caves, planes are the preferred mode of airborne transportation and there are no such things as dragons."
Her words pierced through him, as though she denounced his very existence. Baelin gripped her arm with more force than he intended, causing her to wince.
"Then what am I?"
The girl shivered under his scrutiny and tried to pull away, but he refused to release his hold. He wanted her to experience the warmth of his skin, to know the solid grasp of his hand on her flesh, to feel that he was a living, breathing creature.
Her hand fisted, her jaw tense. She ceased straining and countered his grip with a challenging glare. "Good question. What exactly are you?"
He released her instantly.
"I am what you see. Half man, half beast."
The girl swallowed hard, then sat without uttering a word while he wrapped her wrist with a linen strip. He felt her eyes on him, watching him as he tended her. He didn't dare look up. He didn't want to see what she was thinking.
When he turned his attention to the other wrist, his gaze was drawn to where his hand had circled the tiny limb. Already bruises were forming to join the vicious welts marring her pale skin. He cursed his lack of control and the beast within that urged him to lose it. He bit back an oath, angry with himself for causing injury to her not once, but twice, and she'd been in his possession for less than a day.
"So, what's your name?" the maid asked, her voice soft, gentle.
After tying off the last bandage, Baelin stood and stepped away from her, lest he be tempted to lay his hands on her again.
"I was once called Baelin of Gosforth." The dancing flames held his attention as memories of the life he once had drifted out of reach as surely as the rising smoke disappeared into the darkness high overhead. "Now I am only called Dragon. Beast. Devil."
"How about if I just call you Baelin?"
"That would please me greatly."
Setting her wine aside, she rose and held her hand out to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Baelin of Gosforth. I'm Jill of Richmond."
He stared at her outstretched hand, surprised she would offer it to him when it was no longer necessary to suffer his touch. He took her delicate fingers in his and bowed over them.
"I am honored, Lady Jill."
She smiled as he straightened. "Wow, you don't see that much anymore."
"See what, my lady?"
"Never mind." She resumed her seat and picked up her wine. "So, how about telling me exactly what the heck is going on around here?"
Baelin tensed. How much to tell her? For the moment, she seemed calm. Dare he risk upsetting her again? The truth was more than most of the maids could grasp.
"Perhaps you should rest and I will explain all to you in the morn."
"No." She sent a stern look his way. "I think I'd like to hear it now. As you can tell, I have nothing better to do at the moment."
"Very well." Baelin went to sit on the opposite side of the fire before beginning his tale. "When I was a young knight, I was cursed by the Dark Witch."
Lady Jill blinked twice, then shook her head. "Wait. A witch? As in the spell-casting, broomstick-riding variety?"
"She has servants to sweep her hall, but aye, she is a sorceress, with the gift of spells."
"O-kaayyy."
"Her warriors captured me in battle and when I refused to serve her, she placed a curse upon me, turning me into the very creature I hunted."
"And I'm guessing that would be dragons?"
Baelin nodded. "The Dark Witch holds sway over them, using the winged beasts against mortal men."
Lady Jill looked uneasy. "And are you under this witch's 'sway' now?"
"Nay, she only has power over the dragon within me when I am within her realm."
Her gaze darted to the wings folded against his back. "But you're still part dragon."
"'Tis true in human form I retain some of the dragon's power, but she has no control over me here."
"Uh huh." She fingered the hammered design on the side of her goblet. Baelin sat silent, waiting for the questions he knew would come. "So how long have
Her words pierced through him, as though she denounced his very existence. Baelin gripped her arm with more force than he intended, causing her to wince.
"Then what am I?"
The girl shivered under his scrutiny and tried to pull away, but he refused to release his hold. He wanted her to experience the warmth of his skin, to know the solid grasp of his hand on her flesh, to feel that he was a living, breathing creature.
Her hand fisted, her jaw tense. She ceased straining and countered his grip with a challenging glare. "Good question. What exactly are you?"
He released her instantly.
"I am what you see. Half man, half beast."
The girl swallowed hard, then sat without uttering a word while he wrapped her wrist with a linen strip. He felt her eyes on him, watching him as he tended her. He didn't dare look up. He didn't want to see what she was thinking.
When he turned his attention to the other wrist, his gaze was drawn to where his hand had circled the tiny limb. Already bruises were forming to join the vicious welts marring her pale skin. He cursed his lack of control and the beast within that urged him to lose it. He bit back an oath, angry with himself for causing injury to her not once, but twice, and she'd been in his possession for less than a day.
"So, what's your name?" the maid asked, her voice soft, gentle.
After tying off the last bandage, Baelin stood and stepped away from her, lest he be tempted to lay his hands on her again.
"I was once called Baelin of Gosforth." The dancing flames held his attention as memories of the life he once had drifted out of reach as surely as the rising smoke disappeared into the darkness high overhead. "Now I am only called Dragon. Beast. Devil."
"How about if I just call you Baelin?"
"That would please me greatly."
Setting her wine aside, she rose and held her hand out to him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Baelin of Gosforth. I'm Jill of Richmond."
He stared at her outstretched hand, surprised she would offer it to him when it was no longer necessary to suffer his touch. He took her delicate fingers in his and bowed over them.
"I am honored, Lady Jill."
She smiled as he straightened. "Wow, you don't see that much anymore."
"See what, my lady?"
"Never mind." She resumed her seat and picked up her wine. "So, how about telling me exactly what the heck is going on around here?"
Baelin tensed. How much to tell her? For the moment, she seemed calm. Dare he risk upsetting her again? The truth was more than most of the maids could grasp.
"Perhaps you should rest and I will explain all to you in the morn."
"No." She sent a stern look his way. "I think I'd like to hear it now. As you can tell, I have nothing better to do at the moment."
"Very well." Baelin went to sit on the opposite side of the fire before beginning his tale. "When I was a young knight, I was cursed by the Dark Witch."
Lady Jill blinked twice, then shook her head. "Wait. A witch? As in the spell-casting, broomstick-riding variety?"
"She has servants to sweep her hall, but aye, she is a sorceress, with the gift of spells."
"O-kaayyy."
"Her warriors captured me in battle and when I refused to serve her, she placed a curse upon me, turning me into the very creature I hunted."
"And I'm guessing that would be dragons?"
Baelin nodded. "The Dark Witch holds sway over them, using the winged beasts against mortal men."
Lady Jill looked uneasy. "And are you under this witch's 'sway' now?"
"Nay, she only has power over the dragon within me when I am within her realm."
Her gaze darted to the wings folded against his back. "But you're still part dragon."
"'Tis true in human form I retain some of the dragon's power, but she has no control over me here."
"Uh huh." She fingered the hammered design on the side of her goblet. Baelin sat silent, waiting for the questions he knew would come. "So how long have
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