Page 26 of Lost Girl

“Oh pleaseee. Yeah right! You’re just looking for another reason to—”

“Hate him? Sure. There could always be another reason to add to the list, but this is all facts. There’s a dungeon at the bottom of that castle and they have a girl down there in chains.”

My sister just blinks.

And blinks, and blinks, and blinks some more.

Then she throws her head back and howls a laugh. “Sure they do, Tav. Sure they do.”

“I’m serious,” I stress. “Her name is Wendy.”

Another bout of laughter as she holds a condescending finger out at me. “Wendy, huh? And what does she look like?”

“She was Peter’s girl,” Soren deadpans, instantly bringing my sisters amusement to a screeching halt.

She cuts him a glance, to which he nods solemnly. When she turns back to me in question, all I’ve got for her is a brisk nod. Paling in shock, her mouth pops open, head pivoting to where Soren and the boys sit a second time.

Soren affirms my claim yet again. “She’s in chains, Lil.”

“And they’ve got a bucket for her to piss in,” I add, heart thrashing anew at the distasteful memory.

“A bucket?” my sister whispers.

“A literal bucket. She’s got shackles on her wrists and ankles. She doesn’t appear malnutritioned, but they returned only days ago. It’s too early to tell. Judging by the way Tinksley was with her, though…”

“Tinksley? Wait, she caught you?!”

“No.” I shake my head. “I heard someone coming down and hid in the shadows.”

Brown eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets at my concession. “Tavi! Are you serious?”

“Uh...yeah?”

“Are you stupid?” Her palms smash into my chest once more. “Their sense of smell is heightened, you idiot!”

“So is mine, Lil,” I chuckle. “Trust me, she didn’t know I was there.”

She’s about to counter my claim when Cortez jumps in to solidify my point. “The wolf scent doesn’t linger unless it’s intentionally left behind. One of our perks.”

“Oh…” My sister considers this for a second, probably ransacking her mind for what I’ve shared with her about my abilities. “Right. Well, that’s good, I guess. What happened then? What did you see?”

I don’t want to be the one to tell her but… “Let’s just say she’s not the Tinksley you remember.”

That dubious look she loves to give me reclaims her features. “Now I know that’s bullshit. I’ve seen her since she transitioned. She’s still the same.”

“Perhaps at first,” I agree, “but the girl I saw in that dark, damp hole wasnot. She doesn’t even look the same.”

“Immortality changed her, Tavi. It claimed the light of her hair and the gold of her markings. She’s still the same on the—”

“She’s the one who has Wendy down there, not Hook!”

Tigerlily recoils at my tone. “What?” she breathes, incredulous, almost scandalized.

I nod gravely and reiterate, “Wendy is Tinksley’s prisoner.”

My sister shakes her head and retreats a few steps. “That’s not possible.”

“It’s not? Think about it—Wendy was Peter’s girl.”

---