Page 14 of Fae Champion

“That’s the problem with having a fucking heart,” I muttered to myself before looking over my shoulder.

Rush hadn’t followed, but the other three drakes had caught up with him. The four men were having a heated discussion. From the gestures, Ryder, West, and Hiroshi were banded together to convince Rush of … something.

“Dammit,” I exclaimed loudly, drawing their attention.

Ryder started walking toward me across the grass. “Elowyn, you can’t go,” he began. “You?—”

“I know.”

“If you leave—wait, what’d you say?”

“I know. I’m not leaving. But I’m not going to the dungeons. Bad enough that I’m a prisoner of my own rooms.”

Ryder looked back at the others.

Hiroshi approached. “I’m sorry, Elowyn. But you have to.”

Exasperated, I growled. “And why would I do that? The queen’s not actually going to follow through on killing you guys.”

They exchanged looks again.

I scratched at the blood that had caked on my cheek and neck, on my palm. Suddenly, I was desperate to wash Russet off me. “She’s not going to do anything to Rush. He’s her preciouspet.”

I phrased it that way thinking one of the others, fond of ribbing Rush, would chuckle. None of them did.

“Don’t call me that,” Rush snarled.

“Why not? It’s true.”

“I’m as much a prisoner as you are, and I don’t think you’d appreciate being called Her Majesty’s plaything.”

“That’s because I’m not,” I snapped.

His eyes flashed. “Neither am I.”

“Then why? Why do you let her control you?”

Rush’s jaw was back to waggling.

“Tell her, Rush,” West said.

Rush whipped his head around to glower at his friend so fast that his silver hair trailed behind him in a silken wave. “No.”

“But—”

“No.”

It wasn’t as if he owed me anything, and nor did he disguise his allegiances anymore. Regardless, something that had been buoyant inside my chest deflated.

When Rush faced me again, none of the remorse or apology I’d hoped to see was there.

“You need to come with us,” he said, cold now.

I harrumphed. “You were literally just about to let me go.”

“That’s before I thought better of it.”

“Well, good for you, but that doesn’t matter. I decide what I do. Not you.”

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