Huntsman's Prey (14 page)

He shuddered.

“Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock, as the Hatter would say,” Rumpel interjected, “decisions. Decisions. Make one quickly, Aeric, for your time expires like the grains of sand within this hourglass.”

He was now holding a small glass and gold timepiece between his thumb and finger. The grains were very nearly slipped through.

“In five…”

“…four…”

“Aeric, please,” Lissa whispered.

“…three. C’mon, huntsman, are you really going to let a little history come in the way of survival? Two.”

“Yes. Fine!” he spat, the words settled like lead weights in his gut “Whatever you want,” he whispered as the final grain fell.

“Whatever I want?” Rumple was reclined on his back again, shaking his head back and forth. “What powers women have over you, Aeric. I’m rather nauseated by it. Haven’t you learned your lesson once already?”

Lissa’s brows dipped and her heart trembled at the brief flash of misery that scrawled across the Huntsman’s face. “What do you mean by that?”

Lightheaded and dizzy, Lissa felt suddenly a little fuzzy. She hadn’t slept well last night, which was probably why she felt the sudden nauseating need for sleep. Wiping her brow, she leaned against Aeric’s arm.

“Oh come on,” Rumple mocked, “please lets not try to pretend you didn’t just use your feminine wiles on him like the sharp end of a blade,
Lissss-aaaa
.”

She shivered at the way he said her name, like he was privy to some secret she didn’t have a clue about. At the way his wickedly beautiful golden eyes caressed her as if he could actually see the missing parts of her. Aeric was right when he called the man the devil himself, he was a tempting package of lust and evil wrapped up in one.

“Shut up,” Aeric growled. “You got your wish, I’ve signed my soul to you. Leave her out of it.”

“Oh, it’s like that then, is it?” The broker of Kingdom chortled. “Well, I can say this about you, you’re always constant.”

“What is he talking about?” she asked, glancing between the two men. Truth be told a burgeoning headache was starting to pound at the back of her skull and she was really antsy to get this deal brokered so she and Aeric could move on.

For so long Lissa had felt like a failure, watching the ruin of her beloved forest fall into the hands of the demon girl, watching as the madness continued to twist and morph so that it was almost too dangerous to inhabit. As guardian she should have protected it better, but the moon marked always seemed one step ahead of her. It was maddening. Which was part of the reason why she continued to stay with Aeric, his mission was just as important to her.

But now that the he was here, together, they could stop it. She knew, felt it in her heart and soul. Finally this nightmare could end.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Aeric turned his eyes toward the sky, and she could not deny that it made her feel bad.

Worse than she’d felt before. It was her fault he was in this predicament.

If only she could have found someone to help get him out of there safely. Anyone else. But as was always the case when she sought out people, they were a scarce lot. In fact, Aeric was one of the few to ever stop and talk with her.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that unless she was in cat form, she was barely visible. That little quirk of hers seemed to be very off putting to those around her.

She sighed.

“Aeric, I’m sorry. I only wanted to help.”

His jaw clenched.

“And help you did.” Rumpel clapped his hands. “Now, to the little matter of finalizing our deal.”

“This cannot take long,” Aeric shook his head, “I must get back to my quest, the longer I stay here, the farther she gets from—”

The imp’s lips curled. “The least of your problems, huntsman, I can assure you.”

Aeric’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve a knack for telling the future. What do you see, imp? What aren’t you telling me?”

He shrugged, tracing the bike’s tank, which literally seemed to purr under his touch. “I could tell you. For a price. Of course.”

“Stop screwing around with him, Rumpelstiltskin,” Lissa hissed his name, feeling the oddest surge of defensiveness for the big Viking standing beside her. She’d put him into this mess, somehow she’d fix it. She had to.

The blond devil wet his lips, and the hard press of his gaze did things to her insides. Made her want to run and hide from it. Frowning, she angled her body slightly so that she stood behind Aeric.

It was irrational she knew, she was barely visible, but it seemed to her that the broker saw much more than the average individual.

“No, dear. Wouldn’t want to do that, now would we?”

“Enough,” Aeric snapped, “forget I ever asked. I will not be signing on for a new bargain. Name your price, so that we may journey on.”

Rumpel sighed. “If we must, I suppose. This is my deal then, you are free to go.” He smiled a vicious curl of teeth and lips.

“That’s it?” she asked, mind whirling with a million different possibilities. “That can’t—”

Aeric chuckled, though it sounded far from amused. “No, Lissa, that’s never
it
. The devil is never so generous.”

“Hmm. Matters of the heart, and you’re a pussy cat, but you are shrewd, Huntsman, at least in that. You are free to go, for now. Continue on your quest. I shall save my boon for a day when I actually need it. Fair enough?” He spread his hands wide in a gesture of innocence.

But Aeric looked far from appeased.

“You cannot leave me to wonder.”

Rumpel rolled his eyes. “I can do whatever I want. You needed me, remember?” he winked. “And,” he held up a finger, “lest we should forget.”

An ancient looking roll of parchment winked into existence before them. The black lettering was bold against the shimmering golden glow of the paper.

“A signature is required. Just to make sure this all stays legal. Of course.”

Lissa studied the document. “The signee and Rumpelstiltskin hereby enter into this legal, and binding contract. This the…” the empty space rolled with color until a date magically appeared, “twentieth of the month of February. The signee agrees to any and all terms, or face dismemberment, if not certain death by the hands of one, Rumpelstiltskin… What the devil?” she squeaked, “don’t sign this, Aeric.”

“You worry too much,” Rumpel waved aside her concerns as if swatting at a fly, “this is a very standard contract, I can assure you. And have yet to actually dismember anybody. Though I would,” he eyed Aeric with lifted brow, “should the need ever arise. Though I trust that you Huntsman shall keep to your end of the bargain. N’est-ce pas?”

“There has to be better terms than this, surely?” she pleaded again.

Aeric’s jaw clenched as he said, “There’s not.”

Then lifting his hand, he held it up to the parchment. A flash of white so brilliant it brought immediate tears to her eyes covered his hand, slicing a large groove across the center, bleeding him instantly.

He didn’t stop to think it through or even look at her, Aeric pressed his palm to the paper. The moment he did, it burst into flame and Rumpel nodded, patting his coat.

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, huntsman. And word of advice—”

“I don’t need any from you,” Aeric growled.

Mouth still open as if ready to speak, Rumpel finally shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And with the flick of his wrist his bike gave a throaty growl, spewing out flames and bellowing like a hound of hell. With a final salute, Rumpel rode off, disappearing into the veil of shadow that always followed with him.

Suddenly the forest that’d been so quiet now echoed with life. Crickets chirped and birds sang. A sweet breeze swept through the thicket of trees, carrying with it the perfume of unfurling flower buds and Lissa’s now familiar scent of spring rain.

The sun was weak, they’d spent a while hammering out the details with Rumpel. Already it was time to start thinking of setting up camp.

“Aeric?” she whispered his name, almost afraid to speak too loudly because she might startle him. He was staring off into the distance, not blinking or moving.

After several tense minutes, he nodded. “We must make camp.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “We should.”

She waited for him to say something else, anything else. But he didn’t. He just turned on his heel and walked away.

Having Rumpel rip open his every wound right in front of her left Aeric feeling exposed and angry. His movements were jerky and hard as he climbed the tree. He hadn’t had a thing to eat or drink since last night. Perspiring wasn’t helping, he was parched and his throat so dry it was almost painful to swallow, if he didn’t find Chrysalis soon he’d be forced to leave Wonderland.

He’d never failed at anything he’d undertaken, and he didn’t plan to fail now.

“Aeric?” Lissa whispered again, hopping from one branch to another having switched yet again to feline form.

“What?”

“We should talk about this, shouldn’t we?”

“No.”

“But what Rumpel did to you—”

He snarled, it was on the tip of his tongue to lash out at her, tell her it was all her fault. That she’d brought this mess on his head, but her furry little face was screwed up into one of wounded concern and just like every other time he couldn’t.

He sighed. “Is over and done with. I’ll face that bridge when I come to it.”

“I want to be with you.”

Deep down he knew it was irrational for him to be so angry with her. She didn’t do it on purpose. But the fact that she’d called Rumpel to her, without even consulting him, why would she do that? Why?

“Lissa, you’ve helped me out a lot and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. But ever since finding you nothing has gone right. I’m not this bumbling fool I’ve suddenly become around you. I think it’s time we parted ways.”

Her mouth dropped. “What? You don’t want me around anymore?”

He did. And that was part of the problem. Ever since finding her he’d found himself growing weaker and weaker. Touching her would soothe him, her words made him laugh. Rumpelstiltskin was right, he’d always been a sucker for a woman’s tears and fears, he couldn’t function right with her around. He had a job to do and he had to get out of Wonderland.

Hopping over onto the center of a thick branch, he grabbed hold of the branch above his head and stared her in the eye, saying as softly as he could, “I’m used to being alone. It’s how I operate best. I’m sorry, Lissa, but I can’t do this.”

Her eyes were wide and luminous, but her jaw trembled. “I only tried to help.”

Damn him to a thousand pits of hell if she started crying. Refusing to look at her any longer, he shook his head. “It’s the best way.”

She sniffed and he clenched the branch tighter, wedging a jagged bit of bark into his already bloodied palm. He hissed.

“After I’ve caught Chrysalis, I’ll return. To you. To help you. I swear it.” He wanted to look back at her, but sensed that she might be crying. Regardless that cats shouldn’t cry, she wasn’t a typical cat either. If he saw the tears he’d be ruined. “Good bye, Lissa.”

Calling his sand, Aeric made a hasty escape, rolling so far into the distance he knew she’d never be able to trace to him. Tomorrow he would find the creature. Tomorrow he would leave Wonderland, and someday, when her tears no longer hurt him, when he’d paid his debt to the devil, he’d help Lissa to find whatever needed finding.

That was a vow.

~*~

“Was that not an adventure last night? That Lissa would walk him deliberately into that trap.”
Reflection chortled.
“He sold his soul to the devil, I honestly do not think we could do better! We must still kill her, but perhaps we can hold off on that for a bit longer as she’s suddenly become positively entertaining.”

Chrysalis splashed the water, not feeling the joy reflection did.

Blue eyes sparked like flames.
“Toughen up. I sense your disquiet and it sickens me. Find him. Tonight we ruin him once and for all. You know the plan.”

“I cannot find him. He’s traced, there are no tracks to follow.”

“You are weak. Spineless. You could find him if you wanted to,”
the words poured like venom through her soul, making her wince in response.
“If you won’t find him, I will. Once Rumpel gets his hands on the huntsman he’ll be forever out of reach. He’s growing fond of Lissa, hit him where it hurts.”