by tousled ash-blond hair, was stern,sharp. Handsome.
But the madam had been right about his eyes: winter blue and diamond cold.
“See something you like?” Eliana glanced up at him through her lashes. Shifted her body toward him, arched her back just enough to make a point.
The Wolf knelt before her. “You’re good.”
Grinning, she looked him up and down—lean and tall, slim-fitting trousers and vest and cuffed sleeves,weapon holsters on a sash around his torso and a low-slung belt around his hips. “So are you, Wolf. It’s a shame I’ll have to kill you. Were our circumstances different, I’d ask to see your sword.”
“A bitter disappointment, to be sure.” Now he was the one to let his gaze roam over her. “You’re much more fun than I had imagined.”
“Fun?” She laughed low in her throat. “You’ve no idea justhow fun I can be.” She leaned back as best she could with her hands bound, feigning boredom. “So. You exist after all. The mighty Wolf. Fearsome Red Crown captain, unstoppable soldier. Right hand of the Prophet himself. More like a dog than a wolf if you ask me. You rebels are all the same.”
“Are we, now?” His easy smile chilled her.
“Tell me,” she pushed on, “when you report back to theProphet, do you crawl on your belly to him? Kiss his boots? Does he whip you for not having managed to overthrow the Emperor yet? You’d better get on with things, you know. More rebels are dying every day.” Smiling, she leaned closer, willing her pounding heart quiet. “I make sure of it.”
He shifted closer to meet her. Even kneeling, he was tall. “If you’re trying to make me angry,” he murmured,their mouths mere inches apart, “I’m afraid it won’t work.”
With every moment he crouched there staring at her, his eyes wandering over each plane and curve of her body, Eliana felt closer to outright terror. There was a stillness about him—a sense of something horrible lying in wait, tightly coiled—that pressed against her skin like the memory of a bad dream.
For a moment, she lost hernerve.
“What do you want?” she asked.
His smile spread slowly. “Why, Madam Dread, I want you.”
The strange tenderness in his voice sent ice up her spine. “Where is my mother?”
“I haven’t the faintest.”
She scoffed, rolled her eyes. “I didn’t realize Red Crown was in the habit of snatching defenseless women from their beds. Aren’t you people supposed to be heroes? Fighting ouroppressors, saving the world from tyranny?”
“Red Crown is not responsible for those abductions.”
“Then who is?”
“A good question. I have my guesses.”
It was pointless to accuse him further. She had long ago ruled out Red Crown’s involvement in the disappearances.
But she could not stop imagining her mother held captive somewhere, alone and afraid, wondering when her daughterwould come for her.
Eliana’s eyes grew hot. Her fingers itched for her daggers. “Either kill me,” she said cheerfully, “or untie me so I can cut out your lying tongue.”
“I’ve no interest in doing either of those things.” A smile pulled at his mouth. “I have a proposal for you, but I’d rather not talk about it here, in case whoever took your mother decides to return. What say we take oursecrets elsewhere, little Dread?”
Little? The moment she had the chance, she would knock him on his ass.
“Are you mad?” she snapped.
“Many have wondered.” He curled two fingers under her chin, made her look at him. His touch jolted her; she forced herself to lean into his hand.
“I hunt people like you,” she told him with a slight, hard smirk.
“Yes, and you do a fine job ofit.” All humor in his voice died. “Tell me, Madam Dread: If I pledge that I will help you find your mother, in exchange for your assistance, will you join me?”
Eliana tried to read him and could find nothing to go on. Join him? A ludicrous thought. She could not possibly trust him.
And yet, if she
But the madam had been right about his eyes: winter blue and diamond cold.
“See something you like?” Eliana glanced up at him through her lashes. Shifted her body toward him, arched her back just enough to make a point.
The Wolf knelt before her. “You’re good.”
Grinning, she looked him up and down—lean and tall, slim-fitting trousers and vest and cuffed sleeves,weapon holsters on a sash around his torso and a low-slung belt around his hips. “So are you, Wolf. It’s a shame I’ll have to kill you. Were our circumstances different, I’d ask to see your sword.”
“A bitter disappointment, to be sure.” Now he was the one to let his gaze roam over her. “You’re much more fun than I had imagined.”
“Fun?” She laughed low in her throat. “You’ve no idea justhow fun I can be.” She leaned back as best she could with her hands bound, feigning boredom. “So. You exist after all. The mighty Wolf. Fearsome Red Crown captain, unstoppable soldier. Right hand of the Prophet himself. More like a dog than a wolf if you ask me. You rebels are all the same.”
“Are we, now?” His easy smile chilled her.
“Tell me,” she pushed on, “when you report back to theProphet, do you crawl on your belly to him? Kiss his boots? Does he whip you for not having managed to overthrow the Emperor yet? You’d better get on with things, you know. More rebels are dying every day.” Smiling, she leaned closer, willing her pounding heart quiet. “I make sure of it.”
He shifted closer to meet her. Even kneeling, he was tall. “If you’re trying to make me angry,” he murmured,their mouths mere inches apart, “I’m afraid it won’t work.”
With every moment he crouched there staring at her, his eyes wandering over each plane and curve of her body, Eliana felt closer to outright terror. There was a stillness about him—a sense of something horrible lying in wait, tightly coiled—that pressed against her skin like the memory of a bad dream.
For a moment, she lost hernerve.
“What do you want?” she asked.
His smile spread slowly. “Why, Madam Dread, I want you.”
The strange tenderness in his voice sent ice up her spine. “Where is my mother?”
“I haven’t the faintest.”
She scoffed, rolled her eyes. “I didn’t realize Red Crown was in the habit of snatching defenseless women from their beds. Aren’t you people supposed to be heroes? Fighting ouroppressors, saving the world from tyranny?”
“Red Crown is not responsible for those abductions.”
“Then who is?”
“A good question. I have my guesses.”
It was pointless to accuse him further. She had long ago ruled out Red Crown’s involvement in the disappearances.
But she could not stop imagining her mother held captive somewhere, alone and afraid, wondering when her daughterwould come for her.
Eliana’s eyes grew hot. Her fingers itched for her daggers. “Either kill me,” she said cheerfully, “or untie me so I can cut out your lying tongue.”
“I’ve no interest in doing either of those things.” A smile pulled at his mouth. “I have a proposal for you, but I’d rather not talk about it here, in case whoever took your mother decides to return. What say we take oursecrets elsewhere, little Dread?”
Little? The moment she had the chance, she would knock him on his ass.
“Are you mad?” she snapped.
“Many have wondered.” He curled two fingers under her chin, made her look at him. His touch jolted her; she forced herself to lean into his hand.
“I hunt people like you,” she told him with a slight, hard smirk.
“Yes, and you do a fine job ofit.” All humor in his voice died. “Tell me, Madam Dread: If I pledge that I will help you find your mother, in exchange for your assistance, will you join me?”
Eliana tried to read him and could find nothing to go on. Join him? A ludicrous thought. She could not possibly trust him.
And yet, if she
Similar Books
