I look toward the hazy border, the shimmering veil between worlds, where the fae lands begin.What is coming for me? A new horror?I immediately regret my wish that something would happen, realizing that whatever is coming is probably far worse than this.
A muscular man steps through the barrier, seeming to shimmer into existence like a mirage. Everything inside of me tenses, and my gaze is glued to him, torn between fear and curiosity. He’s tall, impossibly so, his massive figure outlined in the soft light of dawn, an otherworldly silhouette. His black hair falls loosely around his shoulders, catching the light like dark silk, and his ears are pointed, unmistakably marking him as a fae.
A fae. I’m near a fae. What the hell do I do?
Fae are deadly. Bloodthirsty. Humans are nothing but toys for them, playthings for their amusement. I know that from experience. And here I am, the perfect toy, a captive that can’t escape.
His green eyes, bright and piercing, scan the area before landing on me. And when he sees me, his eyes widen in shock, which I can’t begin to understand.
His gaze holds mine and neither of us move. There’s something unsettling about the way he looks at me, like he’s peering into my very soul, seeing something he doesn’t understand. His lips part as if to speak, and then he finally says the words that knock the breath from my lungs.
“You’re supposed to be dead.” His voice is surprisingly deep, smooth, and pleasant.
I don’t know what to say to that.Does he want me dead?I blink at him, confusion flooding my senses like a tidal wave. I try to speak, but nothing comes out at first. My throat is dry, and my mind is spinning, a whirlwind of questions and fears.
“Well, I’m alive,” I finally offer, wondering what he’ll do now, what this means for me.
His gaze flickers over me once more, like he’s searching for something hidden beneath the surface, and when he finally speaks again, his voice is low, almost to himself. “I don’t understand,” he mutters, taking a step closer, curiosity mingling with concern. “How—how is she here?”
What’s happening? Who is he? Why does he seem to be expecting me to be dead, but also doesn’t seem to have an interest in killing me?
His eyes drop to the ground beside me, and my heart skips a beat when I see what he’s staring at: the dagger. The one the goddess made. The one she gave to me. The one that seems to pulse with energy, almost like it’s alive, like it’s aware of the moment unfolding before us.
The man’s face goes pale. His lips part, and he reaches for the dagger with trembling hands, his movements cautious, as if he knows just how powerful an item this dagger must be. Thesecond his fingers brush the handle, he lets out a sharp gasp, jerking his hand back like he’s been burned.
It takes him a moment to recover, but when he does, his expression is one of stunned disbelief. His brows knit together in confusion, uncertainty etched deep in the lines of his face.
“Why does it hurt?” he whispers, shaking his head, his voice cracking like fragile glass. “This shouldn’t be possible.”
Finally, he looks back at me again, and his expression changes. This time, it’s not confusion, but something closer to awe, a reverence that makes the air feel thick with tension.
“We’ve finally found you,” he says, and his voice is almost reverent.
I don’t understand.Who is “we”? What does he mean by “found”?
“Found who?” My voice is shaky. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand. Please... can you just let me go? I won’t bother you again.”
The man doesn’t answer me right away. His eyes stay on me, studying me like I’m some sort of strange creature that has appeared in his world without warning. Then, without a word, he reaches for the chains that bind my wrists.
I flinch at his touch, instinctively jerking back, but there’s no point in resisting, especially when he’s doing exactly what I want him to do. Besides, he’s fae, and I don’t have the strength to fight him even if I wanted to. The chains break away in his hands like they were made of something soft and weak instead of the hard metal I couldn’t escape from all night. Then he destroys the chains at my ankles too.
My relief is immediate as my numb limbs drop me to the ground. The rough stone, splattered in blood, presses against my skin, grounding me to this moment. Breathing deeply, I shift my legs and arms around, trying to get the blood flowing in themonce more. I manage to awaken them from numb to tingling, to something edging on painful, the sensation sharp and electric.
“Pick it up,” he orders, his tone firm, his eyes never leaving me. “Pick up the dagger.”
“Why?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.
He lifts a brow, his expression shifting to one of bemusement. “A human questioning a fae. You’re either very brave or very stupid.”
“Stupid,” slips out of my mouth unbidden, and a flush rises to my cheeks.
An incredulous look twists his face, as if he has never encountered such boldness before. “Pick up the dagger.”
I hesitate, fear creeping in like a cold fog. I don’t want to touch the goddess’s spine, not just because it’s creepy and dark, but because it seemed to burn the fae. If it hurt him that badly, I can’t imagine what it’ll do to me. But I know better than to argue with a fae.
Slowly, I crawl forward on the ground, my legs trembling as I reach for the dagger, preparing for whatever the hell a magical dagger will do to a human. The moment my fingers make contact with the cold steel, I’m surprised it doesn’t feel like bone. As my fingers tighten around it, a tingle runs through me, spreading out from my hand, a warmth blossoming like fire igniting in my chest. I almost drop the dagger, but force myself to keep holding it.
This is important. I can feel it.
