Page 9

When I was clean,I braided my hair messily. The chains I’d worn had never let me reach back far enough to do my hair, but Akari had taught me to braid before we went our separate ways.

Not seeing a reason to put my slip dress back on (I couldn’t have cared less about modesty after the life I’d lived), I cleaned the bloody spots in the river and then carried it by a strap so I wouldn’t get it dirty.

After finding a somewhat large clearing, with a view of the city’s walls and the castle protruding above it, I hung my dress on a branch and sat down on a large rock, trying not to shiver as the cold seeped into my legs through the rock and the icy breeze that blew through the trees.

Staring out at the castle, I almost regretted turning the king’s offer down.

Although, he wanted to use me to kill his brothers. And that made me regret it a lot less.

A few branches cracked a small distance in front of me, and some bushes parted enough to let a tall, strong man followed by his monstrous friend into the clearing.

The king, and Jesh.

They were both carrying massive bags on their backs, and had gigantic packs of what looked like some kind of poles and stakes in their hands.

And I was definitely still only wearing my underclothes. Which would’ve bothered me, had I not been chained in a small room wearing nearly nothing for so much of my life.

“What are you doing?” I asked the king, standing up. I itched to grab the golden dagger, but I’d lost it in the throne room.

“Setting up a tent.” He flashed me a grin. “You didn’t think I was going to listen to you, did you?”

Gratitude and annoyance both warred within me.

“Get used to it. The bastard doesn’t listen to anyone,” Jesh grumbled, setting his pack of poles down. “You tell him not to do something stupid, and what does he do? Something stupid.”

“Like insisting on setting up a tent for a woman who tells him she’s not interested?” I drawled.

Jesh gestured toward me. “Exactly. Exactly like this.”

“I take care of my own. That’s responsibility, not stupidity,” the king drawled back, setting his own things down next to the ones Jesh had already dropped. He looked at me, then focused on Jesh. “I’ll be back with the food and bedding. Keep an eye on my salvation, would you?” He flashed a grin my way before striding back into the forest.

“Was he talking about me?”

“Mmhm. You did save his life, though you were too young to realize you were doing it.” Jesh grabbed the first bundle of poles, and began unwrapping them, spreading them out.

“I told him I wanted to be alone.”

“As I said, being a king doesn’t exactly lead one to learn how to listen. Add that to the debt he feels that he owes you, I don’t think you’ll be rid of Namir any time soon.”

“Namir?”

“The king’s name.” Jesh nodded in the direction he had headed.

“Is he always so…” I trailed off, not having a word for what I was trying to say.

“Positive? Insistent? Stubborn? Yes to all three.”

Damn.

I watched Jesh start to set up the tent, my eyes following the massive man. I’d never been attracted to anyone before—my captors and torturers had been far from desirable to me. But I found my gaze following the movements of the man’s arms, watching the way he worked.

“I don’t think I got your name,” Jesh remarked, as he continued.

“I don’t think you did,” I agreed.

He flashed me a smirk, but didn’t argue.

“Is the woman you were with the king’s lover?” I asked, after a few minutes of silence.