“Hey, there. You okay?” I whispered.
He squeezed my hands. Several faeries circled their horses to stop ours. I tightened my grip on Bryn’s hands and leaned closer. It felt immensely better to be touching him. I knew it wasn’t just because I loved him. There was something powerful at work. The core of our synergy, I decided. Even though his wizard’s magic faded in the Never, it was buried in him and I still reacted to it; like a compass pointing north, I was unfailingly drawn to him. I wouldn’t be taken from his horse without a fight.
“She never said we couldn’t ride together,” I pointed out, watching the faeries intently, waiting for them to grab me. The honey-scented breeze ruffled strands of their glossy hair. Sunlight loved them, making their skin shimmer.
Bryn’s skin had a different tone. It was ivory stained with sepia, opalescent rather than shimmery. My arms had the cast of the fae of the land, who looked dusted with gold. The contrast between our skin was striking and somehow right, creating a balance, as our natures did in real life. I’d gotten used to talking with him, especially when there was supernatural trouble. I wanted to be close to him. I also wanted to be alone with him.
“Leave them,” one of the fae said.
I sat perfectly still and didn’t exhale until they urged their horses forward, and we got under way again.
Bryn turned his head in an attempt to look over his shoulder at me. I kissed the side of his face.
“What do you think? About what I told the queen?” I whispered.
“It’ll depend on what happens,” he said. Yeah, I knew it would depend on whether or not I got caught telling lies.
A gust of wind carried a richer scent—briny, mixed with sweet. Bryn inhaled. “I want to take you to the water.”
“I can’t make any sealskin to keep me warm,” I whispered back.
“I’ll keep you warm.”
I smiled and rested my forehead against his shoulder. “Probably you would.”
“The selkies don’t know what kind of magic is contained in the amber. I think they would’ve told me if they did. They welcomed me and spoke openly about a lot of things. They’re not guarded the way witches and wizards are.”
“You sure?” I asked. “Maybe they were pretending to be friendly.”
“I don’t think so.” His thumb rubbed my hand. “It’s a tight-knit tribe. Even though I’m many other things, they see me as one of them. I was asked to stay.”
I frowned.
After a moment, he added, “I was tempted.”
“Faery magic tastes good,” I murmured.
“Yeah, there’s nothing more beautiful than the ocean.”
“What about the night sky full of stars?” I asked. Bryn’s celestial magic was a much bigger part of him than his selkie blood.
He glanced at the sky. “I don’t know. Ask me again when night falls.”
This is how she’ll get him, I thought furiously. She’ll use the pull of the sea to make him want to stay in the Never.
There were a lot of stories of human beings and various other creatures wandering into the land of the fae and never returning. Maybe that’s why they called it the Never—because once inside, many never left.
I sniffed the salted-caramel air and narrowed my eyes.
You can’t have him, I thought, speaking silently to the sea. Was it my imagination or did the sea answer with a sea-foam laugh?
I pressed my lips to the back of Bryn’s neck and licked his spine. His sharp intake of breath made me smile. I blew on the small wet spot I’d left with my mouth.
When he spoke, his voice was low and deep. “Do that again when we’re alone. But not until then.”
My smile widened. Somewhere in the distance, the sea churned in understanding. I was more than human. The sea might feel cool and silky when he was submerged in its magic waters, but I was pretty sure he found my magic silky smooth, too, when he drowned himself in it.
* * *
THE SIGHTS AND smells of the Never continued to be more vivid than anything humanside, and I found myself growing used to them and wondering if I’d miss them if I left.
No, not if I leave! When I leave!
I smelled root beer and gingersnaps. From the corner of my eye I spotted a potbellied faery who looked like Royal, but by the time I turned my head for a better look, he was gone.
I expected the knights to put us in a prison cell or a musty dungeon, and worried that after so many sweet and earthy scents, anything strong and sour would be hard to take, but they led our horse to a stone building that looked like a small castle.
“Fancy for a prison,” I exclaimed, happy that the main thing I smelled was baking bread and fresh herbs, rosemary and dill.
After dismounting, we climbed circular stone steps to an upper floor, and our knightly escort pressed a crystal into a groove and turned it. The door opened, revealing a room swanky enough to be in a decorator’s magazine. The walls were painted with bright birds and flowering vines. The candleholders and lanterns were gold; the bedspreads and pillows were peach silk. Even the rug was tufted salmon-colored silk. Flowering plants hung from a dozen clear crystal plant holders. In the corner there was a raised tub big enough for three, and mossy plants grew up the steps to it. The windows looked out over the woods and streams.
“Wow,” I mumbled as my cuffs were removed. “This is jail?” I dragged my eyes from the room to look at Bryn. “Except for our being prisoners, this would’ve made a really nice honeymoon suite. Look at all the plants!”
Bryn gave me a wry smile. “Yes, if not for being incarcerated, it’d be perfect.”
I walked inside, rubbing my wrists. I turned to say something to Bryn, but realized too late that they were closing the door.
“Hey,” I yelled, lunging forward. I was too slow. They’d locked me in alone.
I heard Bryn arguing with them, but the faint voices quickly disappeared.
A moment later I heard them again, suddenly louder and not through the door. They came from over my shoulder. I realized they’d put him in the room next to mine. Near the ceiling there were open windows between the rooms, apparently allowing for ventilation.
I dropped onto the bed and waited. The argument ended with the slamming of a door.
“Bryn, can you hear me?” I said. He didn’t answer. I stood under the window and asked again, much more loudly.
“Yes, I hear you,” Bryn called back.
“Okay,” I said, falling silent again. It wasn’t like we could have a private conversation yelling back and forth. I’d wanted him in the cell with me so we could whisper to each other and make an escape plan.
I stared up at the windows and then looked around the room. If I could move the chest of drawers over and stack something on it, I might be able to reach the windows. Then I’d just have to crawl through and drop down. We’d still have to figure out how to escape, but at least we’d be together.
I tested the weight of the chest. It was fairly heavy, but I could drag it. I worked it across the floor. I wanted to hurry. I worried the queen would find some old law or write a new one that allowed her to declare us Seelie fae and under her jurisdiction. If she did that, she could keep us prisoners forever and send knights to hunt us whenever we escaped.
I thought about Kismet. If only I could find a way to warn her not to reenter the Never, I might eventually be able to convince them she was dead, so she’d be free. Would a headstone in a cemetery be enough to fool the queen? We could certainly fake something like that. I chewed my lip. The best way to trick Ghislaine would probably be to get someone she trusted to believe that Kis was dead. Someone who wasn’t allowed to lie to her. Could we trick Crux? Then he could report back to Ghislaine and she’d have to take his word for it.
I glanced at the window. This was the sort of thing I liked to discuss with Bryn, him being an excellent stra
tegist.
I heard the door open and close next door.
“Hello?” I called. “Are you still there, Bryn?”
“I’m here. I’m all right,” he yelled back.
“Why did they open the door?” I asked.
“I have a visitor.”
I grew still. If they hadn’t known from our earlier yelling that we were communicating, they did now. So if they didn’t want us talking, they’d move one of us to another room. I scowled. It was bad enough we were separated by a wall. It would obviously make my job of getting us out of the Never harder if I had another missing guy to find.
I walked to the wall and put my ear against it. Not surprisingly, the stone wasn’t good for hearing through. Was he being interrogated? I didn’t worry about that. Bryn was a brilliant lawyer and a stubborn rebel. He’d withstood brutal WAM questioning where they’d practically choked him as part of the interview. He’d outsmarted them, and I trusted he’d outsmart whatever faery was with him, too.
I paced back and forth, wondering what he was being asked. I hoped he was nice rather than sarcastic. Faeries were wilder than wizards, and more impulsive. Even if they weren’t supposed to do something, they might get mad and punish Bryn for being uncooperative or rude.
I really wanted to ask him who his visitor was. I frowned. What if it was the queen? I did not want her alone with him. If she discovered he was an Irish selkie, she might use it as an excuse to claim him for the Seelie. I chewed my lip. I’d had that same thought over and over. . . . What was with me?
I rapped my knuckles against the stone. I couldn’t stop myself from whispering, “He’s mine.” Of course, he and his visitor couldn’t hear me, but I’d felt compelled to repeat that aloud. What was going on? The Never had made me paranoid about losing him even before I arrived.
Kismet.
Suddenly I realized it was probably Kismet’s knowledge and opinions that were bleeding into my subconscious. She was the one who didn’t trust Ghislaine. I tucked my hair behind my ear. Ghislaine had forced Crux to whip Kismet and later to hunt her. Of course, Crux had had to do it because of an oath he’d made before Kismet became his girlfriend, but that wouldn’t change how it felt to Kismet.
The jealousy and suspicion that seemed to run as deep as the marrow in my bones wasn’t only about being whipped or hunted, though. What else had Ghislaine done with Crux?
Uneasiness gnawed my guts. I trusted Bryn. He was the one who’d pushed for us to be together. I would’ve taken things a lot slower, but every step of the way he’d done whatever he could to bind us together forever. There was no way he’d fool around with or make a binding oath to some faery queen, no matter how pretty she was.
Trust no one in the Never, Kismet had said.
And Bryn had felt compelled to answer the sea’s call by leaving me and going to it. What if fae magic and persuasion were more powerful than he could withstand? He might not know how to protect himself.
I rushed over to the chest of drawers and finished pushing it against the wall. I wasn’t waiting any longer. I climbed on the dresser, but wasn’t tall enough for me to reach the bottom of the window. I jumped and grabbed the edge with my fingers and dangled.
I couldn’t pull myself up by my fingertips. Normally I could manage a couple of chin-ups when I had a firm grip on something, but with my whole body hanging like deadweight it was impossible.
I let go and dropped to the chest, which teetered and then tipped. I hopped back as I fell. I landed a foot from the dresser as it crashed to the floor. Crouched in front of it, I waited, holding my breath. The door didn’t open. Bryn didn’t even yell to see if I was okay, which seemed an ominous sign.
“Get going,” I told myself. I grabbed the edge of the chest and righted it. I puffed with exertion and grimaced at the cracked corners. I kicked the splintered wood away from my feet and then climbed back on top.
I needed momentum. I pictured Kismet leaping up to catch a low-hanging tree branch and then vaulting onto it. We were identical twins. I had those same springy muscles in my legs.
I just needed to get myself going. I hopped up and down until I was breathless with it, and then I jumped as hard as I could. I caught the edge and pulled with my hands as my feet scrambled up the wall.
Rising, I locked my arms and hooked my foot on the ledge. My muscles complained about the crazy stretch, but I ignored them. I reached one hand up and caught the top of the window, which was opened in a slanted position into Bryn’s room. I dragged myself up so that my head and shoulders reached the ceiling. Then I leaned my head into Bryn’s room.
He stood alone, looking a way I couldn’t ever remember him appearing before—dazed. I studied him for a moment. I didn’t see any blood dripping from his head. He stood straight, not like someone with a concussion who was unsteady on his feet.
“Hey,” I called out in a whisper.
His face lifted to look at me. He held a hand up in greeting, not seeming at all surprised to see me precariously perched on a slender ledge. I reached up to his side of the wall and tried to steady myself as I pushed more of my body through the small space.
“Come over,” I said. “I need you to catch me when I jump down. Or at least to break my fall.”
He stared at me like I was speaking a language he didn’t know. I frowned. As far as I knew there weren’t many of those. And, of course, he normally understood English better than most people.
“Bryn, are you okay?” I asked.
He hesitated, then nodded.
“Hey! This is no time for sleepwalking. I’m trying to figure out how to get down from here.” I braced myself and climbed forward. Putting all my weight on that frame was a calculated risk. Guess what? It didn’t work out.
The window creaked and then gave way so suddenly I didn’t have time to gasp. Bryn grabbed me out of the air and pulled me to him, but the force of my fall sent us both to the floor. The glass shattered, but at least we didn’t land on it. Shards flew and nicked my legs, but otherwise I was okay.
I sat up and looked him over. “What’s with you?” I asked.
He pushed himself up onto his elbows, studying me. “You should be careful. You could’ve been hurt.”
Bryn looked and sounded like himself and I couldn’t dispute his point, but there was undoubtedly something wrong with him. I caught his face in my hands and squeezed. “What happened before I dropped in?”
“Let’s stay here.”
“Stay here?” I murmured, glancing around. There was only one door, which I assumed was locked. “Is there another choice?” I asked, going to the door. I tried to open it, but it didn’t budge.
“It’s great here. The sights and smells. The sea.”
I frowned and cocked a brow. “I don’t see or smell anything special right now. And it’s not like we can go for a dip in the ocean, since we’re being held prisoner!” I clucked my tongue. “What did they do to you?” I marched over to him. “Did you eat or drink something they gave you?”
He shook his head. “It’s beautiful here, don’t you think?”
“As jail cells go, it’s top-of-the-line,” I said.
“I don’t mean this room. I mean this world. Underhill.”
“It’s sure pretty,” I said, checking his neck and hands for needle marks. Had they injected him with some mind-altering drug? As I leaned toward him, I smelled honey, apples, and hazelnuts. “What’s that?” I asked.
“My chin?” he asked, following my gaze.
“No,” I said, rubbing my thumb over his lower lip. A sticky residue coated the pad of my finger. “Is that magic lip gloss? Who did you kiss?”
“No one.”
“Did someone kiss you?” I asked.
“I didn’t return her kiss,” he said. “She took me by surprise. But it wasn’t unpleasant.”
My jaw dropped, and my brows sh
ot up. “Oh, it wasn’t bad, huh?” I asked.
“No,” he said, shrugging.
For the love of Hershey, I thought, exasperated. “Bryn, I don’t want you to take what I do next the wrong way,” I said. I wiped the stickiness from his lips, not being too gentle about it. Then I slapped him.
He blinked. “Ow,” he said belatedly.
I slapped him again, and this time a pink Tammy Jo handprint bloomed on his cheek.
“Stop that,” he said, putting his hand over the hot spot. His tongue slid out to lick his lips, but I grabbed it before it could return to his mouth.
“Nope,” I said, pressing my fingernail down to keep him from pulling his tongue back.
“What are you doing?” he said, but it came out all garbled.
“Come with me,” I said, pulling him by the tongue.
He jerked his head away, making me lose my grip. Tongues are slippery.
“Do not swallow!” I ordered.
“I’ll do whatever I want,” he said, and that actually made me happy, since he seemed less dazed.
“Come on over here,” I said, wetting a cloth in the sink.
“What will you give me if I do?” he asked, looking me over.
My brows pinched together. What in the world? His mood had definitely shifted.
“If you wash your mouth out with soap and water, I’ll kiss you.”
“What else?”
“Then we’ll have to see.”
He shook his head. “Not good enough.”
I gave him a hostile look. “Come over here.”
“Give me a good reason to,” he challenged.
“You’re not yourself.”
“A beautiful fae queen tried to seduce me and I resisted. I—”
“You call going all Zombie Bryn resisting?”
“I deserve a reward,” he said, finishing his thought like I hadn’t spoken.
I took in a big breath and tried to hold on to my patience. “Come and gargle with some soapsuds, and I’ll reward you.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his palms on his knees. “If I stay in the Never, will you stay with me?”
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