Page 50 of Deliverance

War. That is a terrifying prospect, especially because I know humans will get hurt in the process. Any progress the Seeliemade by creating a truce with them shall be shattered, and all fae with become hated once more. More than that, though, people are going to die, and people I care for are going to be at risk.

Blaise turns his head ever so slightly, and I don’t realise he’s trying to get my attention until he speaks. “Iris, get inside.”

Despite the order being quiet, Ciaran seems to hear it anyway. Clucking his tongue in admonishment, he smiles as he examines me with his dark eyes, his expression hardening. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

Just that look in his eyes has me stepping back on instinct, but as I move, I bump into something. I turn with a gasp and see a shimmering barrier stopping me from leaving. It’s almost completely invisible to the human eye, but I can feel the energy radiating from it. There is no way I’m going to get through it, which means I am trapped outside with Ciaran with no escape route. Hopelessness and frustration build inside me, along with a healthy dose of fear. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of this. I wish Alaric and Nyx were here so I could say goodbye.

The bond tightens in my chest, and I feel Alaric desperately trying to reach me. He’s reacting to my panic and despondency, trying to find a way to get to me. I attempt to reach out to him, but my side of the bond feels blocked, as though there is something stopping me from communicating with him. I look at Ciaran, who is staring directly at me, and it’s not hard to work out he had something to do with it.

This whole situation terrifies me, my trembling hands a testament to that, but I brought this conflict to the Seelie’s door, so I need to stand up and try to do something about it. Releasing a shaky breath, I step forward until I’m beside Blaise. “What do you want?”

He smiles at me as though I am the most beautiful female he has ever seen, and for a moment, the rest of the world falls away, that connection between us warming in my chest. “You, Iris. Youare what I want.” This would be romantic if it wasn’t for the fact his court is in the city attacking the Seelie. “You will break our curse and free my people. More than that, though, you shall be my queen.” His smile is that of a besotted male, and he offers me his hand. “We are meant to be together. Can you not feel the connection between us?”

I can, and that terrifies me. When he rescued me from the fire and saved me before, it was only ever just him and, but seeing him wielding such power and commanding such creatures reminds me exactly who he is. Are we really supposed to be together? I’m connected to Nyx in a way I cannot explain, and Alaric and I are mates. Is this what Nyx meant when he said the gods were toying with him? Ciaran and I can’t be mates as well, so there is only one other option.

I try to speak, but it comes out as a croak. Swallowing the lump in the back of my throat, I attempt it again. “That’s just because I am the doe in your stories.”

He laughs quietly and shakes his head in amusement. “It’s more than that, and I think you know it.” He curls a finger. “Come with me, Iris, and we shall leave the Seelie Court without any more blood being spilled.”

Wait, is he saying he will call off the attack if I leave with him now? Perhaps there is a way I can help the Seelie in all of this.

If I go with the Unseelie, then they could break their curse, leading to long-term attacks. However, if I stay, they will continue to attack until they get me. I hope the Seelie would be able to save me before then, but significant lives would be lost in the process. Could I have those deaths weighing on my conscience?

“Liar.” Blaise bristles and spits down at the lord, his spittle landing on Ciaran’s cheek. “The Unseelie cannot do anything without hurting others. Releasing you will spell disaster to the realms.”

Blaise is so passionate that it’s easy for me to get caught up in what he’s saying, joining his cause to keep the Unseelie trapped in their forest. After all, this is the sort of thing they do when they have the opportunity—attack and cause harm. I have seen the beauty and harmony the Seelie have created here, and in the battle of light against dark, it should be easy to choose whom to back.

However, the lines are blurred. I have had a lot of time to think over everything while I have been locked away. The Unseelie have come here for me. When they first approached me, Ciaran never showed any signs of violence. It was only as the Seelie took me away “for my own protection” that the dark court came after me. This attack is simply to get the key to freeing their persecuted court. Their methods are brutal, and I certainly don’t agree with how they do things, but not everything is as black and white as it first appears.

“Oh,” Ciaran croons, wiping the spit from his face. “And the Seelie are so perfect?” he counters, his beautiful, poised expression falling away. “What happens to the fae who don’t fit your standards of beauty? Where are they?”

I have wondered where the rest of the Seelie Court are. The city felt empty, and in the limited parts of the castle I’ve seen, there were only ever a handful of fae around. The ones I did see mostly looked like Alaric—human looking but with high cheekbones and pointed ears. Other creatures I saw were all stunning in various ways. I just assumed all fae were beautiful, but now that Ciaran points it out, that seems naive.

Shifting his attention to me, he stares up and seems to see right into my soul. “Iris, there is always a price with the fae, both Unseelie and Seelie alike. Their king has kept you locked away, for protection, I’m sure.” Sneering his last words, he makes it perfectly clear what he thinks of the way I’ve been treated. “I can see you wilting, yet your so-called mate did nothing.” Throwinghis arms wide, he raises his eyebrows. “Where is he? Why is he not here protecting you?”

Although his accusations aren’t at me, I feel each of them like a physical blow. He can’t feel Alaric like I can, so while it might look like I am being forced to protect myself without him, I know otherwise. My mate is fighting his way tooth and nail to get to me. I can practically feel his frenzied heartbeat in my mind.

“I came here to rescue you, Iris, to take you away from here and to a place where you can be treated properly.” Shaking his head, he looks to Blaise at my side before turning back to me. “All stories have two sides. Do not make any judgements until you hear ours.”

I always thoughtallfae were bad and didn’t know the distinction between Seelie and Unseelie. The Seelie were the ones to find me, so they told me their narrative, that they were good and the Unseelie were bad. Now, I am not so sure. Ciaran could have easily killed the guards, but he only trapped them in the brambles instead.

More screams rise up from the city, as well as from behind us in the castle. Whatever spells they had to protect it have been broken. There is no time for me to work out who is good and who is bad, if such a distinction can be made when people are being hurt in the conflict.

“Don’t listen to them, Iris,” Blaise murmurs, his hand tightening on my arm slightly. “They are masters of lying.”

“If I come with you, will you stop this attack and let everyone go unharmed? Immediately.” I tack the last word onto the end of my proposal, remembering what I’ve been taught about dealing with the fae and making agreements specific.

Ciaran stills, and even the breeze around us seems to stop blowing, everything motionless and silent to listen to what’s about to take place.

An eager gleam enters his eyes. “You want to make a deal?”

The way he asks the question makes the hair on my arms stand on end, making me realise that there might be more to bargaining with the fae than I anticipated. It’s too late for me to back down now.

Swallowing the lump in the back of my throat, I nod once. “Yes.”

Before we can go any further, a lightning bolt cleaves through the sky, illuminating everything in dazzling white before disappearing as an earth-shattering thunderclap crashes above us. The king is finally responding to the attack on his city.

I duck out of instinct, my heart pounding in my chest. Blaise is trying to speak to me, helping me back up to my feet, his eyes sweeping across the courtyard rapidly. Following his gaze, I gasp.

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