Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(53)

The Hunter smiled slowly, the emotion tugging up one side of his mouth in approval. “You are not like Seelie women. You’re more like a goblin female.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. “Well, if the goblins let their females defend themselves then I’d rather be a goblin.”

The Hunter laughed, and it was a surprisingly pleasant sound. “Oh, the goblin males quake in fear of their women when they’re angry. A goblin female in a rage is truly a sight to be seen.”

“Good to know.”

The Hunter’s eyes gleamed. “I just thought that Prince Devinshea’s bride would be a noblewoman. Though he always seemed more comfortable with human females, I assumed when the time came he would attempt to please his court and marry a proper Seelie.”

“I don’t think Dev married me for my good breeding.” He’d always liked the fact that I could take care of myself in a fight.

“Not at all.” The Hunter agreed far too readily for my satisfaction.

I wasn’t exactly poorly bred. I knew which fork to use. Albert had slapped my hand every time I used the wrong one until it finally sunk in. I tried to dress properly for an event. I couldn’t help it that I’d grown up with a thief for a dad, who was way more concerned with my professional skills than etiquette.

“I guess that’s why the nobles don’t like me.” It sounded pathetic even to my ears.

“You mistake me, Your Grace. I was not judging you poorly. I was merely reassessing you. I’ve been judging you based on the fact I thought you were trying to be a Seelie noblewoman. If you aren’t then I will judge you based on yourself. As I said before, you remind me of the goblin females of my acquaintance. They don’t wear many clothes, either. I apologize for thinking you were trying to tempt me into fornication. This is merely your traditional dress. I like you much more now that I realize you’re a straightforward female.”

“Well, good then,” I said. “I’m glad we got that out of the way. So someone lost an ogre and now you have to get him back? How exactly are you planning on making the ogre go back with you? Do you leave a bunch of detached body parts like a trail for it to follow back to the Unseelie sithein?”

The Hunter stared at the trees as though trying to select the easiest path to his destination. We veered left. “I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good plan, though. You have a devious mind.”

“Dude, I was joking.”

“I’ve been wondering exactly how the culprits managed to get the ogre to follow them out of our sithein,” the Hunter explained. “You’ve given me a reasonable explanation. But taking the ogre back isn’t my mission.”

If he wasn’t going to take the ogre back to the Unseelie lands then that left only one possibility. “You’re going to kill it then?”

“Yes. I’m going to kill the ogre.”

His job would be easier if he’d brought along a few more people. It was just me, the Hunter and two dogs—albeit incredibly large dogs. He should have let me bring Danny along. I would put Danny up against an ogre any day of the week. It made me wonder why exactly he thought I would be helpful. I supposed it was the banshee prophecy. They said I could stop the war and obviously the presence of an Unseelie ogre could start a war. I hoped how I was supposed to stop this would become clear to me.

The Hunter led me into a small clearing. There was a pond and the moonlight was reflected off it, giving the whole place a lovely silver glow. He looked around as the dogs sniffed the air and started to whine. “Yes, my friends, this will do nicely.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath because I knew something was about to happen. I was about to meet my first ogre and I sincerely hoped I survived the experience. I knew I was risking a lot but I couldn’t sit by and let Dev die. What was I supposed to tell my child one day? Was he supposed to understand that I had a shot at saving his father’s life but chose to stay in bed? “What do you want me to do? How do I help you kill this thing?”

The Hunter chuckled, and he set his pack on the ground. He pulled out a long strand of thick rope. He walked toward me. “Your Grace, your job is simple.”

I found myself with my hands tied behind my back before I knew what was happening.

“I need bait,” the Hunter explained.





Chapter Thirteen





“You son of a bitch!” I shouted as he turned me around.

“I don’t think that applies,” the Hunter said seriously. I tried kicking him and caught him once on the shin before he stepped back and out of the way. It sucks being short. “I don’t think I had an actual physical mother so she couldn’t have been a bitch.”

“Fuck you.” Since he hadn’t tied my feet, I started to run as he let go of my arms.

“I thought we decided I shouldn’t do that.” He gave chase.

I didn’t get far. He was on me immediately, his big hands a vise around my waist. His body pressed against my back. He felt like granite. I struggled, but there was no way I was getting away from him. “Stop fighting me, Your Grace. I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“Keep me safe?” I practically shouted the question. “You’re going to keep me safe by tying me up and offering me to a flesh-eating ogre as some sort of human sacrifice?”