Page 23 of Deliverance

I look at him in confusion, taking in his dumbstruck expression. He just saw me calm my horse, so I do not understand why that would be something of discussion. Before I can ask him to elaborate, though, Alaric steps between us, taking Daisy’s reins and leading her over to the other horses. She follows obediently, but I notice how her head turns towards me and her footsteps are sluggish, reluctant to leave me.

“We need to get moving,” Alaric comments briskly, tying her reins to his own. “There is an inn we shall stay at tonight, and we need to reach it before nightfall when all the Unseelie wake.”

The idea of being caught by the Unseelie is enough to get me moving towards him, my fear biting at my heels in an effort to get me moving. A chill passes through me, and I swear I can feel the scratchy touch of tree branches, their phantom limbs trying to pull me deeper into the woods. There is so much that has occurred in the last twenty-four hours. My entire world has been turned upside down. Everything I thought I knew was false, and my sanctuary in the forest has become dangerous. He might be a fae prince, but seeing as I am somehow involved in all of this, I have the right to know what is happening.

Digging my heels into the ground, I stop. “No, I need some answers before we go.” I watch as Alaric clenches his jaw, still sorting the horse’s tack. This will not put me off, though, not now. “What happened with the king?”

Pushing away from the horses, he throws his hands up in exasperation. “Now is not the time for—”

“No, she is right, Alaric.” Blaise steps up beside me, frowning as he stares at his companion. “If you broke our alliance with the humans, then I need to know.”

Turning my head ever so slightly, I watch Blaise from the corner of my eye. He is somewhat of an enigma to me. Half the time, he acts as though everything is amusing, simply because everything is below him. However, when it comes to the safety of the prince, he changes, becoming someone completely serious and dedicated.

Seeing the change in his friend, Alaric sighs, his expression becoming firm. “He wanted you to stay, and I disagreed. I didn’t give the king much choice in the matter. I told him that we were leaving one way or another. We only visited the king as a sign of support for the alliance and to inform him of our intention to take Iris somewhere safe. If he stopped us from leaving, it would have broken the alliance on his side, meaning that we had permission to leave, yet I did not put it past him to change his mind and try to stop us.”

My eyes widen as I realise how he convinced the king and the danger it could have put us all in.

“You threatened him?” While I phrase it as a question, my words sound more like a whispered statement.

Blaise shifts his weight from foot to foot beside me, and I know he is struggling to keep his cool. “Alaric…”

“I did what I had to,” the prince barks, cutting off his friend but keeping his eyes on me the whole time. “We could not leave you there. He wanted to lock you up.”

I shudder as he confirms my worst suspicions, my chest feeling tight as though I am already restrained. The king was happy to take away my freedom as quickly as that, without a single care as to how I would feel about it. He chose the simplestoption, to simply lock me away so the Unseelie could not get to me.

Gratitude floods my system. Alaric could have destroyed the trust between the Seelie and the humans all to ensure my freedom. He risked so much. The question is, why? Why put his entire race in danger for my sake? I want to ask him so badly, but I have far more pressing matters at hand. I cannot return to Brine, as I have no doubt that the king would just track me down and take me hostage, which means I won’t be able to see my family again. They were on my mind during the journey here, but I didn’t let myself think too hard on it as I didn’t want to think about the fact that I won’t be returning to them.

Grief settles over me, and I have to clear my throat several times before I am able to speak clearly. “What happens now?”

There is a heavy pause, and he finally looks away from me, his gaze shifting to Blaise. Once again they seem to silently communicate, something I’m even more convinced of as Blaise sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. Alaric looks at me with a determined expression.

“I’m taking you to the Seelie king.”

Chapter Twelve

Staring out the large window at the small garden below, I lean against the windowpane, wishing I could be out there instead of trapped here. Although the room I stand in is spacious and lushly furnished, there is a nervous energy confined within me. With no way to let it out, the ominous feeling continues to grow, making me increasingly uncomfortable.

“I need to discuss something with the landlord, stay here,” Alaric orders, his eyes heavy on me as he waits for a response.

Not bothering to speak or look away, I simply nod in response. I would shrug my shoulders, but I know the movement will cause me pain. Once we arrived at the inn, Alaric tended to my injury while Blaise sorted out rooms and accommodation for the horses. A concoction of herbal tea and black powder was given to me as a tonic to help relieve my discomfort, and Alaric fashioned me a sling from his jacket.

Keeping that arm close to me now, I try to ignore the fact that I can smell the prince’s warm, cinnamon scent on the fabric. I noticed how good he smelled on the journey here when we wereriding together, but my focus was on keeping my seat and not falling again. The scent is oddly homely, making me feel safe, which is not true. I am not safe here, and I no longer have a home.

Alaric doesn’t comment on my lack of response, yet as he leaves, his disappointment perfumes the room like a bad aura, leaving me alone to wallow in it in our rented chamber.

We arrived at the inn about an hour ago. It is nice, at least on the inside. Situated in the middle of the forest, the inn is built on the main road in a large clearing, surrounded by a high wall. It looks imposing and unwelcoming, especially with the armed guards perched atop it. They have had their fair share of dealings with the fae, judging by the battle scars on both the building and the guards. Alaric and Blaise keep their hoods up, covering their ears which clearly reveal them for what they are. Several of the guards greet them with shallow nods, though, making me think that they are known here. How often do they travel here and why do they feel the need to stay somewhere that is obviously targeted when they are clearly able to defend themselves?

After the prince’s startling announcement on the road that he was taking me to his king, I was so dumbstruck that I simply climbed up onto his horse and settled between his legs as he led us into a canter. When we arrived, I was quickly hurried inside the property and the only available room. Built into the roof, we have the entire floor to ourselves, and the room is spacious. The large window built into one end of the ceiling allows light into the space. The walls are painted a dark sage green, and the upholstery is a dark grey, so the window and many lanterns are needed. It is the bed that takes up most of the room, a grand four-poster bed with so many cushions that I have no idea what to do with them.

This is the only room available in the entire inn, and there is only one bed for three of us. As soon as he saw thesituation, Blaise immediately volunteered for overnight guard duty, meaning that Alaric and I will have to share.

I cannot even look at the bed behind me right now, not with everything that’s happened. Honestly, I think I would rather sleep on the floor. My family will be home, wondering where I am and what happened to me. I am sure the stories of me being taken by two fae have spread around the village by now. My sister won’t miss me. In fact, she will probably enjoy all the attention that my absence generates. My father is so rarely home that I cannot actually remember what he looks like. No, it is my mother that I pine for the most. She might not understand me, but she loves me despite my differences.

The window before me begins to fog up, and I realise that I am almost completely pressed against it, my breath misting the glass, only highlighting the barrier between myself and the outside world.

Very soon, I shall be somewhere that I never thought I would see—the land of Seelie fae. Will it look different to what I know here? Until yesterday, I hadn’t known about the different classifications of fae, just that they were dangerous. Now, the Seelie will try to protect me to stop the Unseelie from getting hold of me and breaking the curse. It all sounds like something from a fairy tale, but Alaric and Blaise are very real.

Apparently, we must travel through the forest to reach their land, which seems dangerous. Won’t this only make it easy for the Unseelie to track me down? I did ask Blaise, but he simply scoffed and said I was safe here. I am not sure if I believe him or not.

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