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de as she released groan after groan.
He knew the poison was attacking her nerve endings, inflaming them, making her suffer beyond endurance. He had to do something.
“Frankie,” he said louder than he meant to, and then with his mind. He didn’t want to draw any attention. Pestale couldn’t know he was here. Frankie, we need to work fast.
I don’t know how much time I have left to me.
* * *
Frankie was in a sitting position, but her head had fallen to one side. The pain was becoming more than she could bear.
She knew she was about to pass out. Her thoughts were clouded and she could feel her body demanding her mind give it rest. She had to fight to stay conscious.
She peered through the netting and saw him.
She was only able to see his dark, fire-lit beautiful eyes and whispered his name again as though saying it would make the nightmare vanish, as though saying it might get her into his arms and away, “Graely, m’own Graely.”
He was here with her. Somehow he had figured it out and found her. It gave her the encouragement she needed to keep fighting. She had to find a way out of this mess. He couldn’t shift in because as soon as he did, he would be a prisoner of the iron. But, it was good, so good to have him near.
Graely, she knew could die if over exposed to iron. It seemed to affect him and his brothers even more than it did the Seelie Fae. “Graely, stand away from the cell…can’t have you getting sick from the iron.”
“Hush, child,” he said soothingly.
“Not A Child!”
He laughed, “Are you not? Well then, when we get you out, you can tell me why you think you are not.”
“Telling ye now, in advance, that I will get out. So then, does that not make me fully grown?”
“It does, but not fully wise,” he answered, “But now let me think, I’ve got to find a way to get you out of the cell, out of the netting.” His voice was racked with concern.
An agonizing bullet of poison shot through her and Frankie couldn’t stop the yelp that escaped her lips.
“Frankie, my Frankie,” he cried and was sure he was experiencing her pain. He had to stop himself from doubling over as her pain raced through his mind.
Frankie knew she could not give in, she would not be defeated.
“My precious child,” he whispered, feeling as though he would die if he couldn’t free her.
She cut him off with a rough laugh, “There ye go again, precious, yes, child, no.”
She made him smile. In the face of horror, she made him smile and for a moment she stared at his curved lips. How she loved him.
“Graely,” she said, “Pestale said this net is his new weapon, but what is worse, so much worse, is that he is planning to use it on someone soon. He didn’t know I would end up here. He didn’t know that, so this was designed for another.”
“Never mind that now, we have to figure out how to get it off you so you can shift out.” Graely said attacking his head with his open palm as though he could force an idea out.
“Wait Graely, the wards are going to come for ye any minute. I can feel them pulsing. So, remember the first thing you have to do is warn them. I can only think that Pestale means to use this netting on someone important…like…”
“Like one of the Fae Queens—either Mab or Aaibhe,” Graely interrupted dully, and waved it away. “Now, forget that and think. What is the antidote for Dragon’s Breath?”
At that moment, Graely almost screamed. “Frankie, you’re right. I can feel the wards coming for me. We only have a moment.” He said desperately, “Crystal warded Conglam against my intrusion. She didn’t want me to have anything to do with my brothers. I learned how to get through over the years, but not how to stay. We don’t have any time left…I can feel it grabbing for me, but I have an idea…”
“Graely…tell them where I am,” Frankie urged cutting him short.
“Yes, but listen to me love. You can’t use your Fae to break the net, but you are also a Fios. It is your secret weapon, and one Pestale is always forgetting about. You are Fios and that is the key out of here. It is what makes you strong against the Fae magic. Use your Fios, Frankie, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Oh Graely…tell my da, Jazz and Trevor what has happened. And don’t ye worry, ye are a brilliant prince, and I’ll do as ye say. I’ll use m’Fios.” She could hear the determination in her voice even as her blood burned with the poison.
