Sin growls, and I glance over my shoulder to find him struggling against his ties with renewed vigor. Sweat lines his brow from the effort.
“Don’t,” he begs, even though he already sounds defeated.
Guilt wells up inside of me as I think about every time I’ve left him behind, helpless to watch as I’ve sacrificed myself.
I can’t do that to him again.
“No. We go together, or we’re all going to find out if your magic can actually hold me.” The menace in my tone sounds alien to me, but I mean every word.
The old woman laughs again, clearly not taking my threat to heart. “Fine, bring him. Maybe I’ll get a bonus.”
“The girl stays,” I add, nodding my chin at my body double. The redhead’s brow raises, like she’s surprised that I’m trying to help her.
“The rat comes,” the old woman snaps.
Before I can argue, she tosses a green crystal into the center of the room. Magic seeps from it, spreading over the stone in searching tendrils, until finally, the floor drops from beneath us.
We only fall about a foot, but whatever just happened is disorienting. It feels like we’ve apparated, only we passed through a few rollercoasters along the way.
When my vision finally stops swimming, I find Sin still held down by his own power. Behind him, the redhead frowns, and confusion flashes across her features as she stands. The expression is only there for a second, before she’s back to looking unbothered.
As I stand and take in our surroundings, I decide she either has the best anxiety medication in the universe, or she’s seen combat before – because we’re surrounded by a circle of guards.
They’re wearing chrome armor, ornately decorated with swirling vines. It’s armor I’ve seen before.
These are fae guards.
Their blades are drawn, but they don’t attack.
Still unsure if using my power will activate the old woman’s magic, I slowly reach into the top of my boot. Pulling out an iron-tipped dagger, I wait for them to make their move.
When nothing happens, my unease mounts, and I glance around the space. We’re in a massive cavern, but this definitely isn’t the Fae Realm. My silver Reaperthreads dance under my skin, like they’re happy to be home.
This is the Underworld.
Several of the soldiers keep glancing over my shoulder. When I turn to see why, they silently part, giving me a clear view.
“Kitten, you should have fucking run,” Sin growls.
“Never,” I snap back, even though I want to groan.
I should’ve guessed who was behind this when I saw the pink wisps of energy.
Lilanthara is seated atop a throne on the far side of the cave. Like always, she’s dressed in a stunning rose-gold gown that twinkles in the orb lights that surround the room. One of her legs is crossed, and her pink stiletto heels look high enough to lobotomize someone. The old woman who brought us here stands behind the throne, looking smug.
Lilanthara lets out a delicate, but no less cruel laugh when she sees me holding the dagger. “Before you do something completely idiotic, you should know I want to call a truce.”
That only makes me more suspicious. Need’s armies outnumber our own, and they’re aligned with the Fae Realm. Not to mention, according to Ragna and Morgana, the fae army is the largest in all the realms.
“This doesn’t seem like truce behavior,” I note, waving an arm at Sin.
Lilanthara rolls her eyes. “Right, like I was going to leave myself vulnerable enough to be fried before I could even speak to you. How stupid are they making mortals?”
I don’t take the bait. “Somehow, I don’t think you’re looking for a truce out of the goodness of your heart. So, what do you want?”
She leans back, lounging on the dark throne. I ignore the fact that it’s made of skulls. If anything, it fits the Underworld vibe I expected from this place. Lilanthara gets comfortable, unconcerned by the iron-tipped dagger in my hand. She’s at least a hundred feet from us.
“I have a little problem I’d like dealt with. You see, I’m ready to leave the nest. Or, more accurately, I’m ready to rule the nest. Fae are immortal, and mother is powerful. So, succession is not promised. And this pesky Keeper bond makes usurping her just about impossible. I’d like for you to tell me how to remove it,” she explains, lifting her chin.
