Page 17 of The Tracker's Dawn: Sunderverse

“Let them go first.”

“Not until I make sure you’ve upheld your end of the bargain.”

She wiggled her fingers. I lifted a trembling hand and deposited the vial on her open palm. She picked it up with her opposite hand, and without preamble uncorked it. A sweet scent identical to the elixir Josh had taken reached my nose. Damien had done a good job creating the decoy. With my sharp wolf senses, I could discern no difference in the smell. I hoped to God Mekare wouldn’t either.

The witch’s nose twitched as she took in the scent. I watched for any change in her expression as she poured a drop of the liquid onto her index finger and rubbed her thumb over it until it was gone. The entire time her face remained unchanged, no hint of suspicion or anger. I dared hope she would be fooled, but when she shattered the small glass container against the sidewalk and shot her hands up in my direction, energy crackling between her fingers, I knew we were screwed.

I was on the verge of letting Red free as we’d planned when a strong voice resounded down the street. “Stop! I have what you want.”

My head snapped to the side, and I nearly fainted with relief at the sight of Prince Kalyll Adanorin. He was confidently marching toward us, a cloak billowing behind him.

CHAPTER 6

“Iapologize for mytardiness,” Prince Kalyll said with a bow as he came to stand in front of me. He was dressed in a midnight blue tunic and leggings that perfectly matched his hair. A broadsword clung to his back, its hilt protruding above his head. “My uncle ran into a few delays before he was able to reach me, but I’m here, and it seems,” his cobalt gaze cut toward Mekare for an instant then returned to me, “not a moment too soon.”

“The Seelie Prince,” the witch said. “How unexpected.”

As her focus rested on the Prince, I glanced around quickly and saw that both Eric and Jake were in their wolf forms. They had managed to shift in that spare second in which Mekare discovered our trick. Man, they were fast! My shifting speed had improved since the first time, but I still had some catching up to do.

I dared another glance around, searching for Damien. He’d also been somewhere, prepared to intervene the moment things inevitably went south, but I didn’t spot him. He had held back until the very edge of chaos. Or, for all I knew, he was standing next to me, invisible. At least that was what I chose to believe because I didn’t like thinking that, if Kalyll hadn’t shown up when he did, I would’ve ended up like hybrid chow.

Wasting no time in ceremony, the Prince pulled a vial out of the folds of his tunic. “I believe this is what you want.” He thrust the cure within an inch of Mekare’s nose.

She blinked and leaned her head back, looking offended.

Kalyll stared at her, his expression impassive, his extended arm steady. There was no hint of fear in him at all.

Behind the witch, Gonira was gawking at her cousin with a mixture of relief and surprise. I thought the Prince must be a truly honorable man to risk his life for the weaselly likes of her. There was nothing about Gonira that made me think she deserved any sort of sacrifice from him, or anyone else, for that matter.

Mekare’s vicious gaze slipped away from the Prince and focused on me. Her upper lip twitched with disdain. “You think yourself so clever, you and your friends. But you have tangled with the wrong witch.”

In one swift motion, she snatched the elixir out of the Prince’s hand, and in the same movement, flung it to the ground, smashing it and leaving behind nothing but a wet stain.

I stared at the spot in dumbfounded disbelief.

The witch put on a forced smile. “No need to double-check. I’m sure that was the real thing. Now, let me see, how shall I teach you a lesson?”