Page 77 of Hidden

Ademar straightened from his slouch and gripped the handle of his sword cane, as if he meant to draw the weapon. But then the fae went still and silent for so long that Rafe began to wonder if he’d ever speak.

Finally, Ademar released his grip on the sword. “You’re too useful to kill. Not yet. If I let you go, swear you will protect Lila. You took that capability from me, wolf.”

“Fair enough.” Rafe could have argued the last point, but it was clear Ademar cared for his sister. That would have to do. “You have my word.”

The fire at Rafe’s feet blinked out as suddenly as it had flared. He almost cried out in relief.

“Follow me,” Ademar ordered.

Rafe did, but kept more than an arm’s length from the fae. They were having a moment of tolerance, but that was hardly trust. Ademar turned, and turned again, leading him to a part of the dungeon Rafe did not remember. Finally, they stopped before a door a little larger than the rest.

Ademar drew a fob from his pocket, identical to the one Rafe had used to free Izetta. The fae waved it over the keypad and entered a code—a different one than Rafe remembered from the other cells. Clearly, this cell held a special prisoner, because the locks were more complex. When the light beside the pad turned from red to green, a small panel the size of a large postage stamp slid open beside the door, revealing a keyhole.

Ademar flipped through the key ring he’d taken from Rafe and selected a large iron key. He turned it in the lock, selected another, and repeated the process. Only then did the panel at the top of the door swoosh open, revealing the cell inside. Ademar pushed the button that released the lock and stepped aside as the heavy steel door swung open.

He gestured for Rafe to step inside. “He’s yours now. I have no intention of being present when he makes his escape. I suggest he use the exit at the end of this corridor. It leads directly to the woods.”

Rafe glanced down the hall. There was indeed a door there. Then he looked from the fae to the cell, where a figure lay sleeping on a narrow bunk like the one Rafe used. Something wasn’t adding up.

Rafe started with the obvious. “Why isn’t he awake?”

“A spell.” A flash of what might have been regret crossed Ademar’s face. “The soldier we captured the same night did not survive it. He caught it right in the face and stopped breathing.”

Rafe’s stomach tightened. “How do I get the captain out of here?”

“No need to wake him with a kiss, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Ademar held up the ring by the largest key. “This is iron coated in wax. Scrape the wax off and press the raw iron to his skin. Fae are allergic. Plus, iron counters our magic, including the sleeping spell I used. Teegar will wake up screaming, but he’ll wake.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mostly, but he’s your problem now.” Ademar held out the keys. “I was never here.”

Rafe reluctantly accepted the ring. “I know nothing about magic. Shouldn’t you be here in case of an emergency?”

A bitter smile curled the fae’s lips. “You wanted Teegar; you have Teegar. If Farras comes for his prisoner, I will be nowhere nearby.”

“Blame the wolf.”

“Why not?” He made another gesture toward the open doorway.

Rafe stayed glued to the ground. The only encouraging sign was that Teegar’s chest rose and fell. At least he was alive.

Ademar’s smile broadened into something fierce. “Don’t you trust me?”

Rafe looked inside the cell, imagining what would happen the moment he crossed the threshold with Ademar outside. The fae had already killed one of his own kind with his spell—no telling what he’d do to a creature he loathed, especially when Lila was nowhere in sight.

“If you want change, then make it happen,” Ademar quipped, turning Rafe’s words back on him. “You and I have cooperated as far as we’re going to. Now it’s time to put our plans into action. And our promises.”

Rafe met his eyes and found nothing there but anger. “I keep my promises,” Rafe said.

“Good for you.”

“Good for Lila, you mean.”

Finally, Ademar nodded. It was all the reassurance Rafe was going to get.

Heart pounding, he stepped inside the cell.

CHAPTER 27

---