Bounty Hunter (The Black Tulip Chronicles #1)

26. Vera

Chapter 26

Vera

W e walk through the city before the Shift Forest. The Gatekeepers, they call themselves, according to a large sign that welcomed us when it came into our sights. It’s a whimsical place, one I’ve never seen since I’ve never been this far west. I’d have almost thought we entered a garden instead of a city. After I’m able to pull my eyes from the life-size topiaries shaped into all varieties of animals, I begin to look past them and see homes, interspersed between quaint shops, almost built atop each other they are so close. One small house is the palest blue. Two large, round windows are set on either side of the door, and three more line the second floor. The door is a blue so dark it’s almost black with a circular gold handle. Most cities I have visited have bland-colored buildings, with occasional pots of flowers to give color, but I find as I look around that the blue house fits in among the rest. Another is tall, painted a minty green, but its windows are long, narrow rectangles. Almost as if someone wants light, but not too much. Its door is also so narrow and tiny that it appears completely impractical, until I see a black salamander with green spots and gold eyes scamper out. The other houses are all unique, painted in colors from shades of pastel to bright pops taken straight from a field of moody flowers. I see windows of all shapes and doors from the tiniest to a double set so large I’m not sure I could pull them open by myself.

Animals and other humans fill the garden paths, and I notice quickly that most, whether in animal or human form, have gold eyes. A city of shifters. I begin to think the bit of gold on each of their buildings has something to do with that. The only commonality they all have is the gold door handle.

“This place a little creepy, or is it just me?” I whisper to Ikar, as we walk. Rupi must agree because she’s been huddled on Ikar’s shoulder since before we entered the city, her feathers halfway to quills, revealing her nervousness. I don’t mind her choosing him over me this time. I can’t blame her. If I could fit, I might jump on his shoulder, too.

“No. It’s creepy,” he mumbles, but his confidence never falters. There’s hardly a hint of the limp in his step today, his stride long and sure as ever. I almost have to jog a bit to keep up.

Besides being one of the few humans amongst a population of potentially violent shifters, I can’t pinpoint why it feels so creepy. Maybe it’s too perfectly weird? Manicured grasses and enormous beds of oddly shaped, bright flowers lead through the city, intertwined with all sizes and varieties of animal topiaries, from small rabbits with horns to lions, banthas, and armored wolves. Fountains with statues of animals atop their burbling streams are artfully placed along the path. I spot several animals lapping water from their depths and birds perched on the edges and realize they were placed there for more than just viewing.

From what I can see, it seems a friendly, happy place, except for the panther topiaries that remind me of the bantha Ikar killed just days ago. Admittedly, most of the shifters look very… predator-like, even in their human form. All stealthy with hungry eyes. A tall, gangly man sniffs me as I pass, and I cringe away, bumping into Ikar. No one has stopped us or spoken to us, though we do garner a few more sniffs. I make sure to keep up with Ikar, but I can’t help but think that if the Shift Forest is as odd and weird and easy as this, it will be the most enjoyable part of our journey yet.

We finally approach a wood structure painted in deep burgundy with the words ‘Shift Forest Authority’ engraved across a metal plate and bolted to its exterior. A heavy gate blocks the entrance to a spindly-looking bridge that spans the length of a deep crevice, and my eyes widen as I see the length of it dance and quiver in the breeze that blows between the canyon walls with a high-pitched whistle. I look at Ikar uncertainly, but he sets his jaw determinedly and steps forward to rap on the door.

A handsome man opens the door, his hair is long and tied back low with a band. He’s wearing a pair of snug-fitting trousers, and his shirt is half unbuttoned, not leaving much to the imagination in regard to his muscled chest. He looks like he belongs on a pirate ship with Ikar. My cheeks pink, and Ikar scowls as the man’s golden gaze locks on mine.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” he says charmingly, his hands spread in a gesture of welcome. His eyes catch on Rupi perched on Ikar’s shoulder, and I see mocking laughter tug at his lips until they twist.

I ignore his antics and quirk an eyebrow, glancing around. Looks like a place of business rather than a house. “You live here?”

He laughs. “Only when on duty.” He keeps his eyes on me while he slowly grabs my left hand, then flips it over quickly. He glances at my wrist and then back to me with a look in his eyes I don’t quite like. “In search of a mate, my lady?” Anywhere else and that question would be odd. How exactly can he tell I’m not mated simply by looking at my wrist?

Ikar clears his throat, but it sounds more like a growl. “She has one.”

I don’t know if it’s the tone or the growl that surprises me more, but I think being amongst these shifters is bringing out his inner animal. I try not to think too hard about how it makes me feel to hear him say we’re mates. I know it can’t really be. He’s my criminal, not my boyfriend. I repeat that five times to really cement it. Besides, we aren’t even shifters.

The two men stare each other down, but finally the shifter smiles, a contrast to the simmering intensity in his eyes. “If you plan to temporarily mate, you can head to the office of licenses in town. “ Humans ,” he says, like we’re a group beneath him, “can’t gain entrance without it.” Then he turns his gaze to me. “If you find you need something more ,” he drawls, “I’m here. Shifters can mate with humans with no expiration.” He winks for good measure.

Ikar’s hand curls into a fist at his side, and Rupi’s chirp sounds borderline indignant on his behalf. Her feathers have rustled and quilled, stabbing Ikar in the neck. To his credit, he doesn’t even wince.

I quickly wrap my hands around his fist as I begin to pull him away, shaking my head at the fact that my bird has become protective of my criminal. Not sure how it’s going to go when I drop him off with the officials. Will Rupi decide to stay locked up with him? I don’t know anymore. Rupi’s never acted this way, but he’s certainly tempting enough that I begin to wonder if she might choose him over me .

“We’ll be back soon,” I say quickly, tugging Ikar back toward town. No way am I allowing that guy to be my no-expiration-date mate. The way he emphasizes every word like everything he says is as gold as his eyes is far too annoying.

Ikar gradually relaxes, and somewhere along the way I reluctantly release his hand and walk beside him like I know I should. Rupi’s feathers slowly return to their familiar softness, and only then does Ikar reach up and wipe a bit of blood from his neck, looking at his fingers with a frown.

“She’s more dangerous than she appears,” he mutters.

I laugh at the bewildered look on his face. “Want me to take her?” I ask, as I begin to reach for her.

He steps away so I can’t reach. “I actually think she likes me.” He cranes his neck a bit to see her better where she perches on his shoulder, then pets her so carefully you’d think she was made of spun glass. Rupi practically croons beneath his attention.

I mutter beneath my breath and shake my head. What exactly am I supposed to do about my traitorous pet? Doesn’t help that, apparently, we have the same taste in men. She’s making it even more difficult to hate him.

The city isn’t very big, consisting of the path we took here and a handful of other intersecting streets, more aptly described as garden paths. The walkways this time of day are teeming with people and animals. We pass a few shops that smell of meat and bread, and I’m tempted to try to tug Ikar into one, but as we pass, a cat lazily flicking its tail off the awning above hisses at me, and I find myself stepping away too quickly and bumping into Ikar again. Rupi gives a string of upset chirps as she shuffles down the length of Ikar’s shoulder and back to his neck again, her feathers beginning to quill again with nerves at the sight of the predator. I glare into its golden cat eyes. Rude. I highly doubt Ikar would set aside the mission for a bite of fresh food anyway.

We pass a family of rabbits, and my eyes are drawn to a baker shouting at a squirrel that apparently snitched something. I laugh until it turns to a yelp as Ikar pulls me quickly into his side in order to avoid my squashing a larger-than-normal scorpion beneath my boot.

“Watch your step. They don’t allow killing in the city,” he says sternly.

“I wasn’t trying .”

He shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. Don’t kill anyone.”

I’m ready to toss back a sarcastic comment, but it’s swapped with a very pertinent question. “Wait. Does that mean they do allow killing in the forest?”

Ikar chuckles low and deep. “How else do you think they survive?”

My voice grows higher, “They hunt each other ?”

“Not intentionally, probably. But they are part animal.” He says it in that matter of fact way of his.

I have no response to that. With that knowledge, my dreams of a whimsical, safe Shift Forest journey have turned to dust. I purse my lips, but I keep my eyes on my feet more closely. Don’t want to unintentionally kill a shifter on our way through town. I avoid bugs, too—just in case.

We turn down one street, and then another. I catch sight of a couple of wolves with their golden eyes stalking down the street, and even a few birds with eyes as golden as the wolves’, indicating their shifter faction. With how busy it is, it’s easy enough to find someone on the street to direct us to mate licensing, and we finally find ourselves standing before a small and ridiculously designed shop at 3 rd and Main. A curly and dramatic sign hangs in front of a yard reading ‘Mate Licenses’ in bold font. Inside the small wrought iron fence is an untamed garden full of a variety of flowers of all colors and sizes, including a wall of robust roses that climbs the front of the building, almost hiding it beneath their heavy blooms. Two pane-glass windows peak out behind roses on either side of the narrow wooden front door with a window the shape of a heart in it.

I’d been looking for a more… official-looking office, but after double-checking the address and re-reading the sign three times, I’m positive we’ve found the right place. I shouldn’t be too surprised. This building is much like the others in this odd city. I march, determined, up to the gate and pull it open, heading toward the front door in the midst of the heavy scent of the flowers around me. I look back to see Ikar, unmoved, outside the gate. Look who’s wasting time now.

“Coming?” I call.

“This can’t be the right place,” he argues, as he steps somewhat hesitantly through the small gate. I hold back a snort, and look away to hide my grin. The man will fight vicious magical creatures without any wisp of magic, doesn’t blink when stabbed with poisonous claws, willingly traverses dangerous mountains, and sneaks through goblin nests without a second thought, but hesitates at the gates of this tiny shop. How bad does he think this can be?

I open the shop door with the heart window and hear a dainty bell ring as I step inside. The scent is heady, a perfect combination of sweet and musky. To the right is a pretty, natural wood counter with flowers that match those in the front yard tumbling from a tall etched-glass vase atop it. The back of the shop contains an intricate wood arch with more flowers adorning the top in an artful design. To my left are built-in shelves that span the length and width of the wall, holding vials of all sorts of colors with tiny labels beneath each. Interesting.

“Oooooh! Delightful!” A round, kind-looking woman comes scurrying toward the door with her hands pressed together in front of her generous bosom. Her eyes seem to glow just a little brighter gold. “I just love to see such a charming couple.”

Ikar steps in behind me, coughing slightly at the smell and appearing as if he’s just stepped into a den of gloam snakes. I’m not sure someone could look more out of place in this shop with his thick leather armor and tall boots, but it’s the weapons that fill his pockets and sheaths and the tears across the armor on his back that add an extra dollop to his already dangerous look. Not to mention the glower on his face, only enhanced by his unkempt beard. The woman’s eyes widen as she takes in his appearance, lingering a moment too long on his accessories, but she quickly recovers her cheery and professional demeanor. She wraps her arm around my shoulders in a motherly way and guides us over to the shelves of tiny vials. Small description labels sit directly beneath each row of varying colors.

“Before we begin, please understand you aren’t actually mating .” Dread curls through my belly as I wait for her to jump into further, highly awkward details. Ikar’s jaw is like granite, but she seems oblivious to our discomfort and continues into a memorized explanation. “This license will give you temporary use of a mate bond, which will protect you as you cross the Shift Forest. For non-shifters, a mate license is temporary and must be renewed every six weeks to be considered active. If one of you dies, the other will be vulnerable to a searching mate, so travel carefully and don’t get bit.” She smiles brightly.

Alright, then .

“Now for the fun!” She gestures to the vials. “Here are the mate bond types. Think of them as the spice.” She gives us a knowing look. “Do you have a preference?” She eyes the two of us, not waiting for a reply. “I’m thinking this one.” She pulls a burgundy vial from the shelf. She looks between us with squinted eyes, thinking hard. “Or maybe this one.” She grabs a gold vial and sets them both on the wood counter in front of the shelves.

“Isn’t there just a bond ?” Ikar asks, sounding grumpy.

She gestures to the vials, “ Those are the bond, young sir. It’s so much more fun with variety, don’t you think?” She looks at me as she says the last part, and I smile uncomfortably. She winks. “When you’ve chosen, bring it to me, and we’ll get you mate bonded in no time!” She giggles and scurries back to the other side of the room behind the wood counter, where she grabs a large piece of parchment and starts scrawling across its surface.

Ikar and I stand a bit awkwardly in front of the shelf, both unmoving for a long moment. I scratch my arm even though there’s no itch, then check the tie at the base of my braid while I wait for him to make the first move. He doesn’t. Now he decides he doesn’t want to be in charge? I sigh. Fine. I lean in a little closer to read some of the descriptions.

Below a row of green, I read aloud, “Adventure.” I look back at Ikar with a brow raised to gauge his reaction. “This is kinda fun, right?”

He mostly just looks bored and uncomfortable. I notice that the hand he rests on his sword pommel twitches like he might be in actual danger. So, the man can be dramatic. I would laugh, except I’m also quite nervous about this whole mate bond thing. Only one way forward.

I continue by dragging my finger to a row of light-blue vials next. “All Business,” I say, louder this time, feeling more confident in our options.

Applicable, but boring .

My eyes slide to the next color, a row of bright pink vials, and read, “Romance.” I don’t look back at him this time. In order to diffuse the awkwardness of the last label, I move too quickly to a row of sunshine yellow vials and blurt out, “Reproduction,” before I realize it’s worse than the last. My cheeks are flaming. I’m pretty positive we aren’t ready for that, and I thought these were temporary anyway. I have questions for Miss Mate License.

Ikar growls, “This is ridiculous.”

He decisively reaches over my head and grabs one of the gold vials recommended by the shop lady without reading the label and walks toward the counter to pay for it.

“Wait! I didn’t read the description on that one,” I whisper-yell at his back. Besides, after seeing some of those vials, I don’t trust this woman’s recommendations.

“We know it’s not reproduction ,” he mutters beneath his breath without slowing and slides it across the counter into the hands of the cheery lady. I’m just walking up to the counter when she smiles knowingly, “ Wonderful choice, you two. It’s worth the expense.” She hands Ikar a receipt with a total so large at the bottom I choke a little.

I lean around his arm, worried and feeling a little panicky. “Maybe we should take a look at the others?”

He counts out the money and hands it to her. He seems out of his element in this odd little shop, his discomfort almost tangible. His face is unreadable. Is mate-bonding with me just to get across a forest so awful? I cringe at the thought. He just wants out. So, while paying that amount of money would make me cry, it’s clear that he’s earned so much from his violent escapades as a mercenary he gives no thought for expense.

The woman takes the money and then hands us each a charmed quill. “Sign here and here.” She points to two lines at the bottom of the contract she’s just written. Ikar’s eyes skim the contract, but he keeps glancing outside, probably hoping we can get back to the gate before the suns go down and it’s too late. I haven’t read all the details about the binding, but before I can finish Ikar signs his name with a flourish and slides the paper to me. “Sign,” he commands.

I carefully sign my name, and our names settle permanently into the parchment with a flourish of sparks. I gulp.

The woman quickly rolls it up, ties it with a wide, flashy red ribbon, and hands it to Ikar. “Now. The mate bond. Would you like to do that here or on your own?”

Without waiting for an answer, she eagerly leads us over to the back of the shop with the wood arch I spotted earlier. Roses trail down outside the window. It’s a bit overdone for my tastes, but I smile anyway, trying not to think about if this were an actual marriage to Ikar and not just a temporary mate bond. She flings a startlingly bright white fur cloak around her shoulders and prepares to begin.

Ikar stops her. “We’ll take care of this on our own, but thank you.”

The woman’s face falls a little.“I do love to do the bonds with the gold vial,” she removes the cloak, “but I understand.” She scurries back over to her desk and shuffles noisily through a drawer. Bits of ribbon fall, twirling to the floor, and papers in all shades of pink and red messily peek over the edge. She finds what she’s looking for and heads back over to us with a piece of paper and a delicate gold chain in her hand. She neatly folds the chain up inside the envelope. “Here are the instructions, follow them very carefully to make sure it’s done properly. You wouldn’t want anyone else bonding with your lady.” She winks at Ikar and leads us to the door. “I wish you every happiness.”

I thank her, hoping the wariness doesn’t show too much on my face. She sure acts like this is a big deal, when we just don’t want to be forever bonded by wild shifters on our way through the forest.

We step outside with our flashy-wrapped parchment and crystal vial of gold liquid, both of which Ikar promptly shoves in his pack and away from outside eyes. I would laugh, but a rush of nerves flutters in my stomach, which is ridiculous. Nothing about this is meant to be romantic or meaningful in any way. I search Ikar’s face. Yep, all business. Shoulda chosen the blue vial, or was it the green? Doesn’t matter since Ikar panicked and grabbed gold before I could investigate. Though, maybe he isn’t quite so unaffected. I see that telling muscle in his jaw clench, but that’s usually a sign of irritation. Not quite what I’d like to see in my ideal mate bonding situation.

In search of a place to figure out this bond, I follow Ikar out of town a ways, until the manicured gardens and topiaries disappear and we find ourselves in natural forest. He stops after awhile and looks around. “This should work.”

We stand in long, soft forest grass surrounded by saplings, their coin-shaped leaves fluttering lightly in the breeze. Light filters softly through their branches, and I can see dust particles float in the streaks of sunlight that make it through. He couldn’t possibly have chosen a more romantic location. I peer at him carefully, wondering if it was intentional, but his face is emotionless. Rupi shows her approval by flitting amongst the thin branches, happy to have some freedom after being perched for so long.

He leans down and pulls the envelope and gold vial from the pack. He stands once again and I take the gold vial while he opens the card and unfolds the instructions, the gold chain dangling from his hand. He starts reading to himself.

In the shop, the gold vial looked glittery, but as I hold it up to the sunlight to inspect it closer, I realize it isn’t glitter, but miniscule flashes of light continually bursting. Curiosity pokes at me. I really wish we had read the description. Maybe I can go back to see what he’s purchased later. If we don’t already know by then. More butterflies flutter in my stomach. I watch Ikar as his eyes scan the page, focused. I step closer to him and angle myself so I can read the page, too.

The instructions are relatively simple. Stand close, place a very careful droplet on the inside of each of our wrists, then press them together and wrap the gold chain around both and secure it with a charm. Then it’s done.

“Are you okay with this? We can always try to find a different way around,” he says.

I look up into Ikar’s blue eyes, shadowed with concern. “Another way around may not even be possible, and there’s no time to search.”

He nods firmly.

“Are you okay with this?”

He swallows and looks out into the woods, his body tense. I grow concerned when he doesn’t say anything for a few moments.

I put a hand softly on his arm. “You don’t have to be bound to me. I know we won’t ever be… like that. There should be another way.”

That muscle in his jaw clenches again, and he shakes his head. He takes the gold vial, muttering something bitterly under his breath that sounds a lot like, “special type of torture,” as he pops the lid off.

With a gentleness that belies his anger a few moments ago, he steps closer to me, my shoulder against his upper arm, and takes my hand to turn it palm up in his larger one, the inside of my wrist facing the sky. I watch as ever so slowly he tips the vial, and a single drop clings to the rim until finally it lets go and falls to my wrist. It immediately soaks into my skin, forming a small, light-sparking circle. Before I have time to inspect it further, Ikar passes me the vial and turns his hand so his wrist is up. I cup my hand beneath his and tip the bottle, a single drop once again clings to the edge as if giving us one more moment to make sure this is what we want. I tip it a tiny bit further, and the drop falls, immediately melting into his skin the same as mine and leaving a matching sparking circle.

He takes the vial and pops the cap back on, dropping it in one of his many pockets before he once again takes my hand. We press our wrists together in a moment that is growing far too intimate for our spoken relationship status. Criminal and bounty hunter, I remind myself. The moment he secures the delicate gold chain around our wrists, it feels like the sparking circles meld together. The warmth grows between our wrists and spreads up our arms and through our bodies in a heady way, a rush of gold overwhelming my senses. Bright lights behind my eyes block me from my physical sight while our souls seem to connect in an impossible way. I feel complete. The feeling is beautiful, safe, warm. A high I didn’t know if I’d ever feel again. I soak it in for as long as it lasts. Gradually, the sparks lighten behind my eyes, and my vision clears, the warmth retracting back to our wrists. I find myself wrapped in Ikar’s free arm, pressed against his solid chest. When had that happened? We watch as the gold chain separates into two, and the ends meld together and seem to fizzle into our skin as if they never existed. We are left with small, glimmering dots, the only visible proof of the bond.

We pull our hands apart, and I look up at Ikar and meet his eyes. His guard is down and there is something deep and intense smoldering there.

My logic tells me to tread carefully—this unguarded and somewhat new behavior from Ikar could be a result of the new bond I know nothing about thanks to him . But the side of me that has been fighting my feelings for him jumps at the opportunity, slamming the door in logic’s face. I only slightly lean toward him before he crosses the distance. I feel his lips a breath away, wanting. And then I hear a rustle and the quiet crack of brush nearby. We both snap out of whatever that moment almost was and stand straight, searching. I catch a tall shadow in my peripheral, but when I turn my head to get a better look, there’s nothing there. I’m beginning to wonder if something is seriously wrong with my vision. The odd shadowy shapes that keep appearing at the sides are becoming regular enough to be concerning.

“Do you see anything?” I ask.

“No. Sounded like an animal of some sort.” He leans down and grabs his pack. “We should go.” He avoids my eyes, and just like that, the moment is over. Rupi flutters to my shoulder, weaving her way through my hair and settling in for the walk back to the Shift Authority.