She glanced at me as if I was a bug that didn’t deserve living. I understood how bad all of this sounded to her, but fuck it, she had to understand. At the time, I had no other choice. It was that, or simply die at the streets, killed by demons in a senseless death.
“I’ll help you, but for Farrah, not for you,” she said, her tone hard. “But you have to promise me one thing, though. When we rescue Farrah and we’re all safe, you’re going to tell her about it.”
Fuck. Did I have to? Right now, I would promise anything. I might even sell my soul again if that meant getting Farrah back.
“I promise.”
11
Farrah
For the past two weeks, I brewed the potion in my closet. Jennie helped me with it since the faerend in the potion dulled my powers and made me weak. She didn’t mind when it affected her.
Thankfully, the few times Lark came into my chambers, he never wandered far, much less into my closet. Even so, I was always nervous that for some reason, he would start looking around too much and find the potion.
Once he asked about the bitter scent in my room. I lied to him it was the new tea Jennie had been bringing to me. He didn’t ask about it anymore.
But he did ask about the cat.
“I don’t know where it came from,” I told him one night, trying to sound innocent. “I came back from the library one day and it was just here.” I ran my hand over the cat’s fluffy fur and the cat stretched under my touch. “I didn’t send him away because I enjoy the company.”
Though he frowned looking at the cat, Lark let that subject go.
Unlike when fae from other courts came into the fortress for a diplomatic dinner, and Lark wanted me to join him. I begged him not to go, telling him I wasn’t feeling well, but he wouldn’t have it.
“You’re my wife, and you’ll be my mate. You have to be there. It’s non-negotiable,” he insisted, his tone not leaving room for arguments.
And that was how I ended up in a black gown with a tight corset and flowy skirt, and a long slit along my right leg. My long white-blonde hair was pinned behind my head, so the gown’s deep V showed off my bare back. The gown was beautiful, but I felt naked, exposed, paraded like a pretty piece of jewelry.
Lark waited for me behind the closed doors to the main hall. The diplomats were all inside and he wanted to make a grand entrance. He held my hand in his and when the doors opened and we stepped inside, I felt like this was our second wedding.
Though this time I was wearing black. Could it be my funeral?
As I expected, Lark walked slowly, turning me this way and that way, showing off his trophy wife. I plastered a weak smile on my lips and just went with it.
Soon, this would all be over. Soon, I would kill him and that would be the end of this farce.
After greetings, where I met several fae from all the courts in the fae realm—except for frost fae—Lark directed us all to the dining room, where a feast had been prepared.
I sat beside Lark at the head of the table, while the others took the many chairs along the table. No one sat on the other end of the table.
Dinner progressed as expected: boring as the fae talk about politics and lowly humans, and other races. Some were appalled that they had to come to the human world to meet with Lark, others were stunned the prince was still living here.
To be honest, I was too.
As a show to his guests, Lark reached to me and put his hand over my leg, slipping his hand around my thigh, dangerously close to my groin.
I squirmed as far as I could in my chair, but he closed his hand around my thigh, digging his fingers into my skin. I swallowed the yelp that threatened to escape.
All around us, the fae continued with their conversation, though their eyes shifted from our faces to Lark’s touch.
His hand hiked up, and just before it went too far, I crossed my legs and turned my body to the side, reaching for my wine goblet with too much fanfare. Lark had to drop his hand.
The guests noticed my move but didn’t say anything.
To his credit, Lark tried to keep going as normal, but his pride was hurt.
A minute later, he shot up. “Excuse us,” he said through gritted teeth. He pulled me behind him across the dining room and into the hallway. He let go of my hand and turned his furious eyes to me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I lifted my chin. “We may be married, but I’m not yours.”
“You are mine,” he hissed. “You will be mine. You better start realizing and soon, because when the Moon Period is over in another week, you will be mine.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Not if I killed you first, you scumbag.
I didn’t say anything, because if I opened my mouth, I would say things that would only put me in more trouble.
Lark glared at me. “You’re dismissed. Go back to your chambers.”
This time, I was glad to obey him. I simply turned around and marched along the hallway, going back to my bedroom.
Soon, I would be free from this place. Free from him.
12
Wyatt
From a distance, we watched the Shade Fortress rising up to the sky along the side of the mountain. If we got closer, we would run into patrols and right now we couldn’t afford to do that.
“To get to the prince and rescue Farrah, we need to get inside,” I said. “But the place is too well guarded.”
“I can glamour us as servants so we can sneak in,” Kayden said, her eyes on the fortress. “It won’t last long, but it should be enough to get us inside.”
I nodded. “Then, once inside we should split up. I’ll go find Farrah, while you two find the prince.” I glanced at Ariella. She was still ignoring me.
“Sounds like a plan,” Kayden said. “We should sneak in early tomorrow morning, during the guard change.” I had been out for a couple of days, and during that time, Kayden studied the movements outside the fortress. “What do you think?”
I nodded again, sure I needed another good night sleep before sneaking inside a fortress and probably having to fight for my life, and for Farrah’s life. Actually, I doubted I would be able to sleep, but at least I could stay in bed and let my body rest.
That night, we went back to our borrowed house near the fortress. After a quiet dinner, Ariella made tea and retreated to her bedroom.
Kayden poured some tea in two mugs and brought it to the living room, where I was seated on the couch, too worked up to relax and try to rest.
“Here,” she said, offering one of the mugs to me. “It should help you relax.”
I took the steaming mug from her. “Thank you.”
Kayden sat down on an armchair across from me. After a moment of silence, she asked, “So, tell me, why is this frost fae so important to you?”
I stared into my mug, wondering what I should tell her. But why lie to her? She was here, after all, and willing to help us, help me. “I’ve known Farrah for three years now. I’ve always loved her, since the first moment I saw her, left beaten up by witches in a forest.” I drank a sip of my tea. “And recently I found out she’s my mate. Though, I know about the curse the fae king put on the fae. She can never love me otherwise she will lose her immortality.”