Page 141 of Fate and Flame
We watched the sun drop. The crowds of people around us created an ambiance of voices like water rushing over the rocks in a brook. Peaceful, blended.
Tell me you aren’t considering his offer.
The constant concern thrumming through the link between Fen and I hadn’t wavered in days. Of course, he would be worried. I hadn’t always made the best choices when it came to my own safety, but I’d settled into the numbness in my own mind.
Perhaps I would have considered it days ago. Perhaps I would wake up in the middle of the night and change my mind. For now, I considered nothing. Not what I would wear tomorrow, not what I would eat, not where I would sleep. Not even how I looked to the others.
I’m not.
“Time to go in, Princess.” Greeve pulled me back into the tent.
I hadn’t noticed the cool air settle over us as the sun had dipped behind the horizon.
The human sat in a chair surrounded by Wren, Kai, Fen and Temir. Arms crossed and staring down at him like he was a puzzle. Rhogan and Gaea must have left already.
“Any other ideas?” Fen asked, though he turned to us when we walked back in.
Temir shook his head.
“It took me months to convert the serum from sea fae to land dwellers. Humans are entirely different. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
Greeve raised an eyebrow.
“He won’t speak other than to repeat the message for Ara,” Temir informed him. “We are trying to work around the magic, but the truth serum doesn’t work on him and neither does Oravan’s barrier ring.”
Fen crossed the room to where I stood. He put his hands on my arms and looked down into my eyes, searching for me somewhere within.Are you okay?
I nodded, but I felt the lump grow in my throat as the truth threatened to escape. I was not okay. I was nowhere near okay. He pulled me close and rubbed his hands down my back as I laid my ear against his chest and listened to the rapid beat of his frantic heart. No matter what Fen showed the rest of the world, the pressure had been building on him as well. And these last few days, I hadn’t made that any better. In fact, I was probably making it worse.
I’m sorry, Fenlas. I’m sorry for all of it.
Never apologize to me for something you have no control over. Autus was coming with or without your power drawing him. Don’t get it twisted in that beautiful mind of yours.
I nodded my head. He was right, of course. “Have you tried healing him?” I asked.
Everyone looked at me like I’d grown three heads. When was the last time I’d contributed to a conversation?
“Healing what?” Temir asked.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I needed to push away the cloud that hung over me. I needed to be the weapon I was raised to be.
“The dragon said his mind was weak. Maybe the enchantment damaged his mind. There is no magic in the human world. Perhaps that’s why. Fen thinks Autus isn’t using his magic on fae because his power is diluted and most of our minds are too strong for him to hold it for long periods of time. But what if the humans aren’t?”
“If I was stolen from my world and dropped into another and told to fight, I’d plop down on my ass and refuse,” Kai said. “The king has to be enchanting all of them at the same time. I’d say their minds have to be weak against it.”
I saw a hint of something flash over the human’s face.
“I’m not saying humans aren’t strong willed or smart,” I said to him, though I wasn’t sure why. “I only mean you are weaker against magic because you have no reason to resist it in your world.”
Fen nodded, the shadow of a smile crossing his face simply because I was engaging with the others. “Try it.”
Temir placed his hand on the human’s head, and he went from a mindless puppet to extreme emotion.“Who are you?” he asked, trying to slide backward on his chair. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Relax,” Temir said in a calm voice. “We aren’t here to hurt you. We’d like to help you.”
The human shook his head. “The last one of you that said that to me . . .” He couldn’t finish his sentence. “My wife, you took my wife. Where is she?” He jumped from his chair.
Kai grabbed him midair and slammed him back down.“You can either sit there and listen while we try to help you, or I can end this right now.” His face was serious, his voice a weapon.
