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Her violence has awakened a part of me that has been asleep since they started drugging me day and night.
"Be quiet, or you'll regret it," she threatens before shoving me out of the stairwell into the brilliant sunshine.
The moment I step outside, I know where I am. Only one place in Aranthium has biting, frigid winds like this. Only one place that has snow that glitters when the sun shines on it. Only one place where my breath crystallized in the air.
I’m in the north.
Shivers run through my body as my teeth start to chatter. My clothes are little more than rags now, and I’m not wearing boots. My socks are soaked in seconds, and my toes curl at the dampness that seeps through the rough material.
A long white van squeals around the corner; moments later, the door slides open automatically. Veronica shoves me, and I land on my stomach.
The vehicle is exactly what I'd expect kidnappers to be driving. A sticky gray carpet covers the floor, and empty takeout containers are strewn about the disgusting vehicle. There are only two seats. The back of the vehicle is empty, save for a lumpy blue blanket and the piles of garbage strewn about.
And me.
Seconds after I land on my stomach, the scent of rotten food becomes nearly overpowering. Bile rises in my throat as I look around. I get on my knees and look around.
A human male sits in the driver’s seat, and I stare at him. He’s new... or at least, he’s not one of the captors I recognize. The man is thin, with a handlebar mustache and matching gray hair. His brown eyes study me through the mirror, staring at me with a mixture of pity and interest. He's wearing a flannel plaid shirt with a white tee underneath, and blue jeans.
“Who are you?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t do anything except turn up the music. Moments later, Veronica climbs into the passenger seat.
"Let's go," she says curtly, buckling her seatbelt. The human nods. With a grunt, he throws the vehicle out of park. I am thrown to the ground as the van screeches away, and dread pools in my stomach.
Whatever is happening, I know it can’t be good.
* * *
Hours passas my captors drive around. I try to keep track of my surroundings, looking out the front window, but after a while, all the snow-covered trees begin to look the same.
One thing is for sure: I was right. We are in the Northern Court.
Where? I don’t know. Of all the Fae lands, the Northern Court holds the most territory. Dozens of mountain ranges are next to icy seas and lakes. Snow-covered forests span hundreds of acres, filled with thousands of animals. Brave souls live in small cabins or tiny towns throughout the Northern Court.
There is one city. One major metropolitan area. One place I never, ever want to go again. Ice City. My mother’s home, where she reigns.
We are definitely not there. None of the signature icy buildings are in sight, and I can’t spot any of her minions. Thank all the gods for small mercies.
Rubbing my arms over my legs, trying fruitlessly to encourage some heat to enter them, I try to stop my teeth from chattering. It seems that months without my magic has made me weak, and the cold is seeping into my bones.
Every part of me hurts from being manhandled into the vehicle, and my bladder is about to burst. I shift, moving my legs and trying to adjust for comfort, but there is none.
Eventually, I risk speaking.
"Excuse me?" I ask, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I need to use the bathroom."
"Not my problem," Veronica responds sharply, her body firmly facing forward. She doesn’t even look at me as she speaks, and that insult hurts more than anything else.
A minute passes, and we drive over a bump. The back of the car lurches, and I am moments away from soiling myself. In all these months, that was one line I never crossed. One thing that I kept for myself.
And this Autumn Fae bitch is going to make me soil myself.
Despair tries to well up inside of me, but I push it down.
"Please," I whisper, letting some of my despair leak into my voice. “I really need to go.”
The human is trying to avoid looking in the rearview mirror, but his knuckles are white on the steering wheel.
