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“Seems like she should have a say in who she marries.”
“Which is why you lost the battle. You’re weak. Pathetic.”
“Come on, Joaquin,” a third man says. “No one is down here.”
“You can sit on the other side of those bars, acting like an arrogant asshole,” the man called Joaquin growls. “But we both know how truly scared you are.”
“You fuckers have already taken everything from me,” Rafferty replies. “I have nothing left to fear.”
Joaquin chuckles. “Someday, you will realize how false that statement is. Everyone has something left to lose. And when we find that little rebel camp of yours, I’m going to take great pleasure in bleeding every single one of your men out while I fuck all of your women.”
I choke on a sob as I wait to hear Rafferty’s response. These men—this place—it’s like I’m trapped in some horrific nightmare. Or, perhaps my initial reaction was right, only this is not heaven.
Maybe I’m trapped in hell.
“I’m going to kill you one of these days, Joaquin,” Rafferty finally replies. “And it won’t be slow.”
“We’ll see about that, Raffe. We’ll see about that.”
Heavy footfalls retreat, echoing up the stairs, but I remain where I am, too petrified to move. They threatened murder, torture, and rape in the span of a few minutes. What the hell are they going to do to me?
“You’re safe,” Rafferty whispers.
I crawl out of my hiding spot, knees scraping against the stone as I stand and move to the outside of the cell. “Am I?”
“Are you?” he asks. “You’re dressed in rebel colors, bleeding, terrified—how did you get here?”
“I don’t know.”
Dark brows draw together in a concerned expression. “Do you know where you are?”
“Flora said I’m in Faerie.”
“Flora? You saw Flora?”
I nod. “She’s my—she said she’s my handmaiden?”
He breathes deeply and leans back against the stones behind him. “I have not seen her in a few days, so I was growing concerned.”
“You know her?”
“I do. How did you get here?” he repeats his earlier question. “I was under the impression the Veil was warded closed.”
“Warded? Veil?”
“Spelled to remain closed. So no one can pass between Faerie and your world.”
“I don’t know anything about that. I wasn’t feeling well. Went out for a walk. Ended up face down in some forest while men died above me.” Frustrated, terrified, and exhausted, I press the heels of my palms to both eyes. “Please wake up,” I whisper. “Please wake up.”
“I fear you are not dreaming, woman, though I do commend you for your efforts to make this disappear.”
“Listen, asshole,” I snap. “First of all, my name is Ember. Not woman. Second, I just watched a man murdered in front of me, then fell down who the hell knows how many flights of stairs. The last thing I want to deal with is you behaving like a prick.”
His expression softens nearly instantly. “Who did they kill?”
“I don’t know. Wasn’t really time for pleasantries.” My voice cracks as my eyes fill, the image of his terrified gaze sinking in. “He told me to find you,” I tell him. “Any idea why?”
“He was likely a rebel,” Rafferty replies, as though it’s the most normal thing in the world. “And the rebels wish to dethrone Taranus.”
