Natalia bit her lip. “I’ll never see you again.”
“I will come to you. When I’m healed I’ll come back for you.”
She didn’t believe him. Indecision warred in her brown eyes. “You’re using me. You came to me and said those things so I would help you get free.”
“No, my love.”
“Why should you come back to me? I’m just a human who would trap you and make you fulfil her fantasies.”
“I promise, Natalia.”
Tears streaked down her cheeks. “Why can’t my own healers help you?”
Ochen touched the rope around his neck, jerked his fingers away when it singed him. “This won’t let me heal all the way. I’ll weaken and die.”
“You might be lying to me, so I’ll set you free.”
“I might be.” He closed his eyes. She didn’t trust him, and he was a fool to think she would. “But I’m not.” His death would be proof he had told her the truth, but he wouldn’t be in a position to care then.
He felt her hands on his skin again, soothing, cool. He loved her touch.
And then, unbelievably, he felt a press of cold blade and a jerk of the ropes. He opened his eyes to see Natalia busily sawing at the ropes around his throat with a tiny knife. Her face screwed up with the effort, she was a lady not used to cutting anything more difficult than an apple.
Ochen watched her, unable to help, as the knots loosened and the horrible pain lessened. At last she pulled the ropes from around his neck. She touched the burned flesh where the rope had been, tears tumbling down her cheeks.
Ochen licked away a tear, loving the salty taste of it. She moved around him so she could reach the witch rope that bound his wrists. Her dress brushed his skin, her perfume sweet.
“I can’t let you die,” Natalia whispered. “It doesn’t matter whether I see you again. You’ll be alive and safe.”
Pain robbed him of too much breath to argue. His leg throbbed in agony, and it was tempting to slip back inside her fantasies to ease the pain. But too dangerous.
“What are you doing?” someone shrieked.
Lady Delia stood in the doorway, still in her overly ruffled ball gown, flanked by the two hunters who’d beaten Ochen senseless.
Natalia didn’t look up or stop cutting the ropes. “I’m letting him go.”
Delia strode in and seized Natalia’s shoulder. “You have no right to. He’s mine.”
Natalia shook her off. “He’s a living creature, not a slave.”
“He’s a Dream Catcher. Do you know how hard they are to find, you stupid woman?”
“He’ll die if I leave him here,” Natalia snapped. “Then you won’t have him any more. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is that he hasn’t done my fantasy yet. You had your turn. Now it’s mine.”
“I can’t help it if he connected with me first.” Natalia sounded the slightest bit smug as she continued to work on the ropes.
“You really are stupid, Natalia. He ‘connected’ with you because I told him to. I promised I’d free him if he did. I wanted him to make a fool of you, because everyone knows what your fantasies are.”
Natalia stiffened. She glanced at Ochen for confirmation and he nodded once. Delia had told him to choose Natalia, to let her live her sexual fantasies while she stood in the middle of the ballroom. If he did that, she’d have her hunters untie the ropes and let him go.
Things hadn’t gone according to plan. Ochen had chosen Natalia all right, but the connection had been real, deep and strong. When Natalia would not let Delia humiliate her in front of the others, Delia had refused to let him go. Going to Natalia in her dreams had been his choice.
The pain that flooded Natalia’s face flooded him, too. He expected her to stand up and walk away, to leave Ochen to Delia’s mercy.
Instead she put the knife to the rope again. “It doesn’t matter.”