Page 21

CHAPTER 21

T he shadows had deepened by the time Pan smelled the smoke of the campfire, along with the scent of dinner cooking. He’d also become aware that they were no longer alone in the woods. He wasn’t sure if the humans had noticed, and if they hadn’t, he wasn’t about to inform them they were being stalked. Panicking humans were not going to make things go smoother.

Web had stopped bothering him, though Pan was monitoring him. He didn’t need magic to know that Web was the kind of person to always watch. What irked him was the way he couldn’t put his finger on why, exactly. It was more of a nebulous sense made up of the way Web disregarded Noah and assumed that he had the most magical ability and that he expected Pan to find him interesting. If Web boasted about his ability, it would be much easier to dislike him. Instead, Web was another low-grade annoyance.

While they walked, Pan entertained himself, thinking of all the different animals he could turn Web into. A spider was too obvious. He’d considered a raven, but they were smart and didn’t suffer fools. Frogs and snakes also had far more sense.

In the end, he decided a rabbit was most appropriate. They were always looking for the freshest leaves, and if attacked froze.

Liam was definitely a snake. Smart, a bit of a loner, but loyal to his friends and dangerous when crossed.

“I think we should turn here.” Liam pointed into the shadows. “It’s going to be a lot harder to find our way if we aren’t on the road, and we aren’t high enough to see anything.”

Pan tilted his head, sensing centaurs’ heartbeats before they stepped onto the road. Nothing good ever began with centaurs. Their idea of fun involved bloodshed and somebody’s death. They were great if they were on your side in a battle…and that was about the only use Pan had ever found for them.

They didn’t like him as a god either. They kept their prayers for Epona…who didn’t like him after a misunderstanding two thousand years ago. Since then they had avoided each other ever since, but if she was the only god in the area, they needed to work together.

“Oh shit,” Noah breathed, moving close enough to Pan that the wave of Noah’s fear rolled over him.

Three centaurs stood in front of them, armed with swords and spears. There would be three more hidden in the trees and shadows.

Pan held his hands out, showing that he was unarmed, and he spoke in Tarikian. “We are seeking the female greater dragon at the request of Lord Feryn. Her mate is in the city and desperate to be reunited with her.” He wiggled the fingers, showing the city’s ring.

“Feryn is not the Lord of the city,” the male with the beard to his navel said.

Because they didn’t recognize him or because they were expecting the uncle? He should’ve found out more about the political affiliation of the centaurs. “His uncle is dead.”

Beard tapped the butt of his spear on the ground. “The city no longer exists.”

How much did they know about the events? “Not as it did on Tariko. Our world merged with the human world. A place we have not roamed in many centuries. Our city has melded with their city, and everything is damaged. My human friends, including a witch, are assisting with the search.” He turned and indicated to the humans, pausing on Noah.

Beard’s gaze tracked over the humans.

That they were all alive meant it was going great so far. Honestly, surviving the greeting with the centaur was usually a good sign. “How do your people fare?”

Beard’s expression became tight. “Half are missing. Three died on the first day. Another five are injured. One was eaten by the dragon.”

Dragons and centaurs didn’t get along either, mostly because dragons were rather fond of eating them. In the dragon’s defense, centaurs hunted dragons for their skin. One dragon made an entire tent.

“Is the dragon alive?” Or had they already killed her and begun turning her into a tent?

He did not want to be telling the male dragon that, because then he’d fly out here and burn the entire forest to the ground. Pan was one hundred percent sure that the human authorities would not understand and would do something to make the situation even worse.

Beard grunted.

Was that a good grunt or a bad grunt?

The centaurs behind him moved closer and jabbed Pan with the butt of their spears, separating him from the humans and pushing him closer to Beard.

He didn’t like being within spear range. A spear through the chest was uncomfortable at the best of times—and something he had experienced on more than one occasion—and now was not the best of times because he was mortal.

Being killed by centaur was so plebeian.

Any idiot could be killed by a centaur. If he was going to die while mortal, it should at least have a little flair, something people would talk about for millennia. He swallowed. If he died, the humans wouldn’t survive to talk about his death. He’d just be dead.

No. He was not having that. He was just going to have to survive.

Beard leaned down, his fist wrapped around his spear. “And what are you?”

Pan had to tilt his chin up to hold Beard’s gaze. Beard should be on his knees in the presence of a god. All the centaurs should be. But now was not the time to enforce protocol, and his hat hid his horns.

Did Beard know what incubi looked like?

Hopefully not.

Pan pulled the hat off, revealing his horns. Beard was only a soldier, so Pan wasn’t revealing anything more to him. “Does your queen live?”

If they were going to be captured, he wanted to make sure they got an audience. And it was better to be captured instead of killed outright, as being captured gave them a chance.

Beard straightened. “The queen and the dragon are alive.”

Pan exhaled. Two bits of good news. He placed his hand over his heart. “Then I would appreciate an audience with your queen so I may update her on the city’s status.”

Beard laughed. “You will have your audience. Link them.”

“That’s really not necessary. We will follow you.” Pan said, trying to prevent the humans from panicking.

“You will do as you’re told.” Beard snapped.

I’m a fucking god. I will not be tied like a prisoner.

He glanced behind him at the worried faces of Noah and his friends.

“Be calm,” he warned in English.

“Be calm?” Noah hissed as a centaur looped a rope around his neck.

Now was not the time to resist. The spears seemed very pointy, and he’d seen how much damage hooves did in a fight. Centaurs made his hooves look dainty.

Pan tried to smile as he spoke in English. “We are being taken to see the queen, and the dragon is alive.”

“It feels like we’re being taken prisoner,” Noah said in a harsh whisper, still glaring at him.

“Because we are,” Pan agreed.

“You’re making it sound like a good thing,” Noah muttered as he glanced at his friends.

“Well, it’s better than being dead.” While there were plenty of options between life and death that could make one wish for death, being captured wasn’t one of them.

Or at least not yet.