“But the scream,” I insist. “That was hers. My mom’s. Are you telling me that he’ll still try to fight them if they managed to hurt her first?”
Nine’s quiet for a moment. All I hear is the electrical whine in the elevator, the crackling of the lightbulb reacting to the magic inherent in my Shadow Man, and my quickened breath as I imagine a cadre of Light Fae turning their weapons on my parents because they were too stubborn to leave with me.
“You want this,” he says at last. “This is important to you.”
He finally gets it. “Yes.”
“For you, Riley. Anything.”
Before I can respond, Nine lashes his hand out, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. He tugs me toward him, pulling me into his arms. His embrace has the power to calm me, to set me at ease as I gasp, breathing him in.
“Nine, what—”
He breathes in deep, exhaling shakily as his long black hair flutters away from his face. His pale skin begins to glow. I… I’ve seen him do this before. Even though he’s been weakened by staying in the human world, the vibrant silver glow is all I see as the lightbulb immediately shorts out, plunging us into darkness inside of the elevator.
Or maybe that’s the pocket of my conjured shadows.
Nine bends his head, placing his mouth next to my jaw. “Hold on tight, Shadow. And, whatever you do, keep your eyes closed.”
The next thing I know, we’re standing in the corner of the apartment where Nine stood as a statue for those couple of weeks. Silver beams, shining fractals like shards of a shattered mirror shoot from Nine, announcing our sudden arrival.
I wasn’t expecting it and, even though he warned me, I’m the dumbass who kept her eyes wide open as soon as reality shifted and we shade-walked from the stopped elevator back to the apartment.
On the plus side?
Melisandre’s guards weren’t expecting it, either.
I’ll take what I can get.
16
When the last of Nine’s pulse of power clears, when I get my sight back and the guards regroup, I see that we’re surrounded by five soldiers, all of them Light Fae. Same bronze-colored skin, tawny hair, the pristine white uniforms and the terrifyingly beautiful—yet undeniably dangerous—swords in their grip.
It strikes me that I don’t see Rys among them.
I’m not even a little surprised at that.
Of the five, two are standing next to Callie while the other three surround Ash.
Tears make my mom’s blue eyes glisten as she’s been torn from her mate, though maybe that’s the aftereffects of Nine’s burst of silver light that stunned the guards enough to keep them from attacking us right off.
Ash, on the other hand, wears the same resigned yet defiant expression that was frozen on his handsome face when he was one of Melisandre’s statues.
They both seem okay, though I have to tell myself that okay is definitely a relative term considering we’re not only outnumbered, but the Light Fae soldiers are all visibly armed.
“Well. What do we have here?”
My heart leaps into my throat as I jolt in place.
So my survey was a little bit sloppy. Emerging from behind the open doorway that leads into the hall, there’s a sixth soldier, the only one who is still wearing his sword at his hip. He keeps his hands folded primly behind his back as he surges forward.
He spares a quick glance at Nine before turning his gaze on me. His lips are pulled into a frown, head dipping up and down as he takes me in. He’s gorgeous—because of course he is—but he also seems stern.
Or maybe that’s the unimpressed expression twisting his features as he comes to a stop in the middle of the room.
Look at this guy. Big shot, right?
He has to be the leader. The one in charge.
I hate him already.
“You must be the Shadow,” he says.
No shit, Sherlock.
“Who are you?”
He doesn’t answer.
Why would he?
“You had to have been expecting us,” he says instead. Gesturing with a long, slender finger, he waves me closer. “Come here. If you do as you’re told, it’s possible you might even survive meeting the queen.”
That’s not even a subtle threat. Either do what he wants and wait until Melisandre goes for my head or I could just lose it right here, right now.
Lovely.
Well, it’s not as if I didn’t know this was a possibility. My whole life, Nine warned me that the fae would be after me. Ever since he broke me out of the asylum, I’ve had one eye looking over my shoulder, waiting for the Fae Queen to get me.
Me.
“You’re here for me?” I say, stepping toward him, moving quickly so that I can dodge Nine’s grip when he tries to pull me back with him. He says my name. I keep walking. Holding out my arms, I shrug. “Fine. Let’s make it easy. I’ll go with you.”
The lead soldier eyes me closely. There’s still that look, like I’m a monkey that’s surprised him by being smart enough to communicate or something, but he’s cautious. I guess it still has everything to do with the Shadow Prophecy. Gillespie was right. A halfling isn’t even worth a second look. The Shadow? Yeah. He’s watching me super closely.
He’s smart. I’ll give him that.
“Like that?” he says coldly. “You’ll give up your freedom and take the portal to Faerie without striking a bargain of your own. How… human of you.”
“I didn’t say all that,” I admit. Hey. Maybe I’m finally getting in touch with my fae side because I’m definitely feeling a little tricksy. “I want a bargain first.”
“Oh, Riley, sweetie, no—”
The lead soldier gestures with his hand. One of the other Light Fae lifts his diamond sword, putting the point to Callie’s throat. She immediately goes still.
He raises his eyebrows, golden eyes locked on my face. “Go on.”
I gulp. I can’t afford to give anything away. Especially not to this Light Fae who, frankly, looks like he’d rather finish me off now and save himself the trouble.
“I’ll go, but just me. I know my worth,” I say, “and I want to bargain for my family’s safety. There’s six of you. Four of us. I’ll go with you, but all you goons go with me. Leave them out of it.” I tick them off on my fingers, careful not to give the Light Fae any way to twist the deal. “Ash. Callie. Nine. I’ll trade my cooperation and my freedom for theirs.”
The air shifts. Without me even having to see him, I know that Nine has glided forward, joining me at my back.
“Ash and his human can take their freedom,” he tells the lead soldier. “Wherever Riley goes, I’ll be at her side. I won’t abandon her. Factor that into the bargain.”
The soldier begins to disagree, shaking his head, stopping when my dad starts talking.
“He’s her ffrindau,” Ash says through clenched teeth. “If he doesn’t want to be separated from her, you can’t force it. He’d only follow behind her.”
Really? That’s news to me.
It must have something to do with the whole touch thing. After I gave him permission to touch me wherever he wanted to, to claim me fully as his soul mate while he offered himself back to me, he didn’t need a brand on my skin to find me. He’s imprinted on my heart.
My dad’s not wrong. Nine could probably find me anywhere, in Faerie or in my world. Even when all he had was the trace of a finger against my cheek, he always knew where I was. After I gave him permission to touch every inch of me, there’s no way I could escape him.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Fully bonded?” asks the leader. “I was there when you made your claim. Was the ritual completed? The final touch?”
If I wasn’t so scared out of my goddamn mind, worried about my parents and eager to save Nine’s skin since I’m probably as good as a Riley statue, I might suffer a little humiliation that the Light Fae is basically asking for confirmation that Nine and I slept together.
Jesus Christ, my mom and dad are right there.
Thankfully, Nine doesn’t go into any details. He simply nods.
The Light Fae looks surprised and a little amused. “The Shadow and the traitor. Well.” He purses his lips. “The queen will be most pleased.”
Of course she will. If I stood back and let Nine come along, the queen will definitely use him against me. That’s like both of us signing our death warrant. After what happened last time, Nine will only try to stand in front of me again.
I can’t let him do that.
I hold up my hand. “Hang on. I’m the one bargaining and I don’t agree to that deal.”
“Riley—”
“Not yet,” I amend, cutting Nine off. “Just… give me a second. Alright? I want to talk to you first.” I swivel, facing the soldier. “I want to talk to my mate.”
The word feels strange on my tongue. Mate… it’s such a simple word to explain everything Nine means to me. It’s a word that the fae seem to understand, though, and the lead soldier waves me away.
“If you must, but make it quick.”
Grabbing the edge of Nine’s jacket, I drag him back to the corner. I notice that while each and every one of the soldiers is watching us closely, no one makes a move to follow us. Why would they? The one in charge gave us permission to talk to one another and, well, it’s not like we’re about to hop in the portal again and take off.
With Callie and Ash under guard, they’ve got me exactly where they want me. I gave away any hand I had when I came rushing back for them instead of escaping while I had the chance.
Once my back is up against the wall, my friendly shadows licking at my senses, I look imploringly at Nine. I try to keep my voice down, knowing full well that the entire room—except for my mom, maybe—has hearing excellent enough to pick up on every word.
“That was too easy,” I murmur to him. “What did I miss? Did I miss anything?”
He takes my hand. Gives it a squeeze. “You don’t really understand how valuable you are to the queen. She’ll do anything to make sure you’re not a threat to her or her reign.”
Translation: Melisandre still wants me dead, so she’ll give me whatever I want so that I make it easier for her.
“So I can trust him?”
Nine’s silver eyes flash. “What’s one of the first things I taught you?”
I know it’s not the right time, but the sudden reappearance of my beloved mentor makes me feel better about this awful situation. “That I can never trust the fae.”
“That’s my Shadow.”
I tilt my head back so that I can drink in every bit of him. “But I trust you.”
“You were fated to be mine,” Nine says, the harsh edge of his voice cutting me straight to my heart. “I only just got you for myself. I won’t let anyone take you from me. You can always trust that.”
He says it like we have a choice.
And know what? Maybe we do.
I’m not a killer. I’m not. But I’m also not about to roll over and let the Fae Queen get rid of me because she thinks I’m such a threat.
No matter what, it’s time to face Melisandre. Nine’s right. We only just began this life together. I finally have someone who wants me for me—who isn’t going to get tired of me and walk away. He can’t. Nine’s stuck with me.
I’m not about to let my chance at my own happily ever after slip away
It’ll work out. I tell myself that because, well, it’s about fucking time something went right for me for once.
“Do you trust me?” I ask him.
If Nine were human, his brow would furrow at the heaviness of my question. It’s a loaded one all right; we both know it. He’s a Dark Fae, a creature of Faerie. He doesn’t trust anyone.
Except, it seems, for me.
“Yes,” he says.
It’s the same exact exchange we had while the two of us were in the Faerie jail, waiting to be brought to see Melisandre again only, last time, Nine needed to know that I trusted him.
Okay, then.
I pat him on his chest, putting all of my love and affection into the touch, before turning to face the soldier again. I take a few steps away from Nine because, if I don’t, there’s a good chance that I’ll run away with him after all.
“Promise me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll feel better if you promise.” I shrug, going for casual, desperately trying to hide how important this is to me. If it’s just me and Nine, we could figure out another plan. Somehow. Maybe. But with my parents tagging along, heading back to Faerie where they were imprisoned for so, so long… I struggle to keep my expression neutral. “I know that the fae can’t lie. So if you promise, if you swear to Oberon that you’ll leave my parents alone, I’ll go with you.”
At the mention of the former ruler of Faerie, the heavy hush in the apartment is broken up by a gasp or two, followed by muted mutters from the soldiers.
“The Summer King is dead,” says the leader. The mumbles quickly turn to echoes of his cold pronouncement. “I’ll make no vow on his name, but swear on Faerie instead. If you come willingly to her castle, we’ll leave the human and the fallen fae in peace. Do we have a bargain?”
He can’t lie, so he obviously believes that Oberon is truly dead. Of course, I know better. Too bad Oberon didn’t decide to side with me because wouldn’t that be one hell of a surprise for these asshole soldiers?
I nod. “Yes.”
“It’s done. Des, call up a portal.”
One of the soldiers immediately sheathes his sword; four more are still pointed at my parents. The Light Fae backs away from the circle of soldiers, lifting his bronze-colored arm high as he draws a rectangle in the air, a doorway with quick slashes of his hand.
Once he’s done, he presses the flat of his palm against the space. Suddenly, a portal appears, a mixture of oranges, yellows, and white streaming in through the new rectangular shape.
The lead soldier gestures for me to step forward. “After you, Shadow.”
I’m rooted to the wooden floor, blinded by the light at the same time as I’m terrified to move toward it.
I… I’ve never taken a Seelie portal before.
Nine leans into me, reminding me that he’s here. He’s with me.
I’m not doing this alone.
“I’ll be with you, Riley.” He takes my hand, rubbing his thumb against the leather stretched across my palm. “Every step of the way.”
“Is it safe?” I whisper, unable to tear my gaze away from the searing light. I’ve lowered my lids, just a slit in my face, and it still burns something awful.
“As safe as iron,” Nine says, sounding totally unconcerned. Yeah, right. I know better now. He’s concealing how he truly feels because of the enemies in our audience, but he still reassures me with another gentle touch. “I’ll be fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“I’m not.”
Yeah... that’s a straight up lie. If it was just a portal, I wouldn’t care. It’s just… it’s a Seelie portal. It’s so bright, so hot, my heart keeps thudding at the mere thought of getting any closer to the fiery wall.
It’s not fire, I tell myself. It’s just like traveling through the sun, the same way I slip through the shadows.
I should know.
I walked through fire to get to Madelaine. Rys’s enchanted faerie fire, the blaze so consuming that it not only incinerated Nine’s touch from my skin, but ruined my poor human hands. I was a kid. Apart from my shade-walking talent, my fae side hadn’t kicked in yet and I couldn’t heal it the same way that Nine could when a stolen touch burned his flesh.
“It’s just like the night,” calls out Ash. I hear a sound, a quick warning for him to stay in place, followed by my dad’s voice ringing out again in open defiance of the soldier's orders. “You’re one of us. You’re my daughter. Seelie blood runs in your veins, Riley. It won’t touch you. It won’t touch you. And if it does, the shadows will protect you.”
; I wish I could believe that.
But that’s the thing. Like Oberon reminded me, I’m a halfling. Rys’s fire burned my hands because I’m not a full-blooded Seelie who can handle the day magic. My human half shields me from iron and being trapped by the truth, but what about this portal?
I take a breath, filtering any scents. Nothing. No charred flesh, scorched wood, burning hair… it’s not fire. It’s not.
Besides, I realize as my breathing slows, I once recklessly ran through the fire to try and save my sister. Would I do any less for my parents or my lover?
Okay.
Okay.
Let’s do this.
Before I step closer to the portal, I glance over my shoulder, searching out Ash and Callie while trying not to make eye contact with the posturing guards watching over my parents.
“I’ll be back,” I tell them.
Callie’s bright blue eyes dart to the point of the sword still at her throat, gauging the distance. She must decide that she’s safe enough because she lets out a soft breath and nods.
But Ash… Ash knows what exactly I’m walking into—and I don’t just mean the portal. He knows how dangerous Melisandre is. More importantly, he knows that, as a halfling, I can lie.
I might want to return.
Doesn’t mean that that’s likely to happen.
Considering the Shadow Prophecy is probably about to bite me in my ass, I doubt I’ll ever see either one of them again.
17
Just like I figured, it’s warm in the portal. I find it difficult to breathe, though that probably as to do more with my anxiety than anything else.
Shadow travel is made up of a chilly, high-speed wind that’s dark and triggers my motion sickness. The air in here is musty and steaming as we walk through the Seelie portal into Faerie. I can sense Nine right behind me and I can’t help but think that, if this is terrible for me, it’s gotta be torture for him.
Being dragged through a Dark Fae pocket nearly killed my Light Fae dad. How bad is the magic affecting Nine?
I need to do something for him. Help him… or—
I gasp, almost choking on the heat.
Ash’s words pop into my head again. One of the last things he said to me before I left my parents behind.
Touch (Touched by the Fae Book 3) Page 15