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He spares a quick glance at Nine before turning his gaze on me. His lips are pulled into a frown, head dipping up and down as he takes me in. He’s gorgeous—because of course he is—but he also seems stern.
Or maybe that’s the unimpressed expression twisting his features as he comes to a stop in the middle of the room.
Look at this guy. Big shot, right?
He has to be the leader. The one in charge.
I hate him already.
“You must be the Shadow,” he says.
No shit, Sherlock.
“Who are you?”
He doesn’t answer.
Why would he?
“You had to have been expecting us,” he says instead. Gesturing with a long, slender finger, he waves me closer. “Come here. If you do as you’re told, it’s possible you might even survive meeting the queen.”
That’s not even a subtle threat. Either do what he wants and wait until Melisandre goes for my head or I could just lose it right here, right now.
Lovely.
Well, it’s not as if I didn’t know this was a possibility. My whole life, Nine warned me that the fae would be after me. Ever since he broke me out of the asylum, I’ve had one eye looking over my shoulder, waiting for the Fae Queen to get me.
Me.
“You’re here for me?” I say, stepping toward him, moving quickly so that I can dodge Nine’s grip when he tries to pull me back with him. He says my name. I keep walking. Holding out my arms, I shrug. “Fine. Let’s make it easy. I’ll go with you.”
The lead soldier eyes me closely. There’s still that look, like I’m a monkey that’s surprised him by being smart enough to communicate or something, but he’s cautious. I guess it still has everything to do with the Shadow Prophecy. Gillespie was right. A halfling isn’t even worth a second look. The Shadow? Yeah. He’s watching me super closely.
He’s smart. I’ll give him that.
“Like that?” he says coldly. “You’ll give up your freedom and take the portal to Faerie without striking a bargain of your own. How… human of you.”
“I didn’t say all that,” I admit. Hey. Maybe I’m finally getting in touch with my fae side because I’m definitely feeling a little tricksy. “I want a bargain first.”
“Oh, Riley, sweetie, no—”
The lead soldier gestures with his hand. One of the other Light Fae lifts his diamond sword, putting the point to Callie’s throat. She immediately goes still.
He raises his eyebrows, golden eyes locked on my face. “Go on.”
I gulp. I can’t afford to give anything away. Especially not to this Light Fae who, frankly, looks like he’d rather finish me off now and save himself the trouble.
“I’ll go, but just me. I know my worth,” I say, “and I want to bargain for my family’s safety. There’s six of you. Four of us. I’ll go with you, but all you goons go with me. Leave them out of it.” I tick them off on my fingers, careful not to give the Light Fae any way to twist the deal. “Ash. Callie. Nine. I’ll trade my cooperation and my freedom for theirs.”
The air shifts. Without me even having to see him, I know that Nine has glided forward, joining me at my back.
“Ash and his human can take their freedom,” he tells the lead soldier. “Wherever Riley goes, I’ll be at her side. I won’t abandon her. Factor that into the bargain.”
The soldier begins to disagree, shaking his head, stopping when my dad starts talking.
“He’s her ffrindau,” Ash says through clenched teeth. “If he doesn’t want to be separated from her, you can’t force it. He’d only follow behind her.”
Really? That’s news to me.
