I caught the brief taste of dandelion wine on his mouth as it moved softly against mine. It startled me, because I’d expected his kiss to be more aggressive and hard, but this was quite the opposite. It was kind of nice. Not quite what I felt with Pudge, but not exactly repulsive, either.
Frederik pulled back. “Until later, milady.”
People in the stands clapped and cheered as he rode away.
“Well, that was an eventful night,” Lady Hamden said. “I’m so glad you’ve joined us, Ivy. It’s been wonderful seeing Frederik so happy.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“What are the chances of you staying on with your aunt for longer?”
I glanced at my aunt, then back to Lady Hamden. “I’ll be here for a bit longer. I don’t have a definitive date set to go back home yet.”
“Good. Ah, here comes Frederik.” Lady Hamden greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. “You had me worried tonight.”
“All worked out, Mother. Nothing to fear.” He patted her arm, then turned to me. “Might I steal Lady Ivy away for a moment?”
Aunt Margaret met my eye. “Well, perhaps for a short time, but we must head home soon. It is getting late.”
“I won’t keep her long.” Frederik offered me his arm, and I accepted it.
We walked away from the stands and toward the castle. Frederik stopped when we reached the gardens. “I’m so glad you came to watch.”
“I’m glad as well, although when I saw Victor’s lance, I thought for sure you’d be hurt.”
“No, I’m fine. And Lord Victor was punished for his deceit.”
“Were you scared?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Not until after I realized why the match was stopped. But let’s not dwell on that any longer. I brought you out here in hopes of encouraging you to come watch more of my matches.”
I smiled. “Of course—you don’t have to ask. But if I do, I hope you’ll continue to ride for me.” I slipped the lace kerchief back into his hand.
“I will. From now on, I’m your champion.” Frederik brushed tendrils of hair from my face. “Shall I see you again tomorrow?”
“I’d like that,” I said.
“Me, too.” He glanced over his shoulder, to where my aunt was approaching. “I bid you goodnight, milady. Until tomorrow.” He brought my hand to his lips.
“Until tomorrow.”
I walked with my aunt back to the carriage, where Pudge stood waiting. His gaze met mine, and he frowned. “I heard Lord Frederik rode for you tonight.”
“Yes, and he nearly got himself killed.”
“I also heard he kissed you,” Pudge muttered as he helped me into the carriage.
“Just as I thought he would. It didn’t mean anything, though, I promise.”
But Pudge didn’t say anything. Instead, he shut the door and stalked around to the front of the carriage. Dragon’s arse, why was he so mad? Didn’t he understand I was doing this to help my brother? I wanted to tell him that I’d felt something during our shared kiss on the ship, but I doubted he’d want to hear it. What if my pretending to like Frederik messed things up between Pudge and me?
I pushed the thoughts away and instead contemplated how I could get Frederik to talk without giving myself away.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Grr paced the bedroom beside me. After a lot of begging and persuading, Margaret finally agreed to let him come inside—although I was certain it was because she didn’t want anyone to see him wandering around her property.
My fingers grazed his smooth fur, and I sighed, pulling the curtains back and staring down at the yard. There below was the cook’s daughter. Or, as Pudge referred to her, Clementine. She carried a loaf of bread to Pudge, who’d just come from the stables. Even though I knew he was just acting, it was so hard to watch.
I pressed my face closer to the window, watching as he took it from her. His mouth turned up at the corners, and he followed her toward a stone path. With a grunt, I jerked the curtains shut.
Grr glanced at me, his teeth showing as if he smiled.
“Yeah, I’m glad you think this is funny.” I pushed past him. When I reached the door, I rushed outside, looking for Pudge. But both he and Clementine had disappeared.
Chewing my lip, I covered my eyes with my hand. “What’s wrong with me?” I said aloud. I’d never acted like this before. However, I’d never had to watch Pudge with another female; it’d always just been him and me.
“Ivy, Lord Frederik has sent a note via messenger. He’s requesting your company for lunch today.” Aunt Margaret crossed the yard, holding out a parchment for me. “I’ll have the carriage readied at once.” She smiled, patting my arm.
“Thank you. I’ll freshen up.” I didn’t know how much more of Frederik I could take. And if by some act of the Hag I found my brother, he’d owe me. But I guess it could be worse. “Aunt Margaret, out of curiosity, have you heard anything about the Hamdens maybe taking lands from people?”
Her smile faded some. “There were a few rumors, but as I understand it, they were taken for back monies owed.”
“Oh.” So some of what Victor said was true.
“Why do you ask?”
“Trying to figure out if Frederik would have reason to send a ransom note.”
After washing up and refastening my hair, I made my way to the carriage, where Pudge stood, waiting for me.
He met my gaze. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I can be. Today, I might take a different approach. I thought about trying to see if I can find anything with his handwriting or signature on it. At least then we can compare it to the ransom note and know if this is the right Frederik.”
“Just be careful, Ivy.”
“I will. Don’t worry so much. I’ll figure something out today.”
…
Lord Frederik waited for me in the corridor. He leaned against the stone wall, the torches casting shadows upon his face. When he saw me, he straightened and hurried to my side. His eyes twinkled, and he fidgeted as if excited by something.
“Lady Ivy.” He bowed, then took my hand, leading me back outside and around the corner of his home. “I’ve got something I want to show you,” he said. “I know how much you adore hunting…”
Forcing a smile, I did all I could to not roll my eyes. “I can’t wait to see.”
“Trust me when I say you’ll be very impressed.” His arm drew me closer, his mouth near my ear.
When we reached the back of the castle, Frederik eased me toward a door where two guards stood. They moved aside at our approach, allowing us passage.
Cold, damp air surrounded me as we descended steep, curling stairs. The smell of mold coated each breath I took like frosting on cake.
“Where are we going?” My grip on him tightened.
But before he answered, I noticed the iron-barred doors lining the wall as we came to the bottom floor. Chains and shackles hung from the ceiling at the end of the corridor. Shadows slipped along the floor like wispy ghosts. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. He’d brought me to the dungeon. Had he figured out what I really was? Or was this one of his tactics to make me cling tighter to him?
“You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone else about what you see.” Frederik jerked me to a halt, turning me to face him. “And I mean no one. Not even your aunt.”
The edge in his voice made me shiver, and I nodded. “I won’t tell a soul.”
“Of course you won’t. I knew the moment I met you, Ivy, that you were different than other girls. You’ll appreciate what we have down here.” Frederik knocked on one of the doors, and a guard appeared. Once the guard verified who was there, I heard the clank of keys, and the bolt slid back, unlocking the door.
We stepped through, moving down another dimly lit hallway. The heavy stench of urine made me g
ag. Moisture dripped from the ceiling, running down my cheek like cool teardrops. I raised a hand to brush it away. Four more guards were stationed on either side of the passageway, pacing along the cells, occasionally clanking on the bars as if to keep the prisoners awake.
Something skittered in the darkness, and I jumped, watching rats squeezing beneath cell doors. Hag, this place was awful. When we got to the end corridor, Frederik stopped, grabbed a torch from the wall, and pointed at the cell in front of us.
“Go ahead—have a look at the beast we’ve caught.”
Swallowing the shoe-sized lump in my throat, I slipped forward, peeking through the bars into the darkened corner.
The air went out of me. My heart hammered in my ears like drummers playing the death march. There, shackled to the floor, lay Dorian. Even in the dimness, he looked sickly. Covered with dirt and dried blood, his clothes hung loose on his frame. His hair was matted against his head, his face swollen. The coppery tang of blood assaulted me, and I knew it was his.
My hand flew to my mouth, tears burning my eyes. I had to keep it together.
Frederik wrapped an arm around my waist, coming to stand at my back. “We’ve tried to make the beast talk, but it refuses. We’ve tried beating it and using blades, but it won’t utter a word.”
Bile seared my throat, stomach churning. A sudden hatred for the humans sparked inside me. Not for my aunt, but for everyone else. How could they do this to Dorian? To think I’d actually liked them when I’d arrived. They’d welcomed me like the goblins never did. But they were cruel and arrogant. And I’d never again see them as fairy tales. To think, I’d let Frederik kiss me. I let him make me believe that he was kind. I’d even spared his life when I could’ve let Lord Victor kill him. And yet, I reminded myself, had I done that, I wouldn’t be standing here now—I’d never have known for sure my brother was here.
Finding my voice, I said, “Maybe you should let me talk to him.” I turned to stare at Frederik, batting my eyelashes. “A woman might have a different effect on him.”
He shook his head no. “No. I’m down here several times a day trying to get information, and it won’t budge.”
“What kind of information?”
“Mostly about others of its kind and where it keeps its treasure. We know it’s royal by the insignia and tattoos, as we’ve seen them before.”
Fear radiated through me. They knew about our kind. But how much? I pressed myself against him, trailing my fingers down his face. “Come on. Just a few minutes. You don’t know how much this would mean to me. And how much I’d owe you.”
Dorian groaned, and I heard the chains shift against the floor. I felt sick touching Frederik, but I didn’t have a choice. My thumb brushed his lips.
He pulled me closer, his hand stroking my back. “Very well. A few minutes, but I’ll wait just over here.” He pointed across the hall, which was only a few feet away but far enough so I could whisper without being heard.
With a smile, I pulled back. “Thank you.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, I reached through the bars. Dorian scooted closer, and my hand touched his arm. I noticed the chunk of moldy bread sitting on the floor next to him, along with stagnant water. The air inside was frigid at best, but there were no blankets to keep him warm. He raised his eyes.
“Ivy, is that you?”
“Yes. Sorry, I’m using glamour.”
“I recognized your voice but wasn’t certain. What are you doing here?” he said in a weak voice.
My lip quivered. “I’m here to rescue you.”
Dorian stared at me as if I’d just said I’d given birth to twin dragons.
“Did you talk to my father?”
“Our father,” I corrected him.
His swollen lips turned up at the corners. “Yeah, funny how fate works, isn’t it?”
Hag, I wanted to cry or vomit or scream. But I couldn’t. Not until I had a plan to get him out. And at the moment, there were too many guards to plan an escape.
“I’m going to find a way to get you out of here—I just don’t know when.” If the dungeon wasn’t as deep as the bowels of hell, I might have considered digging him out or using a horse to tug the barred door off.
Dorian coughed, his body shaking from the effort.
“They’re planning on making a spectacle of me during the end of the tournament. They’ll have me in the stocks for all to see. Like a monster.”
“Promise me you’ll stay strong.” I caught his hand in mine.
I glanced up to see Frederik heading back. Dorian released me. “Stay safe, little sister.”
Fighting back the urge to take Frederik’s sword and impale him with it, I moved toward him in a flourish of skirts.
“She’s prettier than the other guards,” Dorian snarled, standing up. The bars rattled as he gripped them in his hands. His eyes pleaded with me to play along.
“How dare you, you foul beast,” I spat.
Frederik pulled me farther away from the cell, then turned to reach through the slots to grab Dorian by his shirt. “Do not speak to the lady in such a manner, or I’ll kill you myself.”
My hands clamped down on his arms. “Frederik, I’m ready to go.”
A man peered out of the cell across from my brother’s. His dark hair and eyes seemed familiar. He looked a lot like Lord Victor. Was this the brother he’d spoken of? I wanted to ask who he was, but Frederik glanced down at me and said, “You don’t need to be in the presence of this creature any longer.”
As we walked away, I dared one last look at my brother. Our eyes met, and in that moment, I promised myself that I’d kill every human in the castle if necessary. One way or another, I would free him, no matter the cost.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
As I sat alone in the carriage, riding back to my aunt’s estate, I envisioned Dorian’s wounds. The way his body curled on the floor of the cell. The pain in his eyes haunted me. The way they lit with hope when he saw me. And I’d dashed that hope by leaving him there. I’d have a warm meal and a bed tonight. Dorian would suffer, plagued by cold and darkness and hunger. Damn the King’s Council. If they had sent me with him, he never would’ve been captured—or at least I would’ve fought harder to protect him.
My fist connected with the carriage’s side panel, sending sparks of pain flaring up my arm. The gates rose to let us in, and I waited for the horses to be reined. Once we came to a stop, I practically leaped through the door.
From across the yard, Pudge emerged from the stables, carrying his sword. I swallowed, watching the way he moved. Gone were the loping, uncoordinated steps and mannerisms. He stood tall, assured, and stronger than I’d ever seen him. It was like the Mission transformed him.
Tingles ran through me, diving deep into my gut. My eyes widened. Why was I reacting like this? I started toward him, eager to tell him I’d found Dorian. Eager to be in his company.
“Ivy.” Pudge grabbed hold of my arm. “What’s wrong?” he asked, forcing me to look at him.
I fought to keep my tears at bay.
“They’ve got Dorian. I saw him today in the dungeon—he’s beat up really bad.”
Pudge’s features fell, and he led me the rest of the way up to my room. “It’ll be okay.”
“They’ve been torturing him.” My voice raised an octave. “Hag only knows what they’ve done to him.”
Pudge set his sword on my bed, then wrapped me in his arms, cradling my head against his chest. My heart skipped, and blood pounded in my ears. He brushed my hair out of my face, saying soothing words to make me feel better. His familiar goblin scent calmed me. My body instantly warmed at his touch. It felt right, having him hold me.
What was I thinking? This was Pudge. We’d known each other since birth. We’d bathed together, played in the mud together. He knew everything there was to know about me. And he’d
also been my first kiss. The person I went to when I was happy or sad or mad.
Realization sank in.
So much of my life revolved around our being together.
“We’ll get him out of there. That’s what the Hag sent us to do.” Pudge rested his chin on my head.
“I—I don’t know if that’s possible.” I pulled away, examining the sleeve of my dress like it was a rare piece of jewelry.
Just then, my aunt barged in, the interruption I needed. Her gaze landed on my face, and she stiffened.
“Ivy, what’s going on?”
I wrung my hands together. “The earl has Dorian. In the dungeon.”
Her face paled. “Oh dear,” she whispered. She took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Is there a way we can free him?”
“Not that I could see. But according to Dorian, they’re supposed to move him to the main yard during the end days of the tournament. They want to put him on display, like a monster,” I cried.
Pudge leaned against the wall, arms crossed at his chest. “I can use glamour and disguise myself as Frederik to get down there and release him.”
“I’m not sure we can risk it. Frederik is at the dungeon frequently enough that there’s no way to ensure you wouldn’t run into him.”
“Unless you kept him away,” Pudge said.
“Maybe we can use the horses to pull the bars loose?” Aunt Margaret asked.
“The dungeons are underground.”
With every suggestion, the likelihood of my rescuing him became bleaker. Perhaps we’d have to chance Pudge sneaking in. But if he got caught, too, I didn’t know what I’d do. After a while, my aunt ushered us downstairs to eat dinner.
But I didn’t feel like eating. Instead, I used my utensils to push the roast and potatoes around the plate.
“I think I’m going to go to bed.” My chair scraped across the floor when I stood.
“You’ve barely eaten,” Margaret said, a look of concern masking her face.
“Forgive me. I just can’t eat right now.”
Where There Be Humans Page 22