Bounty Hunter (The Black Tulip Chronicles #1)

38. Vera

Chapter 38

Vera

I may have grown fond of these animal heads, but I miss my trousers, boots, and my loose shirt. I used to be mistaken for a boy, but I wonder now what I would be mistaken for. A creature risen from the depths of the Shift Forest is what I look like. My hair is a mess of snarls from the windy ride, and it adds the perfect touch of ‘mussed underworld goddess’ to my outfit. The dress snags and catches on every branch I pass, and I jerk so hard once that I hear a loud rip. Ikar muffles what suspiciously sounds like a snort, and I whip my head around to glare at him. He looks at me with complete innocence, acting as if nothing happened. I’d like to see him traverse these woods in a dress such as this. Who knows what’s crawling around in the layers of this dratted outfit? I’m forced to hike it up to scramble over downed trees and rocks that block our way, baring more skin than I ever have in my life. Ikar respectfully keeps his eyes averted, but I feel like my cheeks are one never-ending fire.

While I carry my fisted dress in my hands, I hear familiar birdsong. I glance around, searching eagerly. I’ve been worrying for Rupi for over two days, and my heartbeat picks up in pace. I don’t hear it anymore, and I wonder if I imagined it, but I grin widely when a moment later I see her bobbing through the air. I stop and angle my shoulder out for her to land, but when she sees me, she quickly changes direction and aims for Ikar instead. I frown as she flutters to his shoulder, and he greets her with a stroke of his knuckle. I haven’t seen her since two days ago, or was it three? I admit that I’m a little hurt she chose Ikar over me.

Ikar chuckles at the expression on my face. “It’s not you. It’s the dress.”

My dress? I look down, spreading the fabric wide and revealing four animal heads from the folds. Rupi gives a trilling chirp and hops closer to Ikar’s neck, her feathers knife-like quills as she eyes Jasper, Collette, and friends. Ikar winces when she attempts to nestle up. I don’t envy him there. I’ve felt the pricks of her feathers, and it burns.

“Can you put the heads away?” He winces again and tilts his head as Rupi trembles in all her sharp glory against his neck.

I sigh and let the fabric drop. He’s right. It appears I’ll have to choose between the animal heads and Rupi when we reach civilization.

I step away, and Rupi calms, but even when I try to get her attention by waving a hand full of her favorite birdseed, she won’t look at me. She acts as if she’s been betrayed. Ikar takes the seeds, and I watch, slack-jawed, as Rupi hops to his palm and begins cracking the seeds happily, acting as if I’m not there. Moody bird. But the scene holds my gaze for a long moment. Seeing my tiny fluff of a bird hopping around in Ikar’s large, calloused hand isn’t something I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. My mood softens toward both of them. It’s not their fault I was forced to don this dress .

After Rupi’s reaction to my frock, I’m even less inclined to wear it, so after it snags once more, my patience snaps. I stop with a huff, but when I reach for my knife, I remember it’s not there. None of my stuff is here. I sigh heavily. It’s going to cost me to replace it all. I curse Silas.

“I need a knife.” I place a waiting hand out in the air. Ikar slowly slips one from his collection and places the handle in my hand.

I immediately set to work, jaggedly sawing away the lower length of ruffles, careful to avoid any of my friendly animal heads. They don’t deserve to be cut off, even if Rupi hates them. It now stops at my knees, the front a little shorter than the back with my hasty tearing. Without the added length and weight of the ruffles, it poofs out slightly, resembling a party dress. A very creepy party dress. I worry I’ve made a huge mistake when a breeze blows by, and I quickly press the fabric down with my hands, but I find I don’t need to—the animal heads will weigh it down sufficiently. I pat Jasper, the raccoon head over my left thigh in thanks before I hand the knife back, and we continue.

“Did you just pet one of those heads?” Ikar appears genuinely concerned for me. Rupi quirks her head on his shoulder, and I get the feeling she is, too.

“You would too if you spent a night alone with them,” I respond with a little spice in my voice. “You know, if you would have returned sooner, I wouldn’t have had to become friends with them in the first place. What took you so long anyway?”

His mouth opens, but I get the feeling he doesn’t know where to start with what I just said. Ikar is often quiet and broody, but this is the first time I’ve seen him speechless. He rubs a hand across the back of his neck and shakes his head .

He’s still shaking his head. “No. You cannot be friends with dead animals,” he says firmly.

I respond quickly with some attitude. I’ve been waiting for an explanation. “Too late. You were going to tell me what took you so long?”

He eyes the animals on the dress again in exasperation. “If I’d known you made friends with dead animals, I would have left you,” he mutters.

My jaw drops with a sharp laugh. “You didn’t just say that.” I punch him in the arm, and he laughs, stepping away with his hands up in a placating gesture.

He’s still laughing when he begins again. “You know I’ll always come back for you.” There’s a look in his eyes that I really like. While a warm, happy feeling curls in my chest, he continues, his voice more firm and his jaw set in that down-to-business way again. “But I had to get my weapons back first.”

That cools the warm feeling real quick.

“You rescued your weapons first ?” Maybe I don’t have a crush on him anymore.

“You sure appreciated them when I killed the guards to get us out of there.”

I can’t argue with that. “Fine. But next time, be faster. I thought I was going to have to marry Silas.”

He laughs under his breath, and I revel in the light feeling that lingers between us.

We journey through forest so deep sunlight no longer shines down through the needles of the fir trees above us. But in the sun’s absence, the beauty of the fae arises around us. Tiny beads of water cling to plants, grass, and leaves like the tiniest of sparkling crystals. The colors of the flora around us have deepened considerably, and everything seems of a jewel hue, rich and deep. We come to a bridge that is obviously fae, built by the best, and it shows. Beautiful bits and pieces of the highest-quality wood are fit perfectly together in intricate designs and dramatic pictures, guiding travelers across. As a teen, I’d thought it was so romantic. The fae and their potions, their criminal minds, fancy clothing, and their crafting of picturesque villages high in the trees. I’d even had a fae boyfriend here years ago, who, I’m sure, has moved on by now.

“Let’s just stick to our original,” I say decisively, preparing myself for the coming introductions.

“That I’m a criminal? Or mercenary?”

I smirk and lift an eyebrow. “So many options.”

He gives me a dry look, absent a smile, and I almost laugh out loud.

“Let’s go with criminal,” I say. “That way we’re not lying.”

“It’s a complete lie,” he deadpans.

I stop walking and turn toward him. “Look. My aunt can read me like a book, so our best bet to keep you safe is to go with what we are already familiar with. Which is you being a criminal. Besides, it hasn’t been proven otherwise.”

“Fine.” He starts walking again, but I see his jaw tick.

“You don’t like playing the criminal?” I almost laugh.

“I hunt criminals.”

“You do?” My eyes light up with interest. “Tell me more. My bounty hunter skills could use some improvement.”

Ikar chuckles deliciously. “Some?”

I toss a narrow-eyed glare at him.

“You almost got me killed. Several times.”

He’s making some excellent points this afternoon, and I don’t like it.

“No need to bring up the past,” I say tartly, “but I should mention that my aunt and her friends won’t like you, so be prepared for that.” I shoot a warning glance at him. The fae have some of the strictest border crossing laws, and they don’t like visitors who hang around too long. On top of that, Mama Tina is very protective of me, her only niece.

“I’m not concerned about whether your family likes me or not.”

“That’s rude to say.” I try not to be disappointed by his practical response.

“It’s not rude. It’s a matter of fact and circumstance.”

“Well, it’ll probably be best for both of us if you just stick to your room and be quiet until we leave.” It’s true that it doesn’t matter. We aren’t together like that, but it’s easy to pretend he’s mine with this mate bond glowing on my wrist and catching the sunlight. I twist my wrist so the small dot catches a bit of sunlight that appears through the trees.

“You ever figure out what flavor of bond you bought?”

He glances at my shining wrist. “It’s how I found you.”

I twist my wrist back and forth a few more times, enjoying the sunburst-like sparkles before the shade blocks out the light again. “It’s a good thing we had one then, even though apparently you never needed one.” I remember the everwisp commenting on that, I’d forgotten I’d never really gotten an explanation for that.

His eyes quickly dart to mine, and I find them guarded. The corners of his eyes are even creased a little in worry. He’s not usually so reactive, which is interesting. I meet his eyes thoughtfully, deciding whether I should press it or not.

“Want to tell me why that is?”

“Not particularly.” He stares straight ahead now, and I feel a bit of tension settle between us.

I shrug, willing to let it go. Doesn’t apply to him being my bounty, so I figure if he doesn’t want to share, I shouldn’t push it.

The tension fades as I begin to tell him about Renna and my frustration with her boyfriend, which somehow leads into some of my more interesting bounty contracts. He listens, and we laugh off and on as I share some of the odd and humorous things I’ve experienced. I get too comfortable and don’t see that the conversation naturally leads to his next question.

“How did you get started with bounty hunting anyway?”

That’s a loaded question if there ever was one, but I decide it won’t hurt to share the short version.

“Soon after I turned nineteen, I broke up with a boyfriend and needed space.” I shrug. “It wasn’t just that, though. My mother’s sister, who everyone calls Mama Tina, took me in after my parents died, and I truly loved living with her, but I felt like I needed to make my own way. Ya know?”

“And you caught on to it, just like that?” he asks, surprised.

I give a derisive laugh. “Unfortunately, no. I was overconfident and needed money. The first contract I took was for a Class A criminal, and it didn’t go well.”

Memories of that day still rise up in my nightmares sometimes, and now that we’re talking about it, the images begin filtering through my mind. I keep talking without thinking.

“The criminal killed the hunter, then almost got me, too. I ran but ended up lost for a month before I found my way back. I told myself I’d never take a Class A criminal contract again.” It wasn’t until I said it that I realized I shouldn’t have.

“I’m considered a Class A criminal.”

I sense the question behind the statement, and he looks at me closely.

My mouth is very dry. How do I explain the urgency of Renna’s need for money without giving away who we are? “Renna ran into some serious financial problems and needed help. I did this for her.”

He nods with understanding. “I would do almost anything for my closest friends, as well.” I sense the sorrow in his words. He’s not spoken of Darvy and Rhosse, and I feel guilty that I haven’t thought to care until now.

I surprise myself by slipping my hand into his, and I hear a quiet chirp from Rupi. “We won’t know until we get to the High Kingdom. Don’t lose hope.” I feel him grip my hand a little tighter for a moment. I expect him to drop it afterward, but he doesn’t, so we walk through the forest hand-in-hand the rest of the way, and our conversation moves to lighter topics.

I find that he shares freely when I ask about Simon and Arrow, the hawk and dog he mentioned while stitching me up. The guardedness leaves his eyes, and he launches into details about their training and hunting expeditions. Most include Darvy and Rhosse as well, but the sorrow doesn’t touch his eyes like it did before. I smile a little as I listen, enjoying the sound of his voice and hearing about his life. For days, all I’ve wanted is to reach Mama Tina and be done with this trip. But now, walking hand in hand and talking about life, I find I’d rather stay here with Ikar. The thought tries to make me uncomfortable until I smother it. Not now.