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Right. The strange, glowing portal that has me shaking in my boots.
He knows it, too.
Rys closes his fist, extinguishing his faerie fire. Now that we’ve left the dark back halls of the prison, we don’t need it. The brilliant gold sun hanging high in the magenta sky gives us more than enough light to see the threat in front of us.
He moves, standing in front of me so that I can’t see the gate.
Good call.
“You don’t have to do this, Leannán.” His back is to me as he speaks. “Tell the guards that I compelled you to join me on the escape and that I dropped the spell before I left through the gates. You’re a human. They won’t punish you for falling under my sway.”
So entranced by the promise of freedom beyond the gate—if I can work up the nerve to walk through it—it takes me a second to process what Rys just said to me. Hang on… he wants me to go back into the prison?
...before I left through the gate…
Wait—without him?
“But… you’ll be gone. And I’ll be here.”
I knew the fae were quick. They’re an ethereal race whose every movement looks like it belongs in a fancy ballet. They glide and they swish, but it’s also super deceptive. In less than a heartbeat, Rys has whirled on me, wrapping me up in his arms, pressing me close to his hard chest.
His hand pats the top of my head, running through my hair until he snags his fingertips on my ponytail holder. He starts at the crown again.
“It won’t be for long,” he promises. “If you don’t want to make your sacrifice, I won’t force you to do it. Once I’m out, if you still choose me, I won’t stop until you’ve been freed as well. The Summer King needs to be warned. So does the Shadow. You’ll be safer in here anyway.” Rys pauses, pulling back and lowering his chin so that he can peer right in my eyes. “Maybe I was right before. Maybe you should stay.”
It would be so easy to agree. Ever since I landed in Faerie, I’ve hopped from one shitty situation to the next. As weird as it is to believe, I’ve had the easiest go of it once I got thrown into Siúcra and I gave into my attraction to Rys. When I did, I told myself it was because I was willing to do anything to get out of the prison. Just because there’s something real between us now, that doesn’t change that. I threw my lot in with my scarred Seelie the second I initiated our first touch.
>
He’s the only one I’ve been able to trust since I accidentally—or on purpose, I don’t even remember anymore—stepped into the fairy circle. Everyone always seemed to want something from me. Either to trick me or make a profit off of me or to touch me and own me and make me into some kind of pet. Rys is the only one that hasn’t. I pursued him.
And I might’ve done it in the beginning because I looked at him and saw my way out. I saw a shield. My protector. And now that I’ve gotten used to his brand on my skin, I see my future. I can’t go back home. I don’t even know if that’s possible. I’m trying to take things one step at a time—and my first step needs to take me through Siúcra’s gate.
All along, Rys told me that there was only one way out of here.
It’s right in front of us.
“Okay.” I nod, stepping into him again. I let my forehead lean against his chest as I realize that there’s nothing else I can do. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Rys pulls back again, his hands lowering so that he’s cupping my elbows as he keeps me at arm’s length. He’s not about to let me close the gap between us a second time.
“You’re leaving me?”
“No. We’re leaving the prison. Together.”
He doesn’t argue. I mean, he doesn’t look really relieved that I’ve changed my mind about going through the gate, but he doesn’t try to convince me to turn around. Instead, tightening his grip on my elbow, he leads me toward the gaping, glimmering portal.
I gulp.
“You go first.”
“You sure?”
Rys cocks his head, his pointed ear twitching as he turns to look behind him. “I hear footsteps growing closer. Someone must have checked the shadows and found them empty. They’ll have suspected we headed this way.”
And now they’re coming after us.
I suck in a breath, doing everything I can to try and stay calm. Freaking out is only going to slow us down and, if he’s right, if the guards are already on our ass, at least I’m not alone. I have Rys. We’re in this together. We’re a team.
