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“Unless we need his beast for what’s to come.”
“If anything is coming. Are you still cold?”
She shivered again, but only because of the longing that fluttered in her belly at the feel of those hands. Anger punched in at her confusing emotions, but she shook her head calmly.
“No. I’m not.”
But Maddox’s gaze was no longer on her and his body was tense. She checked out the direction he was looking at and stilled when three human-sized figures rushed to Moon and Brian. Another group marched toward them, holding long sticks and wearing patterned clothing from woven materials.
“That’s not Broom Isle’s clothes,” she whispered.
“I know.”
A figure broke from the group, walking ahead. She perused his face lined with scars and the wisdom in his light brown orbs, then watched his long stick tap the cage. Just like that, sounds from outside filtered through.
“State your purpose here,” a voice boomed out with authority.
Maddox remained silent, hiding his fangs. Moon wasn’t as subtle, baring his sharp teeth and growing claws, which earned him those long sticks pointed at his face. But there was no other form of defense, not even a hint of energy, which should have been distinct at this point. It became clearer in her head when she noted their nervousness.
“You are human,” she blurted out.
Warlocks and witches wouldn’t let that slide, showing off their magic. Shifters would be all about pride, too. She didn’t know what Fae would do, but instinct persisted that these men weren’t Fae.
“I will only ask once more. What is your purpose here?”
Ruby made a split-second decision then and there as she sank to her knees and looked up at the man. Beside her, Maddox froze.
“I’m Ruby Sutton. I came here because there’s something I need from this place to help me with a quest.”
“What quest?” the man asked.
“To find my lost brother. To help him get home. I love him with all my heart, and I just want him to be with my sisters and me again. He is our eldest sibling and the one who took care of us since we were kids…since we lost our parents at a young age. He is a kind man, and I need to find him.”
A murmur rose from the men behind the one she was talking to, and she thought she detected sympathy.
“And what do you need from this place?”
“Where is this place?” Maddox countered, which earned the man’s studious glance.
“A key,” Ruby answered, trying to diffuse the tension. “I don’t know what kind of key, but I promise you that we mean you no harm. If you could just let us out…”
“He has magic! The man has magic!”
The cry from the other side of the clearing had heads whipping to watch as steel bars were raised and Brian was released from his cage. When his fingers glowed brighter, the group close to him fell to their knees and began to bow. The others close to Ruby and Maddox hurried in that direction, too, and did the same, while the authoritative man lingered for a bit before following. When they were gone, Maddox leaned in, mouth close to her ear.
“Do you remember the Unknown Island?”
While most islands were accounted for, with the shifters holding the biggest clump of islands collectively named Calassius and the hidden ones divided between Wasteland, Hellhole, and the Underworld—the three most out of bounds and dangerous—there had been rumors of a large one that had no name and no definite race in occupation. No one knew where it was, but sightings of creatures that didn’t fall into specific categories had become frequent recently: women who seduced with their songs, men who were as small as fingers…men quadruple the size of regular ones who could shake the Earth, and strange creatures sold in the black market to be trained as pets or assassins.
“What would humans be doing on that island?” she mused, then bit her lip when his warm breath tickled her lobe.
“I don’t know. Maybe they were here all along, and we just didn’t know.”
“Protected by magic?”
“Maybe a witch or warlock stumbled upon this place, too, and decided to keep it to themselves.”
It made sense, especially when the portal took them here of all places.
