Page 47 of The Last Heir of Elsewhere

I longed to throw a retort back, but I refused to open my mouth. I choked, and clawed at his hand as he pressed the bottle harder against my lips. I kept my teeth pressed firmly together, and refused to relent even as he squeezed my neck. I narrowed my eyes at him in defiance, silently telling him he’d have to knock me unconscious before I stopped fighting him.

His black eyes bore into me, looking more conflicted than angry. “I hate hurting you, Elowyn, but I will. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you mean more to me than the greater good.”

I gave him a questioning look. Why would I think that? Why would I think I meant anything to him at all, much less more than whatever he believed his mission to be?

With an apologetic look, his fingers tightened and finally, I gasped for breath. Not wasting a second, he shoved the little bottle into my open mouth and tipped the entire contents down my throat.

The potion tasted bitter, like wine gone bad. I coughed, and tried to spit it out, but couldn’t entirely manage not to swallow. Roughly half the liquid trickled down my throat, and I waited in abject terror for the effects of the dust to take over, for my vision to blur, and that uncontrollable lust to cloud my mind.

Nothing happened.

Looking satisfied, Dullahan let me go and stomped back across the room toward his chair. “See? I told you, love, it won’t hurt you.”

I struggled for breath, gasping, as I massaged my throat. “I’m just waiting to feel whatever horrible effect you intended.”

“Wait forever if you must, but you won’t feel anything. In its original state, Gancanagh’s dust removes all inhibitions. We’ve blended it with other herbs, to instead rob Fae of their magic before battles. Otherwise, it would be pointless to train human soldiers.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I suppose I should simply be grateful to still have my clothes on.”

He cast an almost offended look at me. “I wouldn’t harm you, Elowyn…at least, not in such a lasting way.”

“You didn’t seem to have any problem hurting others while you destroyed the palace, or on the docks the other night.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Others, certainly, but not you.”

I didn’t know what to make of that, much less what to say, and so fell silent, leaning against the door while I struggled to gain control over my frantically beating heart.

I had to admit—albeit begrudgingly—that he was correct. I didn’t feel any different, but if his explanation was true, then he’d not only prevented me from defending myself, but also from leaving through the shadows.

The reality of the situation, and how far we were from the shore suddenly hit me with renewed force, and for the first time real fear outweighed my anger. “Even if you have stopped me from using magic, it doesn’t matter. I’ve killed Fae before without magic, I’m sure I can do it again.”

He laughed. “I don’t doubt that, but you won’t.”

“Are you truly so arrogant that you don’t think I could ever hurt you?”

“Not at all,” he replied. “I’m sure you will kill me eventually, but not today, and not for a very long time.”

I stared at him, nonplussed. He spoke in even more infuriating riddles than any Fae I’d ever met. “I won’t hurt you.” “I’m sure you’ll kill me…” What was I supposed to make of that?

As I remained silent, questions flitting through my mind, Ambrose rose and took a step toward the door. I furrowed my brow. “Where are you going?”

He cast a look back at me. “To dinner. I’ve spent the better part of a day watching you, and now that you’re awake and subdued, I’m going to go eat.”

“First tell me where we’re going,” I demanded. “You dragged me onto this ship for a reason, no doubt, and I deserve to know what for?”

His lip curled. “Oh you do, do you? I don’t see any reason why I should tell you anything.”

“I…” I trailed off, and snapped my lips shut, unable to think of any argument to the contrary. I supposed if his goal was to murder me in Nevermore, then he really wouldn’t have much reason to give me prior warning.

In the silence that followed, my stomach growled loudly.

Dullahan grinned even wider. “Would you care to join me for dinner?”

“No,” I replied automatically.

It had been some weeks since I’d felt truly disadvantaged around the Fae, but all those feelings of helplessness and inferiority were swiftly returning in Ambrose Dullahan’s presence. He’d robbed me of my only defense, and now I was as much at his mercy as I had been of the other Everlasts in the dungeon, or during the hunts.

The truth was that it had been mostly Bael who kept me alive in those first days, and Scion in recent weeks. Without the use of magic, I had little defenses, and was just as helpless as I’d been before.

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