The Hunchback's Reluctant Bride ✔

16 | Life & Death

As they made their way out of the forest, Vadde looked down at where their fingers interlocked. It felt good. It looked sweet. And then it stopped—or rather, Wyrn did.

Vadde thought to ask why but him giving her hand a squeeze was more than enough.

"Princess," Wyrn whispered.

She mimicked him by lowering her voice in kind. "Yes?"

"Whatever you do, keep your head down."

It was just the two of them in the forest and while she wasn't sure she was ready for everything that might follow, she concluded she was far readier now than when she'd first offered him her body. She'd manage. Standing bold, she waited.

"Pig."

Vadde's left eye opened, then her right when he repeated the word.

"Pig!"

It was then that Vadde looked past Wyrn to see the...well, in all physical constructs it was a boar. It was as large as a horse, however.

"Don't look at it." Wyrn shoved her head down. His breathing came ragged. "It's not a normal pig."

Vadde panicked but whispered, "Obviously! And I've walked this forest. No one could have warned me about the boars?"

"It's not a boar. It's a pig," Wyrn corrected but that hardly mattered. He started to move, slowly at first but picked up speed with time. The animal's head turned to follow them. "Stop looking at it," Wyrn scolded.

"I'm not!"

"Then why's it staring?"

"Maybe because you're staring," she fired back.

"I'm not staring."

"Then how would you know it's looking if you're not staring?"

"Because I can hear it just fine." He kept her tucked at his side as he inched on. Then he stopped.

Vadde's heart beat so fast against her ribs that her chest ached.

She was too afraid to look. "What now?" At the silence, she asked, "Wyrn?"

"Two more have come." He gripped her hand tight. "One we could outmaneuver, but not three."

When he tensed, Vadde waited. She might have waited forever if she didn't say, "Let me guess. Two more?"

"Best if you don't know," he whispered.

Vadde went against his advice and her own better judgement and glanced up from the ground once. The army of overgrown pigs had her hanging her head fast.

"This isn't normal," Wyrn said. "Has anyone given you something? Have you taken some sort of charm? Maybe from Shaza?"

The nerve. She'd sooner take something from a demon.

"Search your dress," Wyrn begged. "Because they're not backing down."

Wyrn was always so steadfast. Feeling him tremble, his grip on her left hand tight, she began to tremble as well. Despite that, she obeyed but it was to no avail.

"Nothing. There's nothing."

"There has to be."

"Well, what am I looking for! I have nothing."

"Princess...." Wyrn waited then lost patience. When he pulled at the hem of her dress, he said, "Then check under."

"What?"

He let out a sigh then did the honors instead. First up her knee then the other. He traced her underwear then stopped. There wouldn't be any paper there.