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I closed my eyes, shaking my head. There had to be another way. I wouldn't use his name again. It was too dangerous.
“Evie!” Lend called, his voice sharp with panic. I looked over--the door was starting to glow red in the middle, superheated. She was coming through.
“Crap, crap, crap. ” We were going to die. I looked back up at Reth.
He was watching me, an eyebrow raised and his golden eyes shining. “I'm afraid you haven't much time, love. ”
“Fine! Fine! Lend, take his hand. ” Lend ran over and took hold of one of Reth's hands, clearly unhappy about it.
Reth's face was a portrait of triumph. I remembered his words--he'd enjoy it when I begged him to touch me. He had been right. I looked back; I could see the imprint of her hand now, pushing through the warped metal. The door was curling open.
“Take away IPCA's order,” Reth whispered, hungry and impatient.
I closed my eyes, forcing down the fear and nausea. “Lorethan, ignore what IPCA told you. Touch me. ” I almost choked on the words. “Get us out of here. To Lend's home,” I added quickly, not wanting to end up in Reth's realm again. He laughed, his voice silver and ringing. He reached out and wrapped his hand around my wrist--the wrist he had already filled with fire--and pulled us both into the darkness. I heard a woman's voice yell something, and then there was nothing but the vast silence of the Faerie Paths.
The burning started immediately. It raced up my arm and I whimpered, trying not to scream out in pain as I stumbled along blindly. I fought it as best I could, but the fire inside me called out, excited at the prospect of more. “Stop,” I whispered. “Please, stop. ”
“Evelyn,” he answered, his voice a caress against the pain.
I saw a hint of light beyond my eyelids, and opened them as the three of us walked out of the darkness and into a forest bathed in the dim twilight. “Let go. ” I broke into tears as I sank to my knees, Reth's hand still around my wrist and the flames dancing their searing pain up and down my arm.
“Let her go!” Lend shouted, and I felt Reth get knocked to the side as Lend attacked him.
“You are meddlesome, aren't you?” He let go of my wrist. I collapsed onto the ground, dropping my knife and gasping as the pain dulled, the heat settling once again in my wrist and heart. There was more inside me now. I pushed myself onto my hands and knees. Reth seemed so bright against the dim light.
He leaned down, cupping my face in his slender hands. This time there was no burning, just the warmth I used to crave so desperately. I still craved it. “If you let me finish, I can tell you everything. No more questions. No more searching. You can be with me then. ”
The flames inside pulled, drawing me closer to Reth. His heart glowed beneath his shirt, answering mine. It would be so easy, so safe. I'd be done. I looked into Reth's amber eyes and opened my mouth to agree.
Lend coughed and I tore my eyes away. He was getting up from the ground several feet away. Reth must have thrown him. “Are you okay?” I asked, jerking away from Reth's hand and its seductive warmth.
Reth sighed. “Evelyn, you are so difficult. ”
I turned my back on him, walking to Lend. “Are you okay?” He nodded. “Good. ” I needed to do something about Reth, now. I turned around but he was right next to me. “Lor--”
Before I could finish his name he was behind Lend, my silver knife pressed against Lend's throat. “I think you should be very careful what you say now,” Reth said with a playful smile. “I find myself weary of taking commands. But I do have one last thing I'd like you to tell me to do. Oh, no, don't say a word. ” He shook his head when I opened my mouth. Lend's eyes were wide with fear. “One slip and I'm afraid you'll be responsible for the death of yet another friend. I'm going to tell you exactly what to say, and then you can repeat it. ”
I nodded dumbly, ignoring the small shake of his head Lend gave me. I couldn't lose him. Not tonight, not after Lish.
“Excellent. I want you to command me to change my name. ”
“I--Can I even do that?”
“I cannot refuse a named command. So if you please, tell me to change my name. ”
I had played perfectly into his hands and was giving him exactly what he wanted. Just how much of this had he known would happen? As usual, we were all stumbling around in the dark while the faeries perched above us, seeing patterns and pathways we would never realize were there until it was too late. “Lorethan. ” I willed my mouth to make the words. “Change your name. ” It came out a whisper, but it was enough.
His face broke into a blissful smile. He looked truly beautiful in that moment, and I remembered why I once thought faeries were angels.
Surely nothing so perfect deserved to be on this earth. He spun Lend out and away from himself, closing the distance between us in one step. Putting his arms around my waist, he leaned in, his mouth almost touching my ear. “Thank you. Such power in a name--someday I'll tell you yours. And now I'm afraid I've got a lot of business to attend to. So many people to visit, so many favors to repay. Until we next meet, my love. ” He backed up a step. The air shimmered around him and he disappeared into it.
The evening suddenly felt cold, the wooded grove dark and empty in his absence. “What have I done?” I whispered, horrified.
Chapter Twenty-One
GROUNDED
My mind refused to wrap around the truth. I had freed Reth. The potential ramifications of that were overwhelming. I couldn't think about them right now--I couldn't think about anything right now. Lend got up from the ground.
