Page 16 of Deliverance

Am I so desperate to see him that I would risk my life? No, I need to back away. I step back, my gaze still locked on the forest. I turn and start to move towards the cottage.

“Iris!”

My sister’s voice makes me freeze. Looking around with a frown, I search for my sibling. She wasn’t in the cottage earlier, and I can see the main path from here, so I know she didn’t arrive while I was staring at the forest.

“Iris, I need you!” There’s a thread of panic in her voice now, something I’ve never heard from her before. Whatever is happening must be bad if she is acknowledging she needs help.

The sound was definitely coming from the forest, which only makes my anxiety jump. My sister hates the forest, so why would she go in there? An awful thought occurs to me. What if she’s been taken by the Unseelie?

A shift in the atmosphere has me staring deeper into the forest. Squinting, I realise the presence hovers just beyond my line of sight, and I am only able to make out a flicker of movement. That must be her. This could be a very bad idea. My stomach twists with anxiety, and I have to decide what I am going to do. There is no doubt I’m going to help my sister, but who knows what else is out there? The figure I assume is my sister appears to be alone, although the fae are able to hide themselves from our dull human senses, so that might not be the case. However, there’s a reason she hasn’t just walked out of the forest and is calling to me. I shake my head, bolster myself, and take a baby step forward.

“I really hope that is you.” I’m speaking more to myself than my sister as I hover at the forest’s edge. Forrest is going to be furious at me for not listening to him when he finds out. My instincts are telling me this is a bad idea, making my stress levels shoot through the roof. “I know you told me not to enter the woods, but I have to make sure my sister is safe,” I whisper defensively and scan the trees, almost expecting him to stride forward and scold me on my stupid plan. When nothing happens and the figure doesn’t move, I feel my heart sink with disappointment.

“Iris!” My sister’s panicked cry echoes out, and I know I’m out of time.

“I need you, Forrest.” The words escape me before I can stop them, sounding so weak. My eyes sting with tears again, and I angrily rub at them before they spill down my cheeks. This is stupid. If I want to go into the forest, then I will. I won’t let the fae scare me off. Even so, I slip on the fae bracelet, just in case.

Lifting my foot, I start to step from my land and into that of the fae. My foot lands the other side of the invisible boundary. Straddling the two lands, I freeze as the shadowy figure moves.

“My queen,” a dark, hypnotic voice calls out from the trees, and I come to the slow, horrified realisation that it wasn’t Forrest who was watching me, but the fae from before. His creamy skin and pale shoulder-length hair should make him appear washed out, yet he carries it well, looking stunning in his new ensemble of a black tunic and trousers.

Walking towards me as though he has all the time in the world, he flashes me a toothy smile. Everything about him exudes violence and seduction, a strange mixture of feelings to experience at the same time, yet that is exactly how I view him.

“You were coming to find us,” he coos, taking in my teetering position between the two lands and extending a long, pale hand towards me in offering.

Ignoring both his comment and his hand, I look around the forest, searching for any signs of her. “Where is my sister?”

Honestly, I’m starting to think I stepped into a trap.

“Ah, yes, she’s not here.” He smiles and holds his hands open as though he committed a minor faux pas. “Sorry about that, but we needed some way to draw you to us.”

They lied. She was never here. I’m relieved that she’s okay, yet at the same time, I’m furious at myself for falling for it. I let them fool me, and now with one foot in their territory, I’m in trouble.

Gritting my teeth, I narrow my eyes, my fear retreating to make room for my frustration. “I told you to leave me alone. I know who you are and what you want. That will never happen, so you should just go.”

Brows shooting up to his hairline at my angered order, he crosses his arms over his chest and smiles. “The kitten has claws, it seems.” Those dark eyes peruse my body from head to toe, and a shiver shoots down my spine that I pretend is from fear rather than the warm stirrings of arousal.

Amusement flashes across his face, yet it does not last long before he wrinkles his nose, allowing his top lip to rise in a snarl. “You smell likethem. I see the prince and his guard dog got to you before we did,” he hisses, his jaw clenching with loathing. “That does not matter. You should come with me. We will take care of you, and you will save our people from a crippling curse.”

He knows that Alaric was searching for me as well and clearly harbours hatred for the Seelie prince. No matter how much he tries to hide this, I see the truth of it in the tension of his body.

When he puts it like this, painting me as a savour, it’s easy for my dreamy mind to imagine a fairy-tale ending. His declaration is very grand, making me feel important and needed, something that a farm girl like me rarely experiences. Even though I know he is working his charm on me and attempting to convince me tofollow him without asking questions, I still feel a lift in my spirits at his words.

Me, he wants me to save his people. I am finally being noticed.The little girl in the back of my mind squeals, a reaction I am sure he was aiming for.

One of the facts of society that I learned from a young age is that a story can be told by two separate people, yet sound completely different. Our own bias slips into our words when we speak. Facts can also be omitted in the telling, still making the story correct, yet changing the meaning in the process. As Alaric and the Seelie found me first, they were able to explain about the Unseelie and what they want with me, otherwise hearing this explanation now might make me agree to leave with the Unseelie.

Now that I know what the consequences of the curse being broken are, I cannot let the Unseelie get hold of me. I do feel guilty at refusing to help them, my decision keeping them prisoner within the woods, but if what Alaric says is true and it really is the Unseelie that prey on humans and not the Seelie, then I cannot risk helping them.

“I might be saving your people, but I would also be forsaking my own.” My voice is quieter now, wanting him to understand my reasoning as I take a step back.

His features suddenly change, becoming sharp. “Now, now, not so fast. We were only just starting to get to know each other.”

He makes a gesture with his extended hand, and the tree branches around me begin to tug, their gnarled limbs hooking on my clothes while I was distracted by the fae. Gasping, I attempt to untangle myself and get away from the impossibly strong trees, which are now pulling me into the forest as easily as a parent lifting their baby. One of the gnarled branches reaches down and slips under my bracelet, snapping it as easily as a blade of grass—so much for it giving me protection. As soon asI’m dragged across the boundary, my whole body tingles with dread. I am in deep trouble, and it is all my fault.

Creatures of all shapes and sizes appear now that I am in their realm, no longer needing to hide. Some of them are recognisable, while others look more like plants which have come to life, all ambling towards me, their sharp claws and teeth piercing my skin. I cry out, although it is more in fear than pain, as adrenaline courses through me and makes me stronger. Struggling against their impossibly strong grips, I cry out again as a sharp set of teeth dig into my shoulder.

I hyperventilate, feeling entirely too hot under all the bodies clinging to me. Their weight threatens to drag me to the ground, and I fear what will happen to me then—they would crush me. Panic makes me feel sick, and the lack of air makes my chest tight.

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