I hate it. She’s not herself at all and my conjures are clearly at least some of the problem. I need to remove them carefully but not here. I don’t know how she’ll react to me once she remembers the truth and I don’t have the strength at the moment at any rate. A thought enters my mind and I wince. What if, because she’s not the same as other humans, I can’t undo what I’ve done?
Gods, she’s just suffered weeks in the pits because of me. I can’t leave her like this. I won’t. We’ll get out of here and I’ll find a way to fix it. I won’t let my actions hurt her anymore.
I can’t think of what comes next. Merediea. The Light Realm. I need to focus on the present, find out what I can, maybe claw back somereasonfor all that has happened, all I’ve done, so that Bryn’s suffering hasn’t been in vain.
I let out a long breath and turn my attention back to the fae who came through with the humans. He’s walking around them slowly. One of the orcs approaches him with a grin. They know each other.
My eyes narrow as I watch, committing everything they say to memory.
‘You’re early,’ the orc remarks and the fae shrugs. ‘Good luck in the hunts?’
The fae chuckles. ‘Very good luck as you can see. An entire caravan of females with only a handful of males guarding them. The males weren’t worth bringing though. Not this time. Too weak to be bulls.’
‘Your lady will be happy with so many.’
‘Aye, she will, and some of them are quite sturdy. She likes it when they’re not too frail. They last longer in her court. Better for her experiments, too. Same amount as usual to keep them here for a bit?’
‘Aye, usual price,’ the orc nods and the fae hands over a jingling purse, which the orc takes and stows in his tunic.
‘How long this time?’
‘But a few hours. Feel free to take any of the older ones, use them to slake your lusts if you like. But the younger ones I need to remain unspoiled. She wanted some pure ones for her research.’
‘Aye, I remember,’ he chuckles. ‘I’ll let the others on duty know there’s some diversion to be had.’
‘When is the Breach next set to open?’ the fae asks casually, eyeing the humans he’s brought. ‘Need to make sure they’re chained well. They try their luck when they think there’s a way out. Had a runner the other week.’
‘Did you? I hadn’t heard.’
‘Aye. He got away, too.’ The fae rolls his eyes and shakes his head. ‘Only to Merediea, not the Light but…’
‘Did you catch him?’
‘No. I sent two to search for a bit, but there was no hide nor hair. Probably picked up by an opportunist as soon as he was seen. Likely sold and on his way to some backwater Circle as we speak. Pity. He was a big one. Would have fetched a good price in her court even as fodder for the beasts she keeps.’
‘Bad luck. It’ll be open to Merediea soon. Not long to go. I’d get ’em stowed if I were you, mate.’
That’s a stroke of luck at least. In Merediea I have a room and we’ll be able to stay out of sight in case anyone comes looking. Warrior, when he wakes, definitely will. I’ll need to ensure we’re not discoverable while I gather my strength, make contact with Dane or one of the others, and we wait for our way to the Light.
They keep chatting with each other, so I stay where I am, though I’m conscious now of the Breach opening soon. We don’t want to miss our only way of escape.
‘Aye, will do,’ the fae says. ‘Ah, I’m meant to tell you there’s a big one coming before season’s end. Some festival in a city. Thousands to be had.’ He laughs. ‘We’re taking as many as we can in one go. She has some idea to make them forget about the ones we take so we can keep going back. Some conjure she’s going to work, I think. The city itself makes it possible or some such.’ He waves a flippant hand. ‘Can’t say I listened too closely. She goes on a bit. Anyway, they might be taken straight to her court, but if we do have need…’
The orc chuckles. ‘Let me know if and when. I’ll make sure we have the space.’
The information runs through my mind, making my heart thud hard in my chest. There aren’t many places in the Light Realm that they could be talking about. If we can work out which city and what festival, we’ll know where the slavers are going to be and when. Finally, something useful. Now, I just need to get back to the Light so we can use it.
I look over my shoulder at Bryn. She’s still standing not far from the Ring. The fae and the orc have stopped conversing and I hear the fae ordering the humans to be chained securely.
I make my way back to her quietly. She stares at my feet, her eyes not rising. She hasn’t looked at me properly since I was chained to the wall. In fact, her eyes barely leave the floor.
I don’t like her like this, not at all. My regret increases the more I see of her, hownother she is.
I can’t believe she’s Kismet. Why have I not felt Fate’s penance upon me? I’ve hurt her before, I know I have. I need to consult my books once we get to the Light. There must be something about the Fate Touched in one of the older tomes. I need to know more.
Even more uneasy about it, her, and my actions, I resolve to remove the conjures as soon as I have the strength. I move to stare at the Ring rising dramatically before us, willing it to open so we can get far from this place to the relative safety and anonymity of the White City.
It’s Bryn who knows it’s coming first. She looks toward it and tenses. I have barely enough time to blink before the roar sounds and the ground shakes a little.
