Hounded [Wild Hunt Series: 2]

13: The Tower II

Not much of a choice. Not nearly enough time.

This was exactly the sort of decision Chiro and I had been fighting about, but there wasn't time to think or weigh the pros and cons and try and be better than we were. There was a man before me, and my mother somewhere on the other side, if she wasn't already dead. She couldn't be, I reasoned with a smile that didn't make it onto my face; if the Witch wanted her dead she can't be dead yet.

And if I declined, there was a chance the Witch would still kill her.

If I declined, it was a certainty Leda would tell the King about Chiro.

My grip on Chiro's hand tightened. I could hear Dakota in the back of mind.

'Need and want are two different things, Tay. You don't need Chiro. You want him. He's a demon, too, a monster just like them. He brought you here. He didn't stop them. Maybe he's brave, and maybe his clothes look good on your floor, but he's expendable.'

Led's mouth opened.

"Shut up," I said. "I'll do it."

Chiro started to shake his head, then my fingers found the strength to hold onto him tight. His hand was balanced against the tip of the needle. I looked at Leda's wide grin, and then Chiro. Even though I wanted to close my eyes, I looked at him, and he looked at me and I pressed down. It was harder than the King had made it look. You needed strength and the nerves in that arm were writhing like chopped worms on a hot sidewalk. It was a wretched, slow feeling when his fingers convulsed against mine, when a sharp hiss pushed through his teeth and he grabbed my hand tight.

His other hand fell over my wrist, and then the needle bit slowly into the fleshy padding of my palm just a half-inch from the original puncture. The sharpened point cut through the nerve, scraped against bone and finally, finally, bulged against my skin. The moment it burst through, I shoved Chiro's palm flat so his knuckles would touch the wet stone, then ripped our hands up and away.

Leda lifted unwound the ribbon from our trembling hands and moved to drink the blood.

"Stay in the forest," I whispered to Chiro as the priestess approved the offering and the crowd of demons cheered again. Across the crowd, Dakota had gotten to her feet, and was already hopping down the rocks, shoving through the crowd toward the forest.

"Remember your promise," Leda said, draping her arms over Chiro and me. She thrust the stained ribbon in my quivering hand, then leaned over and ran her tongue up the man's cheek. He elbowed her in the gut. Bent double, she laughed and laughed and never took her eyes off mine. "I licked him, so he's mine," she crowed, backing into the stag's waiting arms. The dead thing lifted her. She nuzzled against its chest, twirling her foot and singing softly, "I licked him, now he's ours!"

I looked across at the pain on Chiro's face and wondered what being human would do to the injury. What if the damage was lasting? Would he be safe in the forest, or tormented by the likes of Leda?

"That concludes the Hunt," Leda declared to the gathering at large, licking her lips. With a snap of her fingers, several hidden flowers burst into luminescent bloom. Green faerie fire drifted up into the night, lining the path through the forest to the castle. "The Witch is pleased with your offerings. The Witch wishes you and your spoils the best of luck. We hope to see you soon."

Most of the demons did not move yet, however. Their eyes were on the King as he started up the stone stairs.

All at once a horrid sinking dread crashed through the floor of my stomach.

I never felt more free than those few seconds before he reached us. Never felt more doom, but never felt more freedom.

I turned back to Chiro, only to find his good hand already on my waist, reeling me in. I brushed my scraped knuckles against his cheek.