Forever Green

~3~ The Guest

Lenesa walked beside her would-be assassin, casting furtive glances his way every so often and trying to get a better sense of the man.

He had determination. That was good. She could see it in the way his eyes burned, scorching her skin whenever his gaze—or his glare, rather—landed on her. The fire was fueled more by rage than anything else, but he would need it. It would keep him alive in these mountains.

With the light of the full moon and the wisp at her side, Lenesa could see the resemblance to Theiden's daughter. His hair was as thick and dark as the young girl's had been, and the shape of their faces were similar as well, with the same strong jawline. But perhaps the girl's mother had given Em her cute button nose—Theiden's was longer and narrower.

"What are you looking at?" Theiden growled then, catching Lenesa watching him. "Sizing up your next meal, are you?"

Lenesa barely held back a scoff. "I don't eat people," she replied, appalled at the thought. "Besides, that old jacket of yours is enough to put off anyone's appetite." Though it didn't smell, the thick brown coat was worn, stained, and patched in places, and looked rather like something that might have been salvaged from a rubbish pile.

Theiden shrugged, still glowering. "Why are you taking me with you, then?"

"If you were concerned about not returning to your home, you should never have left the city to begin with," she answered.

Theiden gave a short, humorless laugh. "And watch helplessly as my daughter lives her life as a recluse? You're the one to blame for all of this, witch."

The last word came out like a snake spitting venom, and Lenesa felt a twinge of annoyance.

"I do have a name," she said irritably. "Though if Lenesa is too difficult to remember, you may address me as Lena instead." Perhaps he was the simple sort. After all, he did come from the city, and that place was overrun with half-wits.

The man did not answer, but Lenesa could feel his stare boring into her back as she moved forward to take the lead. The path was growing narrower here, and she didn't feel much like talking anymore, anyway.

"Where are we going?" Theiden called out a moment later.

"Home," she replied, stepping over a root illuminated by her wisp. Behind her, there was a muffled thump as Theiden stumbled over it. "We're taking a shortcut." She didn't want to tell him just yet, but they would have to use magic—otherwise, they would never get to the top of Nagamora before dawn broke.

She continued on through the forest, and the only indication that Theiden followed was the sound of his heavy boots crunching loudly on the ground. Sometimes, there was a dull thud and muttered curse as he stumbled, since he clung to the farthest reaches of the wisp's light. The man was really fighting the bond with all he had, and Lenesa might have admired his tenacity if she hadn't been so tired.

Finally, a flat vertical slab of rock emerged from the gloom, with a ring of mushrooms sprouting from the ground before it. Lenesa knew the moment Theiden caught sight of it when he inhaled sharply behind her.

"A faerie ring," he whispered, and Lenesa imagined there was a hint of horror in his tone. "I thought the Fae had been driven away centuries ago."

"Nonetheless, their creations remain," Lenesa told him, stepping into the circle and indicating that Theiden should do the same. Coerced by the bonding spell, he joined her.

The circle was small, and she and Theiden had to stand nearly nose-to-nose in order to fit. This close to him, Lenesa was acutely aware of the way his eyes cut into her, ever-vigilant of her actions, and she could practically feel the red-hot anger radiating from him. She took in a breath and turned her attention to her wisp.