“Have you been here the whole time?”
He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.
“I’ll get you something to eat.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then you should get some sleep.”
“Last time I dozed, the little evil viper bit me.”
A genuine smile tugged at my mouth, causing Scorpion to grumble at me as I went back out the door, genuinely pleased with my ex-comrade. Human women were always underestimated, and I loved that Hanna could hold her own with Scorpion.
Crossing the hall, I found where they were keeping Caden. If I thought seeing him would give me any relief, I was wrong.
“Get the fuck away from me!” He tried to sit up the moment I entered the room. Metal rattled against the pipe he was cuffed to, his head bandaged, his eyes blazing with hate. “I don’t ever want to see your fuckin’ face again!”
“Simmer down, pretty boy.” Birdie nibbled on an apple from her position by the door. It was pretty much the same setup as Hanna. “You’re gonna pop that vein in your forehead.”
He snarled at her but stopped lashing out for me, his nose flaring.
The deep hate in his eyes as he looked at me was something I could never have imagined. No matter what little tiffs we got in, we loved each other so much, they never lasted long. But now all I saw was abhorrence.
“I saidleave!” He yelled so fiercely I jerked back with a gasp.
It was like hands were wrapped around my neck. Tears burned behind my lids, emotion thickening my throat.
“And I saidsimmer down.” Birdie tossed her apple in a bin, gettingup and strolling over to him. Grabbing his hair, she yanked his head to look at her. “Or I will use my fae magic on you.”
He tried to hide it, his expression hard and threatening, but I saw the recoil in his throat—the deep-seated fear HDF instilled in us about their ability to glamour. That all of them could use it on us, and we would become their puppets, doing and saying things against our will. Trapped in hell.
Not to say something wasn’t behind it, but in my case, it had been a complete lie. But I wasn’t normal.
“Birdie . . .” I shook my head.
“You think I was gonna glamour you into being my slave?” Her eyebrow popped up. “Not a bad idea. How about my sex slave?”
“Fuck you.” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“That’s the whole point.”
“Birdie,” I warned again.
She let out a laugh, her head going back, clapping her hands together. “Oh, pretty boy, you are dumber than I thought. Your brain would be so easy to control.”
“She can’t control your mind.” I shook my head, waving Birdie away. Snickering, she leaned against the wall, folding her arms. What I felt with Killian wasn’t mind control, but more an influence over my emotions—and he held power most other fae didn’t. “She’s messing with you.”
“Is there a difference to his precious tiny mind?” She popped her foot up on the wall.
Glaring at her, I turned back to my friend.
“Caden—”
“Brexley.” He cut me off, his voice low, curling his finger for me to lean in. I did. “I’m not asking you again. Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me!” he bellowed at me with deep animosity.
I couldn’t help the hiccup of emotions stuck in my throat, the tears threatening to escape.
“NOW!” He thrashed and screamed at me.
