Trapped (Imprisoned by the Fae 1)

“I’m talking about breaking out of Siúcra.”

I almost choke on my gasp. My eyes are just about popping out of my head as I demand, “Are you serious?”

“I have no choice. Someone has to stop them. Someone has to warn the Summer King. The Reign of the Damned is finally over. I won’t sit back and watch another one begin. I won’t sit back and watch more innocents die. We have to go. We have to tell him. We have to break free of Siúcra.”

We… That’s all I have to hear.

Relief crashes over me like a wave at the shore. I actually sag under the weight of it.

He notices. “Leannán? What’s wrong?” Realization dawns. I can see it on his face. “You thought I would leave you behind to fend for yourself.”

“Not gonna lie.” I let out a weak chuckle. “The thought did cross my mind.”

Rys doesn’t find that amusing. “If ever I was forced to abandon my post, I always knew you’d be coming with me for as long as I could keep you. I hoped it wouldn’t be necessary. It obviously is now. And, just because I never meant to leave, it doesn’t mean that I’m not prepared. I have a plan, though I don’t know if you’ll agree to it once you know what it entails.”

He must be talking about the sacrifice he told me about before. Whatever. I’ll sacrifice whatever I have to to get out of this place.

I can’t believe this is happening. Is it possible that my shitty luck is finally turning around?

Rys is going to leave the Faerie prison and take me with him?

I don’t even care that he says keep like that. He can keep me all he wants if I get to keep my freaking head on my shoulders. Who knows? I might actually have the chance to go home again, too. At the very least, I don’t have to worry about being a sitting duck in a locked cell when this crazy rebellion decides to target humans.

I don’t care what I have to do and I tell him that.

“You might change your mind.”

“I won’t,” I promise.

“What if I tell you that the crux of my plan relies on ensuring that the guards toss me to the shadows?” Rys firms his jaw before reaching out, his fingers brushing against the top of my hand. “And then you, too?”

13

Huh?

I know what Rys means when he calls it that. The shadows… For a Seelie, one of the Light Fae that deals in fire and is the most powerful during the day, the shadows are as much of a punishment and a deterrent as the iron in our cell. I know that. The oubliette was terrible and, after last time, I swore I’d never go back into that dark hole again.

He promised me that I wouldn’t have to.

He’s got to be out of his mind.

Before I can tell him so, he tries to explain what he means.

And, okay, arranging it so that a prison guard frees us from our cell is a good start. We can’t break out of Siúcra if we’re stuck inside this small room. But maybe I’m missing something big here. I just don’t understand how being forced into the deep hole in the ground is going to help us escape.

My skin prickles in awareness at his faint touch. I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose or not, distracting me with the shocks of pleasure that have me itching to move closer to him. Just in case, I take a deep breath and step away.

His hand settles against his thigh. I already miss him.

I cross my arms over my chest, tapping my upper arm so I can resist latching onto Rys. Frustration mixed with confusion slips into my tone as I say, “Let me get this straight. Getting thrown in the oubliette is part of the plan?”

“It’s the most crucial element, yes.”

“But… it’s a hole.”

“That it is.”

“It’s a hole in the ground.”