Page 120 of The Demon's Discovery
“Protect you?!” he shouted. I flinched, but my hands kept right on working. “Iprotected you.Ikept you safe. Theyprevented you from spreading your wings, both literally and figuratively. They sought out a sorceress for a snake oil potion. They hurt you more than they helped.They left you.”
Knowing that there was no sorceress, that it had been him all along, I wanted to throw back an accusation,but held my tongue. “Do you know where my mother is? Is she dead?”
He laughed again. “Oh, poor little orphaned princess. I have no idea. Your father left you with her, and she just”—he gestured widely with his arms, a broad smile still on his mouth—“poof! Disappeared one day.” His dark laugh and my memories showed that’s not at all what had happened. The man in the suit, whoever he was, knew something. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. That allowed me to work my own little magic.” He wiggled his fingers my direction. “I was able to keep you as hidden as I wanted until the time was right.” He shoved to his feet, glancing over my shoulder on his way to the door. “I’ll be back in a while. This process bores me, and it’s not like you’re going anywhere.” His laugh followed him all the way out the door, which he bolted with a heavy lock, and down the hall.
I was no closer to truly understanding what was happening, but at least he’d talked to me. My body would continue making this elixir no matter what. I could only hope that making it would take enough time for me to find my stone form and shake off whatever this compulsion was or for someone to find me.
When the firstphase was done several hours later, I was allowed to sit, to eat a bland meal of porridge, and to use the bathroom only to relieve myself. I looked longingly at the tub while I was in there, the lingering layer of dirt and sweat frommy travels and the dungeon making me itch. But I was still an automaton running under compulsory motion.
I had no doubt that more of the potion he’d given me had been mixed in with my food, and it was, unfortunately, a losing situation. If I was made to eat and drink while already under the influence of the spell and it was mixed in with those things, there was no way for me to avoid taking more of it. The spark of my stone skin was also out of my reach, a dim twinkle in the vast expanse of space.
The red-haired man returned and left several more times while I finished up the elixir. With the way he kept his name secret, it was no surprise that Vassago had never heard it.
Hours escaped me, the lack of true daylight leaving me unsure how long I’d been in the fae realm. The windows were shuttered, the massive candles providing light never seeming to melt much at all. I was allowed to sleep at one point and woke up hopeful I’d be free of the compulsion, but to no avail.
I called out when I finished, but he hadn’t been lingering in the hall waiting on me. It didn’t even sound like there was a guard stationed outside. The elixir was charging in the east-facing window above the worktable, and I was exhausted, dozing as I stood there. The hateful ring started to burn, startling me awake, but the opal flared right after, sending a rush of comfort through me, balancing the hopelessness.
The elixir in the window had gone still, the threads of glittery gold that had been swirling in the orange liquid gone.
Time had run out.
Chapter 47
Vassago
“Where are you taking us, Seir?” I complained, more edge to my tone than I intended.
After the uncomfortable journey through the portal—using one always felt like my insides were trying to become my outsides—and an even rougher landing where we all piled up together in the dirt, I was perhaps not as charitable as I should have been with him.
“The tavern where I used to meet with Van. Maybe he’s still rotting there with his bucket of ale. Wouldn’t that be something? He was positively ancient then, he’d be petrified now. Pickled, more like, after all the drinking.” He grinned widely, tromping through the leaves at the front of the group with enthusiasm.
I glanced at Rylan, who frowned as though he might be moments from scooping Calla up and carrying her as she trotted along beside him. Magnus was hyperaware of everything around him, gaze sweeping the trees and sky.
“How long did you say it had been since you were here?” I asked.
“Fifty Earth years, give or take. Which means…” He squinted and looked skyward. “Around a hundred and fifty here.”
“She’s been here fordays?” I seethed, fangs rushing to the surface. Even as quickly as we’d arrived, Greta had been subjected to triple the amount of time passing.
“I told you, everything moves differently here.”
I fumed silently to myself, following him as the trees thinned and a narrow dirt path appeared, leading to a road. The road opened up fairly quickly, and a large village came into view.
“The Empty Cask is right over there,” Seir pointed. “I’ll just pop in? If we all go, we might be a little bit obvious.”
“I’ll go with you,” I insisted.
He sighed, and I was sure he was rolling his eyes even though I could only see the back of his head. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
“We’ll wait over there,” Rylan gestured to a circle of stumps near the far edge of town.
The tavern was doing a steady business, but nobody gave either of us more than a cursory glance. No one except the barman. He glanced up from his work polishing the bar, did a double take, and smiled.
“I’ll be damned. Where the devil’ve you been?” He came around the bar and clapped my brother hard on the back as he drew him into a hug.
“Sorry to vanish like that, Pol. I had to get back to work, you know.”
