Freed (Imprisoned by the Fae 3)

But I also don’t want to walk away from Rys right now. Not after he told me he wants me to stay with him.

“I’m not that tired,” I begin to say, but when my words are swallowed by a huge, honking yawn, I realize that I might be fibbing a little.

Rys chuckles, then runs his hand along the length of my jaw. He waits until I finish my yawn, then eases my mouth closed. “I won’t use any dust, but that’s only because I know I don’t have to.”

I press a quick kiss to the underside of his jaw. “You know I hate you, right?”

“Of course,” he says, opening my door and carrying me inside of my room. “And it gives me great pleasure to know that my darling human lies as easily as she loves me.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He places me down on my bed. And I know that he didn’t dust me, but the second my ass hits the comfy mattress, I feel as weak and boneless as I did that night in the Shadow Realm.

Okay. He’s got a point.

I’m fucking beat.

“Mm. Stay with me, Rys?”

He’s down by my feet, removing my boots. As soon as he’s taken off one, he sets it on the floor before stroking the bare skin of my ankle between the hem of my jeans and my sock.

His touch is comforting. Soothing.

I snuggle into my pillow. “Please?”

“I’ll stay until you’re sleeping, Leannán. And then we’ll talk more when you’re awake.” He eases off my second boot. “Do we have a deal?”

I think I say yes. I might’ve.

At least, I hope so.

I sleep for two days straight, only waking up to eat the faerie fruit Lolly brings me so that I don’t get sick.

I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was. The Shadow Realm was draining for any of the Seelie, but I never thought it would affect me as much as it did.

I’m still in my room. Despite our conversation after we first arrived back at his home, Rys has made no move to treat me as something more than just a houseguest.

At first, I thought it was because he could tell how done I was. And it wasn’t just that I was sleepy. I needed to deal with my feelings when it came to Jim. Didn’t matter that I went into this mission wondering how I was going to end our relationship. I guess I just never thought I’d lose all of it at the same time.

It’s for the best. At least, I keep telling myself that. I deserve to be the one who remembers every minute of our time together, the good and the bad. Rys tried to tell me it was fate—that, if I was meant to be his, and Morgan considered Jim hers, that this was all supposed to happen—but I’m not fae. It’s not as easy for me to process everything that happened the same way as it is for him.

Rys spent his whole life ruled by his prophecy. I mean, he still is. Despite admitting that he still wants me, that he still thinks of me as his mate, it doesn’t seem as if he’s going to do anything about it because of that stupid prophecy.

Which means that it’s up to me.

On the third day, I get up, indulge in the longest shower that I’ve probably taken ever, and pull on one of the outfits Rys had made for me. I stored my human clothes—my tank, my jeans, my boots—into a drawer of their own for safekeeping. My leather jacket is hanging off the crystal doorknob of the shower box. Even though I’ve long accepted that I live in Faerie now, I’ll never get rid of it. Who knows when I’ll need it for another trip into the Shadow Realm?

I decide that it’s about time to get back to real life. I should let Lolly know that I’ll be coming down to breakfast, and then maybe I can start a new painting. My brain is filled with so many images from our last adventure that I’m itching to get some of them down on canvas.

Oh, and maybe I’ll search for Rys, and see what he’s up to...

Right before I reach the closed door of my room, I hear a knock. Hope swells in my chest, but I keep my voice steady as I call out, “Yes?”

“Leannán?”

Rys.

I fling open the door, all my hope dying a super sudden death when I see the serious expression on his face.