Page 46 of The Jester

On top of that, there’s no way of telling him what happened in the inn without telling him what I learned about Eldrion and his feelings towards me.

For, even now, when I enter Lord Eldrion’s chambers, even when I have the gates of my empathy sealed tight, I see and feel what I felt then – he trusts me, but he is also wary of me.

And I still haven’t figured out why.

“It seems strange that he would need you here to ask you such things,” Finn ponders. “He has a castle full of academics and scholars, a library full of books. And he’s the oldest fae in the kingdom. He knows all there is to know about magic.”

I turn in Finn’s arms and stroke his stubbled chin with my index finger. “What is his magic? Eldrion’s?”

At that, Finn’s entire aura stiffens. He sits up a little higher on the pillows, causing me to sit up too. “Eldrion has all magic,” Finn says darkly.

Before I can ask what that means, he smiles and playfully tickles my shoulder.

“And, you know what? I believe he might be a little bit in love with you, Alana Leafborne. I believe that is why Lord Eldrion is taking you to his chambers every night... because he plans to corrupt you.” Finn widens his eyes, chuckles deeply, and kisses my earlobe.

I pull away and roll my eyes, but his words have made my stomach constrict with unease.

“I do not believe Lord Eldrion is in love with me. But I do believe there is more to these meetings than he’s telling me,” I say, changing the subject.

I sit up and reach for my robe.

It is not long until sunrise. But there is something I’ve been meaning to ask of Finn. And if I don’t ask now, I will lose my nerve for the second night running.

“Will you take me to see the others?” I ask, sitting on the edge of the bed and trailing my fingers across his chest.

“The others?” he asks.

“I know they’re still in the dungeons. They’ve been down there for nearly two weeks. No one will tell me what’s happening to them.”

Finn shakes his head, trying to reject the idea.

“I don’t want them to think I’ve forgotten them. I want them to know I’m working on getting them out.”

“Are you?” he asks solemnly.

“I’m building trust with Eldrion, trying to figure out what his game is. It’s only been a short time, but if I stay steady and stay patient, I’m certain that I can find a way.”

Finn cuts me off, sitting up abruptly and grabbing both of my hands. “Alana, you mustn’t do anything that will put you in danger.”

“So, I’m just to carry on doing this forever, am I?” I ask him, searching his face, even though it remains hidden beneath his mask. “Locked in here during the day, watching you perform in the evenings, talking with Eldrion at night, and then fucking you until sunrise.”

“We make each other feel good,” Finn says, inching closer to me and resting his hand on my thigh.

“We do. But that doesn’t mean I can forget their plight, and I need them to know that.”

Finn stands up, flexing his wings. His bells chime, and not for the first time, I realise that I’ve come to associate them with him, and that their subtle sound prompts heat between my legs.

“You really need to see them?” he asks, bracing his hands on his hips.

I nod firmly at him. “I really need to see them.”

He looks at the window, then back at me. “All right,” he says. “You’re in luck. Henrik is on guard tonight, but we have to be quick. There’s only a few hours till sunrise. We can’t be caught wandering the castle when the guards switch over their duty.”

I stand up, rush over to my wardrobe, and grab some clothes. “All right,” I say, fetching my gloves too. “Let’s go.”

Henrik, who I now know is Briony’s lover, lets us into the dungeon while offering me a withering stare.

Immediately, the stench hits me. There is no light here, not a single window, and the low-ceilinged room is lit by only a few lamps.

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