Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Tempest

Tempest had a new appreciation for the notion of silence after three days of traveling with Brine. With every step, the Dread Mountains to the northeast grew larger—as foreboding as their name suggested—and, by the end of the third day, she was overwhelmed by the sheer size of them.

She shifted on her mount, and the horse nickered softly. "I know, I know. It's hard not to wiggle," she muttered. In the beginning, she'd been thankful that Brine had procured a horse for her. Her legs had turned to jelly, and she just couldn't keep up with the wolf's stamina—which he liked to complain about—even though she was in excellent shape. What she hadn't counted on was Brine acquiring a shifter horse. In fact, it was the bloody one she'd ridden into the forest the first time she trespassed into the woods.

Swiftly. An unoriginal name to be sure.

Luckily, she'd been spared most of the awkwardness. Swiftly didn't shift into human form, not even to greet them. Instead, he had snuffled through Tempest's bag until he found her stash of dried apple slices she had forgotten all about. They hadn't been on the best of terms last time they met, so Tempest was more than willing to sacrifice her apples if that meant he wouldn't buck her off and make the rest of her journey smooth.

She ran her hand along his glossy, midnight neck. He nickered softly, and she smiled. They'd become fast friends, and all it cost her was a few treats. Even though Swiftly was as silent as Brine, his quiet seemed more companionable and easy-going. The late afternoon sunshine slanted through the forest at the base of the Dread Mountains.

"You know, I like you better this way," she murmured to the horse, stroking his mane.

Swiftly whinnied, and she giggled.

Brine clucked his tongue, his expression one of utter distaste. "So easily won over, Swiftly. Do not forget who she is."

Sweet poison. This again .

"Considering how you all attacked me earlier this year, I doubt he does," Tempest fired back, though there was no genuine anger behind her retort.

She and Brine had formed an uneasy alliance during their three-day journey so far. While they could hardly be considered friends, nor even acquaintances, she no longer considered themselves strictly enemies. It had been tough, but she had kept up with his brutal, unforgiving pace without complaint and, in turn, Brine had limited his threats and insults.

It was progress… no matter how small it was.

She eyed Brine as he prowled through the trees, his ears perking every time he heard something she couldn't. "Why are you so on edge, Brine?" Tempest asked after a short while of observing the wolf shifter from her vantage point on Swiftly's back. The wolf's mannerisms were stressing her out. She forced herself to release her tight hold on the reins and muttered a quick apology to Swiftly.

The wolf froze and glanced back at her, his ears pricked up to attention. "Hush." He sniffed the air, turning from her to investigate the left side of the narrow path they were following. His gray eyes moved to her face, and his lips thinned. "There's something—someone—nearby. But I don't…" Brine trailed off, which only served to unnerve her.

She frowned and pulled her bow from her shoulder at a rumbling sound that set her teeth on edge. No, it wasn't a rumble… more like a bone-rattling roar. She scanned the trees around them, trying to find the source of the sound. Brine ran to a gap in the trees and glanced at the sky. Tempest urged Swiftly ahead and followed the wolf's gaze. She stiffened, and her heart began to race. It couldn't be.

"A dragon," she breathed, equally terrified and in awe. The dragon roared again and disappeared from sight. It was a bloody dragon. She wasn't prepared to take on a dragon. Her arrows would just bounce off its scales like a child's toy. "Have you ever—"

The whistle of an arrow passed her ear. Tempest's attention snapped from the sky to the forest, and she held her bow higher. Dragons didn't wield bows. People did. A dark smile curled her lips. She was ready for people.

Brine partly shifted, his claws lengthening from his fingertips. The dragon called again, and it was as if it was right above them. The sound rattled her teeth. She glanced at the wolf and spotted a shadowy figure just as it leapt from the trees.

"Get down, Brine!" Tempest yelled, firing her arrow at the shadowy figure who was getting ready to impale the wolf shifter with his sword.

Brine ducked, and her arrow struck true. She didn't spare them much attention as they collapsed to their knees and then crashed to the forest floor.

Tempest released an embarrassing squeak when she swiveled, and another figure bore down on her. There wasn't enough time to ready another arrow. Swiftly sidestepped and then bucked, striking his back hooves against the assailant's chest. She winced at the sickening crack and tumbled over Swiftly's head. She groaned and rolled out of the way. That hurt.

"A warning next time," she wheezed.

Swiftly tossed his head and whinnied loudly.

"He needs to shift," Brine said, his words more of a growl.

Tempest stood just as the horse became a man. He snatched a dagger from her waist and threw it over her head. A dull thud sounded behind her, followed by a scream. She yanked her other dagger from her hip and handed it to the tall, lanky man with shaggy black hair. He flashed her a smile with very straight, square, beige teeth. She grinned back and let another arrow loose as Brine loped after one of their attackers.

Another dropped from the trees. And, so, it went on. She kept shooting until Swiftly cried out. Tempest spun on her heel and nocked another arrow just as another assailant pulled a dagger from the horse man's back before landing a blow to his head. Swiftly was unconscious when he hit the ground, his assailant following behind him, but in a more permanent sleep.

"Swiftly!" Tempest yelled, moving to his side. She touched her fingers to the base of his throat. He still had a pulse, but they would need to bandage his wound. Brine jogged back into the meadow a bloody mess. "Who are they?"

"Bandits," he grunted. "Three more. We can handle them!"

A surge of pride moved through her at the statement. She wiped the sweat from her eyes as a small, male bandit charged at her and maneuvered herself away from Swiftly. She danced around the bandit and used the tip of her bow to swipe his feet out from under him. He growled and rolled onto his belly to get up. Tempest darted in and slammed her bow into the back of his head twice. He slumped into the foliage. He didn't get up.

The dragon cried again so loudly that her ears rang. Her eyes widened. Wicked hell. It was right above them. The world seemed to slow as a gargantuan, emerald shape descended upon them, blocking the sun and causing Tempest to shiver.

"Fall back!" she yelled. It couldn't navigate through the trees.

Brine let out a snarl of surprise that made her blood curdle. Across the glen, he limped toward one of the two remaining assailants, a dagger lodged in his calf and another protruding from his left shoulder blade.

Tempest's eyes watered as leaves and debris filled the air as the dragon tried to land. They were all going to die.

The dragon crushed several trees as it finally landed. It was as if they were twigs. Tempest faltered, and took a step away from the fight, then another and another. A wise soldier knew when to retreat. Now was the time. She took another step then halted, her fingers clenching around the bow.

"No!" she cried, shaking her head, ashamed. Brine needed her help. She left no one behind. Swiftly was defenseless, but Brine's condition was deteriorating; if she didn't stay to help, both of them would die. And they didn't deserve it. They were not the Jester .

She turned on her heel and sprinted back into the fray. Screaming, she caught the female bandit's attention. The woman smiled, revealing rotting, yellowed teeth as she swung her short sword and raced to meet Tempest. Tempest dropped her bow and pulled her sword from the scabbard. The woman swung, and Tempest dropped to her knees, skidding over the wet plants beneath the woman's guard and slicing the bandit's Achilles tendon. The woman howled and dropped to the ground.

Tempest launched to her feet and kept going. Brine faced her, and his eyes widened just as her cloak snagged on something. She choked as the metal clasp dug into her throat. She spun, lifting her sword.

And everything just stopped.

She couldn't even breathe as she came face-to-muzzle with the dragon.

The beast puffed out a metallic breath, blowing the hood from her head. This was how she died. Her periwinkle hair blew across her eyes, but she never took her gaze from the beast. She held up her sword, at a loss for what else to do. Running wasn't an option. Her sword could not pierce its hide. A hysterical laugh built up in her chest. Oh, how the bards would sing about the female lion slayer who was eaten by a dragon.

The beast didn't attack. She tucked her chin and glared at it. "What are you waiting for?" she screamed. Not her finest moment, taunting a dragon, but she didn't want to draw this out further than need be. Already, her legs were beginning to shake.

The beast huffed and stretched its sinuous neck until the edge of Tempest's sword was but an inch from its snout. She'd never seen something more terrifying or glorious. "You're beautiful," she whispered.

"Step aside, maiden," it— he —said, in a slithering voice that Tempest felt slide down her entire body. She jerked. Had the dragon just spoken? "Let me claim my prey."

Tempest staunchly refused, shaking her head and holding her sword a little firmer, her hands slick with sweat. The creature had spoken . Words. Human words. She blinked. The only conscious ones left in the glen were Brine and herself.

She swallowed hard. "We have felled most of the team, it seems. Let us be."

The dragon chuckled; a rumble that started deep in his chest and caused the forest floor to vibrate beneath her boots. "You are a brave one. Or foolish. Likely both." He tilted his huge, reptilian head to the side, regarding Tempest intently with his terrifying eyes. "Such remarkable hair. Quite beautiful. Unique. Rare. I like rare things."

Get in line . She kept those thoughts to herself. "We meant no trespass on your territory."

"So I am sure, and yet you are here," the dragon crooned. "You must pay a toll for stealing my prey. What payment can you offer me, lovely?"

Tempest faltered for a moment. All she had of any value was her Hound ring. While she didn't want to rid herself of it, it would be useless to her if she was dead. She held her hand out without taking her eyes off the monster in front of her, the silver ring dull in the fading light.

If the dragon had eyebrows, they would have risen. It was clear he wasn't impressed. "You can do better than that, I think."

"I—" Tempest began, frowning. She didn't own anything else. A lock of periwinkle hair crossed her face in the breeze. She fingered the lock and then eyed the dragon. He seemed pretty enamored with her wild mane. "My hair?"

The shift in the dragon's attitude changed immediately; his stance relaxed, and the stiff lips around his teeth lifted. She blanched. He's trying to smile . But it was the most terrifying thing she'd ever beheld. He is intrigued. Although scared out of her wits, she managed to slap a smile on her face.

"If my hair is enough, take it," she continued, "only swear to me that you will not harm us if I pay your price."

The dragon huffed a breath. "I pledge not to attack you or your party. Satisfied?"

Tempest nodded, though she didn't lower her sword. Then, in a flash of sunlight upon wicked teeth, the dragon disappeared to be replaced by a man. She took a step backward and blinked slowly. "What the bloody hell?" she muttered under her breath.

He was massive—bigger even than Madrid and Briggs. He smiled, revealing wicked-looking canines, and brushed wavy, dark-green hair from his face, his eyes twinkling. She didn't even have the decency to blush at his nudity. She was too scared. However, the faint pattern of scales along his pale skin intrigued her.

Curiosity killed the cat…

She studied the strange, terrifying man in front of her and slashed at him when he lunged for her. Tempest gasped when he grabbed the blade of her sword and yanked it out of her hand, tossing it aside as if it were a child's toy. Her finger moved to the blade at her thigh as he yanked her into his arms. She pressed the blade beneath the dragon's crotch, expecting him to flinch away.

He didn't .

Instead, the green-haired dragon shifter grinned a smile full of fangs and lowered his head toward Tempest's ear.

"I do enjoy a fiery female," he whispered. "It has been quite some time since a member of your species has intrigued me enough for me to change form."

"Take my hair and leave us be," Tempest said, ignoring his compliment. She could not lose her nerve—not now.

"Hmm," the man said. "As you wish."

She expected him to chop it all off, to leave her with nothing. But when he raised a talon to her head, he cut just one lock of hair from beneath her right ear.

Tempest arched a brow. "That's it?"

"For now." He smiled again, displaying all his frightening teeth. "Come home with me, lovely. I can assure you my lair is more than comfortable for a human. I have many a shiny, pretty things to entice a woman."

"I think you'll find such things do not appeal to me," Tempest said, keeping her voice soft and even, despite the fact her insides were shaking. "I am not so easily won over. Please release me." She pressed her blade a little tighter against his crotch to emphasize her point.

The man shook his head in apparent dismay, though he chuckled. "I have no doubt of that. But you would be well-cared for. You would want and desire for nothing."

"And what would I be to you ?" she countered, humoring the strange creature for a moment.

"My treasure. My plaything."

Tempest curled her lip in disgust. "I am no man's plaything."

"And I am no man ."

With deft movements, he pulled the blade away from between his legs, grabbing Tempest's wrist and pulling it to his lips. He kissed the delicate skin there, surprisingly gently, though the kiss still hurt her.

It burned.

She managed to keep her expression bland and not flinch as the unsettling sensation trickled up her arm. When the dragon let her go, she brought her wrist up to inspect it, but there was nothing there. It was smooth and unblemished as it had been before.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Just a little something to remember me by," the shifter said. He eyed her once more before releasing her and turning his back to her, his body already beginning to morph. "I will see you soon, my lovely." He said the words with certainty.

"I hope not," she muttered when he fully transformed. Tempest covered her eyes with her arm as he leapt into the air, once again stirring up debris. She gaped at his rising form. Did that just happen?

Woodenly, she looked at her wrist, to Swiftly, and then to Brine who lay face-first in the meadow.

Just what had just happened?