Page 48 of Fae Unashamed

So, I inhaled deeply and lifted my defiant gaze to Beryl’s. She claimed to be the master of this dream, but she’d given away all of her secrets in one breath. I couldn’t fully wrest control of this from her because she had the dream wrapped in several layers.

They couldn’t be truly infinite. That was impossible. If I could be patient and take my time, eventually I would make my way through each and every later.

Now, if only there was a way I could get a message back to Rhoan and Tal about Beryl’s sleeping fae double-agents.

If this was anightmare, then perhaps I could summon some of the Sluagh or the beasts that now worked for Rhoan. It would make sense that they might be able to enter my nightmares. I’d run from them once before in Faust’s nightmare domain.

But when I thought of that which terrified me, it wasn’t the Slaugh or the beasts that came to mind. I had no reason to fear them anymore. Instead, I could only see my friends and loved ones being stricken down by the fae Beryl planted in my castle.

My breath hitched.

Beryl laughed. “Your fear is so delicious, niece. I see why Alvin kept you around for as long as he did. When I learned that you’d been hidden under the shifter’s paws, I questioned why you didn’t perish sooner. You and I both know that man had a lust for hunting that no creature could quench.

“It seems that you were a rare delicacy. You fear so deeply because you care far too much for those around you. When will you learn that each and every one of them are disposable?”

In my mind, I saw Ostara cut down in a spray of blood on her white dress. I saw Taliesin fall to his knees and cough blood onto the floor. I could almost hear Rhoan’s battle-cries as he defended our people. I could even see Hilda stretching tall into her boggart form to help.

That was when I noticed a flicker of light beyond Beryl. A pair of glowing, monstrous eyes blinked at me from the nightmare shadows.

13

RHOAN

Iwoke with a start. Beastly growl in my throat, I sat upright and searched for Cerri. The smell of her lingered on the air like she’d been here only a moment ago. She wasn’t asleep on my chest like she’d been when I finally succumbed, too.

The snacks had been strewn across the table, empty bags now crinkled up and set aside. So, I knew she hadn’t gotten up to clean. The orange crumbs of cheese puffs scattered like god-awful glitter was proof enough. Had Cerri decided to clean, the crumbs would have gone first. There was even a half empty teacup on the table.

An unsettling feeling sat deep in the pit of my stomach. A beast came rushing from the darkness. I took an instinctual step back before I remembered that the creature was under my command now. A moment later, several Sluagh figures appeared. Each of them wore a sour look, their eyes downcast in shame.

My heart lurched into my throat.

“Where is Cerri?” I asked, my voice cracking.

None of them spoke. Of course, they didn’t. Faust had taken their voices, and I had no idea how to give them back.

“Where is that brownie? She’s a talkative little woman. She’ll be able to tell me what’s going on here.”

The Sluagh shared a look. Then, in unison, they all shrugged. I gaped at them. How could they have lost the small woman? She talked enough to be found anywhere. A mouthy brownie like her couldn’t hide forever.

“Scour the castle and the grounds,” I said with a wave of my arm.

For a heartbeat, I expected the Sluagh to stare at me in defiance. I’d only just become their king as of late. It would make sense for them to question me. I was blown away when they immediately scattered to the winds. The beast bounded for the door and phased through it in its haste.

I was floored by the immediate reaction to my command. They had no reason to follow me so blindly. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d done to earn their trust in such a short time. Was it something they could smell on me? Or was it in the way I’d changed the domain? It reflected my true self now, which apparently included plush couches and soft blankets.

Staring down at the couch, I could envision Cerri sleeping in the pile of blankets. Without her, my heart clenched in fear. She could protect herself, but I would have rather been by her side. If she up and wandered off without me, then I would have to have a conversation with her about trust.

That wasn’t like her, though. I knew that, deep down, she and I trusted one another now. Sure, our start had been rocky. I’d done a number of stupid things to make her hesitant to trust me, but I came back each and every time. Together, we’d survived a number of assassination attempts and battles that should have led to our demise.

“Where did you go, princess?” I whispered out loud.

I glanced down at the table beside me for clues again. This time, my attention grazed over the teacup. It wasn’t one that I’d conjured earlier. We’d shared cups of spiced hot cocoa, not tea.

The black ceramic cup bore twisting roses laden with thorns. When the realization hit me, the cup slipped out from my fingers and crashed to the floor.

Cerri

I almost laughed.

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