Page 106 of Court of the Fae Princes

I step forward to take the necklace, and she places it in my hand with a smile. It burns me the moment it touches my skin. I accept the pain and focus on it. This necklace will bring us to Cassia. That’s all that matters. To my surprise, the necklace shifts in my hand. Now, it’s floating towards the stairs. So I start walking and the others follow.

We’ve struck a bargain with death, and there’s no turning back now.

FIFTEEN

Cassia

I’ve lost track of how many days I’ve been here, but it’s been enough for me to give up hope of ever being rescued. No one is coming to save me, and as tough as I consider myself to be, I can’t save myself. Not when I can’t get this damn thing off my ankle!

Sitting outside near the well, I have to take deep breaths to push past the sadness and desperation brewing inside of me. I shift the chain on my ankle around and scoop water from the bucket, dripping it onto the wound. The water from the well soothes the burns on my ankle from the ball and chain, if only a little.

Clenching my teeth together, I shift the chain as much as I can. My skin is red and raw underneath, so painful-looking that I’m afraid it might grow infected with time. There has to be a better way for them to keep me imprisoned.

If I lose my leg, I won’t be of any use to anyone.

I let my mind wander as I soak my wrists in the bucket of water. The cuffs aren’t nearly as bad, but they still leave red, painful marks. I don’t know if the wounds are from the chaffing of the metal or from something in the material, but I swear that I never want to wear a bracelet again after this.

My mind wanders as I soak my wrists in the bucket. I hope my father and grandmother are all right. Again. I have to wonder if they were put out right away and left to fend for themselves or if Prince Sulien thought I ran out on our deal and had them thrown in the dungeons at the castle to punish me.

Not knowing anything about them drives me crazy. If they’re sick or hurt or on the streets, it’s my fault. If I had stayed, if I hadn't run away I would be with them. Instead, I’ve been here caring for thieves and drunks.

I turn my thoughts to my men, to the men who have been invading my dreams every night. I feel like I know them intimately now, even though none of it is real. My chest even aches when I think about them.

It’s confusing. Why do I dream about them? Why them?

I don’t know the princes, but the dreams just feel so real. How can I miss people I don’t know?

These feelings aren’t real. This connection is fake… fabricated somehow by these dreams. I think I’d like to get to know them though. If I ever get out of here, I’m not even going to care that there’s four of them. If they back the fuck off and stop trying to hump me like horny rabbits, I’ll give them a chance.

My main concern is my family, though. It should be. There should be no contest, even though my thoughts and dreams say otherwise. I just… need to know if they’re well.

My thoughts are interrupted by yelling, aggressive and angry yelling. It sounds like someone’s fighting. It’s probably two of those drunken idiots fighting over the last piece of meat at dinner. I dump the water from the bucket and return the bucket to the well and sigh.

Then the shouting grows louder. It’s outside! And it’s definitely not just fighting about food. I hear things crash. I hear screaming that’s not the least bit manly, and then voices.

Those voices shouting sound familiar.

I drag my ball and chain as fast as I can, winding from the back of the house to the front, my heart beating in my throat. I’m in pain. I’m exhausted. Fuck, I’m probably imagining the familiarity of the voices, but I keep going.

It takes forever to get to where I can see the commotion. When I have a full view of the ruckus, I see my men. Prince Sulien. Prince Cobar. Prince Forrest. And Prince Zane. They’re all there, beating the shit out of the men who took me.

Prince Sulien, eyes ablaze with red, lets out an earth-shattering roar that echoes through the yard. He spreads his feet in an intimidating fighting stance and thrusts his hand forward. A searing blast of yellow light, fae magic, cuts straight through a man’s chest. The man falls to the ground, dead, but Sulien doesn’t even give him a second look.

Prince Sulien vanishes, nothing but shimmering air where he just stood. My breath hitches when he reappears behind another man with his sword already mid swing. The man can’t react before his throat’s ripped open from Prince Sulien’s blade and blood colors the ground.

He’s fighting for me, I realize. They all are.

Two men approach him with knives drawn and eyes desperate. He meets them head-on, a storm of power bursting from him. Prince Sulien blasts one with his yellow light while the other meets the cold tip of Prince Sulien’s sword. When the hilt hits bone, Sulien twists his arm before kicking the man down.

Green light catches my eye as it slices through another man. Prince Cobar’s determined face scans the area for others to take down. He’s wielding his sword now, attacking anyone who comes near him with it, showing a strength I didn't know he had. One of the men who’d been giving me a lot of trouble charges for him, a dagger pointed right at Prince Cobar’s heart. Prince Cobar pivots, almost dancing away from the attack.

A smile lights my face as the man’s eyes grow wide with surprise. Prince Cobar rams his sword into the man’s side. Surprise turns to agony while the man slouches to his knees, lifeless.

Another of my kidnappers charges at Prince Cobar from behind with an ax. I hold my breath. Prince Cobar doesn’t see him. I open my mouth to yell out a warning, and Prince Cobar vanishes. The man swings the ax into the ground where the prince was only seconds before. Prince Cobar appears from thin air standing over the man and jams his sword into the man’s neck.

Who the hell knew these delicate princes could fight?

Prince Zane teleports from wherever he’d been and stalks through the yard like a wild animal after its prey. He slashes his sword at the men with precision while making it seem effortless. His white light flashes here and there, like daggers made of light, taking men down left and right.

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