They lined up in perfect formation, and once they were all assembled, they fell so completely still and silent, I wasn’t sure they were even breathing.
Gone were the lackey, ragtag hunter pukes Jonathan had hired. These guys meant serious business.
My fucking hope-o-meter just dropped by about a thousand.
“Good afternoon, witches,” a deep, commanding voice called.
From the back of the line came the shuffle and stomp of a pair of boots that most certainly didn’t belong to the fae. They were clunky and intrusive, unleashing a grunt with every labored step.
A man appeared before the bars—human, about sixty-five, limping slightly, with broad shoulders that hunched beneath a loose-fitting flannel. His face was tired and weather-worn, the lower half covered with an unkempt white beard. His eyes, though. They were sharp. Deadly. Unfeeling.
Seeing him was like a straight punch in the gut. I solved the damn mystery before he introduced himself, and it took every last ounce of willpower I had not to rush the bars and tear out his fucking throat.
Dirty Beard. The fuckface piece of shit coward hunter who’d burned Gray’s mother alive right in front of her.
“Most of you knew my son, Jonathan,” the old man began, dragging his baton along the bars. The fae magic keeping us locked in here popped and buzzed at the contact. “I’m sure you’re all great admirers of his work, as are we. Sadly, he’s decided to move on to… other opportunities. I’ve brought in some new management.”
Other opportunities? I wondered if this jackoff had any clue that his precious baby boy was probably being mutilated by the witch whose mother they killed ten years ago.
Probably not. Seemed unlikely he’d even care. From the looks of things, he and his little army had been waiting in the wings for the first opportunity to storm the castle. Now, with Jonathan missing and the rest of the hunters he’d commanded bumbling around in the chaos, it looked like daddy dearest was taking his shot.
“I’m here to assure you that Jonathan’s work will continue,” he said. “However, we’ll be making a few changes to better suit our needs—starting with the location. Later this evening, you’ll be transferred to another facility in the city—one with more equipment and better security. Any questions?”
“Where’s our food and water?” one of the witches asked.
“Rations will resume upon arrival at our new location. Provided there are noincidentsalong the way. Next question?”
“Where are we going?” Someone else asked.
“That is classified. Anyone else?”
Man, I wanted to throttle this prick. He was really letting this fake-militia shit go to his head. Problem was, no matter how much of a toolbox he looked and sounded like—and it was a damn big one, don’t get me wrong—deep down he was as badass as they came. One look into those dead eyes told me everything I needed to know. He was definitely the type of guy who spent his childhood mashing spiders, pulling wings off butterflies, and plotting revenge against every motherfucker who’d ever pissed in his Cheerios.
I’m guessing it was a long list.
Someone else was asking about the food again.
I nudged McKenna with my elbow. “Hey,” I whispered. “Ask him about the escaped incubus.” I needed to know how much they knew about me—where they thought I’d gone.
“What about the d-demon?” she asked, injecting a little fear into her voice. Nice touch.
“Demon?” Dirty Beard scoffed. “I presume you’re talking about the incubus? He’s been apprehended. Nothing to worry about.”
I bit back a laugh.
You dumb fuck. I’m going to apprehend my boot so far up your ass, you’ll be shitting footprints for a month.
As Dirty Beard rattled off the rules and regulations he expected all the witches to follow during the transport, Haley, McKenna and I huddled close, trying to come up with some semblance of a plan.
“What kind of fae are they?” Haley whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen any like that.”
“Darkwinter,” I said. “Take every terrible nightmare you’ve ever heard about the winter courts, and multiply it by a thousand. Oh, and that hunter yammering up front? That’s the sonofabitch who murdered Gray’s mother.”
“Oh, shit.” A chill rolled through her body, but Haley stood firm. “I’m not going to let them torture us for one more fucking day.”
“Same page, Hay. But, ah, you got a plan?”
“I have one,” a small voice said from the shadows behind me.
