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Madden’s obsessed with Zaylee.
Ro
“You want to keep her for yourself,” I sling the accusation.
Nostrils flaring, Madden says, “I’ll let her go when someone who isn’t tangled with Armand or Vaeront comes to rescue her.”
“Even if it’s Pippin?” I challenge. “He’s out there searching for her right now.”
Immediately, anger shrouds Madden’s face at the familiar name. Obviously, Zaylee’s mentioned her former crush, and I’d say somebody’s jealous.
“Not him,” Madden growls. “He didn’t protect her before. Why should I think he’d be able to do it now?”
“So we’re not good enough,” I conclude flatly. “And the warrior tasked with her retrieval isn’t either. Tell me, then—who’s worthy of saving her?” When he doesn’t answer, I cross my arms and say what he won’t. “No one, that’s who. No one but you.”
“I’ve done a fine job so far.”
“Right.” I laugh humorlessly. “Because storing Zaylee in a box is super fun for her. I bet she’s thrilled about it.”
Instead of admitting what he’s done isn’t ideal, he doubles down. “What’s important is that she’s still alive to have any feelings at all.”
“Are you saying she’s glad you put her in a coma?”
Madden gestures to the messy locks on his head. “As you can see, she hasn’t burnt my hair off for a while, so I’m taking that as a sign that she’s content with her situation.”
“You really think she’s happy about waking up to find that her body and her mind are older, yet she has no memories or experiences to go along with her aging? It doesn’t bother her that she’s missed out on the last years of her childhood? She’s never asked to go home? She’s never begged you not to put her back in that casket?”
“It’s not a casket,” he states, but my interrogation has put a chink in his armor.
There’s a flash of guilt on his face. The show of transparent shame only lasts for a second, but the fact that it’s there tells me I’m getting through to him.
Something I need to remember about Madden is that he’s not a man of honor. He’s a barbarian in a lawless land. He doesn’t care about my feelings, so I need to appeal to his affection for Zaylee. He might be immune to my pleas, but he isn’t to hers.
“There’s no disputing the good you’ve done,” I tell him sincerely. “But while Zaylee might be alive, this isn’tliving. There are better things waiting for her. People who miss her dearly. If you love her, let her go home.”
At the word ‘love’ Madden has a physical reaction. His eye twitches, his nose wrinkles, and his teeth grind audibly.
Silence fills the next few seconds while he’s deep in thought. Like he’s trying to remember the definition of a concept he’s long forgotten.
“Love doesn’t exist in the Lost Land,” he rasps, conflicted. “Nothing good can grow here.”
“You’re wrong. Love can’t be snuffed out, even in a hell like this. I’ve seen it with Armand and Yugo. As much as I hate to say it, their dark hearts have twisted together and formed something oddly special. They’re a perfect match, and I’ve experienced the same companionship with Kai.”
“It’s true,” Kai backs me up as he takes my hand. “It sounds ridiculous, but we fell in love here.”
“Our love has changed me,” I add passionately. “Made me better. Braver. Do you feel that way when you’re with Zaylee? Like you’re a better version of yourself?”
Madden fidgets uncomfortably before roughly confessing, “Yes.”
“When you love someone, you put what’s best for them above your own desires. You want their happiness more than anything, and if it means being away from them or sacrificing yourself for them, so be it. Zaylee should be with her family. Picture her with color all around her. With light and laughter. Don’t you want that for her?”
Madden’s breathing gets faster. He’s never been forced to face the reality of parting from Zaylee. Maybe he didn’t think it would ever happen, but the time has come.
Clearly upset, he rakes a hand through his wild strands, displaying more vulnerability than I thought possible from someone like him. “I don’t know who I am without her. I was young when I was banished to the Lost Land. Just twenty-two. I’d barely lived, and it wasn’t my choice to join the dark fae. I was tricked into my servitude by Vaeront, as many of us were.”
“Then you know what it’s like to be taken against your will. Don’t do that to Zaylee. I think the best way to sort this out is to have her choose. Please, Madden. Will you do that? Let her out, let her see me, and give her the decision to stay with you or go with us. If she picks you, I’ll respect it, and I’ll leave knowing she got what she wanted. That’s fair. Be fair to her.”
My proposal is a trap. Because I’m a hundred percent confident Zaylee will want to go with me. No way in hell will she choose to stay with a barbarian.
