corner of his mouth. There was a twinkle in his green eyes, as though something amused him. Not that I could figure out what the fuck it was.

"There is more to a person's type than horseback riding and killing things," Nylian stated.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what things attracted him, but I let it go. "Are you sure you're not interested in Adeline? Not even a tiny bit?"

"Not at all." He paused and looked at me from the corner of his eye. "And you're not interested in her?"

I huffed and picked up my knife again, resuming my work on the spear. If I wanted to have fish for dinner tonight, I needed to get this done. "Nope. Not in the slightest."

While it was reassuring that Nylian wouldn't kill me if I made a move on "his" woman, I still didn't have any interest in Adeline. Sure, she was hot and funny, but I was also afraid of her. I didn't think I could sleep with someone who I was afraid would one day kill me. She was someone I would have liked to have as a friend, so long as I didn't owe her money.

"And you're not interested in Jasper?"

With a snarl, I waved the point of my knife at Nylian's face, forcing a cackle from him. "No, I'm not interested in Jasper. Oh, my fucking God! He's a teenager." Time for a subject change or one of us was going to end up bleeding. "All right, enough of this nonsense talk. How are we supposed to catch fish like this? Have you done spearfishing?"

"I have."

Nylian finished making a nice sharp point on the end of his makeshift spear and set it aside. He then stripped off his boots and socks before rolling up his pants to his knees. Now, I was not into men or feet, but I had to admit the guy had some nice feet. Just the right amount of vein-y. Good, strong-looking feet while his calves had a sprinkling of pale-blond hair.

I tore my gaze away and focused on whittling the end of my spear while smacking my brain. What the hell was I doing checking out his feet? I was losing my mind. Definitely not one of my saner days. It had to be Nylian's fault. The elf was driving me crazy with his silliness.

He sat quietly at my side as I finished preparing my spear and removed the same garments as he did. Spears in hand, we waded out into the stream. The water was bitingly cold, squeezing a yelp out from my lips, but it was also kind of refreshing. The last couple of days had been warm, and I was feeling gritty from the dried sweat and road dust.

Sunlight sparkled across the stunningly clear water, revealing colored rocks under my feet and silver, blue, brown, and red fish as they darted past. A breeze danced through the valley, rustling my hair and carrying with it the scent of wildflowers. For a second, I balanced my spear across my shoulders and tipped my face up toward the sky, drinking in deep the clean air and the peace of the day. The only sounds were birdsong, the lap of the water against the bank, and the wind through the trees. No cars rushing by. No people on their cell phones. Nothing but nature.

"Lockhart? Are you okay?" Nylian called.

I grinned and stared at him across the stream. "Everything is great. Enjoying the day. Prior to running into you, I didn't get out like this much." The words escaped my mouth before I thought about it and I froze, waiting for him to question me about my faulty memory, but he just smiled at me, letting the comment glide down the stream.

"Ready to learn how to spearfish?"

"Please, teach me, oh wise one," I teased, bowing to him.

The elf smirked as he turned his attention to the water. "The first step is to stand quietly in the water. Don't move. Do nothing to disturb the water or the rocks. Allow the fish to become acclimated to your presence."

"Got it. Let your feet go numb in the cold water."

"Stand quietly ," he reminded me, but there was a hint of a twist on his lips. "When the fish draw close to you at last, you must quickly choose one, take aim, and stab it. Remember that the water bends the image of the fish, placing it at a slightly different location than you perceive. Aim for the largest part of the fish."

As he finished speaking, he stabbed at an angle a few feet away from where he stood. When pulled the spear out of the water, a long silver fish wildly thrashed its tail on the end.

"Okay, showoff. You made that look way too easy."

For the first time, Nylian's smile was wide and full of pride. "Maybe a little. Orian and I used to do this during the summer when we could escape the…escape our lessons," he corrected himself, his joy dimming. He pulled the fish off the end and chucked it onto the bank, where it couldn't flop into the water.

"Well, let's see what kind of teacher you are."

"I am an excellent teacher. I am more worried about the student."

" Pfft …whatever."

"Lockhart, please remember to not hit your own foot."

I opened my mouth to argue with him, but closed it with a click of my teeth. As much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right. With my luck, I would stab myself in the foot.

But I was also right. He made this seem way easier than it was. The fish were ridiculously fast, and my aim was horrible. Nylian caught three more fish before I came close to my first.

"So…if Adeline and Jasper aren't your type…" Nylian began, breaking the silence that had settled comfortably between us. His words caught me so off guard that I overextended my aim and almost fell over in the water. I splashed along, scaring all the fish and catching my balance only when the stream was now above my knees.

I glared at him, water dripping from the tip of my nose and spattering across my clothes. The bastard had the audacity to catch yet another fish despite the noise I was making. He glanced up at me and grinned as he pulled the poor thing off his spear.

"Sometimes, I think you're trying to kill me," I muttered. As I got into a comfortable stance while ignoring my wet pants, I stared at the darting fish, waiting for my opening. "I don't want to talk about my type. Why don't you tell me about your type?"

This was a question I should know the answer to, but this could be helpful. Maybe what I put in my notes and what was on the page were wildly different and I hadn't realized it yet.

He should say, I don't have a type.

"I'm most drawn to genuine people. Interesting people. Brave people who don't care about the opinions of others."

What?!?

This wasn't right. Not at all. I mean, it was a damn good answer, but it wasn't what I'd been expecting.

"I grew up surrounded by phony people who were only concerned for their own well-being and what my family could give them. It's rare for me to meet people who want nothing from me. Who want to be near me because they like me, not what I can do for them," Nylian continued, his words squeezing my heart.

"That must suck," I murmured without thinking, my brain too busy comparing his words to the list of women he was supposed to put in his harem. Mercy fit that description perfectly. Were things messed up because I'd interfered and kept him from meeting her first?

"But then, I also have a weakness for dark-haired men with a sense of humor and humility. Who are willing to laugh at themselves and stick their neck out for another despite the odds being against them."

"What?" I screeched. My brain stopped taking in information after it heard "dark-haired men. " The rest was a blur of racing heart and panic.

I spun too quickly to face him, and the rock I had my left foot balanced on gave way. Tumbling and stumbling, I attempted to catch my balance as my arms flailed madly in the air. My spear had gone flying without ever piercing fish scales and was long gone downstream.

Nylian saw the danger I was in and jumped over to save me, one hand extended. I grabbed it before he could plant his feet, and we both went over into the water with a large, icy splash. The stream closed in over my head while the bitter cold bit into every piece of flesh and the air rushed out of my lungs in a burst of bubbles.

We surfaced together, but the elf moved faster. The rushing water was attempting to sweep us away. Nylian wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in tight against him while he planted the spear still in his other hand into the rocky bed, halting our progress long enough to get our feet under us.

"Are you okay?" Nylian panted.

"Are you gay?" I shouted into his face, making the elf laugh.

Fuck, the man had reduced my brain to tiny, useless shards.

There was the most wonderfully playful expression on his face. All his golden-blond hair was swept back and sticking to his head, giving me a clear view of those enormous green eyes. Drops of water clung to his long eyelashes and glistened in the light while more speckled his high cheekbones like diamonds. My hands were braced on his strong shoulders, and I couldn't bring myself to release him. It was as if I'd lost all control of my body.

"I am attracted to men and women. Do you find that strange?" Nylian inquired.

"No! Of course not!" I barely stopped myself from announcing that some of my best friends were gay. Really. Could I be more of an idiot? I just didn't know what to say. All the people I'd had lined up for his harem were women. How was he bisexual? Or pansexual?

My brain was still frantically trying to digest this information when Nylian's face dipped closer to my own, snapping me out of my revery. "Does it bother you that I am attracted to men?"

"No! Nope! Perfectly fine with it. Doesn't bother me."

"And you? Are you?—"

"Women!" I bellowed. When I got control of my voice, I repeated in a normal, non-crazy-person tone, "Just attracted to women."

Nylian's lips spread into a slow, wicked grin that kicked my heart into overdrive for reasons I couldn't begin to explain. I couldn't look away from his mouth. It was hypnotic. My eyes refused to be torn away as I watched them form each sound. "Are you sure about that?"

My fingers tightened on Nylian's shoulders, digging into hard muscle while his arm around my waist drew me in even closer. I didn't know what was happening. There wasn't a clear thought in my head. Only Nylian and those perfect lips smiling at me.

Was I sure about that?

A loud burst of laughter echoed from the shore, jerking me out of my trance. Our heads snapped up to see Adeline standing on the bank, holding her stomach as she cackled.

"Can't say I've ever seen fishing like that!" she shouted.

Nylian's eyes narrowed, and his warm look disappeared in a flash. Even the muscles in his jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together. For the first time since we'd joined up with Adeline and Jasper, I was worried Adeline wouldn't survive the night.