Esmerelda melted to the forest floor and crawled through the underbrush until she was certain she was safe. Then she surged to her feet and ran blindly, her crossbow forgotten on the damp forest floor. Branches slapped her face. A scream gathered and clotted in her throat. Esmerelda swallowed a bitter sob as she leapt a fallen log.
A hand shot out lightning-quick, halting her abruptly. Adam pulled her to him with a biting grip on her neck.
“Where have you been, lovely whore?” His eyes were preternaturally bright.
She panted into his face.
Adam glowered and shook her cruelly. “I said, where have you been?”
When she still didn’t answer, Adam slid his hand up her neck to her throat and squeezed. “Your life means nothing to me, Gypsy.” His eyes were as icy as his voice.
Haltingly, Esmerelda told him everything, begging Adam to save the man she loved, to use his unnatural powers and restore his life.
So she knew his identity. He wasn’t surprised. The Rom were well versed in the ancient ways. “If you know who I am, Gypsy whore, you know I don’t give a damn about your wishes—or anyone else’s, for that matter. And I certainly don’t care about your pretty Hawk. In fact, the Hawk is the son of a bitch I came here to destroy.”
Esmerelda paled.
“Come,” he commanded. And she knew he didn’t mean it the way he used to. Not anymore.
CHAPTER 20
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DOESN’T WANT TO SEE ME? I WANT to see him, so let me in,” Adrienne argued. “Unless, of course, he’s given you orders that he specifically doesn’t want me to come in the room,” she added coolly. Hawk would never do that.
Grimm didn’t budge.
“He wouldn’t! You can’t be serious. H-he …” She trailed off uncertainly. The Hawk wouldn’t refuse. Well, he hadn’t yet, but …
Obdurate Grimm, his eyes grave, blocked the door.
Adrienne peered at him intently. “Are you telling me that I have been forbidden to enter my husband’s room?”
“I have my orders, milady.”
“I’m his wife!”
“Well, maybe if you’d bloody acted like his wife before now he wouldn’t be in there!” Grimm’s eyes flashed angrily in his chiseled face.
“Oh!” Adrienne stepped back, startled by his fury.
“I did my friend a grievous wrong. I made a horrible wish that I would take back now with all my heart, if I only could. But I can’t.”
“You’re the one who wished it!” Adrienne exclaimed.
Grimm continued, unwavering. “And had I known how terrible was the wish I made, how far-reaching and painful the consequences would be, I would have taken my own life first. I am no captain of the guard.” He spat his disgust upon the cobbled stone. “I am no honorable friend. I am the lowest droppings from the foulest beast. I wished you upon my best friend, may the gods forgive me! And now he lies wounded by an arrow meant for you!”
Adrienne’s eyes widened in her pale face. “I’m not so bad,” she whispered.
“You, milady, are the iron maiden without a heart. You have brought him nothing but pain since you came here. In all my years with the Hawk, I have never seen such suffering in his eyes and I won’t tolerate it even one more day. He would climb into the very heavens and pluck down the stars, one by one, to bestow upon your shining brow, and I tell him you are not worth it. You scoff at his romantic feelings, you shun his freely offered love, you scorn the man himself. Doona tell me you’re not so bad, Adrienne de Simone. You are the worst thing that’s ever happened to that man.”
Adrienne bit her lip. Grimm had such a slanted view of things! What about all the unfair things the Hawk had done to her? She was the innocent one!
“He burned my queen! He stole my freedom, and he trapped me here.”
“Because he cares for you and refuses to lose you! That’s such a terrible thing? He used his own body to save your life. He placed himself like the truest shield before you and took the arrow meant for you. Well, I say better he had let it find your breast. ’Twould cease his torment and he wouldna be bleeding inside or out!”
“I didn’t ask him to save me!” she protested.
“Just the point. You didn’t have to ask him. He gave it freely. As he would give you everything. But you condemn him, though you know nothing of the mighty Hawk! Tell me, had you seen the arrow flying for him would you have sacrificed your life for his? I see from your eyes you would not. I’m sorry I wished for you and upon every star, every night for the rest of my worthless life, I’ll be wishing to undo the wrong I’ve done. Now get out of my sight. The Hawk won’t see you now. Perhaps not ever. And ’tis good for him not to. Perhaps in time away from you he’ll heal in more ways than one.”