Page 36 of The Court of Thorns and Wings

I was all alone.

A raspy male voice replied, “Yes, and I can’t believe she didn’t get punished.”

“The king always had a soft spot for her,” the other person replied.

I wanted to laugh. If that was the king being soft, I felt sorry for the Seelie people.

“I heard the Unseelie king took a beating for it.”

The humor died, choking me.

Tavish had said it wasn’t bad.

The urgency to reach my mate had my feet moving faster than was safe. Still, I didn’t slow down. Ineededto reach him.

Panting, I ran down the passage, keeping my footsteps light. I didn’t want to chance anyone on the other side of the wall hearing me. If they informed my parents, they’d know what I was up to. Right now, I hoped they wouldn’t consider that I’d use the secret passage to see him. After all, it was forbidden for me to be in it alone. The last time I used it, they’d assumed Eldrin had kidnapped me from my room when he saved Tavish.

Even though I sprinted, it felt like hours had passed before I reached the hidden door that led to him. As long as they’d kept him in the holding cell…

Shit. I hadn’t even thought that far ahead, but I was here. There was no turning back now.

Even though I wanted to burst in, I forced myself to take a deep breath and control my breathing. Then I placed my ear to the wall.

It was late, past midnight at this point, so there shouldn’t be anyone with Tavish. But who knew what they’d do with me here and two Unseelie in their prison?

I forced myself to wait longer. I needed to be more certain than ever that no one would catch me in there, or I would most definitely be watched for the foreseeable future.

When I couldn’t take it any longer, I squatted like I had when I was a little girl and pricked my finger to open the door.

When it opened, my breath caught.

11

LIRA

Avise tightened around my heart. I’d hoped that Father wouldn’t have donethisto my fated mate, but that had been my foolish human side taking control.

Tavish’s eyes were swollen and black, and he lay in a thick black puddle of blood.

Unable to stop myself, I hurried over to him. With shaky hands, I touched the injury on his side and saw that it was still oozing blood. He’d been hurt hours ago, and he was still bleeding.

The warm spot in my chest flared, and my body took control. I placed a hand against his wound, and the warm spot in my chest pulsed, the warmth moving from my center down toward my hand as the buzz of our connection sprang to life.

Memories of a similar thing happening the last time we were in this situation almost twelve years ago took root in my mind as the magic reached my palm and warmed where I pressed it against his injury. The yank of the fated-mate connection flared.

Tavish groaned and muttered, “I need Lira.”

I’m right here,I connected, fearful of saying anything out loud since a guard could pass by at any time.

His eyes fluttered open, and when they focused on my face, they widened in surprise.What are you doing here?He scanned the room.How did you get in here without alerting anyone?

With my free hand, I placed a finger in front of my lips.

His brows furrowed, and he touched his own lips.Do I have something on my face?

My chest loosened a little, but luckily, I was too upset to actually laugh.No. On Earth, it means to be quiet, and you were talking in your sleep. There’s a secret passage in here that only the royal family is aware of, and I doubt they considered I’d use it.I nodded toward the door I’d forgotten to close after seeing him like this. Then I realized that something else was wrong—no one was snoring or making witty quips at us.Where’s Finnian?

They took him to another cell.Tavish’s breath caught as his attention went to the secret passage then back to my face.

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