Freed (Imprisoned by the Fae 3)

It works. It actually works. One push and he’s gone.

A second later, so am I.

Until the day that I die, I know I’ll never forget the way Dusk screamed when I set him on fire. The torrent of angry cursing, followed by full-throated shrieks let loose by a very, very pissed off gnome is only second to that.

I don’t trust Grimly. I never have, but after the way he tried to hold Veron’s bounty over my head like that… I’m not sticking around to see how the gnome gets himself out of the trap. If I’m lucky, he’ll be stuck down there forever. Or maybe the redcap will eventually check its traps again and Grimly can be someone else’s problem.

Who am I kidding? This is my luck we’re talking about. He’s probably going to make some kind of bargain to get out—either with the redcap, an Unseelie, even the mysterious Hunter—then come after me. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m not going to stick around and be easy pickings for him, though. Hoping like hell that I’m heading in the right direction, I book it all the way back to Morgan’s cottage.

It’s easy. I can’t really explain it, but as I dash through the trees, I think about Rys and, before I know it, I’m running up to the cottage.

“Leannán?”

As if he can tell that something’s wrong, Rys holds open his arms. I fly right into them.

My heart is beating so quickly, so loudly, I barely hear myself as I pant out, “We have to go. We have to leave.”

“We will. We actually just finished the agreement with Morrigan. I was going to tell you when you came back that we’ll be leaving tomorrow—”

“No!” I’m so freaked, it comes out as a shout. “Not tomorrow. Now.”

“Did something happen?”

As quickly as I can, I explain what happened when I met Grimly. While Riley mutters darkly when she hears about Grimly lurking around, and Morgan promises to take care of him since he basically went after me in her territory, Rys listens to me without saying a word.

Until I’m done and he cups my chin with two fingertips. “You’re right. We leave now.”

“But what about—”

Jim.

Morgan clears her throat. I didn’t have to say his name. She—like the others—know exactly who I mean. “I’ll keep him.”

What?

I pull away from Rys, searching for my friend.

“Morgan…” Because, no matter what the others call her, to me she’ll always be Morgan.

“I’ve always been interested in humans. I told you that when we first met. I think… I think he might be why.”

As gently as I can despite the way my heart is still drumming against my ribcage, I try to explain, “He’s a man. Not a stray that you can take home with you.”

“I’m quite aware that he’s a man, Elle.”

Oh.

Oh.

Well, then. I guess my hunch when it came to these two was spot-on.

Taking a deep breath, composing myself just enough, I finally meet my ex’s gaze. “Jim… what do you think? Do you want to stay?”

He lifts his hand, rustling his dark hair, a shy smile curving his lips. “Uh. I mean, if Morgan’s cool with it, I don’t mind. I kinda think… and maybe this is a little crazy… but I kinda feel like I’m supposed to.”

That’s fine. I’m not going to argue with him. Not while I’m still running on the adrenaline that pushed me to, well, push Grimly. Besides, it’s not like this is going to be the last time I see him or Morgan. Once we bring the contract to Oberon to go over, the next step is Morgan coming to the Seelie Court as the Winter Queen.

But that’s later.