Page 7

Chapter 7

Everyone Gets a Look

R aewyn

Dardick Creegan was riding in on the main thoroughfare toward the village, no doubt returning from a night of revelry at a pleasure house.

“Oh no,” I said, dropping my forehead to Pharis’ back.

The very last person I needed to run into on my way into the village was Dardick. The only thing larger than his ego was his mouth, and he would delight in telling the whole village he’d seen me out late at night with an Elven man.

“What’s the matter?” Pharis asked over his shoulder.

“Nothing. It’s just… I know him. He’s not… kind.”

Pharis went still. “What did he do to you?”

“Nothing,” I whispered as the village bully drew closer. “Forget I said anything. I just don’t want him to see me.”

Other than making a “hmmmmn” noise in his throat, Pharis didn’t respond. He stopped his horse short of the road to allow the other horse and rider to pass.

Dardick must have been very drunk because he was jerking his horse’s reins back and forth, confusing the poor animal. It trotted to one side of the road then the other and nearly ran straight into us when he kicked its sides.

“Whoa,” Pharis yelled. I wasn’t sure if the command was directed at Dardick or his horse.

My cruel neighbor whipped his head around. “Who goes there? I say, show yourself.”

He clumsily pulled his sword from its scabbard, waving it about wildly, nearly striking his horse in the head.

Pharis must have dropped his shadow glamour then because Dardick’s horse reared suddenly. The drunken man managed to stay in the saddle, but his body jerked, and he looked directly at us.

“Where did you come from?” he shouted, sounding frightened. “Who are you, stranger?”

I wish Pharis had just left the shield up. I didn’t think Dardick had spotted me yet, but he would, and by tomorrow morning my reputation would be ruined.

“You may call me ‘my lord,’” Pharis said to him. “And who are you?”

“An Elf?” Dardick said in surprise, backing his horse up a few steps.

“No, you’re not nearly tall enough or handsome enough to be an Elf,” Pharis said, deliberately misunderstanding the man.

“What’s your name, peasant?” he demanded. “And speak up quickly. I assure you, my sword is steadier than yours.”

I’d never heard Pharis’ voice sound so… regal. It was strange. I realized how casually he’d been speaking to me in comparison.

Was this how he always sounded with people he didn’t know?

Dardick must have been very inebriated indeed because he didn’t seem to care that he was being addressed by a member of the High Fae, our overlords in this land.

“I’m not a peasant, chump,” he slurred. “I’ll have you know you’re speaking to Dardick Creegan, the richest man in Waterdale.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that name come tax time… Dick,” Pharis said.

“It’s Dardick. Who are you? What are you doing in Waterdale? And who’s that with you?”

He squinted into the darkness. “Raewyn Hennessey? Is that you? What are you doing out in the middle of the night, cavorting with a stranger?”

I heaved a heavy sigh. It was done then.

“I assure you, nothing untoward happened,” Pharis said. “I’m simply giving the lady a ride home after her vacation in Merisola.”

“Vacation? Is that what she’s calling it?” Dardick laughed. “That’s not what I heard. The way I heard it, she’s been serving the King in his palace as one of his concubines.”

Pharis’ hand moved to the hilt of his sword. I gripped him tighter around the waist.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said against his back, more for myself than for Pharis.

Why would a Fae prince even care how my fellow villager spoke about me?

Dardick pointed at Pharis and swayed in the saddle, causing his horse to step a few paces to the side.

“Or maybe she’s your whore,” he said, putting painful emphasis on the last word. “Bout all she’s good for. And to think, she turned me down every time I offered to buy her presents and give her a shot at becoming a respectable married woman. I guess she saves her favors for Elven-kind.”

Pharis took a deep breath, his torso going rigid as he straightened to his full height.

“Come closer, Dick ,” he said in a tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

He wasn’t even speaking to me, and it was chilling.

“Don’t bother,” I said, automatically stroking the sides of his waist in a soothing motion. When I realized what I was doing, I stopped immediately.

“He’s going to tell the story the way he wants to tell it, no matter how thoroughly you explain it to him,” I said.

“He’s not going to tell the story at all,” Pharis countered. “Not after I’ve finished with him.”

I tensed behind him. Dardick certainly wasn’t my favorite person, but beyond a few rude remarks and unwanted advances, he’d never really harmed me or my family.

“Pharis, really. He’s annoying, but I’m not sure that’s worthy of the death penalty.”

He snorted. “What do you think I am? I’m not going to kill the vermin—I wouldn’t soil my blade with his peasant blood. I’m going to Sway him until he can hardly remember his own name.”

I blinked. Oh. Stellon had told me about Sway, but I’d never seen it in use.

Firming his tone, Pharis repeated, “Come. Closer.”

Dardick immediately obeyed, sliding from his saddle and staggering over to us.

Pharis got down from Dargan’s back and faced him, towering over the average-sized human man.

Staring him in the eyes, he said, “You never saw us—either of us. You rode home, and the village road was empty.”

“Empty,” Dardick repeated in a dazed sounding tone. “Never saw anyone.”

“That’s right.”

Pharis sounded somewhat satisfied but not entirely. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a second then resumed his hypnotic commands.

“Also, you had a bad night at the gambling hall. Unfortunately, you lost everything you had on you—including your fine clothing.” He paused. “Take it off. All of it.”

“Lost it all,” Dardick said sadly.

Immediately he began to strip his garments. I watched in stunned disbelief to see if he’d really go through with it.

He did. Within minutes, he stood there naked as the day he was born, his clothes in a pile around his feet.

For all his loud bragging about his sexual prowess, I saw nothing about Dardick’s physique to justify it.

Pharis looked him over, an expression of disdain painting his face.

“You have a nice horse, peasant, but that’s where your bragging rights end. I think it’s about time your village knew it.”

Dardick just stared blankly and nodded as Pharis went on.

“You’ll wait till daylight, until all the townspeople are out and about, and then you’ll walk down the center road. Only after you’ve made sure everyone gets a look will you go inside your own home and dress yourself.”

“Everyone gets a look,” Dardick said obediently.

Pharis turned away and moved toward his own horse again but stopped and turned back.

“One more thing… you will stay far away from Raewyn Hennessey—and her family,” he said. “Except when you leave your monthly ‘anonymous’ donations at their door from all that excess wealth you bragged about—an apology for your past behavior toward her. It’s only fair.”

Dardick nodded dreamily. “Far away. Only fair.”

Pharis left the man standing there and mounted Dargan again, behind me this time.

He gave the command to trot, calling back over his shoulder, “See ya round, Dick.”

“It’s Dardick,” I heard the naked man mumble behind us.

“He really does have a nice horse,” Pharis said in a blase tone. “Too bad he has no idea how to ride it.”

I was speechless myself. The power I’d just seen my escort display was terrifying.

It had been as easy for him as speaking. He’d simply ordered the proudest man I’d ever known to publicly humiliate himself and had received unquestioning obedience.

Though I was thoroughly horrified and intimidated, I was also grateful. Dardick wouldn’t be bothering me any more, I had no doubt of that.

And my reputation was saved—for now. I still had to make it into the village and into my home without being seen in the company of a High Fae man.

It was dark out except for that hazy moon. Pharis slowed Dargan to a walk then a stop before we reached the first house on the village road.

He dismounted and helped me down. “We’ll walk from here so no one hears Dargan’s footfalls. Which cottage is yours?”

I pointed toward the end of the row of homes, all of them dark and still. “It’s there, but I can go alone. I just want you to know I appreciate—”

Taking my arm, Pharis started walking. “We’ll walk from here,” he repeated and gave Dargan a command to wait in place.

Keeping my voice low, I argued, “This really is unnecessary. I can literally see my home from here.”

“I promised my brother to deliver you safely to your door, and I always keep my promises,” he said, his handsome face contracting in a scowl. “If you’re worried about being seen with me, don’t. It’s dark, and I’ve put the shadows in place around us again.”

We walked in silence to the end of the collection of cottages, stopping at mine.

Pharis gave it a bewildered glance. “Is this the whole thing? You live here with three other people?”

“Yes, quite happily,” I snapped, “which is more than I can say for some of the residents of your palatial home.”

There was a spark of amusement in Pharis’ eyes, and then they changed, looking rather sad actually.

“You’re right.”

His tone and expression grew serious. “You must never return to Seaspire, never go into the royal city.”

“I know. I—”

“I’m not sure you do,” he interrupted, gripping my upper arms and staring down into my face intensely. “You shouldn’t even go to the Rough Market again, where you might be spotted and recognized. Most importantly, you should never—never—try to contact my brother… or you will regret it. Do you understand?”

I nodded, the gravity of his tone sinking in and coating my bones. “I understand.”

Pharis looked around at the dark, quiet street. “I’m not even sure it’s safe to leave you here this close to the palace. My father wants you, and he always gets what he wants.”

The King’s glamour. Stellon had told me his father was a Compeller, that people gave him whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it, even against their own wills.

Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, Pharis pulled out a small bag, placing it firmly into my hand. It was surprisingly heavy and made a clinking sound.

“What’s this?” I asked, though it was obviously a bag of coins.

“For travel,” Pharis said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t get too comfortable here. The King may never learn of your part in the Earthwife’s plot, but he will eventually learn of your identity and whereabouts—somehow. If I were you, I’d take my family somewhere else, as far from Seaspire as possible. And be wary. Always on the lookout.”

“I plan to. And I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I’ll keep my head down and take care of my family, whatever it takes.”

He nodded, that fervent blue gaze nearly hypnotic.

“Good. And I’ll take care of the witch. I’ll also burn the drawings Stellon did of you so no one can use them in any search that might arise.”

I winced, feeling tears spring to my eyes and a painful lump growing in my throat.

“Tell him… tell him…” I shook my head. “Nevermind.”

What was the point of giving Stellon a message that would only cause him more pain? As Pharis had said, I needed to try my best to forget him… and allow him to forget me.

We’d been doomed from the beginning, and now it was truly over. One day, all of this would feel like a dream.

Pharis gave a terse nod and began to turn away, but I stopped him, reaching out to touch the sleeve of his jacket.

“What is it?” He stared down at me, waiting.

“I… I just want to say thank you—for all you did to get me here. I know it was more than an inconvenience, and you don’t exactly love spending time with humans.”

He looked at me for a long moment then said, “Some of them aren’t so bad.”

And then I changed my mind and asked Pharis to deliver a message to his brother after all.

“Tell Stellon you delivered on your promise in full.”

My eyes closed, and I allowed myself one more moment of sweet remembrance.

“And tell him that I said to thank him for taking such good care of me…” I had to stop and swallow. “... and for treating me with more kindness than anyone ever has.”

Pharis’ expression hardened again, the liquid jewel-tone eyes turning to frozen seawater. His tone was foreboding.

“If you truly love my brother, you will let him go. You could never be anything more to him than a noose around his neck that our father will use to control him for the rest of eternity.”

He added one final twist to the dagger already puncturing my heart. “Don’t worry, he’ll get over you. You’re not even his type, really.”

Then his tone softened, and he said, “Goodbye, little Wyn.”

Pharis turned and disappeared into the darkness.