AllFreeNovel
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“Define long.”
“Merrell spiked my drink and conspired against my life.”
“Merrell?” The Fae from earlier floated in mind and her body went cold. “Oh. One of your friends.”
“Hmm. Erin walked in on us and let’s just say it escalated from there.”
Erin’s hurt floated in, too, a rawer feeling that tightened her chest. It didn’t take a genius to understand that despite proving Erin’s innocence, the damage was done and it would take a while to repair the fracture in the siblings’ trust with each other.
“I see,” she mumbled, mostly because she didn’t know what to say.
“The device proved his guilt. But there’s something inside him that’s preventing him from confessing the rest.”
Magic.
“Take me to him,” she found herself saying.
“Em—”
“Either that or I will search for him. Alone.”
He frowned. His hair was askew and his clothes were so wrinkled, but even then, she thought he was the most spectacular creature to look at. A small sigh escaped his lips.
“Why do I get the feeling that’s not a bluff?”
“Clock’s ticking. Take me to him.”
There was a muttered curse before she was led out of the room. Rick paused to give instructions to Jyss, and Emerald felt Jyss’s eyes on their backs as they marched away. The minutes ticked by as she was led even deeper and had to use a bit of magic to lend her some heat. The walls whispered to her, not liking that, but she didn’t complain, understanding it was part of their security at work. When she was ushered inside an ice block, instinct screamed at her to run and she knew this was prison territory.
“Make it quick, whatever you’re doing,” Rick said as he stood in the doorway.
Inside the ice block, there was a hollow space where Merrell lay. The ice walls surrounded him tightly, following every curve as if they melted against him. She knelt before him, directing her energy like she had with Erin, and touched him.
Touching Erin had been a clear, albeit vulnerable experience, sprinkled with moments of agony here and there. Touching Merrell felt like she was touching a block of ice before a bit of that melted off…and her magic came into contact with a darker, more powerful one lurking inside him. It didn’t feel alive. When she tried to poke further, the slumbering form didn’t awaken, but sickening anxiety gripped her stomach and it felt like she was choking.
Stubborn to the core, she tried again. And again. Each time, she didn’t get further than that initial melting, but layer after layer of trepidation was stacked at her until there was a violent storm inside her. It consumed her, not necessarily making her violent, too, but distracting her thoroughly. Belatedly, she felt herself floating and registered that arms were carrying her out of the ice block.
“It’s strong,” she admitted reluctantly. “I can’t break it. I’m sorry.”
“I figured. But thank you for trying.”
Rick led her away, faster than when he led her in as if he didn’t want her spending another second here.
“What’s going to happen to him?”
“I don’t know. But we will try to find a way to break through whatever spell is inside him.”
“It didn’t feel like a spell.”
“What did it feel like?”
“Magic, for sure. A wall I can’t penetrate. It was…I don’t know what it was.” She sighed. “But it’s solid. That ice block…”
“It’s ancient and can keep even the strongest warlock or Fae from breaking free. It will keep him there until we let him go.”
There was some consolation to that as she didn’t think the dark magic should ever be released. The rest of their walk was peaceful, and before she knew it, they were back outside their respective rooms. Rick leaned against the wall.
“You said Yu’s fine.”
