Drostan raised his brows at the other man.
“You fucking bastard,” Green-Eyes snarled.
“Why is it so important to you?” Drostan fixed his stare intently on the other man.
“Never mind,” Green-Eyes huffed.
“Good; so we're in agreement?” Drostan asked.
“I believe we have an Understanding.” Green-Eyes nodded crisply.
“Hey!” I'd finally had enough of being talked about in vague and slightly sinister terms. “Wehave an Understanding, Drostan. You don't get to bring someone else into it.”
“My apologies,” Green Hair bowed; one hand to his sword hilt and the other to his chest. “I have behaved in an unchivalrous manner; at the very least, we should have been introduced. I am Conall, Knight of the Seelie Court.”
“A knight and a king.” I narrowed my eyes at them. “What has this guy got to do with me, Drostan? Goddamnit; if you change this arrangement on me, I'm leaving; deal over.”
“And where would you go?” Drostan chortled.
“What the hell do you mean?” I growled. “I'd go home, of course. Why? How far have you taken me? Are we in Alaska? Texas? Holy shit! Did you take me out of the country?”
Conall sat on the bed beside me; casting a glare at Drostan as he continued to laugh boisterously
“You've been brought to our world, Riley; a world laid beside yours, but in another universe entirely,” Conall said gently. “We call it Tirne, but humans have other names for it; Faerie, Tir na nOg, and the Other Realm, just to name a few. What's important is that you understand that there is no way back to your world without a fairy guiding you. You are no longer a citizen of America or even of Earth; you have become a member of the Unseelie Court and a resident of Tirne.”
“I'm in another world?” I asked slowly.
“I'll prove it to you later.” Drostan sighed and then said to Conall, “She requires proof of everything.”
“I'm not surprised.” Conall looked back at me. “It's nice to meet you, Riley. Don't worry; your Understanding hasn't been altered; it's with King Drostan alone.”
“Okay,” I muttered.
“Conall? Shall we concludeourbusiness so you can take your leave?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Conall agreed. “Welcome to Tirne, Riley. I hope you're happy here.”
“Thank you,” I said warily.
Conall got to his feet, cast one last look in my direction, and then followed Drostan out of the room.
“Wait,” I called after them, but they just closed the door on me. “What the hell was that about?” I grumbled to myself.
I huffed as I fell backward onto the bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. IfDrostanwas going to leave me there, I was going to get a little more shut-eye. I was out within minutes; confusion and exhaustion sending me straight into a dreamless sleep. The next time I woke, it was to Drostan gently shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw him staring down at me tenderly.
“You must hate me,” he whispered. “I know I've been rough with you, but I needed you to understand that if you fight me, there will be serious repercussions, and not just from me. This world is magical, Riley, and magic is not all beauty and wonder; it's often violent and cruel. Without my protection, you would be prey for the monsters of my world. You must follow my dictates without hesitation.”
I started to sit up, but he pushed me back down.
“No, you don't have to get up yet,” Drostan said gently. “Sleep in; rest. You've been used cruelly, and you didn't deserve that. Allow me to make it up to you. You can sleep as long as you like, and when you wake, I'll take you outside the castle and show you the better parts of my world.”
I nodded; too confused to speak. Drostan leaned down and kissed me tenderly. Then he saw the shiver chains and his expression hardened.
“What's wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing,” he murmured. “Let's get these off you; you must be uncomfortable in them.”
“A little; yeah.”
