Insomnia: Faction 9 (The Isa Fae Collection)

by Noree Cosper

  I'd seen other witches like her, willing to trade their freedom for a little bit of comfort or food. Even Dylan had been like that in the end. He’d talked me into going with him to Nimue. She’d spread the word she was willing to take witches in. All they had to do was give her their dreams. Dylan had accepted her deal practically the moment we arrived. Except, she’d drained him to the point of a coma and used her magic to turn him into one of her Dreamless.

  I swallowed around the lump in my throat and pointed to my arm and looked at Mai. "Can you take a look at this so I can figure out when I can get out of here?"

  With a small “hrmph” sound, she stepped forward and unwrapped the bandage. She made a hissing sound between her teeth as she inspected it. I winced as her fingers pressed on the swollen skin around the wound.

  "This should have healed more than it has." She glanced up into the pitcher on the table. "You didn't pour it out or anything, did you?"

  "You said it wouldn't stop the poison if I didn't drink it all. Why would I throw it out?"

  "Well, at least you have a little bit of self-preservation." She stared down at the wound as if it were an enemy. "Most likely, you're going to need to sleep for this to heal properly. I think your body is at the point it can't take anymore without rest. Even using magic may have detrimental effects if you don’t sleep."

  I shook my head. "I'll rest when I get to a Respite."

  Fine." She pushed the tray of food forward. "At least eat something to help build your strength up."

  My stomach rumbled at the savory aroma wafted from the fried eggs and bits of mutton. Mai had thought to cut the meat for me. What if she had done something else to it as well? I bit my lip and looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

  She threw her hands up slightly. "For Goddess’s sake, there's nothing in it but some salt and flavoring herbs. If you're really that suspicious, then I will eat some first."

  She picked a fork and stabbed a piece of the mutton. Little bits of juice dribbled off her lip as she bit into it. Her gaze locked with mine and she chewed for several minutes before swallowing.

  She spread her arms wide, as if to say she had nothing to hide. "How long do you want me to wait until you decide it's safe to eat?"

  I glanced at Morphy who just gave a small snort and trotted over to the plate. "If you're not going to eat it, I will."

  He picked up the largest piece of meat and dangled it between his claws. With a small growl, I lunged forward and snatch the mutton from him.

  I set the bite back on the plate. “Ten minutes.”

  Mai shrugged, sat on the bed, and crossed her legs. She hummed a soft tune and inspected her nails in a nonchalant way. For an herbalist, they were well cared for, unlike mine which were short and cracked. Another benefit of being Fae kept, I supposed. Still, a few broken nails was a small price to pay for freedom.

  Nimue sprang to mind and I shivered. Even running for my life, I still wasn’t serving anyone and I never would, not after I saw what she did to her witches.

  “Your ten minutes are up.” She pointed to the plate.

  I pushed half of the mutton to Morphy and he dove for them, stuffing the biggest piece in his mouth. The first bite of eggs almost melted in my mouth. I closed my eyes and gave a soft moan. It had been weeks since I’d had anything but the hard meat jerky sitting in my pack. I’d almost forgotten what hot food tasted like. Morphy made a mewling sound under his breath with his eyes half closed. With a grin, I pushed a few more bites of the mutton over to him and took a piece for myself.

  “I also have something to help with the pain in your arm. Don’t worry, this isn’t a sedative.” Mai stood, pulled a small vial of liquid from her bag and set it on the table before turning toward the door. “If you will excuse me, I have other duties to attend to.”

  “Wait.” I swallowed the food in my mouth. “You didn’t tell me when I could leave.”

  “Not yet,” she said.

  “So, I’m a prisoner here?”

  She leveled a stern gaze in my direction. “I wouldn’t release any patient into the Wyrdlands in your condition, no matter how annoying she was.”

  “So, now what?”

  “Now, you wait, you rest, and you heal,” she said. “We’ll see how the wound looks tomorrow. In the meantime, Rhydian will most likely want to speak to you.”

  “Great.” My shoulders slumped and a pushed my egg around my plate.

  Mai’s parting comment echoed through the room after she left. “You should also remember that this is his home and his son did save you from dying alone in the snow.”

  Yeah, Colin saved me. But what would he and his father want in return?

  5

  The day turned into several as Mai decided that I wasn't fit to leave anytime soon. Each morning she would come and inspect my wound and shake her head with her lips pressed together in a thin line. She would insist I needed to sleep, but I would just shake my head. All the while, my bone continued to ache. At least the wrapping was tight enough to hold it still.

  On the morning of the fifth day, I stood in front of the door with my arms crossed. I was done waiting. Today she would let me go no matter how she thought I was healing. I needed to get to the Respite and sleep. I’d been awake for eleven days now and was at my limit. Morphy tried to help by sleeping so his energy would transfer to me, but his little body couldn’t supply me for much longer.

  The door opened and a gasp escaped my lips as Colin entered instead of Mai. My whole body tensed. I raised my fists in a defensive position, wincing as an ache shot through my arm.

  He held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "I'm just here to talk."

  "That's right. You High Fae prefer to feed off of us instead of attacking.”

  He sighed. “I’m here because Mai felt you weren’t listening to her and so you’re not healing as you should be.”

  I lowered my arms and snorted. “And she thought you’d be able to fix that?”

  He stepped to the side and waved someone to enter from the hallway. A girl of sixteen stepped inside carrying a tray with a covered dish. Behind her, two other girls brought in a table and chairs. I glanced at Colin with a raised eyebrow.

  He gifted me with a heart-stopping smile. “I thought we’d start with breakfast.”

  I cradled my broken arm to my chest and gritted my teeth as the girls set up the breakfast table. They laid out plates filled with sausages, mushrooms, and eggs. A bowl of steaming rolls was set to the side along with a pat of butter. The table was set for two.

  Colin sat in the chair closest to the door and motioned me to join him. My stomach growled. I took a step forward and stopped. At this point, food was the main thing keeping me going, but who knew what he could have done to it? They were getting tired of my refusal to sleep.

  “Mai mentioned you’d do this.” He waved to one of the girls.

  She stepped forward and scooped out portions from each dish onto the plate in front of my supposed spot, then did the same for him. She leaned forward and took a bite from everything on my plate. At a nod from him, she stepped back beside her two companions.

  “She can wait in here for however long you want,” Colin said.

  “No, that’s fine.” I rested my hands on the back of the chair. “You’re going to eat as well?”

  “I thought we might get to know each other better. Maybe get rid of these preconceived notions you have of us.”

  I slid into the chair and glared. “I know the truth. You Fae only see us as a food source.”

  “Are all witches the same?” he asked.

  Air escaped my nose from a small laugh. “No.”

  “Then, why do you think Fae are any different?”

  I paused and bit my lip. I had no answer for his question, so I took several bites to cover my silence. Was he saying that the Fae could truly care for a witch, beyond some idea of ownership that they had? I shook my head. That was crazy. No Fae I had ever seen had done anything for a witch that didn’t have
a price attached to it. He watched me with his deep eyes, and a tingle crawled up my back. I cleared my throat and focused my gaze on the three girls.

  “Do you only have women here?” I asked. “Like some sort of harem?”

  He gave a short laugh. “No, the palace is open to any witch or Fae who seeks refuge away from the Cities for one reason or another. Most who choose are women, though.”

  “For what price?”

  His smiled faded. “You really don’t like me much. What can I do to change that?”

  “Why do you care? Don’t you have plenty of girl witches to keep you company?”

  “You’re interesting.”

  I stuffed a bite of food in my mouth and chewed as I kept my gaze on him. "Let me go.”

  "You're free to leave anytime you want," he said.

  "Then why has my door been locked for the past few days?" I asked.

  "Mai didn't want you wandering around wounded. I think she's afraid you’d leave and die out in the snow."

  "Mai has more say than your father or you?” I asked. “Even if I did, it's my decision to make.”

  "Indeed, it is. And as I said, you really can leave." He motioned to the door. "But, you probably have a better chance if you stay and rest until your arm is healed."

  I looked down and played with the edge of the bandage on my arm. It was broken and there was the bite, but it wasn’t like my leg was wounded and I couldn’t walk. Now the poison was out, was it really that bad?

  Who was I kidding? I was struggling to stay awake before the hounds attacked. Most of my strength was going to trying to heal this wound.

  “You seem pretty conflicted.” He leaned forward. “How about I show you around the Palace after breakfast? Maybe, if you see how the other witches live, you won’t feel I’m the Boogeyman.”

  I shuddered. “You shouldn’t invoke his name like that.”

  He shrugged. “This isn’t Bedlam. The Palace has several protections to keep unwanted Fae out.”

  “Fine,” I said. “A walk outside this room would be great. Do you want to come, Morphy?”

  A lump in the blankets shook and Morphy crawled out to stare at us with sleep laden eyes. His gaze landed on the food and he became more focused.

  “You didn’t wake me?” Morphy’s eyes held a betrayed glint as he looked at me.

  “I just did,” I said.

  He fluttered to the table and landed on the back of my chair. I scratched under his chin, then plucked up the largest sausage from the plate with my fork. He snatched it from me and began munching.

  “The Prince of the Palace has decided to finally let me out and show me around,” I said. “Want to come?”

  Morphy yawned in between bites. “Nah, I think I’m going to curl up under that comfy blanket when I finish this.”

  “That sounds like a great plan. We could all curl up.” Colin waggled his eyebrows.

  My lips scrunched to one side. “Nope.”

  Colin sighed. “Tour it is, then. We can start once you’re done eating.”

  He plucked a huge strawberry from the bowl of fruit and bit into it. The red juice ran over his bottom lip and hung on the edge. The urge to lean over and lick it off filled me. I bit the tip of my tongue gently between my teeth as heat crept up my cheeks. His gaze met mine and his tongue darted out and licked the droplets away. I cleared my throat and dug into the rest of my breakfast.

  Afterward, the witch girls surrounded the table and began removing plates while Colin led me out into the hall. My feet sunk into the red carpet as I followed behind him. The wood paneled walls radiated the scent of jasmine. He guided me through the twists and turns of several halls to the library, a den, and a room filled with shelves of board games. I had to keep my mouth from hanging open at some of the opulence that surrounded me. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Nimue’s foyer had held a similar décor. Still, after growing up in the rugged simplicity of the Respite, this was always a surprise. We moved on to stop outside a large oak door.

  “And this is my bedroom,” he said. “In case you need to find me for anything.”

  “I think I’m good."

  A group of Fae and witches nodded to us as they passed. Their laughter echoed as they turned the corner.

  I trailed behind him gazing after the group. “How many witches are here? And how many Fae?”

  “Around a hundred witches and fifteen Fae, including my father and I,” Colin said. “Most of the Fae came with us after my father left Arcadia. Like I said, it’s a refuge for both.”

  “And not a smorgasbord for Fae?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “You’re like a broken record.” He shook his head, then continued walking. “Come on. I have someone for you to meet.”

  I caught up with Colin and glanced at the intricate tattoo of six numbers on his inner forearm. The last number ticked down from a five to a four. From what I’d understood from my mother, Fae magic was some sort of communal thing. Each Fae had a tattoo similar to Colin’s that represented the amount of magic they all had. There was some secret place where all of it was kept, but all the Fae had access to it via these tattoos on their arms. The Fae manipulated the dreams of witches and fed off their emotions to resupply this source. A Fae’s status was determined by the number of witches he or she kept. The more witches, the more of a big wig the Fae was. Before Nimue, I’d believed that the Princes of the Cities had the most witches.

  “A hundred is a lot of witches. I guess Rhydian still cares about status.” It wasn’t close to Nimue’s, but still impressive.

  Colin scowled at me. “I told you, it’s not like that.”

  I shrugged. “If you say so.”

  We walked down a staircase, through a lounge decorated with a large couch and loveseat, to a set of glass double doors that revealed a sea of green beyond. A delighted gasp rushed from my lips. I rushed forward and pulled the doors open, forgetting where I was as I was caught in the beauty. Trees dripping with apples and oranges circled rows of orange carrots, plump strawberries, and head-sized cabbages. I’d never seen so much vegetation together in all my life. A crystal ceiling let in the tepid sunlight shine down.

  “Welcome to my garden of delights,” Colin purred.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Do these lines usually work on other women?”

  “Maybe,” he said. “I am a dream, after all. Or perhaps, I just like being cheesy with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you seem to take things too seriously.”

  I turned away from him with a huff. “What’s so great about this place?”

  “Besides being the best garden in the Wyrdlands?” A woman’s voice echoed from somewhere in the orchard.

  A middle-aged witch stepped out from behind the apple tree. She rested a basket of fruit on one hip. Her long skirt trailed in the grass behind her as she walked towards us. She wore the wrinkles on her face and the gray in her braid with ease.

  She stepped close and patted Colin on the cheek. “Good to see you, dear.”

  He flourished a bow and kissed her hand. “Lili, a pleasure as always.”

  She glanced my direction. “This the one Mai mentioned?”

  Colin nodded. “Aneira, this is Lili, Mai’s sister.”

  Every inch of her gaze penetrated me, judging me. “Hmm.”

  I scratched my arm and cleared my throat. “So, you said this place was the best garden in the Wyrdlands?”

  “Take a look around. Have you see any other garden outside of one of the Cities?” she asked. “We have enough to feed the whole palace and provide the leftovers to the Respite.”

  My eyes widened as I turned to Colin. “You give food to the Respite?”

  “Of course,” he said. “In fact, we were on our way back from a trade when we found you.”

  “Oh.” I scuffed the dirt with my shoe and Lili looked on with a smirk twisted on her lips.

  He rested his hand on my shoulder. “So, we’ve been through the most interesting points o
f the palace. Would you like to sit and relax for a bit? Lili has some cider around here somewhere that’s delicious.”

  I licked my dry lips. “That sounds really good.”

  “I guess I’m a serving witch now?” Lili muttered, but a smile hovered on her lips.

  “Of course not,” Colin said. “I know you love playing host in your garden.”

  “Alright, you. Go ahead and relax on the bench over there.” She chuckled and walked back into the orchard.

  I followed him to a small crystal bench that sat between two apple trees and gave a good view of the garden. The warmth of the place played along my skin like a soft caress. Could Colin’s hands feel as soft? I cleared my throat and stared where Lili was leaned over a barrel near a small shed.

  “She has a sterner eye than her sister,” I said. “I don’t think she likes me much.”

  “Does that matter to you?” Colin asked. “You’re planning on leaving and not looking back.”

  I hunched my shoulders. “Yeah. Hopefully soon.”

  Lili returned, three cups balanced between her hands. Colin stepped forward and took two from her. He sat down and held the cup to me.

  “Go ahead and give that a try,” he said.

  I took the glass and sipped. The sweet tanginess swirled on my tongue, washing away the dryness like the rush of a stream after a heavy rainfall. I gulped down half the cup.

  Colin chuckled. “I thought you may like it.”

  Lili stepped back and leaned against the trunk of a nearest tree. Her gazed remained on me over the rim of the cup as she sipped. I took another drink and rested my head on the back of the bench, staring up. On the surface, the Palace had everything to offer witches in need of comfort. There had to be a catch somewhere.

  I set the mug aside. “What’s next?”

  “Well, the tour is over. It looks like you’re back to healing, so you can leave like you want to,” he said.

  “I’m back to being locked in the room again?” I asked.

  “No, you can explore by yourself if you want, but you need rest the most,” he said.

  I snorted and finished the remainder of my cider. “If you think this tour is going to convince me to sleep here, you’re wrong.”