CHAPTER SEVEN
BETH
Outside, I took a deep breath. My situation had improved over the last twenty-four hours. I still didn’t trust Bleddyn fully, but he had saved me last night and not taken advantage of me. Big bonus points for the guy.
And yet… Why would somebody be so altruistic? In my experience, people rarely did you favors without expecting something in return.
The Fae had walked a few steps before realizing I was still standing next to the tavern. “Come on. Let us purchase garments for you. They will help you blend in as well as be more comfortable.”
My jeans, T-shirt, and jacket were plenty comfortable, but he was right about drawing attention. Everybody who passed me scanned me from head to toe.
Some Fae grimaced as if they’d swallowed vinegar. One guy spat on the ground as his eyes roamed over my body, briefly pausing at my chest. Then he looked up at Bleddyn’s face with its thunderous expression. He paled and rushed away down a side alley.
Shivering despite the mild temperature, I pulled my jacket tightly around me and hurried to catch up with Bleddyn. Like it or not, he was protecting me in this weird place. I wasn’t standing out as a human except for my hair, but my clothes were tighter than the women’s in the street.
Maybe tight jeans spelled “prostitute,” or maybe male Fae were as disgusting as some human males. Either way, I’d feel a lot happier if they stopped staring, undressing me with their gaze.
“Stay by my side, and you will be fine,” Bleddyn said curtly as I walked next to him.
“Aye aye, captain,” I muttered.
He glanced at me in confusion, but didn’t say anything. Soon, merchant carts lined the street either side, and the throng of shoppers thickened. Each one of the traders sold clothes, from roughly woven tunics to fabric as fine as spider webs.
Bleddyn ignored all of them and hurried toward a destination he didn’t share with me. The crowd that would have swallowed me parted in front of him and closed behind us.
His expression was fearsome, pissed, and haughty at the same time. He carried himself with his shoulders squared and his hands ready to draw his weapon if necessary. His bag was in front of his body so nobody could come near without him noticing. I recognized it as the standard procedure to deter pickpockets. Good thing then I had nothing to steal.
Bleddyn veered toward the left, and for a moment, I fell behind. The crowd closed behind him, and he disappeared from my view. Suddenly I was surrounded by Fae that were several feet taller than me. I wasn’t the tallest back home, but here, I felt like a child, looking at chests rather than faces.
A hand goosed me, and I jumped. But with so many people surrounding me, I couldn’t turn around. There were no women at all, only males.
Where was Bleddyn? I tried to push through, but I might as well have moved boulders. And then there were more hands on me, pinching my arms, grabbing my breasts roughly, squeezing my butt.
What the hell was going on? I slapped at them, but it only made the Fae chuckle. Somebody said, “The butain would fetch a fair price.”
I flashed back to last night’s assault, and panic rose until it threatened to crash over my head. My heart beat madly in my chest, and my mouth was so dry I couldn’t even scream.
The whole thing only went on for a few seconds before a roaring Bleddyn tore through the mob. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to safety while threatening the men with the short sword he carried in his belt.
Once we were clear, he pushed me against a wall between two carts, blocking me from the gaze of the crowd. His expression was furious as he growled into my face.
“Why will you not stay with me? Have you not learned the rules are different here? An unattached female, dressed provocatively as you are, is fair game at the market. You would be taken, used, and then sold into bondage to the Unseely Court. There you would be prey to every male, even the lower Fae, until you expired. I will not have you suffer that fate, but you must stay with me.”
He grabbed my shoulders and shook me to emphasize his point until my bones rattled. My knees buckled and only his firm grip kept me upright. No. This was nothing like I was used to back home.
And even though he was the one who’d run off, it didn’t change the fact that without Bleddyn, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
He still glared at me, his face only inches from mine. I raised my gaze to meet his. “Yes. You’re right. Please teach me, Bleddyn. Please show me how to survive in this world.”
Bleddyn held my gaze for a few seconds more, his strange eyes flicking to and fro as he gauged how serious I was. Finally, he nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his full lips.
“The goddess knows I may regret this, but yes, I will make sure you can protect yourself.”
I barely heard what he said, since his mouth so close to mine distracted the hell out of me. Thankfully, he let go of my shoulders and stepped back. “Will you stay by my side this time?”
I took a deep breath, swallowing my snippy response. I really wanted to say, “I will if you slow down, dammit,” but I couldn’t afford to piss him off. Plus, there was my growing attraction. If we found ourselves in another situation with only one bed available, I’d probably not kick him out a second time.
Just on cue, he offered me his arm. “Hold on to me. It is likely the safest option to keep you near.”
I returned his smile timidly and slipped my hand through the crook of his elbow. His scent was still in my nostrils, and I barely stopped myself from taking another deep inhale.
Then we entered the throng for a second time. I was hanging on to Bleddyn, my arm lifted high since he was so tall. But he kept pace with me, and together, we arrived at a small stall, set back from its larger, flashier competitors.
An old man crouched on a stool, staring at the ground between his feet as if the secret of the universe was planted there. His pointy ears poked through his sparse hair. His hands were brown with liver spots, and his haggard cheeks were covered with white stubble.
When we approached, he looked up, his Fae eyes much lighter in color than Bleddyn’s. With an effort, he got to his feet to greet my companion. “Milord, it has been too long.”
“Master Griff. I am delighted to find you hale and hearty. The winter was harsh, and I was afraid you might have succumbed.”
Master Griff reached for Bleddyn’s hand and squeezed. “The draught you sent through Elin saved me. I cannot thank you enough.”