‘Her private rooms,’ I repeat.
‘Oh, and someone let the feral beasts Fiana keeps for her games out of their pens. There are at least three running around, though we’ve killed several already.’
‘I’ll keep a look out.’
‘Be careful of some of the humans, too. They’re in a thrall of some kind. They love Fiana. They’ll do anything to protect her.’
‘Fuck. That’s something Varrik used to do as well. Remember?'
'Aye, I remember,' Lia snarls.
She takes my arm. ‘Tavish let some of the slaves from here through to the village.’
My eyes widen and I wonder what happened to him in Fiana’s court for him to change his mind about Dark Realmers so drastically.
‘Dane is going to put up a ward for the Dark Realmers,’ she continues. ‘Keep everyone safe until we know where loyalties lie. Go. Be safe.’
‘And you.’
I make my way down the thin corridor until I can go no further, then, I dart into the hall itself, skirting around skirmishes that are still happening. Many of Fiana's guards seem to have given up, though, likely not willing to risk their lives for their fae queen after seeing the Harbinger in action.
I move behind the dais and find an arching doorway to a room with a round desk, countless artifacts strewn about, and a large window. This must be Fiana's.
As soon as I cross the threshold, I can no longer hear any noise coming from the hall at all but can hear birds and the sounds of faraway laughter.
I peer out the window of the tall turret and my jaw drops. Humans. Everywhere. So many. Gods, what are we going to do with them if Tavish is allowing them to go to the Light? They won’t all fit in Halsford, that’s for certain. How can we leave so many in the Dark?
I hear a rustling behind me and turn around quickly, drawing my knife.
At the round desk, there’s a woman with long, dark hair who wasn’t there a moment ago. Her body is bare, with golden chains adorning it and a collar around her neck. She’s clearly a slave of Fiana’s court, and judging from the bruises and the welts, hasn’t been treated well recently. She’s rifling through parchments and upending books to see if there’s anything caught in the pages.
'Who are you? What are you doing?' I ask.
She looks at me, gives me a once-over, and then goes back to her task, ignoring me completely. She says nothing but takes up a pile of papers a moment later, rolls them, and stuffs them into a bag. Only now, does she give me her full attention, her eyes narrowing at me and then at the main door to the hall.
I put my hands up.
'I'm not here to stop you,' I say. 'But if you want to be away from the Dark Realms, there could be a place for you in the Light. You’d be treated better there.'
‘That’s not what I’ve heard.’ She rolls her eyes and lets out a tiny laugh.
'And, anyway, I don't need a place in the Light Realm, you fae cunt,' she mutters derisively, crosses the room quickly, peersout at the hall for a moment, and then slips out without another word.
I stare after her, surprised and puzzled. She didn't speak like a slave of the Dark Realms, and her manner was all wrong.
Who was she? No real slave, that’s a safe bet.
I stand there in the middle of the room for longer than I’d care to admit, wondering about the woman who just stole from the fae queen.
But then I hear footsteps. I quickly hide behind the round desk as Locke and Fiana appear in the roomnotvia the door. Where did they come from?
They're speaking in low tones. Locke isveryclose to her, which makes me seethe even though I know he’s just play-acting.
'What you've built here is impressive,' he's saying, 'but there's one thing I don't understand. How are you getting to the Light Realm in the first place? I was told it was impossible.'
Fiana leans back on her desk and gives him a devious look. 'Not all my secrets are yours for the taking, my dear Locke. Perhaps one day I'll show you.'
She smiles at him seductively, but then she frowns. She scans the room. 'Where are my guards?'
