Freed (Imprisoned by the Fae 3)

“Yeah. Well, as okay as I can be. I hate the whole ‘not knowing’, that’s all.”

She shrugs. “Too bad we’re not with the guys, seeing how everything’s going. It’s been hours. Either it’s as impossible to get inside of that prison as the other one, or they’re working on getting Jim back. I hope it’s soon. I’m getting tired of sitting around. My ass hurts, and that’s saying something. I used to sleep against gravestones.”

Ignoring that last part, I have to wonder: then why are we? I only stuck around because it seemed like Riley didn’t want to go.

“Do you remember how to get back to that prison?”

“Yeah. And, even if I couldn’t, I can find Nine. Track him down because he’s my mate.” Lucky. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that, if we sit here any longer, I’m going to lose my mind. I know we can’t go into the prison or anything, but can’t we move a little closer, keep an eye on things for the guys?”

Riley bites down on her bottom lip. “I don’

t know. We did promise we’d stay right here.”

“We did,” I agree. “But I’m human. You’re half. We don’t have to tell the truth if we don’t want to.”

“I knew you were lying when you gave your word you’d stay behind.”

“So, can we go?”

Riley climbs to her feet. “Only if you don’t tell Nine. I fucking love him, but he can be a little overprotective. I mean, damn it, he still won’t tell me what happened with Gillespie.”

I have no idea what any of that means. But if Riley’s willing to shade-walk me over to the prison, that’s all I care about.

“Deal.”

Hands down, when it comes to traveling in Faerie, I’d much rather take a Seelie portal than shadow travel. It might be hot and humid, and it looks like you’re walking through fire, but at least you don’t come out with an awful case of motion sickness.

It was windy and it was spinny and it feels like I took a turn on a tilt-a-whirl or something by the time I’m done. In the back of my mind, I only just remember how much Riley hates to be touched. Instead of grabbing onto her to keep myself upright, I throw myself sideways and land on my hands and knees.

“Oof.”

“Yeah. Shade-walking takes a bit of getting used to. Put me to sleep and travel when I’m out… no problem. But the first time I shade-walked while conscious, I ended up flat on my face, too. Did you get hurt?”

My stomach’s still a little queasy, but other than that I’m fine. “Nah. Are we here? Did we make it?”

“Look. It’s right over there.”

I push up off of the ground, climbing first to my knees, then my feet. Once I’m standing again, I follow Riley’s point.

Okay. Well, it’s not as big as Siúcra, though I wasn’t really expecting it to be. It kind of reminds me of a sandcastle. It’s wide and flat, with turrets on all four corners. Torches create a perimeter of the tall building, the orange flames looking sickly mixed with the purple-y black shadows. Unlike Siúcra, there are some windows, all covered in the same crystal bars; they shimmer beautifully in the light.

There’s a gate, because of course there is, and from this angle, I notice that the entrance is normal. No freaky glowing gate like at Siúcra. That makes me feel a little bit better. It’s open, which means that there’s a good chance Rys and Nine found their way inside.

Leading away from the gate, there’s a path that stretches out in the Cursed woods that circle the hidden prison. And, standing on the path, beneath one of the flickering torches, is a fae that I’d hoped to never see again.

It takes everything I have not to react.

Dusk.

It’s Dusk.

Even from this distance, I recognize him. I would know him anywhere. He has this air of danger surrounding him, of overwhelming malice. His hair has grown back to his chin, his face is perfectly healed, and, though I still remember the way he screamed when he was burning alive, he looks exactly the same as he did before that terrible night.

How much do you want to bet that he still wants to get me back for it, though?

Oh, no. No, no, no—