AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I caught up with him, I bumped him hard enough to break his stride. He whirled around, a belligerent complaint on his lips, but when he saw me, all color faded from his face.
“Calm down. I shall not do what the Prince has commanded me to,” I said. I took his elbow and pulled him onto a side road.
“You must not return to the court. Your life is forfeited. Do you have any place of Emlyn’s borders that you can hide at?”
He shook his head. “No, my kin is here. I know no one outside.”
I had feared as much. Yet I would not slay this man, who was as trapped in his duty to the royal court as I was.
“I will help your family to join you when it is safe. Go now, leave the city, and be on the lookout for others like me. I shall try to convince the Prince that the river has carried your body away, but it may not be enough. Here,” I said, pulling out a purse full of coins. “Take this.”
The man’s eyes widened as he accepted the money. It was sufficient to support him for many months, maybe even set himself up with a simple business.
“Milord, why are you doing this?”
“I have piled enough sins on my conscience to not want to add another. Maybe someday the goddess will forgive me.”
I didn’t say anymore. I didn’t tell him about the countless lives I had taken at the order of the prince, believing I was doing my duty to the kingdom. But ever since the old king had become more frail, Prince Prys had shown his true face. And now that his sights were set on Beth, I knew there had to be another way, even if it meant betraying my oath.
Chapter eighteen
WhenIsteppedoutsideof Olwen’s tavern, I walked straight into a Renaissance fair. At least, that’s what the street now reminded me of. It had gotten even busier. For a moment, I got carried away by the excitement, the novelty of the market.
Women dressed in brown sack-like linen dresses offered their goods to passers-by, their shrill voices heavy with an accent I struggled to understand. It was melodic, and I picked up the odd word, but often, they fell into a completely foreign language.
A group was congregating around a tent, excitedly muttering and waiting. When I got closer, I fought the oddest sensation of having been transported back in time. This was the stuff of the nineteenth century, of traveling freak shows in the bad old days.
There were two copper cages next to the tent’s entrance. A woman with a long beard in one of them, filing her nails with a bored expression. The other cage held a tall, muscular man with brown hair and eyes.
He was filthy, his facial hair covering most of his jaw and chin, but he was gorgeous under the layer of dirt. I checked his ears automatically, although the color of his eyes left no doubt as to his human heritage.
What was he doing here, exhibited like a circus animal? When one of the spectators got too close, trying to touch him through the bars, the man countered with a complicated hand wave. The Fae howled as he fell back, slapping frantically at the flames licking up his pants.
The human was a fire mage. But why didn’t he break out? He’d easily be able to melt the copper bars.
The owner of the tent cursed and stuck a stick into the cage. When it touched the prisoner, he gasped, his eyes rolling back and his jaw clenching so hard, I was afraid he’d break his teeth. He shuddered and collapsed, twitching and writhing on the floor of the confined space.
When the owner was satisfied with the human’s suffering, he withdrew the stick and spat at the prone body, before turning away and continuing selling tickets to whatever lay inside the tent.
I’d watched the scene spell-bound, shocked and utterly miserable I couldn’t help the man. But what was I supposed to do? I was alone, and if the Fae men found out I was a woman out by myself, I’d be in trouble again.
The human lifted his head and stared straight at me. I shrunk under the intensity of his gaze, his eyes more red than brown. And then he smiled. Despite his wretched appearance, the filth and scars on his skin, he took my breath away. Literally. I forgot to breathe until my lungs ran out of air.
I inhaled deeply and made a decision. I’d return tonight after dark and somehow, I’d free this man. He still looked at me, his hands gripping the bars of his cage, his hooded eyes boring into my soul. I mouthed silently, “I’ll get you out.”
I had no clue if he got the gist, but I needed to leave. I couldn’t afford to attract attention. Keeping my head lowered so people wouldn’t notice that I wasn’t, in fact, a young man, I melted into the crowd.
Walking slowly, I surreptitiously scanned every person that crossed my path. I didn’t want to end up in another situation with some randy Fae who thought they had the right to grab me.
Soon, however, I relaxed. The disguise did its job, hiding my true identity from the people surrounding me. The throng thickened the further I moved away from the tavern.
There was an even mix of men and women, but not a single female was by herself. Each was accompanied by a man who kept a close eye on his charge.
Once I realized that, I tensed up again. I tried to look over my shoulder, gauging how far I’d traveled, but all I could see were the chests of tall Fae trapping me in the wave of people flowing down the street.
Eventually, the noise and bustle became too much, and I left the main thoroughfare for a quieter side road. The sounds abated, and nobody jostled me to keep pace. I slowed down and inhaled deeply. There was so much to think about.
Why had I felt so drawn to the caged man? Yes, he was handsome, but so were most of the Fae. The connection went beyond our joint humanity, both of us strangers trapped in this strange realm. When our gazes had connected, I’d felt a jolt, as if my soul recognized the man, even though I was sure I’d never seen him before.
