Page 41 of The Succubus's Song

Alice vanished with Finley before Mara or Pippa could react.

Mara fell to her knees, screaming, because she knew how this story ended.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

When everything finally stopped spinning, Finley fell to his knees and vomited. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the nausea to pass, only aware of the soft grass under his palms.

“Can’t handle a little motion sickness, can you?” Alice’s sneering voice rang out above him. Finley didn’t bother to look at her as he sat back on his knees and tried to breathe slowly.

When Alice kidnapped him from the pub, she held onto his wrist and then… I don’t really know what happened, do I? Finley realized as he tried to rationalize what was happening.

Everything was moving so fast…like a speeding car…and then the atmosphere changed, and my ears popped…

A glimmer of clarity broke through Finley’s thoughts as his eyes flew open. He looked around and tried to get a grasp on his surroundings. They were on a hillside—it looked like the moors—but something about it was too different to be the Highlands.

The taste of magic was heavy in the air, stronger than Finley had ever experienced it. There was a forest at the base of the hill that stretched as far as Finley could see. The trees were taller than he was used to, and the way they moved on the wind almost looked…sentient.

Finley blinked again and rubbed his eyes, shifting his focus on the birds in the sky. He squinted and nearly fell over when he realized they weren’t birds; they were sprites.

Sprites and brownies.

Like in Calum’s library… Oh, fuck me… Finley jumped to his feet and tried to fight off another wave of nausea.

“This is Faerie,” Finley gasped in awe, trying to take in the magical landscape all around him.

“I can see that Mara was clearly attracted to your brains,” Alice grunted, examining her nails a few paces away from Finley and looking bored.

How far will I make it if I just start running?

Alice scoffed as though she could read his thoughts, finally picking up her head and looking at Finley.

“The second you start running, I’ll catch you, and it won’t be pretty. Don’t be stupid. You know that you can’t outrun me.”

Finley nodded in response but said nothing.

“Follow me,” Alice snapped and started walking towards the forest. Finley heard plenty of stories growing up, cautioning against following any fae folk into the woods, but he had no other choice.

Alice, luckily, was silent, and Finley followed dutifully behind. His situation was not a good one. He’d been captured—captured!—by a baobhan sith who was hellbent on returning to their old ways in Scotland.

Yeah, and she’s Mara’s sister, and she’s using you as bait.

Finley couldn’t find it in himself to be horribly afraid, however… The thoughts kept drifting to Mara in the coffee house.

She didn’t reject me. She couldn’t reject me! Finley replayed the scene in his head over and over and couldn’t find it in himself to be terrified. In fact, he was strangely light as he walked through the heather.

Faerie looked a lot like the Highlands, except more magical.

It’s probably more accurate to say that the mortal world is a poor initiation of Faerie, I’d assume? Especially in Scotland. Finley mused about the magical realm that he’d found himself in, practically ignoring that he’d been brought there by force…because Mara would be coming for him.

He just knew it.

As Finley tried to wrap his head around everything that happened, one thing started to stick out to him. Why would Alice think that he mattered to Calum, whatsoever? Calum wouldn’t surrender the entire mortal world for Mara’s lover…

Unless she knows. Finley stopped walking, and Alice, from several paces ahead of him, heard his footsteps cease. She turned around and raised a brow in challenge.

“You know, don’t you?” Finley crossed his arms over his chest. Alice’s face nearly split in two with a grin.

“Look at that! The boy is smarter than I thought he’d be. Yes,” Alice closed the gap between them and pinched Finley’s chin, “I know that you’re Calum’s brother-in-law. The fact that my dear sister seems to have fallen for you is a bonus.” Alice winked.

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