Page 74 of Ties of Bargains

“Yes. Though do it quietly. And if you could refrain from killing them, that would be appreciated. It might be handy to question them.” Harm pressed his back to the wall, as if getting himself out of the way.

Val motioned. “Grutte. Take them out. Don’t kill them.”

Grutte grinned and stalked around the corner. There was a stifled “Wha—” and two ringingwhacks. The thuds of two heavy objects hitting the floor resounded down the corridor.

“All clear.” After handing Daisy’s leash to Jesenia, Val strode around the corner without looking first. She trusted Grutte to have handled it.

Besides, if he had been the one falling to the floor, the thump would have beenmuchlouder.

Harm followed so closely behind her that he trod on her heels. But she couldn’t blame him for his eagerness. If she’d had a chance to return to her family, she would’ve run to them.

As they approached the door, Harm lunged past her, reaching for the doorknob. Val held out an arm, stopping him. She shook her head, then squeezed between him and the door. There might be more guards stationed inside the room.

Harm grimaced and took a step back to give her more room.

Val cracked the door open and peeked inside.

A large desk sat facing the broad windows, a lampflickering where it sat on the corner and splashing patterns onto the dark windows beyond. A man sat at the desk, his shoulders slumped, his head resting on his arms so that all she could see was his gray hair. He appeared to have fallen asleep.

She eased her stance to peer through the crack at different angles, trying to see if there was anyone else in the room. She couldn’t see anyone, but someone could be lurking in a corner that she couldn’t view from the door.

With a swift move, she whipped the door open, stepped inside, and placed her back to the wall next to the door. She scanned the room, searching the shadows. Unless there was a fae here behind an exceptionally powerful glamour, the room was empty except for the sleeping man at the desk.

She motioned for Harm to enter.

Harm rushed to the sleeping man’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving the man a gentle shake. “Father. Father, wake up.”

The man stirred and lifted his head. He blinked and scrubbed a hand over his face, not yet looking up as he mumbled, “I’ll seek my rest soon, Stijn.”

“It’s me. Harm.” Harm gave his father’s shoulder another small shake.

His father lifted his head, still blinking, first with bleariness, then with befuddlement, as if he couldn’t comprehend what—or whom—he was seeing. “Harm?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m home.” Harm’s smile was caught somewhere between joy and apprehension.

“Harm!” His father finally shot to his feet, though he just stood there, gaping.

Harm stepped forward and embraced his father. For a moment, his father remained frozen, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. Then, he wrapped his arms around his son, holding tight for a long moment.

Val remained where she was in the shadows next to the door. Harm’s father hadn’t turned around and had yet to see her. She’d keep it that way as long as possible. She wasn’t sure how he’d react to seeing the fae he’d last seen hauling his son away, nor did she want to intrude on this reunion.

The man’s shoulders shook as he murmured, “You’re home. After all this time. I thought you must be dead.”

Harm stiffened, his already pale face going even more white, and pushed away from his father’s embrace. “How long has it been?”

Val hadn’t gotten a good look at Duke Johannes—now or on that night when she’d taken Harm away—but his hair was all gray. His clothes hung on him while the glimpse she’d gotten of the side of his face showed deep lines in his forehead and dark bruises beneath his eyes.

“Five years. You’ve been gone for five years.” The man’s shoulders remained slumped and shaking as he gripped Harm’s upper arms as if Harm’s steadiness was the only thing keeping him upright.

“Five years?” Harm rested a hand behind him on the desk. At this rate, Val would have to intervene before everyone ended up in a heap on the floor.

Her heart ached, seeing how much time Harm hadlost in the Human Realm. Sure, it wasn’t as much as they’d feared, but it was still far too long.

“Where’s Gijs? He was healed, right?” Harm gripped his father’s arms.

Val held her breath, a strange twisting filling her stomach. Gijs was the reason Harm had ended up in the Fae Realm, and the danger to Gijs and his father had been Harm’s motivation to keep pushing forward. If something had happened to Gijs because she hadn’t been able to return Harm quickly enough…would he forgive her? Or would he forever blame her for the captivity that had cost him his brother?

Duke Johannes collapsed into the chair again, weariness in every line of his face and posture. “The fae potion healed him, but within days King Hendrik’s men kidnapped him from the palace. He’s been held hostage ever since, a pawn to force me to be King Hendrik’s vassal.”

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