Page 18 of Denied

He knew Donal stood guard over Tara, and he had no doubt Ryan had left orders not to admit Jannon, Gavan, or any lone Fae in to see the changeling. Even chained as she was, Sheridan did not trust her.

Jannon had felt nothing but anger with the girl since being released from her magick. Now he would know the full truth, even if it meant risking enslavement to her a second time.

Although they’d left Tara in the cottage originally assigned to him—and he’d moved elsewhere—Jannon had surveyed the little building when he’d first arrived. Like any warrior, he had determined its strengths and vulnerabilities, one of which he now exploited.

From the back he approached a window that could not be seen. From the exterior it was hidden by a high hedge with trumpet shaped flowers. On the other side of the window was a small, unused back room whose door had been locked. Jannon wasted no time wading into the thick foliage. Though the window was closed, he took a dagger from his boot. He easily worked the blade into the bottom of the window and lifted. The wood frame split and, with some twisting and scraping all around, the entire sash cracked. Jannon pried the window out and set it on the ground. He climbed through into the dark back room, unlocked the door, and slipped into the front room.

Blankets had been draped over the windows to block out the light, and only a single camp lantern cast a feeble glow over the changeling. She sat cross-legged, with a long, looped string woven around her fingers. When she shook off the string she frowned, and turned her head to stare at him.

He held up his hands in a calming gesture. “I came to show you something.”

“Then you’d better come closer, so I can see you.”

Though Tara sounded indifferent, she kept her voice low enough that the guard would not hear her. That gave Jannon hope. He moved until he stood within the lamplight, and peeled off the bandage. He held his arm out.

“This is where I cut myself for you this morning.”

Her brows rose. “And?”

“Now there is not a mark on me.” When she said nothing he tossed the bandage into her lap. “You healed me.”

“That’s funny,” she said, her tone musing. “I don’t remember having sex with you. Did you erase my memory of it, the way I think my brother does sometimes when he’s extra rough?”

She had deliberately mentioned Dirk to anger him, but why?

“Your mouth on my skin did it.” He tapped the inside of his arm. “But we cannot be healed by Dark Fae.”

“Then it wasn’t– Oh, I get it.” Her lips curled into an unpleasant smile. “You think I’m using magick to heal you? While I’m chained? You really aren’t very smart, are you?”

“I have watched you for a long time,” he said. “You can measure anything with a glance. That is a Fae gift.”

She made a rude sound. “Dream on, dude.”

“Jarek Blackstone is known for his zeal in capturing our women.” Jannon watched her eyes, and saw a flicker of fear pass through them. “He forces himself on them over and over until they die, or become mindless and are slain. Doubtless he enjoys their pain and degradation, but with your mother I think he had another aim. He wished to create a halfling who was not mortal at all.”

Tara peered up at him. “So what if he did? I’m still a Blackstone.”

“You are also Fae. One of us.” He saw her eyes shimmer, and her lower lip tremble. “And you are in love with me. That is how you were able to heal me. You are not evil.”

“I don’t love you. I can’t, I’m not—” Tara crumpled, and sobbed into her thin hands.

Jannon knelt down beside her, and pulled her against him, making soothing sounds as he smoothed her rumpled hair back from her brow.

“They have made you think you can be nothing more than Dark Fae. That was to control you, sweetheart. If you were, you could not use your Fae gift. You could never love anyone but yourself. You would have followed your sister into the shadows.” He pressed his mouth to her temple. “Your magick is gone from me. What calls me to you is your Fae blood.”

She swiped at her face before she looked up at him with her solemn gray eyes. “You still care about me, after everything I’ve done?”

He nodded. “You have my heart, my girl. Whether you wish it or not.” He thumbed away a tear from her cheek. “We can be together, Tara. Once I explain it to Ryan, he will see the truth of you, as I do.”

“Can we go together to talk to him?” She looked down at her chains and wrinkled her nose. “Oh, yeah, I’m still grounded. It’s all right. There are just some things that you need to tell him for me, about the clan.”

“I will bring him here to you.”

Jannon curled his hand around the links, feeling the burn of the iron on his skin. He saw the dark red marks it had left on her pale flesh and swore softly.

“It’s okay. I move them around a lot.” She looked down as he rearranged the chains so he could put the lock on the floor. “What are you doing?”

“Trusting you.”