Page 109 of Unraveled
“I know.” I’m that fool who runs into impossible situations when those I love are in danger. But this time I have more information. I also have more power and a bigger task. But mostly, I’m not alone.
“At least take these,” Irene says and digs her hand into her cloak pocket. I jump back and cover my chest with my arms, expecting another weapon that she’d use on me.
She presses her lips into a fine line and pulls out a ring with dozens of skeleton keys that shimmer as they catch the dim rays of the sunset spilling through the canopy. “You thought I was going to hurt you?” There’s shame in those dark eyes.
“Can you blame me?” My voice trembles, and I glow like a flame. But this time, I’m not afraid. I feel powerful, even in my heartbreak.
“For what it’s worth, Mia, I’m sorry this happened. I never thought Skylar would make a deal with the sorcerer. Or that you would grow attached to the beast.” She extends the ring of keys toward me, and they jingle as she shakes them in the air. “These will let you in the building without triggering the alarms. You’ll have to go down to the basement. We keep them in cages that cancel out their magic until...” Her voice trails off, and I think I see traces of horror in her face.
As if talking about it with me is making her realize how truly despicable they are.
I watch as she swallows deeply. But I don’t approach her. I don’t want to be anywhere near her, just in case she has something up her sleeves that might make it impossible for me to go.
“She isn’t a beast,” I say.
“Who?”
“Nera, who you took to kill in that machine our father helped build.”
Naheli’s growl is so deep, Irene falls to her knees, pleading to the darkness. I don’t need to turn around to see the horror behind me, for I’ve seen how the ancient spirits look when they run wild. My sister always thought the lunargyres were the monsters, but the true nightmare is standing right behind me.
And she is furious.
“I’m so sorry, Mia. I didn’t know the fae could form such connections with humans. I would’ve— The king, he bargained for the princess’s release. We were supposed to let her go, but Skylar didn’t.” Tears spring to Irene’s eyes as she tosses the keys with enough strength they land by my feet. “I was so shocked he’d been tracking Mother’s pendant, I didn’t know what to do.”
She swipes her face and sniffles. “I saw Finley turn back and suspected he was coming this way, so I told Rick and Alan there would be treasures here and convinced them to come with me. I had to come save you. I thought he had you in the dungeons or something, and it was my only chance to find this castle before the beasts took over.”
I don’t take my eyes off her as I crouch to pick the keychain out of a pile of rotten leaves. She can cry. She can say the perfect thing that once would’ve made me bend backward to make her happy again, and I still wouldn’t trust her. “And Skylar let you come to save me?”
“No. He was so preoccupied with the king, he didn’t notice we left. I swear it.” Irene shakes her head. She looks so much like her younger self, before whatever corrupted her made her who she is now.
“I never thought there would come a day where I wouldn’t want to see you again.” I hate how my voice breaks, that my heart crumples when my sister sobs at my words.
And for a second, I feel like I’ve taken it too far. But then, the moment is gone and I turn around, ignoring the burningsensation in my eyes, and walk into the shadows where Naheli awaits me. I hear my name and pause.
When my eyes fall on Finley, my heart bleeds again. He presses a hand to his wound and gasps in pain.
In the house in the Crossroads, I could see the imprint of Ash’s magic in the wards in the bedroom—but not Finley’s, even though Ash said he frequented the place. I should have said something then... but I never suspected this.
“Mia, please...” Finley’s sorrowful eyes land on me as he tries, but fails, to sit.
I hesitate, wanting to leave.
Something breaks inside me. I grip the keys in my hand, shove them into the pocket of my cloak, and make my way to him. I pause a few steps away, glancing down at the bed of leaves around him, and the blood soaking into his olive-green clothes.
My blood curdles. “What do you want?”
“To say I’m sorry.” Blood stains the inside of his lips.
“Save it for Ash when he returns.” The fae are wicked, but somehow I doubt Ash would truly hurt this man, even after his betrayal.
“I thought this was the only way I could save Marlena. I thought Ash had given up and there was no way to break the curse?—”
“But you knew it could be done. You saw what I did with Nera and still fed me the night brew and didn’t warn him when you left.”
Except somehow, Ash seemed to know.
Finley’s arms shake as he pushes himself up, holding my gaze. “I told him what I did right before we got to Nera. He put me to sleep, and when I woke, I was hidden away and they had already trapped him.”
