Page 27 of Courting the Fae Captain
His smile did something to my stomach as white teeth flashed and a dimple popped on one cheek. “Yes, Aeris Lockhart, I believe I am.”
I laughed again, and this time it felt truly freeing. Genuine. Even if his so-called ‘claim’ on me was a sham, it was certainly an entertaining one. What an unexpected ride this morning proved to be. “Then I guess I’m courting the Fae Captain. My answer is yes.”
“You have no idea how sweet that music sounds to my ears, little lark.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘There are no second chances when it comes to the Rite. You survive, or you die.’
Journal excerpt, author unknown
Iplanned to wake early the next day so I could dive into my mother’s journal before breakfast. But I never got the chance. Instead, hands clamped over my mouth, silencing my waking scream as my eyes shot open. I bit down hard, causing the attacker to swear as I kicked and thrashed. In the darkness, a second person joined, pinning my body down and shoving a bag over my face.My breaths came short and sharp as the scratchy material blew back and forth against my lips.
Then, I was picked up and set on my feet, followed by a male voice whispering in my ear. “If I were you, I’d cooperate, or you’ll spend the first portion of the next test unconscious and vulnerable to the other females … as well as everything else. It’s your choice.”
My heart sank. The next test was already here? I hadn’t had a chance to prepare. To even get a glimpse of my mother’s findings. She might have mentioned what to expect or what to avoid.I gritted my teeth as I thrashed against my attacker. “Fuck. You.”
A chuckle followed. “She’s a feisty one. My money’s on her lasting longer than the others.”
“Nah. That fanged bitch has got some real grit. She’ll win for sure.”
“I’ll bet you 50 silvers.”
“Make it 100.”
I should have stayed quiet. Should have kept a low profile, but the way they were talking about us females like we were horses in some race … I snapped.
“I raise you both 100 silvers,” I breathed through the fabric, “that I’ll kill the two of you before I leave this place.”
“She’s got a mouth on her, too,” the first one said with another laugh.
“I know a couple of ways to shut it,” the other added.
A flash of fear skittered down my spine, but I snarled, managing to escape the tight grip of the second kidnapper and elbowed them, presumably, in the face.
“Bitch broke my nose!”He punched me in the stomach, and I bent over double as the air rushed from my lungs.
I laughed between gasps as I straightened. “I’ll break more than that by the end.”
“Say one more word,” the first male said, “and I’ll end you before we even get to the test. A little push down the stairs ought to do it. No one would bat an eye over a clumsy female. Or maybe you’d prefer we give you to the Pentad. They’ll do far worse, you know.”
Anger flooded my veins like a river, but I kept my mouth shut as we walked. The sound of boots on polished timber filled theair as more guards entered the hall with their kidnapped victims in tow. It seemed silly to march us all to our location instead of just drugging us again, but then, I supposed it was all part of the act. All designed to incite fear and chaos.And it was certainly working.
Females shouted and screamed as they were dragged from their beds, and judging by the answering yelps and thuds, more than a few males quickly silenced them. That river beneath my skin turned into a torrent, surging through my blood. My flesh tingled, and that same feeling of something awakening inside me followed. My power cracked an eye, as if awoken by pure intrigue. But as quick as the notion came, it was gone again, leaving me simmering and helpless.
Eventually, the females were all brought to heel, and we were marched in silence for what felt like an age. Despite having the bag over my head, I kept tabs on the directions we took, marking all the stairs and every twist and turn. I had mapped out the route from my bedchamber to the main rooms of the castle several times since coming here, always conscious of finding an exit or a means of escape should it present itself. If my calculations were correct, we’d just passed the dining hall and were now heading out into the gardens on the southern side of the castle.
“Watch your step, girl. We’re near the cliff now.”The cliff?I tried to scrabble back in alarm. Descending that rockface would be death even for most experienced climbers.“Easy,” the male said with a chuckle. “We’ll be going down some steps soon. Slow and steady and you’ll be fine.”
Steps, not slopes or rocks or ledges. Steps were Faemade, which meant there must be a secret staircase somewhere near the castle. Idiots might have kept that tidbit to themselves, but I would check it out later … if I survived whatever was to come.
Sure enough, we began the descent, and the males actually treated me with some level of care as we made gradual progress. It didn’t escape my notice that if I fell, there was a good chance I could take them with me. Perhaps they had come to the same conclusion. I could hear the ocean lapping gently against the rocks and cliff face, and I focused on my breathing to steady the racing of my heart. My foot slipped on wet stone, and I jerked my arms in response, my stomach lurching. The guards immediately tightened their grasp, steadying me, and the second one cursed under his breath.That one really didn’t like me. Well, hey, the thought was fucking mutual, bud.
A sudden scream sounded behind, along with a loud grunt and a curse, and then a horriblesmackfollowed shortly after. The skin on my arms formed bumps as sick realisation set in. Another one down, this time lost to poor footing … or someone pushing her. I tried not to dwell on the latter. If this was the Pentad’s way of setting our teeth on edge and striking fear into our hearts, it was working. We started as 50, then we were 38 by the end of the first test. Portia had killed two more, and now a third was gone before the second test even began, leaving just 35 of us. I could almost smell the ripe stench of panic beneath the salt in the air, and an unhealthy portion of it was coming from me.One step at a time, Aeris. Just keep moving.
Thankfully, I heard no other females fall to their deaths, and I felt the blessed spray of water on my skin as we reached the bottom. A few minutes later, my captors dumped me in a boat and then began rowing.We didn’t speak. Not until the strangest sensation washed over me. I swore and bent over as my stomach did a flip and my entire body zinged with energy. I gritted my teeth at my ribs feeling as though they were caving in on themselves, my heart slowing momentarily. Just as quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone again.
“What the fuck…,” I said between sharp breaths, “…was that?”
