I turn away. “Os?”
“Yep,” he says before he strides over to Friano.
Without preamble, he yanks the unconscious fae up from the snow, holding him by the front of his jerkin until his feet dangle in the air. With his other hand, Os punches him in the gut.
A strangled noise tears from Friano’s throat as he springs awake, body jerking. When he realizes he’s being held up, he tries to claw Osrik’s hand away, which does nothing.
I walk over and point my sword at his eye. He freezes.
“Listen to me very carefully,” I say quietly, my tone colder than the snow I stand on. “I don’t give a fuck about your life, butyoudo. And if you want to keep it, you will take us through this fairy ring into Annwyn right now.”
His eyes flare and then he flicks his attention to lock onto Emonie. “You traitorous little wench! I will kill you!”
“The only one who will be killed is you. Unless you take us through.”
Fury hardens his face. “Fine.”
I put my sword away and turn.
“Everyone stand around it. We’ll step in at the same time,” I direct.
Rissa helps Emonie hobble over, while the rest of us circle around the ring. Argo whines and scrapes his talons as he paces just outside the circle. “Go back to Fourth, Argo,” I call to him, but he snarls at me, snapping his teeth.
Friano starts to struggle again, legs kicking out, but Osrik doesn’t budge. “Let me go, you Orean filth,” the fae spits.
“Nope,” Os replies before reaching out to grab Rissa with his free hand.
I look around at my group, my muscles stiffening, pulse pounding.
Now or never.
“On three,” I murmur. “One, two,three…”
Everyone steps inside the ring at the same time, and I hold my breath. We barely fit, arms pressing in together, everyone tense and waiting.
But…nothing happens.
My eyes swing to Emonie, but she’s looking at Friano.
“Make it work,” she demands, with an edge of desperation. “Take us back to Annwyn right now.”
Friano glares at her in silent refusal.
In a blink, Osrik has him by the throat and shoves him down until the fae is forced to kneel. “Make it work, fae,” he growls.
When all Friano does is continue to glare, Lu whips out her dagger and starts cutting across his throat. Her blade drags, making his blood drip. Making it clear she’ll just slice his Divine-damned throat here and now.
The fae instantly panics.
His head jerks, eyes nearly popping out of his skull. “Okay!” he screams.
“Last chance at life,” I snap. “Because guess what? If we kill you, it doesn’t fucking matter to me. I don’t actually believe this ring is going to take us anywhere. I think you’re full of shit.”
The hatred that pours off Friano is so heated I can feel the temperature rising.
“Our soldiers on the other side are going to tear you apart.Allof you,” he threatens, burning his gaze into Emonie. “I’ll enjoy watching.”
He slams his hand down. Instantly, a flare ignites beneath his palm, and I hear Argo let out a shrill cry.
