'There were fae in the ranks that took us,’ she argues.
‘We were betrayed,' I say. 'Don't you understand?’
The merchant looks away.
'Where was the Harbinger?' I ask.
'She was called away to the Underhill, as were her mates. When they got through the ward in the early hours of the morning, the village was defenseless.'
‘Convenient,’ I mutter.
‘You think Lia did this?’ Claudia asks from behind me.
‘No,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘But two days ago, some of Voss’ students lured me out to the river. They pushed me down the hilland left me there, and then four men whose faces I couldn’t see beat me, stabbed me, and left me for dead.’
‘We didn’t stab her!’ one of the men beside Tavish exclaims.
Dawn gasps. Even Tavish looks shocked.
‘Donnal?’ he asks. ‘Harry?’
None of his men meet his eye.
‘That fae said it had to be done. Said she had to learn her place.’
‘Who?’ he whispers.
‘The enforcer who’s always with Councilor Calder. But we never stabbed her. We was just meant to make sure she didn’t get above her station, think she was like us.’
Dawn has covered her mouth with her hand. Tavish looks the kind of horrified that can’t be pretended.
‘No,’ he says. ‘We get them out by using the law now. We don’t lure a woman into the forest, four to one, and beat her. Gods! What were you thinking?’
The men shift, looking down at the ground. ‘We just thought?—’
Tavish shakes his head, glancing at me and then away.
Dawn lets out a sound of revulsion and moves away from him, taking the baby to the other side of the cell and sitting with her back to them all.
‘Fuck,’ Tavish mutters. ‘I didn’t know.’
He looks through the bars at me. ‘I wasn’t part of that.’
‘It doesn’t matter now,’ I say. ‘But if your men didn’t stab me with that knife, it means that Voss likely did. But I was the best hope of luring Fiana out. It’s why Calder made the deal. So, why would Voss try to kill me?’
‘He wouldn’t,’ Tavish says very quietly. ‘Unless he wasn’t working for the Underhill at all.’
‘He could be the traitor,’ I agree. ‘Or it could be Calder working through him.’
Tavish looks up at me sharply, but doesn’t have chance to say anything to my accusation regarding his friend because we hear faint footsteps at one end of the large dungeon, and a key turning in a lock. Everyone quiets, and I slink to the back of my cell.
Three guards come down the walkway. They're dressed in black, and look very foreboding. One of them is a tall, fae female who’s sharp eyes bore into every human she sees.
They look cruel. Like masters.
I shiver.
They open one of the cells on the other side of the dungeon and make the women inside come out. I don’t recognize any of the faces. They’re not from the village. All of them are made to kneel on the floor. The fae female walks by slowly, peering closely at each one, taking their chins tightly between her fingers if they don’t look up and making them whimper.
