Rory tried to stretch his arms and legs. The rope binding him to the tree held firm with the help of magick. They contained some kind of binding spell that kept his magick inert. If he struggled, the binds would only become tighter. As far as revenge went, this wasn’t so bad. The temperature was mild, and the air fresh. Moonlight came through the treetops to create dancing spots on the forest floor.
Soft thumps sounded on the nearby path. Maybe he’d dismissed the vulnerability of this prank too soon.
Rory tensed, wondering what shenanigans his cousins had planned for him. He tried to wriggle free, but the binds tightened, causing the bark to rub uncomfortably against his flesh. That’s when he realized nothing protected his bare ass from the tree.
Of course, he was naked beneath the ropes. Why wouldn’t he be? It would be funnier to make him run nude through the forest back to the mansion where he lived with his extended family.
The ropes kept his body stationary so he could only turn his head to watch. A tiny black ball of fluff barreled down the path. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was a dog or a miniature bear cub.
“Arf,” came a high-pitched bark.
The puppy tripped over his feet, rolling headfirst before continuing without barely missing a beat. This prank just became weird. Were his cousins trying to cute him to death?
“Come back. Where’d you go, little guy?”
He didn’t recognize the soft American-accented voice. A woman appeared from between two trees, her face downturned as she searched along the narrow path. “It’s not safe for you here. Let’s find your home. Someone has to be worried about you.”
Rory held very still, hoping his current trap included an invisibility spell so she wouldn’t see him. Leaving someone tied up and helpless in a forest was hilarious, to be sure, but they weren’t stupid. His cousins would not have left him without protection.
As expected, the woman glanced through him, not registering the fact someone had tied him to the tree. Her dark curly hair was pulled back from a pretty face. Exhaustion lined her eyes, and she looked like she hadn’t slept for days.
Rory wanted to call out to her but held back. If she heard him, she’d think the forest was haunted and would run away screaming in fear.
Something in her expression captured him. Sadness lined her eyes. He wanted to know why she looked that way. She was too young, probably only thirty or so human years, to look so forlorn.
The woman rubbed her arms as she looked into the trees for the dog. “Please come back. Tips sucked tonight. My feet are killing me. I’m bone tired. I want to go home and collapse, but I can’t leave you out here.”
“Arf,” came the high-pitched, slightly muffled answer.
The woman crouched down as she took a few steps to search the darker part of the woods. Rory’s binds tightened as he tried leaning his head to the side to get a better look at her ass beneath the black slacks. She kneeled and reached forward. The pants pulled tighter. Rory’s lips parted, and he suppressed a groan to keep from making noise.
“There you are,” she said, sitting back on her heels.
Rory sighed and rested his head against the tree trunk.
At the sound, the woman quickly turned as if she’d heard him.
He’d expected a puppy, but instead, metal glimmered in her hand. Her eyes met his. Dark circles spread from her eyes like bruises bleeding across the flesh.
She slowly stood, wielding a knife. “There you are.”
The sweet concern she had for the lost puppy had drained from her tone. Her body twitched as she stepped toward him.
Well, this evening soured fast.
“Oh, easy there, love,” Rory said. “Whatever this is, I’m sure we can talk about it. Why don’t ya put the knife on the ground before someone gets hurt?”
She lifted the knife over her shoulder and aimed it in his direction. So much for conversation. The woman hardly seemed receptive.
Rory tried to call forth his magick, but whatever enchantment was on the ropes kept him imprisoned. A distant memory tried to surface, of being trapped and powerless, but after hundreds of years of living, there were many strange events to choose from, and the impression faded as fast as it came.
“Did one of my cousins put ya up to this?” he asked. Only to yell, “Hilarious guys, but you’re going to have to do better than this!”
“There you are,” she whispered, taking another halting step toward him. Her eyes bored into him as if she could pierce him with a single look. Mounting rage replaced the sadness in her. The grip on the knife hand shook.
“I think maybe ya got the wrong guy.” Rory wasn’t usually one to panic, but he couldn’t see a way out. His heartbeat quickened, and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. “How about ya untie me instead? We can get a bite to eat and talk about this?”
“There you are.”
Stupid ropes.
Rory struggled to free himself even as the bind became so tight it began cutting off his circulation. He tried to pull energy from the tree behind him to fuel his magick. A small tingle worked down his spine, but it wasn’t enough to make even the lamest of fireballs.
“There you are.”
“Aye, here I am,” he answered.
“There you are.” Her voice crackled, and a strange sound popped in the back of her throat as she cocked her arm farther back.
“Ha-ha! Very funny guys,” Rory yelled, hoping his cousins would jump out of the trees at any moment.
“There you are.” The woman screeched and lunged.
Rory cried out and shut his eyes tight as he braced for impact. A loud thud sounded. His body tried to jerk, but the ropes held him. He waited for the sharp pain of her blade.
“Och, laddie, what did ya do to put the hornet in
