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Lyn and Tared did not appear to think much of that little gesture of bewilderment; they studied the nameless fae with morbid academic curiosity, as if he might succumb to the consequences of my binding magic any moment. But Creon’s eyes narrowed with the thief’s catching breath, his demon senses picking up on the oddities in the other’s sensory perception at the very same moment.
The wounded fae male released the grass with stiff, staggering motions, then cautiously pushed his palm back against the earth, like a farmer testing the quality of his soil. For one more moment he lay motionless. Then, scrambling up into a sitting position, he pressed the nails of his right hand into his left forearm for a long three seconds, leaving crescent-shaped cuts between the wilts and scrapes when he pulled away.
He stared at the marks in disbelief for another heartbeat before his head jerked up, bloodshot eyes seeking Creon. ‘What … what did youdo?’
Creon merely nodded at me, his face expressionless.
‘What?’ Lyn said sharply. ‘Em?’
‘You?’ the fae thief rasped, gaping at me as he half-crawled, half-leaned towards me. In the corners of my sight, the nymph guards loomed from between the trees, making no effort to hide their colourful presence. They’d never been far away, presumably. They knew we were as good as done with our work, and any moment, the greenbrier vines would come out again.
No time for elaborate explanations, then.
‘Don’t let them know,’ I hissed, bending over to the male before me to hide both the sound of my words and the motions of my lips. He smelled of stagnant water and sulphur – as if he’d already started rotting. ‘Do you understand? We’ll both be in trouble if they figure out what I did, alright?’
‘My … my lady.’ The breathless gratitude in his voice made my skin itch. His dull gaze clung to me; bony, spider-like hands clawed at my wrist, trembling with emotion. ‘Thank you – gods bless you –thankyou—’
Behind me, the red-eyed nymph said, ‘Vedra?’
I did not look up. Wrapping my hands around the captive’s wrist in turn, as if to pull him away, I breathed, ‘Do youunderstand?’
‘I understand.’ The word came out on a whispered sob. ‘I’ll be silent as the grave, I swear – I—’
‘Good.’ I pulled myself from his powerless grip, managing only with the greatest effort not to scrub the feel of his dirt-stained hands from my skin. The nymphs were striding closer, thorny vines in their hands as I’d expected.
Behind me, the others were suspiciously quiet.
‘Vedra,’ the red-eyed nymph repeated, bowing her head a fraction. ‘You’re done with him? Do you need another one?’
‘No, thank you.’ As long as I had to be diplomatic, I didn’t want to think about numbers – about how many of these living corpses they’d have paraded before me if I’d asked for them. ‘We found what we needed for now. Please pass on my gratitude to the queen once again. This has been very helpful.’
She nodded, turning towards their prisoner without another word. The vines lashed from her hands like whips, thorns digging deep into the fae male’s fragile skin as the greenbrier twisted around his arms and ankles.
He screamed in very convincing agony.
Even so, I didn’t dare to face the others. No one spoke up. It was only after his cries and moans had melted into the stirring of the forest, minutes later, that I found the courage to meet their gazes again, feeling like a convict stepping onto the scaffold as I turned. They hadn't moved, although the shadows in their eyes proved it was not for lack of thoughts.
I braced myself for defence. ‘I thought—'
‘You took away his ability to feel pain,’ Lyn interrupted me quietly – too quietly for nearby nymphs to hear. ‘To feel anything at all.’
Somehow, she didn’t look furious.
If anything, she looked unbearably sad, and my defiant speech about Zera’s wishes and damn our allies’ preferences froze on the tip of my tongue. I parted my lips, then realised I had no idea what to say anymore. The touch of those powerless fingers lingered on my skin. Like a reminder of what I might become – like an accusation.
My shoulders sagged, the absence of resistance turning my bones to lead. ‘Well …’
‘Oh, Em,’ she said, sounding smothered. ‘That was once again not your responsibility.’
‘Might be wise not to tell Naxi,’ Tared said and sent me a mirthless grin. No anger burning in his eyes, either. ‘She’s capable of sneaking into that prison and cutting off his fingers anyway. Not that the poor sod would feel it, at this point, but …’
Lyn let out a mirthless chuckle. I blinked at Creon, who smiled – that insufferable, smug smile that said,I told you so.
Told me that I could make choices. That I could piss people off. That maybe, just maybe, Zera had been right to trust me.
A surge of gratefulness washed over me, bringing heavy exhaustion in its wake.
‘I’ll be in my hut for a bit,’ I forced out, deliberately averting my eyes from Creon while I spoke that sentence. I’d be damned if I let Tared think this was some sort of invitation. ‘Let me know if my dear father shows up.’
