Page 25 of In Darkness Forged
Her cheek struck the path, drawing an involuntary whimper, but the pain did not stop her from rolling away as quickly as her icy limbs would allow. She came to a crouch and prepared to run, fight, or whatever the situation demanded.
The wolf, however, looked neither vicious nor hungry. It merely sat on its haunches, grinning and panting like a dog that had fetched a stick.
And standing beside it, wearing a disbelieving scowl, was the very night elf she’d been chasing.
So the wolf was… a pet? He’d brought her exactly where she needed to be and seemed deeply proud of himself.
His master, however, seemed very much less than pleased. And he was no less terrifying out here in the lonely wilds, with his hair half bound, a sword on his back, and the moon glinting off those sharply defined cheekbones.
“This again!” he growled, turning to the beast with his hands on his hips. “Cuan, why did you bring this here? We can’t even eat it.”
Aislin nearly collapsed in relief. It seemed she was not to be dinner after all.
“You can’t keep it,” the night elf told the wolf through clenched teeth. “And I certainly don’t want it, so you can put it back where you found it.”
The wolf seemed to be laughing at him.
The night elf let out a growl of wordless frustration, threw a glare at Aislin, and strode off into the forest.
“Wait!” She jerked to her feet, forgetting how cold she was, and promptly fell over. “Please don’t run away! I just need to talk to you.”
There was no reply, so she jumped up again and followed him into the trees.
“I’m not asking you for anything you don’t already intend to do,” she called after him. “But they saidIhad to get the venom to keep my end of our bargain. Just let me do thiswithyou.”
Silence.
“My name is Aislin,” she said into the darkness beneath the forest canopy. “What did they say yours was? Wilding?”
Suddenly he was there, looming in front of her with empty hands, but radiating pain and loathing as he glared down out of luminous amber eyes.
“Nevercall me that, human,” he snarled furiously.
If he were planning to kill her, he would have simply let the wolf eat her. At least, that’s what Aislin told herself as she met his fiery gaze and refused to look away. “Why not?”
But he was walking away again.
She was getting very tired of chasing him. For one thing, her heart was about to stop on account of the sheer overwhelming terror she’d already experienced that night. For another, this situation was more than a little embarrassing.
But she’d be hanged before she gave up.
A sudden burst of frustration lent her speed, and she raced around him to plant herself firmly in his way. “Why won’t you juststop?”
Instead of sweeping her out of his path, the night elf paused for a moment. His chin dropped, and his fingers flexed before he finally answered.
“Tell me, human. How anxious are you to die?”
A question or a threat? Aislin chose to believe it was the former.
“I don’t want to die today,” she said firmly. “There are things I must do. A home I must return to.”
“Then why”—his voice was soft and menacing—“are youhere? Did the other humans not tell you what horrors lurk in the forests of Dunmaren?”
“I knew the dangers,” she replied, unable to completely hide the tremor in her words. “But I have a family to save, and this is what I was commanded to do.”
She’d startled him. His amber eyes did not glow less, but his fury seemed to abate a fraction.
“Someone wants you dead,” he said flatly.