I’m going to be sick.
This is what the fae were made to wear—barely enough fabric to count as clothing, designed to humiliate, to strip them of dignity.
“There.Nowyou look the part.”
Nella braids my hair, and when she’s finished steps back, looking lost.
“Good.” Cairn moves toward the tent entrance and pushes the flap aside. “Therin.”
A male fae appears, tall with cold, dark eyes.
“You can take her back now.”
Nella’s eyes widen. “No, please. Let me stay.”
“No.”
“She needs me.”
Cairn doesn’t even look at her. His eyes are on me. “She has everything she needs.”
Nella grabs my hand.
“Go with him,” I tell her. “Please don’t fight. I’ll see you soon. I promise.”
She doesn’t believe me. I can see the fear and desperation in her eyes. But she lets go of my hand, and Therin leads her out.
“Why is she here?”
“Because I brought her.”
“She has nothing to do with this!”
“She haseverythingto do with this.” He moves closer to me, and I force myself not to back away. “She matters to you. Which means she matters to me. As long as you do as you’re told, she’ll be treated well.”
“And if I don’t?”
He gives me an amused look. “Do you really want to find out?”
I hold his gaze. “If you hurt her?—”
“I won’t. Not unless you give me a reason to.” He reaches out and I flinch, but he just tucks a strand of wet hair behind my ear. The touch is almost gentle. “Behave yourself, pet. For her sake.”
And then he’s turning toward the entrance.
“Someone will come for you soon. For that walk you begged so prettily for.” He glances back, eyes tracing over my body. “I think you might regret it.”
Then he’s gone, and I’m alone in the tent, shaking with cold and fury.
TWENTY-EIGHT
CAIRN
The first spikehits me twenty minutes after Vel takes her.
I’m flipping through one of Cowen’s ledgers, looking for more details he might have noted about the other preserves when fear slams through the connection hard enough to make my hand jerk. The page I’m holding tears almost in two.
I set the book down, close my eyes, and breathe through it until I can separate her emotions from mine.
