A Nymph Without Mercy
III

He had not heededher, that much was clear.

As soon as she hadcome back to awareness she felt different.

Eldared had oncetried to explain to her the feeling of bonding—not the act that followed ofcourse, as that was wholly private—but merely the startling awareness that apart of yourself now resided with another.

Mairi had not beenable to comprehend what that could have meant, but now as she managed to situp, hissing softly at the pain still residing deep within her shoulder, she knew that she had been sealed to thisstrange man.

She had beendreaming—a rarity for her kind. She saw her tree, tucked safely away behind theguarded barricade of the High City, and nestled beneath the towering maple ofher father’s— a barren place beside it where her mother’s should have been asit had long since shrivelled away. She felt as a spectre, staring as her tree wastedaway and what buds of new growth and flowers had finally begun to burst forthwithered and fell to the forest floor.

And she had cried andwept for she knew that meant death, for it was tied to her as she was tied toit.

Her father had comeand her pain only multiplied as she witnessed his grief, her usually stoic yetoh so kind father reduced to sobs as he knelt beneath the decaying tree of hisdaughter, much as he had done his mate’s.

She saw it all andwaited for death to take her.

And yet instead ofthe never-ending blackness she expected, she had awoken to replace this manslumped beside her, his eyes closed even as the rest of his face was obscuredby a mask.

None of the otherhunters she had ever encountered wore such a thing, and as she cast her mindback she recalled the brief glimpse of what lie beneath it.

She grimaced.

He was not fair tolook upon. In truth, his features were hard to describe. Surely she had been soblinded by pain and terror that she distorted a perfectly normal face intosomething macabre—but that did not explain the mask he currently wore.

Mairi glanced down ather fingers, recognising a subtle tingling in the tips that she had neverexperienced before.

And though hispresence should have horrified her—should have made her creep away as best shecould before he woke as she begged the elders to allow her to return—she almostwished to see if touching the few pale slivers of his flesh that were visiblewould somehow abate the feeling.

But before she couldtry it, his head suddenly jerked and his gaze fell upon her.

Her mouth felt dry ashe stared, but it felt rude not to acknowledge him—especially not when sheconsidered what he was to her now.

He did not respond toher greeting, only continued to blink at her. She had always thought heraptitude for man’s language was suitable, but he almost seemed as though he didnot understand. So she tried again. “I am sorry if I caused offence.” Her heartclenched when she considered precisely whyshe had implored him to let her alone. She would cry later, she knew. Shewould weep for what she had lost, but for now she felt it important for her tocome to know this man—her bond-mate.

Her apology seemed toshake him from his stupor, and she was relieved to replace that her words provedintelligible. “What on earth are you apologising for, nymph?”

Her eyes widened.“When I told you not to touch me. Seeing as we are now sealed I do not want youto think I am angry.” Not for that. Not for any of it, really. He could nothave known. But if he recognised her for what she truly was that meant he had...

She blushed deeply.“Was I pleasing to you?”

Her shoulder throbbedterribly but she could not feel any different elsewhere, aside from thetingling of her fingertips that continued to prove distracting. She did notknow why she asked the question, but it somehow seemed important. If menbelieved that it was their right after catching a nymph to bed them, and he wasnow her bond-mate, perhaps if she had pleased him sufficiently he would provekind and amiable in future.

He stared at her inastonishment, his eyes narrowing in... anger?

“You think that Iraped you while you slept? That because you managed to get between my bow andmy supper that I somehow wish you harm?”

Her head tilted.“Harm? But most of the men believe if you catch a nymph that is their right. Asmy bond-mate it is also your right.”

He laughed suddenly,the sound not at all the merry resonance she was used to. “You are not actually a nymph, girl, so why wouldthat be my right? You are pretty I suppose, but not a mythical creature.”

The words stung,sharp and angry and though tears welled she told herself resolutely she shouldnot allow herself to shed them. If she was to be bound to a human, why could itnot be that sweet Aiden? He seemed to have great kindness in him.

And, if she couldallow such honesty, her vanity was offended that he should only suppose her pretty. If she was to loseeveryone she had ever loved, she should at the very least be allowed to comfortherself with her bond-mate! Not be ridiculed.

But despite her bestefforts she felt wetness leak from her eyes and she brushed them awayhurriedly, forgetting for a moment her injury. She hissed in pain, finallynoticing the tight bandaging that concealed the wound. Mairi touched thefraying threads thoughtfully, noticing it was the same colour that the manwore.

She peeked at himonce more, frowning at the realisation that he had torn a piece of his tunic soas to care for her.

Surely that meant hefelt something for her.

She would cling towhat hope she could. “Your tunic is torn.”

The man blinked,glancing downward at the ragged hem. “So it is. I am not in the habit ofpatching up young maidens in the woods. I used what I could,” he added, almostdefensively.

She nodded, notfeeling at all prepared to cope with a mate who bordered on discourteous. Herhead felt muddled and her heart ached, not to mention her shoulder which stillprotested fiercely that she had not managed to be seen by one of the healers.

“I had thought youwould be kinder.” Mairi had not meant to speak the words aloud, but to her horrorshe realised she had done so.

She was young yet tohave been sealed, but whenever she had pictured her future life with a dryon hewas always gentle and tender with her. This man seemed brash and cold—not atall what she would have chosen. Nymphs saved most of their affections for theirmates. Simple touches between parents were encouraged to hold true the initialbonds, but it was only with their mates that they fully knew the physicalcomforts of another.

And this man did notseem as though he would ever be receptive to her desires.

But he was all shewould ever have.

Her heart ached allthe more.

He stiffened, risingto his feet. She rapidly remembered her previous thought that she had neverseen one taller than he, and as he loomed above her she felt even smaller. Shewas slight for a dryad. Her tree had been a dogwood, not one of the larger andimposing trees that belonged to her kin, but one known for its beauty inspringtime. She was not the strongest, nor the wisest. And before this man, shefelt very weak and foolish indeed.

“I am sorry todisappoint you then, madam, but I would never have suggested otherwise. Youobviously shall not perish so I shall leave you to replace your way back towhatever family you separated from.”

The ache in her heartmultiplied tenfold, and she clutched at it desperately even as she reached forhim. “No! You do not understand!”

His eyes narrowed ashe stared down at her. “I can unequivocally state that I have understood littlesince encountering you. But no maid would be wandering the woods alone so youare hardly my responsibility.”

There was the baresttwitch at his throat that gave her hope that perhaps he was not ascruel-hearted as he seemed. “I can never return.”

He crossed his arms.“Why?”

She resented this.She resented that this man—her bond-mate—hadruined every dream she had since she was but a seedling. How many times had sheimagined that her dryon would take her into his arms, press his foreheadagainst hers as they stared at one another, simply absorbing the feeling ofunity that only their sealing could provide?

And yet instead ofsuch a gentle embrace, he was scowling at her and making her feel even morewretched.

Because with astartling revelation she realised he was perfectly serious.

He meant to leaveher.

It never occurred toher that he would not feel it too—would be immune to the effects of the bondand would actually consider abandoning her all alone.

“Because you touched me. I told you not to! If youhad but listened...” The tears gave way to the anger she felt, and shestruggled to her feet.

She was a nymph, notquite fully grown, and she refused to be intimidated by the man who shouldprotect her above all things. There must be some honour in him.

He scoffed. “Sobecause a man such as me dared tohelp an injured girl you shall be shunned for all eternity? I pity you for yourrelations then, madam!”

How he could infusesuch a title with such sarcastic ire she did not know.

Her thoughts strayedonce more to sweet Aiden’s stuttered m’ladyand wished not for the first time that it was he who had done this.

She took a calmingbreath as the racing of her heart only made the throbbing of her shoulder growfiercer. And when she did her stomach gave the strangest of sounds and shelooked down at in astonishment. “What was that?”

The man looked at herincredulously. “You are hungry. You have not eaten in nearly a day.”

Her head tiltedcuriously. “You can speak to it? What else did it say?”

He blinked at her. “Icannot tell if you are in earnest but I can assure you, I have little tolerancefor ridiculous games.” With that he rifled through a bag at his side and pulledout a round... something, and held it out to her.

“What is it?” Sheinspected it closely and could see little bits of seeds and grains within it,but could not identify the rest.

“A biscuit. One ofthe few I have left,” he added begrudgingly. “I would have had meat to offerbut someone interfered with my hunt.Eat it quickly and then we shall part ways.”

“I did not intend foryou to pierce me! And I already apologised.” She tore off a crumb of the biscuit and eyed it warily beforeeventually placing it in her mouth. “I have never eaten before,” she murmuredquietly, not truly to him.

She was entirelyunprepared for him to stride quickly toward her as he began pulling at herhair, massaging fingers through it. For a moment she revelled in the thoughtthat he finally felt something andwas about to express his joy at their bonding, but the fingers were not at all tenderand instead probed and searched—again, for what she did not know.

She was tired of notknowing.

“You must haveinjured your head when you fell. You cannot possibly be as foolish as youseem.”

The words stung herand she jerked away from him, her biscuit still clutched in her hands, thesmall piece strange and dry in her mouth though she swallowed it thickly. “Theonly injury I suffered was to my shoulder! Why must you be so cruel?”

Her anger was waning,and she sank against the grasses, wishing for nothing more than to be tuckedaway in her adar’s tree. Hers was notyet large enough to climb so she always found respite in his own sturdybranches. He would laugh from the forest floor, beseeching her to come down andspeak with him, but she would eventually coax him to come settle with heramongst the large and steady limbs. Many a night was spent there, and she foundherself crying at the loss.

He would be so lonelynow.

And this was all herfault.

The man was staringat her again, this time looking flustered and ill at ease with her display ofemotion. “What is your name?”she managed to ask between sobs.

Whether heacknowledged it or not, they were bound for the rest of their lives, and nameswere important.

Mairi’s own name wasnot a common one amongst the realm. Her adarhad always said she took after her amé,as her mother had a compassion for the little human children she would meet. Itwas one such child that was her namesake as her mother had saved her from ablizzard one winter’s eve, leading the child’s mother to her daughter who hadbecome lost in the woods.

Her father had beenfurious, reminding her of the dangers, but her amé had not relented.

And apparently fromthat moment onward she knew she wished for a little seedling of her own.

She died only a fewseasons later, a fungus taking hold in her tree’s roots that could not be vanquished,no matter how the healers tried.

The man sighed,rifling through the bag once more, though she suspected he searched simply toavoid looking at her. “Garrick. Not that it is any concern of yours.”

Garrick. She tastedthe name on her lips and decided she did not replace it unpleasant. Her tears wereabating, and to her deep surprise Garrick was holding out a scrap of cloth.“Dry your eyes, nymph. You will go home. You will explain that what transpiredwas no fault of your own. If they have any love for you at all they shallaccept you.”

“Mairi,” shemurmured. “That is my name, and it is of great concern to you that you knowit.”

He gave no indicationthat he had heard her, but she held the cloth with trembling hands, gratefulfor this first sign of true courtesy.

Garrick rolled hiseyes, though she still caught him glancing at her periodically. “They shallnot, you know, and it is not from a lack of love. My adar loves me very much and he shall miss me terribly.”

She swallowedthickly, determined not to give way to more tears. “To bond with a human isforbidden. I should be dead...”

He stared at herdisbelievingly. “They would kill you for being with me?”

She gasped, horrifiedat whatever barbaric culture he hailed from that such would be his immediatethought. “Of course not! But my tree... it should not have survived. I cannotlive without my tree.”

Garrick huffed inannoyance. “You speak in riddles, nymph, and I do not appreciate it. Unless youspeak plainly I shall take my leave.”

“You call me nymphand yet do not believe me! What more shall I do to prove it to you?”

Her fingers werestill clutching the biscuit but she could not bring herself to take anotherbite—not while he was glaring with her barely veiled hostility. “Take me tothis tree.”

She blanched. Of allthe things for him to ask, it had to be what was most impossible. Yet thatportion of her that recognised him as her mate pulsed with a desire to do as heasked, no matter the consequence, merely because he had asked it.

Mairi tried toremember the way to the High City. Her home was... North, was it not? She hadcrossed the stream, and...

Her mind groped forthe familiar paths that led to her tree, the way she had known for the entiretyof her life and found her memories muddled.

She panicked.

She dropped thebiscuit on the forest floor and hurried over to a nearby birch, lacing her handon the silvery trunk as she closed her eyes.

Where once she wouldhave heard the gentle whispers of comfort from a friend, she was met withsilence. While once it would have mingled with the cacophony of its kin as theymade a path for her should she ever become lost, there was nothingness.

Mairi had never feltso alone.

“I cannot.”

And it horrified herthat the words were true, not only from a sense of duty to protect herkind—where they still her kin, even now?—but instead because she could not replacethe way even if she made the attempt.

She knelt before thetree, her forehead pressed against the bark in a harsh mimicry of the affectionshe so long desired from her mate. She tried to speak to it, to recall thenymphlin speech that allowed for the communion with the trees and found thateven that was thick and slow upon her tongue. Terror clutched at her throatthreatening to drown her in its intensity as the magnitude of what had occurredbecame all the more clear.

She was alone.

She was losing allshe had ever held dear.

And her bond-mate didnot care.

There was rustlingbehind her and she found that Garrick had changed his tunic and had begun theprocess of donning the armour she had first seen him in. Each piece served as abarrier as her heart cried out to his, but he continued to pack away his thingsregardless of the despair she felt.

Any other mate wouldhave felt it equally, yet hers either felt no such bond or simply did not care.

For then he releaseda low whistle and a horse emerged from the woods beyond. And she felt anumbness settle over her as he tied his bags to the saddle and turned to giveher one last look. “Be safe, nymph. And tell no more lies.”

And then he was gone,and she gave in to the utter desolation that followed.