Freed (Imprisoned by the Fae 3)

I nod.

“Two or three days if we move quickly.”

“And if we ride?”

“Little less than a day. You can sleep inside of the carriage, if it takes longer. Either way we won’t be able to stay the night in an inn since Oberon doesn’t want anyone to know what we’re doing. While we’re in the Summerlands, we’ll draw far less attention with the horses. No one will know there are humans in the carriage.”

He’s got a point there. Being a human in Faerie is like walking around with a neon sign blaring EASY PICKINGS OVER HERE above our heads. The reason we’re embarking on this peace-keeping mission in the first place is because there’s a group of fae nobles and their followers who want to overthrow Oberon and proclaim open season on humans. So calling attention to us? Not good.

“What happens when we get to the Winter Court?” I ask.

“It’ll be easier to blend in with the shadows. Once we cross over, we’ll go on foot.”

“So it’s only going to be a day or so in the carriage?”

“With me at the reins, it could be even less.”

I nod. “Okay. Just let me know when we’re ready to leave.”

Rys reaches out to lay his hand on my arm, pausing when barely an inch keeps him from touching me. Even though he has my permission, he stills his hand before slowly pulling it back. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Elle.”

I don’t know what hurts worse: the way he calls me Elle again instead of Leannán, or how obvious it is that he’s never going to touch me again.

A lump forms in my throat. I swallow it roughly, then let out a soft exhale. “And I thought the fae can’t lie.”

Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? I absolutely do have to do this—and we both know it.

It’s not as bad inside the carriage as I first feared.

The windows help. Bram’s caravan was covered, and I rarely could peek out between the heavy canvas that hid my cage. Peering out of the carriage’s side windows reminds me of staring out of a subway car, just a super bumpy subway that never stops.

The seats are pretty comfy. Instead of curling up in a ball, sitting on a bed of hay, I lean back against a padded seat. It’s definitely an improvement. I mean, horse shit still stinks, but I’ve gotta admit that I did lose some of my nerves when Jim caught his first whiff and turned green.

He’s sitting next to me because of course he is. Across from us, Riley leans up against Nine, her glove-covered hand settled possessively over his knee. I don’t blame her. Though he’s not my type, her Unseelie mate is gorgeous. I mean, he’s fae. It’s kind of in the job description, right? But I already have my hands full with Jim and my unwavering feelings for Rys. She can’t honestly think I want her mate, too.

After a few hours

on the road, I figure she gets the hint. Though Riley doesn’t lose the perpetually guarded look on her pretty face, she opens up a little. Mainly because Jim, in that blunt way he has, finally notices that—just like Rys and Nine—Riley has pointed ears. When she absently tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing the point, Jim can’t help but blurt that out.

Riley glances at Nine for a second before saying, “Well. Yeah. I’m part fae.”

I knew that, but I guess nobody told Jim.

Whoops.

“Really? That’s pretty cool.”

Nine gives Jim a steely look that I’ve seen him level at Rys a couple of times. Probably because he’s just as protective of his mate as she is of him.

“Don’t mind Jim,” I tell them. Apart from a quick introduction before we set off, the four of us have either been quiet or talking about what to expect when we get to the Shadow Realm. I don’t really know any more about Nine and Riley than they do about us. Since we’re going to spend who knows how long together, we should probably change that. “He’s fully human, like me. He’s only been in Faerie for a couple of nights and he’s still learning that it’s nothing like the human world.”

“Good thing I’ve got the best teacher,” he says. “Eh, babe?”

“Babe?” echoes Nine in that lyrical lilt of his. “Did the two of you know each other before the Summer King arranged for this assignment?”

I close my eyes for a second.

Yeah. That’s something else I forgot to mention earlier.