Page 8 of The Sunbound Princess
“We’ve waited long enough,” the bearded man said.
A woman at the front of the crowd cupped her hands around her mouth. “Aye! Let’s see ‘em swing!”
My stomach twisted. I stopped behind a tree, one hand on the rough bark.
The bearded man gave the woman an impatient look. “Patience, Mistress Melina. I have to follow protocol.” Moving his hand from the lever, he dug a piece of parchment from his jacket. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice. “Here stand before you two criminals, Dain Zostas and Nikolas Taniak…” The man squinted at the parchment. “Taniakuss.”
The dark-haired man on the platform sighed. “Taniak—ees,” he corrected in a long-suffering tone. “It’s so easy.” He turned to the blond man. “I don’t know why everyone struggles with this.”
The bearded man grunted. “Nikolas Taniakes.”
“Thank you,” the dark-haired man said.
The bearded man continued reading. “Both charged with theft, fraud, and public mischief. Since no one has come forward to buy their bond, justice will be served by the noose!”
The dark-haired man, who was apparently called Nikolas, displayed even, white teeth as he smiled at the man with the parchment. “It was hardly theft, Sheriff.” He gazed over thecrowd, a dimple appearing in his cheek. “Surely, some of you fine villagers have heard of a loan?”
The sheriff’s expression darkened as he rolled up the parchment and stuffed it back into his coat. “Taking out a loan comes with the understanding that you’ll pay it back. Something you and Zostas had no intention of doing.”
The blond man—Dain—spoke in a low rumble. “We were framed.”
This brought jeers from the crowd. “That’s what they all say!” someone shouted.
“Not true,” Nikolas said. His dimple deepened as he met the gaze of the woman in the front. “Tell me, madam, does this look like the face of a thief?” He tsked as if he’d just remembered something, and his voice went silky. “Well, that’s not exactly true. I’ve stolen a few hearts.”
The woman’s lips parted. Her throat worked as she swallowed.
Nikolas winked at her.
Ugh.
Dain stared over the crowd. Without warning, he flicked his gaze to mine.
The Dokimasi tugged hard, and I muffled a gasp as I clung to the tree. The invisible tether yanked, and it was like a lead spooled between us, the other end lodging at his feet. The thread throbbed like a second heartbeat, sinking into my skin and burrowing under my ribs. It didn’t just pull. It pulsed.
Dain’s eyes widened. He felt it too.
The sunstone.
Somehow, he was connected to it. Except thatcouldn’tbe. He was human. A thief, of all things, ready to hang for his crimes.
“That’s enough, Taniakes,” the sheriff growled. He moved his hand back to the lever. “You and Zostas have been tried andjudged. No one is willing to pay your bond. This is the end of the road for you both.”
My heart thrashed like a trapped animal. I couldn’t let the men die—not until I figured out how Dain Zostas was connected to the sunstone.
Tugging my hood more securely over my head, I stepped from behind the tree. “I will pay the bond!”
Gasps echoed around the clearing, and humans turned as I withdrew the bag of coins I’d packed for the journey. The small leather bag was heavy with gold, and the coins jingled as I pushed through the crowd. A man with dull eyes and a dirt-streaked face grabbed at my cloak like he meant to feel the fabric. I yanked it free and moved faster. Villagers parted, their curiosity a weight on my skin as I made my way to the sheriff.
His eyebrows shot up, and he gave me a skeptical look. “You want both of them?” he asked, eyeing the bag I held aloft. “These men don’t come cheap, miss. And you’re a small thing to take on two unrepentant thieves.”
“Both,” I said firmly even as my heart tried to pound from my chest. “I have ample coin.”
Silence fell over the clearing. The humans’ stares were like fingers brushing against my skin. Murmurs raced among the crowd, the words clear to my sensitive ears.
Who is she?
Why would she want them?
