“We are uninjured, friend Theo,” Garrett told him. He rose to meet Theo at the bars and their fingers brushed together.
“We are being held prisoner,” Bo said, joining them. “That is not how a guest should be treated. I would never imprison someone unless they tried to cross my bridge without permission. I did not do this.”
Theo shook his head. “I know, Bo. I’m so sorry guys. This is all my fault.”
“Where are we?” Garrett asked.
“The unseelie king wants to see me,” Theo explained.
“That is not good, friend,” Bo said. “The unseelie king is dangerous.”
“I’m going to try to get us out of here,” Theo replied. He wrapped his fingers around the bars. “Any ideas?”
“I cannot break the bars,” Bo said.
An idea hit. Theo turned to Aurelia. “I need my friends out of there.”
Aurelia shook her head. “I cannot.”
“But Bywater said—”
“She doesn’t have the power to release my prisoners.”
Theo whirled toward the new voice.
A tall man stood at the bottom of the stairs that Theo hadn’t noticed before. He looked so very human that Theo took a few steps back in confusion.
“Who are you?” Theo asked. Although, with the words spoken, Theo had a pretty good idea that this was the man that had gone to so much trouble to get Theo there.
A booming laugh echoed around the dull gray walls. “You should know your betters. I am the unseelie king, Bramley. And you are under my control now, Theodore Bailey.”
“I am under no one’s control but my own,” Theo retorted even if it was bull crap. He knew nothing about the unseelie king or what he was even targeting Theo. Was this a chosen thing? The unseelie king seemed to have gone through a whole lot of trouble to attack the chosen.
“You say that as you stand in my prison.” Bramley held his arms out as if he was proud of what he’d created.
Straightening his back and rolling his shoulders, Theo faced the unseelie king. Brave boy. Theo was a brave boy and couldn’t show this creature any sign of weakness. “Release my friends. Let us return home. We have done nothing to you.”
Was that his voice? Wow, Theo totally sounded bossy. He should practice that more often. Maybe when he wanted Wylder to suck him or something.
Bramley dropped his arms. “You dare give me orders?”
“Yes, I do.” Theo had been faced with bullies his entire life. And sure, this was an entirely different circumstance, but Bramley had plucked Theo out of his own world and away from his mates, making him trek all over this dang realm just to threaten him? No, Bramley wanted something from Theo to go through all this. “Release us!”
Stomping forward, Bramley approached Theo, pausing about six feet away. “I am the ruler of this realm. You do not command me.”
“Aren’t you the ruler of the unseelie?” Theo asked. “That’s like half the realm.”
Bramley’s face changed. Like literally changed. Instead of appearing human like he had, Bramley’s entire body darkened. His skin looked nearly caked in mud. And he had wings. Massive wings that flapped from his back.
Okay. So that was kind of cool. But scary. So scary.
“You mock me? The king of the unseelie!” Bramley shouted.
“No!” Theo held his hands up. “I’m not mocking you.” Maybe pissing off the most powerful creature in the realm hadn’t been Theo’s best idea.
“I brought you here!” Bramley claimed proudly. “Do you know how much work I put into bringing you here?”
Slowly, Theo lowered his hands. “Yeah, figured that out on my own. How did you get me here?”
