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“The Grand Master will decide what to do with you.” He lifted a hand, and she flinched back, wondering if he planned on knocking her out. But he merely snapped. A moment later, three hulking demons swarmed into the tent, holding two sets of chains. Bree fisted her hands as the beasts locked up Taveon and then moved on to her. The locks clinked, trapping her here.
She tried to stay calm, which was an impossible feat. To escape, she’d have to get out of these chains. That wouldn’t happen unless she had a key. There would be no sneaking away when the demons slept. If they even slept at all.
She and Taveon were doomed.
* * *
The wooden cart rumbled as the demons dragged the cage through the Forest of Fireflies. A company of about twenty had thrown both her and Taveon into a cage, and now they were making the trek back to Munlin. It would take a few days to get there, so she had time to think. Unfortunately, Bree knew that no amount of thinking was going to get them out of this.
She glanced at Taveon. They sat side by side, though their backs were on opposite ends of the cage. Her front faced him, and he faced her, their knees knocking together. He caught her looking at him and gave her a sad smile before reaching out to clasp her hand in his. Gone was the hair, along with the sharp claws. As soon as she’d given up on tricking the Master, the illusion had disappeared.
“I’m sorry I got you into this,” he murmured. “I should have just given myself up to them. None of this would have happened if I had.”
“This isn’t your fault, Taveon.”
“They came here for me,” he said bitterly. “I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, Bree, but I’m the one to blame for this. I should have known not to take that throne. Instead, I should have hidden away in the mountains where no one could find me.”
“The demons would have still come for you eventually,” Bree said, squeezing his hand. “They didn’t come into Underworld because you sat on that throne.”
The Master hadn’t mentioned why he needed to take Taveon back into his realm, and Bree hadn’t asked. She knew she wouldn’t get answers out of him. Whatever it was, it had to do with the Grand Master.
“Any idea what a Grand Master is?” she asked.
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “I know nothing about that realm. If I were to guess, he’s likely their king.”
Bree leaned back against the uncomfortable ridges of the bars. “Maybe he’s the one who ripped the fae realms apart and opened the gates. If all of this was his plan, it only makes sense that he was involved in some way.”
“You might be right.” Taveon frowned and glanced away.
She gazed at his strong jaw, his dark hair, the strength in him. Her heart swelled with affection, an emotion she felt reflected in him through their bond. She could also feel his pain. He truly felt like everything was his fault, but he wasn’t the one who had started this. It had been his father, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.
But Bree knew what it was like to blame yourself for things you couldn’t control. When she’d first been turned into a Redcap, she’d hated herself. Only in time had she come to realize that sometimes bad things happen. And the only thing you can do is just keep moving forward and believe in yourself.
“Taveon,” she whispered to him, not wanting the demon guards dragging the cart to overhear their conversation. This was for Taveon’s ears only.
He kept his gaze focused away from her and continued to stare through the bars at the looming forest. “I can feel what you want to say, Bree, but I fear your affection for me is misplaced. I never should have agreed to drag you into this mess.”
“I thought I made it more than clear that this was my decision,” she said, lifting her chin. “I wanted to do this. Stop beating yourself up over something when you’ve done nothing wrong. Taveon, look at me.”
He sighed and turned back. Pain rippled in the depths of his eyes.
“I’ve never told you how I feel,” she said quietly. “I’ve never told you what I think when I look into your eyes.”
“I’ve never told you, either. Not out loud, at least.” He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Even being where they were, her heart lifted. “You’ve changed my life, Bree, in the best way possible. I was so lonely before I met you. Having you here with me, having this bond with you, is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I know things look dire right now. We’re unlikely to do what we came here to do...”
Bree knew he meant merging the fae realms and closing the gates, but Taveon didn’t want to say it out loud for fear the demons would hear him.
“But if we survive this thing, if we win, I hope you decide to stay by my side. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he said in a hoarse voice, his eyes so full of emotion that it made Bree’s soul ache.
Her smile could have lit up the realm, banishing the endless night. “Taveon, you know through the bond what my choice is.”
“I still want to hear you say it.” He kissed her knuckles again. “I need to hear you say the words.”
She leaned closer to him, the chains clanking. She was practically in his lap now, and some of the guards were watching, but she didn’t care. Let them gape. “I love you,, Taveon. And I will follow you to the ends of the world. If that means never seeing New York again, then so be it. The only thing that matters to me is spending the rest of my life in your arms.”
