Page 18 of Fate Unchained
She put her finger on the word zorzye, her finger tiny next to his. “That’s right, but I can’t find much information on the zorzye—the lightwielders.” She frowned. “And I don’t speak rune, I just know how to unlock them. It’s a skill I discovered as a young kid.”
“I want to know how you got this paper. Are you working with a magicwielder?”
She laughed, but it was a chilly laugh. “Have you met one? In Coromesto, they treat us humans like we’re,” she waved her hand, “a cobblestone they walk on. They pass us by and don’t notice us. Unless we have something they want, then they just take it. I don’t deal with magicwielders.”
His eyes narrowed. He didn’t spend time in Coromesto, and when he was there, he used the old sewer system below the city to avoid the people above, but it sounded about right for magicwielders. “Did you steal this page from one of them, then? Did you think if you trapped a vulk, you’d get their attention, and they’d treat you better?”
Her hands flew to her hips. “Look, vulk, I’m not telling you anything. When I can gather a bit more strength, I’ll talk to this rune and tell it to leave us alone, then we'll go our separate ways.” Her gaze darted away and to the left.
Liar. What was she lying about?
“If you can get rid of this rune, great. However, if you can’t, you’re stuck at my side for the next month, you understand?”
“Why? What will happen if I simply walk away?”
He sighed. “I already told you. The rune is mimicking a mating bond.”
She gulped, her throat flexing. “You die, I die. That doesn’t mean I have to stay near you, though.”
“I’m not taking a chance you trip and fall down a well or something. So that means you’re at my side until we can get rid of it. And it will be a lot more … pleasant … if you tell me everything. My enemies don’t last long.” He growled low in his throat, and she swallowed hard again. “Don’t make yourself one of my enemies.”
Except, by having the page of the grimoire, she was already doomed. The page provided details about how to trap him. How to make him vulnerable. She was a danger to all the vulk, and he needed to deal with her.
She turned to face him fully, and her eyes glittered in the firelight. “I’m not spending a month with you.”
He shrugged. “Look, petal, you trapped yourself a vulk, and got more than you bargained for. You can’t escape. So, it’s time for you to tell me everything.”
She crossed her arms. “No. And no matter what the rune thinks, I’m not your mate.”
“That’s for sure. My mate wouldn’t attack me.”
She arched a brow. “Are you so sure? You seem really unpleasant.”
He strode back to the fire and tossed another log on. “Think about it, you’re with the most powerful immortal walking Ulterra for the next month. I’ll find out everything you’re hiding.”
He pretended to tend to the fire, but he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She stamped her foot. “I’ve spent my entire life locking and unlocking secrets. If I don’t want to tell you something, I won’t.”
“You’ve already whispered things to me while you slept. And pawed at me.”
Her face went scarlet. “I was asleep. I wasn’t aware of what I was doing. And everything I said was nonsense.”
“You were awake the first time you ran your hands over me.”
“I was simply being nice and making sure you weren’t hurt. I won’t do it again.”
He growled. “Good.”
She marched to the section of their cage closest to the entrance. “I’m staying in my half. Leave me alone.” And she turned her back to him.
“This is my cave. You leave me alone.” He rubbed his mouth. Not his wittiest response.
He settled onto the sleeping skins near his nice warm fire and put his arms behind his head. Time to come up with a plan to get her to tell him what she knew.
8
Lilah stretched. She’d spent the night in a small hollow in the rock, sleeping with her back to him. Then as the cave lightened with daybreak, she’d sat, arms crossed, glaring at him as the hours ticked by, but he barely paid her any attention. All he did was tend his fire and eat. A lot.
How did he keep so trim when he ate all the time? Then again, he was huge. All those muscles needed something to keep them strong. Really nice muscles. Hey, even if she wanted to get rid of this rune between them, it didn’t mean she couldn’t silently appreciate exactly how well-formed he was.