Chapter 3

Reaching a hand to his chest, Nathan felt where the Messenger had dug in her claws. There was a tear in his shirt, and on his skin just above his heart were the grooves of an already healed-over scar. She had marked him for trying to back out of their deal. All dark fae would be after him now to claim the bounty for his betrayal and for killing one of their sidhe. And if no one claimed him before the mark ran its course…

He had to find Jim.

Nathan’s entire body ached in protest when he started to move. He wondered if the fall had killed him after all and he was just in shock, but even as that thought flickered through his mind, the pain began to lessen and he was able to sit up.

He didn’t trust his eyes when he first saw the figure sprawled face down along the shore beside him as if it had washed in with the tide.

“Jim…?”

A groan responded, the body already moving, pushing up on trembling arms and taking in gulps of air like coming up from deep water.