When I sit up, the furs fall off me, exposing my nudity.
The man with the eyes does not avert his gaze.
I glare at him, but don't attempt to cover up. "Where are my clothes?" I ask.
He points his head to the side of the cave where my clothes are strung up on cords to dry near the fire. He stands, though he can't stand all the way up—he's too tall and would knock his head—and walks over to the clothes, testing them before pulling them off the line. "They aren't fully dry, but they're better than nothing," he says, his voice deep and smooth. "For now."
He tosses them to me and turns around while I dress. I hate putting on damp clothes, but I have no choice at the moment, so I finish as quickly as possible.
"You can turn around now," I say. "Besides, I assume you're the one who undressed me, since we're the only two people here."
He faces me again and nods. "You would have frozen in your clothes. I saved your life."
I blink, and remember the feeling of drowning. Of freezing. Of breaking through the ice. Then, nothing.
I believe him. "Thank you. I didn't want to die just yet."
"Better places to be?" he asks.
"As a matter of fact, yes." I glare at him. "I must return to Stonehill as quickly as possible. It's life or death. And I must find my people. The troop I was traveling with. Surely I can't be the only one to survive?"
He's silent, his gaze unwavering.
"I'm the only one who survived?"
He nods once. "I'm sorry. You were the only one left to save by the time I arrived."
I look around as I pull on my cloak. "I must leave. Now. Where's my sword?"
The man pulls my sword out of the scabbard hanging from his hip and spins it in his hand. "It's a beauty. True artistry and craft went into the making of this."
I cross my arms over my chest. "I know. I'm the one who made it."
He raises an eyebrow. "Impressive. I'd heard rumors the bastard daughter of the King had a knack for metal work. I didn't put much stock in it."
My laugh comes out like a croak. "You really have elevated ideas of who I am. I'm nothing. A Shade like the rest."
That's when I take a closer look at my savior. At the white fur cloak spilling down his back. At his ears. "You're Fae."
He bows. "At your service, Princess."
"Stop calling me that. I'm no more a princess than you."
"Surely someone misses you?"
"The only one who'd miss me if I was gone is about to be hanged, if he hasn't been already."
Something changes in the man's face. "Would this by chance be one of the princes?"
"Yes. Fen, Prince of War. My brother."
"And he's dead?"
"He's scheduled for execution. Which is why I need to go. Now." I hold out my hand for my sword, but he doesn't move to hand it over.
"Here's my dilemma, Princess. You're my ticket out of this shit hole. I was going to take you to the Seven Realms and sell you back to your family for a nice profit. But if what you're saying is true, then it's not the vampires I need to be negotiating with."
"What are you talking about?"
The kindness on his face vanishes. "I need money. You're that money. If your family won't pay for your return, I know one other who will. A certain newly awakened Water Druid who, rumor has it, would pay a hefty ransom to have you in her dungeon."
Metsi. "She's psychotic. You can't take me to her."
"I can, and I will. Now get up. We leave shortly." He sheathes my sword and begins rolling up the bedding I was laying on.
"Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?"
"I'm the man with the weapons. The man with the horse. And the man with the provisions. How long do you think you'll survive the Outlands by yourself with nothing but your clothing… if I let you keep even that?"
"And if I refuse?"
He grins, and I want to punch him. "You're coming with me, one way or another. You can ride on your own, or I can tie you up and strap you to my horse. Makes no difference to me, but might make a big difference to you after a few hours. You decide."
With that he strides out of the cave with all our supplies. I look around, but all that's left to do is put out the fire. I'm fuming when I get outside, but he's got his horse packed and ready to go. He's just waiting for me. "Which option will the vampire princess choose?"
I hiss at him with fangs revealed, something I never do. "Better sleep with one eye open, jackass. I hear your kind are particularly tasty."
He laughs and throws a leg over his horse, then holds out a hand for me. I ignore it and mount by myself. This isn't a surrender, I tell myself. It's me buying myself time to figure out a plan. Being tied up won't help me.