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CHAPTER FOUR

IN WHICH THE PARTY GAINS AN ENTHUSIASTIC NEW MEMBER

I woke too early the next morning to an ungodly ruckus outside my tent.

Praying it would stop, I spent several moments staring at the canvas ceiling while the shouting, crashing, and occasional jeer carried on outside.

When it showed no signs of ceasing, I released a regretful sigh and groped around for my pants.

My muscles screamed in protest as I pulled them on.

The night before, I’d ended up going through a few training exercises and running laps around camp with the twins.

It was a good way to pass the time and stay fit, but the lingering soreness reminded me that I didn’t have a fae body.

After taking a deep drink from the canteen of boiled river water I kept by my bedside and grabbing a zanna root to clean my teeth, I pushed aside the flap, stepped outside, and drew up short.

What. The fuck.

On the shaded side of the clearing, Vee, Yrra, and Ked worked together to get a section of flaming underbrush under control.

In the middle, Hohem and Vyrain circled the man we’d met last night at the inn—now fully clothed, I noted with some degree of disappointment.

Luthri, was it? When had he come back? No, that’s not the right question. What was he even doing here?

Fighting, by the look of it, perhaps for a while. All three men bore various scratches, burns, and tears in their clothing. Luthri’s breathing was labored, and one of Vyrain’s eyes had begun to swell shut. What a scene to wake up to.

As I watched, Vyrain rushed the stranger again, throwing a wide punch.

Luthri ducked under his arm and responded with an elbow to his back, sending Vyrain sprawling to the ground.

Hohem dashed after his brother and managed to sweep Luthri’s leg out from underneath him.

A cry of warning rose in my throat as he summoned a ball of fire, but it froze on my lips when Luthri effortlessly rolled out of the way and leapt back to his feet.

“Yeah!” Daethie shouted from her vantage point on the log by the fire pit, pumping her little fist in the air. “Hohem’s favoring his left side; go for the knee! Punch him in the throat next!”

My eyebrows shot into my hairline. “Whose side are you on?!”

She ignored me, cupping her hands around her mouth. “His hair, pull his hair!”

It was about then that Luthri noticed me. His eyes widened, mouth open in surprise, and the corners of his eyes crinkled in a huge grin. He waved. Waved . The nerve.

Vyrain tackled him to the ground with the force of a charging bull.

“Okay, stop!” My feet moved of their own accord. I dropped my zanna root and stepped into the fray, clapping my hands to get their attention. Hohem stopped where he was, spitting a mouthful of blood and saliva, but Vyrain and Luthri continued to tussle at my feet.

“That’s enough. Break it up,” I ordered, clapping again. “Break it up, I said!”

I aimed a kick, not caring who it hit, when they finally released each other.

Vyrain crawled a few feet away and rolled onto his back to catch his breath.

Hohem went to check on him. Luthri pulled himself to his feet, wincing all the way.

His shirt, an odd wraparound style designed to cover his back and sides while leaving openings for his wings to hang free, was torn at the draped neck, and all of him was covered in dirt .

“Hey,” I greeted him, unable to help myself. “You look different with clothes on.”

He shot me a dazzling smile despite a split lip. “No less attractive, I hope?”

The absurdity of his response caught me off guard. I snorted.

“Let’s start over,” he suggested, reaching for my hand. His nails were long and black, like an eagle’s talons, but he was careful not to hurt me. “I’m Luthri. You can call me Lu.”

I expected him to kiss the back of my hand, but as I watched, he rotated it palm-up and brought my wrist to his lips, breathing in. His tongue darted out to taste my pulse point.

There were a lot of things I had to learn after crossing The Rift.

Taking things in stride was one of them, especially with the myriad of fae customs someone from Earth might interpret as odd.

I kept my expression neutral and, when he released my hand, took the chance to wipe my wrist on my thigh.

“Uh… Mar. Nice to meet you. Want to explain what that was about?”

Vyrain was on his feet now, openly scowling in our direction. Using each other for support, he and Hohem limped over to give their side of the story.

“I thought I heard something, so I went to check it out,” Vyrain started. “This guy”—he jerked his chin at Luthri—“was creeping around camp. I think he was trying to find your tent.”

Lu’s eyes went wide. “On my honor,” he exclaimed, putting his hands up, “I had no intention of causing harm to anyone or invading the lady’s personal space while she was unaware. I was merely hoping to speak with her when she woke.”

“How did you find us, anyway?” Hohem demanded. “I thought we left you at the inn.”

“I have a good sense of smell,” Lu offered. “And through extensive amounts of practice, I can get dressed—or undressed, when the situation calls for it—very quickly.”

“That was a blast,” Daethie exclaimed. “I’m very impressed.” She hopped over from where she’d been watching, beating her wings at intervals to carry her farther .

“Not right now, Daethie.” Taking the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, I centered myself. “Okay, you found us. Congratulations. What can we do for you?”

“Oh! Well, that’s…” Lu appeared almost bashful. “I was hoping we could continue our discussion from last night. I realize I may not have gone about it the right way, but?—”

I raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t tell me…” Tossing an exasperated look over my shoulder at our company, I lowered my voice. “You’re still trying to get in my pants?”

“All right, I won’t,” he replied, matching my volume.

We stared at each other for several beats in silence. When he made no move to clarify or to leave, I threw up my hands and turned to check on Yrra and Vee. They might need backup.

“Just once,” Lu pleaded, hurrying to catch up to me.

“I don’t like repeating myself,” I told him as I lengthened my strides. “And I’m not inclined to jump into bed with a man who can’t take ‘no’ for an answer. For someone who seems to spend quite a bit of time around women, you’re surprisingly dense.”

He babbled an unconvincing response, but I just shook my head.

There was no telling what magical words would get through that thick skull of his.

More likely than not, arguing with him was a waste of breath, and if I continued entertaining this, I’d lose it.

The best way to deal with an obstinate man in this case was to ignore him.

The bush was, unfortunately, a total loss, but Vee and Yrra both appeared untouched.

Vee approached cautiously, dabbing at her temple with her sleeve and eyeing the men as though they might decide to go for each other again.

“Well, what an exciting start to the day,” she remarked.

Her gaze swept over Luthri with unbridled curiosity.

“Will we be having one more for supper?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Vyrain growled from behind us.

“He was leaving,” I added pointedly.

Lu’s shoulders dropped.

Around then, Ked returned from another trip to the creek, cresting the hill at a jog with buckets of water dangling from both hands. Upon noticing that things were calm, he slowed his pace. “Everyone good?” he asked, shooting a worried look at Vyrain and Hohem.

“All is well,” Vee said, reaching for him as he dumped the last of the water on the charred bush and came to her side. “Ked, honey, this is…”

“Lu,” I supplied. “He’s not staying. Where’s Jük?”

“Out since before dawn,” Vee answered, gesturing toward the woods. “He’s hunting for some fresh meat for supper today. He’ll be disappointed that he missed the excitement.”

Lu perked up. “Hunting? I can help. I’d be happy to.”

“Don’t you have anywhere else to be?” I snapped.

“Yeah, don’t you?” Vyrain echoed, crossing his arms and wincing as the movement agitated invisible wounds.

I was debating how to handle this without further bloodshed when Ked stepped forward. His eyes were wide and fixed on Lu’s piercings, admiring the way they caught the sunlight. “Shiny,” he said in awe, reaching for one of Lu’s long, fluffy ears.

I was closer than Vee, so I reached out to stop him.

“His earrings are pretty, huh?” As I redirected his hands, I softened my voice. “Remember what Vee says about touching people without their permission, though? Some people don’t like it. You have to ask.”

“It’s all right,” Lu assured me, reading the situation in an instant. He stepped closer, turning his head to make his ear more accessible. I exchanged a look with Vee.

“Pretty.” Ked poked one of the gold hoops in Luthri’s lobe with one big finger.

“You like them?” he asked. Ked nodded, entranced.

Before I could tell what he was doing, Lu had removed one of the bigger hoops from his ears. He fiddled with it for a split second before holding it out to the half-giant. Ked didn’t hesitate to accept. He showed it to Vee, who smiled and nodded.

“I changed it,” Lu said, leaning forward to indicate the earring post. “So he can wear it without piercing his ears. It will be a little bit of pressure but shouldn’t be painful.”

He helped Ked put it on, but I wasn’t convinced.

I liked to think I was a good judge of character.

I’d met the guy not even twenty-four hours ago, and already he’d walked through a crowded tavern wearing nothing but a sheet, publicly propositioned a stranger, and started a fight.

That wasn’t conducive to a healthy environment.

If he thought that being nice to my friends was going to score him brownie points, he was barking up the wrong tree.