I snorted. “You attacked me!”
He shook his head. “A misunderstanding.”
“I don’t think that pointing a nocked arrow at me is a ‘misunderstanding’,” I snapped.
“You stabbed me!” he yelled.
“I—”
A guttural growl rose in him. It was almost animalistic as he bared his teeth. “Lady,” he snarled, “let me speak!”
A heavy moment passed, then two, as both of our chests heaved.
My nostrils flared, and I glared at him. “What?”
“I think we can help each other.”
“Is that so?” I asked cooly.
He furled his fist at his side. “I’d tell you if you’d stop threatening me long enough to listen.”
Scoffing, I brandished my dagger in his direction. He took another step back, and I smirked. “How can you help me? I was doing just fine before you showed up.”
“You were running for your life through the forest. I trailed you for half an hour before you even realized I was there. I don’t think that qualifies as ‘fine’ at all.”
Narrowing my eyes, I glared at the infuriating male before me. I kept my face calm, not letting my surprise show. I had no idea he had been following me. That was… problematic. If I wasn’t aware of him, who else might I run into in the forest?
Trying to regain the upper hand, I gestured at his bloody tunic. “And yet, I’m not the one with a stab wound, am I?”
He winced, raising a hand and rubbing it on his wounded shoulder. “That’s true. I’ll give you that. You have good aim. It was… unexpected.”
I crossed my arms, careful not to stab myself with my blade as I turned away from him. “Then it’s settled. I bid you good day, sir.”
I got all of five steps through the woods before his hand landed on my upper arm. I whirled around, holding my dagger aloft once more. He seemed to have learned his lesson and had already jumped back.
“Listen,” he said through clenched teeth. “Could youpleasestop trying to stab me? I have an offer for you.”
“An offer? What makes you think you have anything I need?”
He motioned at me with his hand. “Let’s just say thathypothetically, you are the elf that the Winged Soldiers are combing the forest for right now.”
I glared at him, raising my brows. “Hypothetically?”
He nodded. “Yes.Ifthat was the case, where do you think you would be going? It’s not like there are hundreds of elvish females in Ithenmyr with your rather distinctive coloring or your height.”
“Well, I was…” My voice trailed off as I realized he was right. My plan, as carefully thought out as it possibly could be, had consisted of exactly three things: Bribe the servants with my jewels. Escape the tower. Run away.
I didn’t really have many plans after that. It was hard to make plans when you had lived your entire life in one building.
Dammit, Matthias. Why didn’t you prepare me for any of this instead of just teaching me to wield a blade?
A pang ran through me as I thought of the guard I had lost, and I winced. Running a hand through my long hair, I turned around and leaned my palms against a nearby tree.
I was aware of the male’s eyes on me, but for some reason, I knew in my core he would not hurt me. If he wanted to, he already admitted he could have done it while I was unaware of his presence in the forest.
A moment passed, then two, before I turned back around. Biting my cheek, I sighed. “Look. Not that it’s any of your business, but I was going to head north until I hit the Indigo Ocean.”
He raised a brow. “How were you planning to deal with the Accompaniment Law?”