Scalechaser wish wielder.., p.17
Scalechaser (Wish Wielder Bonds), page 17
Whitetail gave him a sly grin. “I believe you’re scared to accept because you know I’m going to beat your time.”
Jaxlin was silent for a moment. “Fine,” he said after considering her proposal. “I can’t promise I’ll convince her, but I’ll try.”
“The effort might require a bit of strategy.” Whitetail laughed.
He nodded, then held up a finger in caution. “If you beat my time, I’ll cajole her every minute until she agrees. But if you can’t beat my time . . .” He paused and looked around. His eyes lit with an idea, and a wide smile spread across his face. “If you lose, you’re coming to get drinks with me to celebrate my new record.”
Whitetail groaned. “You really want that drink, don’t you?”
“Yep.”
She sighed.
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid you can’t beat my time?” Jaxlin wiggled his eyebrows at her.
The gatekeeper called for Hayden Briston to come to the arena. Whitetail chewed on her lip.
“All right, you have a deal,” she agreed before hurrying over to the gate.
Jaxlin grinned and clapped his hands in anticipation.
Bending low, Whitetail rocked on the balls of her feet, ready to sprint the instant the gate was open. The bodoberon in the arena jumped from side to side with its tail twitching playfully.
Clang!
The hourglass by the gatekeeper was flipped over the instant she was clear to enter the arena. The bodoberon spun, eying the noisy gate. Whitetail took off on silent feet. She pumped her arms hard in order to reach the opposite end of the arena as fast as possible.
The bodoberon turned again with its long ropelike tail slicing through the air like a whip. Whitetail dropped to the ground, sliding to prevent it from smacking her in the face. When she was clear, she shoved her hands against the ground, propelling herself back into a run.
Once past, she didn’t spare another glance at the bodoberon as she continued her trek to the far wall. In the back of her mind, she barely registered the churn of metal cogs chinking together as the gate slowly closed. The bodoberon barked animatedly. She reached the opposite wall and grabbed the first of the three rings. She tugged the ring free, pushing against the wall at the same time, which provided her a boost as she sprinted back toward the canine.
Instead of looking at Whitetail, the bodoberon faced the gate. A small ruk had snuck into the arena and wove around the canine’s feet. The rodent squeaked as the bodoberon pounced toward it, then it swerved and shot toward the exit. Its long ears flopped as it scurried to safety behind the gate.
The bodoberon yipped, jumping toward the sliver of a hole, which was all that remained of the closing opening. The canine soared through the air, but it landed awkwardly with the extra weight of the harness. It tumbled, landing on its back, and pawed the air, unable to flip its body over.
Whitetail ran up to the beast and pushed it onto its side. When it could put one padded foot on the ground, it clawed the dirt and flipped upright using its tail as leverage. Whitetail barely had time to slide the ring over the peg before the bodoberon scampered away.
“Is that the fastest you can go? I’m going to win for sure!” Jaxlin taunted from behind the gate.
Whitetail turned on her heels and dashed to retrieve the second ring. By the time she reached it, the bodoberon’s eyes had narrowed on her. Now it was going to be tricky. She ran at the bodoberon, but the creature didn’t want her anywhere near it. It leaned down, keeping its chin and shoulders low. When she drew close, it jumped to the side, skirting around her.
Whitetail pivoted, and the canine continued its evasion. She took one step forward. The bodoberon hopped back. She paused and dashed to the left. The bodoberon followed suit.
She didn’t stop. She kept moving left, and the bodoberon did as well until they were moving in a wide circle. With its attention focused solely on her, Whitetail flung her arm forward, throwing the metal ring. The creature barked, flicking its furless tail at the ring, but shouldn’t have bothered.
The metal sailed to the right of the bodoberon and hit the corner of the arena before falling to the ground. A hollow vibrating hum bounced around them. The bodoberon tensed, then looked over its shoulder. It waited as if expecting the ring to come alive.
Nothing happened.
Keeping its ears aimed at Whitetail, it pranced over to the fallen object. It bent down and sniffed, then immediately tensed, ready to flee if necessary. Again, nothing happened. The bodoberon tapped it with a paw experimentally.
Whitetail made her move while its back was turned. She crouched low and crept forward on swift toes. The bodoberon’s ears twitched, and Whitetail stilled, only continuing when its tail began to sway through the air.
She was an arm’s length away when it twirled to face her. It was trapped in the corner, so with nowhere to run, it leaned back, then sprung up and over the top of her. She jumped, trying to catch it, and slammed into its torso. They crashed to the ground, rolling over each other in the dirt.
Whitetail grunted, trying to focus her swirling vision, then scrambled to her feet. She snatched the ring off the ground and slid it onto the peg before the creature could regain control of its senses.
Whitetail spun, ready to race toward the final ring, when the bodoberon made a motion that caused her to do a double take. It rubbed a paw against its eyes, trying to clear the dirt away. For a moment, the gesture reminded her of Willowsong’s jacobeast when it had rubbed at the wound inflicted by Hayden’s crossbow bolt.
Whitetail stumbled as she tried to shake the image.
No, she wasn’t going to panic again. There were no spears here. Nothing to let her see her eyes. No reason she should even think about that unforgivable hunt. This was just a game. She would think of it as only a game.
She righted her step, sprinting past the bodoberon so fast she caused the fur on its back to wave in the air. The bodoberon growled as if she’d intended to harm it. It still rubbed at its eyes, but it swished its ropelike tail in her direction and hit her in the back. Whitetail tried to catch her balance but couldn’t gain the proper footing and tripped, landing on her hands and knees.
It snarled above her, and she twisted her head to glance at it from over her shoulder. She lifted her hands in a placating gesture, but when she shifted to rise to her feet, it panicked. It launched itself up onto its hind legs, trying to make itself as tall and formidable as possible. Again, Whitetail was reminded of Willowsong’s jacobeast. That was the same stance the feline had taken at the end, right before it had fallen on her spear.
She tried to ignore the comparison, tried to tell herself this was a bodoberon, not a jacobeast, but the image was stuck in her mind. She needed out of here. She hadn’t been prepared to keep up her mental walls within this arena, and that was turning out to be a mistake.
The gatekeeper looked puzzled when she hurried over and declared she wanted to forfeit. He asked if she was hurt or if there was a problem, and when she denied both, he had no reason to make her stay. He opened the arena gate, scratching his head in confusion as he watched her leave.
Whitetail refused to look back at the bodoberon. She rubbed her temples and tried to expel every thought concerning her sister. When Jaxlin came up beside her, she held out her hand, motioning for him to lead the way.
“You win. Show me to that drink.”
Jaxlin nodded, but he didn’t look as happy as he had when they’d made the bargain. “Yeah. I think you could really use it now.” When she didn’t comment, he lowered his voice and said, “I get it. I saw it too. That dog kind of moved like the jacobeast did.”
Whitetail couldn’t hold back a shiver.
No, Jaxlin hadn’t seen what she saw. He saw a bodoberon that happened to share characteristics with her sister’s jacobeast. But Whitetail? She actually saw the jacobeast.
She wrapped her arms around her waist as she followed Jaxlin in his search for a tavern. With every step she took, the frozen lake beneath her feet fractured a little bit more.
Chapter 12
For the first time since Reedwalker had kidnapped him from Gralland, Gage felt completely rested. His cravings were mostly gone now. The burning had reduced so much it was only a subtle itch in the places where his skin pressed against something too hard. His shirt was no longer uncomfortable to wear, but he sometimes found himself scratching an area the fabric tickled more out of habit than necessity.
He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but when he woke, he was so rejuvenated he could have passed for an entirely new person. He was a little disappointed he hadn’t been able to give Reedwalker any type of farewell, but Hayden had said her father wasn’t good at goodbyes anyway. Gage smiled at that. The terse man probably wouldn’t have had much to say even if he’d been there. When this was over, Gage would have to send a letter expressing his appreciation. After all, he wouldn’t have survived his cravings if Reedwalker hadn’t fought to save him.
Gage was excited to talk to Whitetail and learn as much about the woman his soul had been tied to as possible. He critically analyzed everything about his personality: the way he spoke, the way he looked, the way he would treat her. He wanted to be the perfect example of the bondmate she deserved. When she failed to appear, however, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to prove himself worthy.
“Did I do something to upset her?” he asked, accepting the small cup of diluted rukasai Hayden placed in his hands. He hadn’t told her he wanted to stay away from pure rukasai, but she never tried to offer anything stronger, as if she had plucked the answer straight out of his mind without having asked the question. He drank the entire portion in one gulp.
“No,” Hayden replied, needing no explanation about who he referred to. “She’s been keeping to herself lately. Even avoids me when I let her get away with it.”
“Do you know why?”
“Oh, Gage, you act like Whitetail’s the only person you care about.” A pout rose in her voice. “It’s making me jealous. Do our little heart-to-hearts mean absolutely nothing to you?”
He didn’t believe she honestly felt any envy over him. He had been in enough conversations with her at this point to know she was hedging for a particular response that would eventually end in him turning so red she could claim he glowed in the dark. She often tried to come up with things to say or do that would make him blush, but today he vowed she would leave sorely disappointed.
He deliberated over a few responses and finally settled on one he thought would be safe. “Sorry, Hayden. I wasn’t trying to belittle your hospitality. I’m just concerned. Jaxlin said she isn’t usually this distant with everyone.”
“Listen to you! You really have developed a crush, haven’t you?” She spoke so dramatically it wouldn’t have been a surprise if she placed her hands over her heart. “What is it about her that won your love? The fact that she orchestrated your daring escape from Swiftden? No, I bet it’s something much simpler. It’s the accent, isn’t it? I don’t blame you there. Something’s almost magical in the way she talks like she’s always singing, right?”
Gage turned away from her and had to concentrate to hold back the warmth subtly growing on his face. The truth was, he had replayed his conversations with Whitetail on multiple occasions, trying to recall the precise way certain words rolled off her tongue.
“It’s not like that,” he insisted.
Hayden seemed to share the same misplaced mentality Cole had about his commitment. Was there a way to explain his sense of duty? He wasn’t attracted to Whitetail. Well, her voice was mesmerizing, but even Hayden had admitted that much. He had made a pledge of deference and submission. There was a difference between that and what Hayden was suggesting. He wanted to prove it, but Hayden didn’t sound like she was in the mood for a serious conversation.
“I’m sure,” she said without conviction. She sidled up next to him and ran her fingers down the length of his bare back.
Unlike the gentle feel of wind or fabric, her touch was strong enough to cause itchy tingles to race through his flesh. He flinched, but she ignored the gesture.
She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered shamelessly in his ear, “Whitetail wouldn’t know what to do with a man like you. If it’s a woman’s company you crave, I’m sure Jaxlin wouldn’t mind sharing me for a bit.”
It was a trap. He knew she was toying with him, but even so, he couldn’t stop the unwelcome rush of blood that gave her precisely what she sought.
Gage jerked away, regretting that he had let his old habit of remaining shirtless dictate the way he presented himself now. He never knew when he should expect visitors, so he had grown lax with his attire, but he should have known better.
“Aw, that was a lot easier than I thought it’d be. You’re so cute!” she cooed as if he were a toddler who had been put on display for the adoring adults.
“Isn’t there anyone else you can pester with your flirting?” he grumbled.
“Possibly. But you give the most amusing results.” She chuckled at his scowl and took the empty cup from his hand. “Jaxlin will bring you some breakfast in the morning. Oh, and try not to make so much noise tonight. Whatever you were doing yesterday was a bit too conspicuous. Shaeza complained about hearing ruks down here, and it’d be in your best interest not to give her any reason to start snooping around.”
Gage agreed and made a mental note to keep better track of Lavi’s wanderings.
When Hayden was gone, he spent some time meditating. Even if he wasn’t in constant agony anymore, he still found the act soothing. He let his mind go blank and grew absorbed in the sensations around him: the shifting floor beneath him, the hollow sound of water splashing against wood. Lavi curled up in his lap and fell asleep.
It was late enough he could have drifted off as well, but he enjoyed passing the time this way. Sometimes, if he was lucky, parts of Jacovan’s prayer would creep back into his mind. It was never the full symphony he’d heard that day he’d hunted the stray, but even a phantom of the song was enough to fill him with wonder.
When his muscles grew stiff, he knew he had to abandon his efforts to recall the song. Stretching, he stood and found his shirt, making himself more modest in case Hayden decided to come back and laugh at him some more. When he was dressed, he and Lavi went to explore the vastness of the hold, mostly to keep his limbs from going numb rather than a sense of adventure.
The stacks of crates and barrels were aligned in a way that made him feel like he was walking through a maze. In fact, at one point he was so turned around that he ended up at the stairs, which were on the opposite side of the room from his hiding place. He then backtracked, trailing his hand along the crates as he passed.
“What do you think, Lavi?” he murmured to the little animal, who had once again decided to make a perch within his hair. “Does any of this look familiar?”
Lavi continued to purr rhythmically, seeming content to let him wander aimlessly. Gage sighed as he came to a fork in the path and had to guess at which way he should go. “A little help would be appreciated, girl.”
At his words, Lavi sat up and sniffed the air. Her entire body shifted to the side.
“I need to turn right?”
She let out a little sneeze, then jumped off his head, scrambling away as if on a mission.
“Lavi, wait!” he hissed.
He tried to follow, but the patter of her quiet feet quickly disappeared, and he was again left guessing at which way he should go. He continued forward until he hit a dead end, then paused and listened. It was hard to hear anything past the creaking of the ship. Everything around made some sort of noise: the floorboards, the walls, the crates, the things in the crates jostling around. It wasn’t overwhelmingly noisy, but it was loud enough to make a single miniature kitten go unnoticed.
Unless said kitten decided to throw out all cautionary measures of self-preservation and instead tried to indulge in the treasures hidden within the hold. She scratched around on something wooden nearby, not making any effort to remain quiet. Gage brushed his hands along the crates and eventually felt her familiar form standing on the edge of a barrel, gnawing on a sack propped beside it that reeked of raw fish.
“Stop that. You’re making too much noise.”
She didn’t seem concerned about that predicament. She tried to wiggle away from his grip, so he squeezed her a little tighter and clamped his other hand over his fingers. As he stepped away from the crates, his back brushed against something, and it took him a minute to figure out how to maneuver around what felt like a thick fishnet hanging from the ceiling. While he was distracted with trying to bypass the net, Lavi bit his finger.
“Maker’s wrath!” He sucked in a sharp breath.
He almost dropped her, then quickly regained his hold by bending low and scooping her close to his chest. The ship rocked heavily toward one side, and Gage toppled, rolling onto the planks beneath him. He hit his head on another storage container, and while he was dazed from the fall, Lavi made her escape.
He tried to reach out and grab her, but he grasped thin air. Rubbing the small knot forming on the side of his head, he winced and stood. He tilted his head, trying to hear where she had scurried off to, but his head was spinning too much to chase her even if he wanted to.
“What’s gotten into you?” he grumbled, taking a step to keep his balance against the waves. “Do you want us to get caught?”
“I don’t believe she cares. She seems too preoccupied with trying to find a way into that luring powder. And here I assumed the bait was only used to attract sea demons, but apparently, it works on fynxes too. Who knew?”
Startled, Gage turned to the speaker and instinctively took a step backward. As he did, he ran into the net hanging from the ceiling. He tried to push it aside, but it wasn’t secure and fell against his weight.
When he shuffled away from the collapsing mesh, he tripped on the parts pooling at his feet. His boots refused to find traction, and he crashed onto a pile of sacks exuding the same fish smell as the one Lavi had been trying to get into. A plume of powdered fish bait rose in a cloud, engulfing him.
