“I sense the bond between us, yes, but that doesn’t mean I want you. Not really. I will never want you. Now, please step aside.” I tell myself I mean every word, but it’s not quite the truth, and my guilt deepens.
He emits a low growl and gives me a warning look, but he eventually releases me and starts backing up. He turns and strides down the hallway, disappearing around a corner. But I know he hasn’t gone far.
Blinking fast, I knock quietly on the door. Tears keep marring my vision, and I hope I can refrain from breaking down sobbing in front of Papa. If he sees me so upset, I know it’ll affect him deeply.
The door swings open, and my father stares at me with wide eyes. He’s fully dressed. In his left hand, he holds his rucksack. In his right hand, he holds the missive I shoved under his door last night. Judging by the worry in his eyes and the paleness of his face, I know he’s read the letter.
“You haven’t left yet. Thank the gods.” He exhales quickly. “Come on, let’s go. Right now. We’ll take an indirect route to the nearest port city, and hopefully that will keep Gideon off our trail.” He makes to move past me, but I don’t budge.
“Papa, something has happened. Please, I must speak to you in private.” Try as I might, I can’t stop the flow of tears. I sniffle and wipe at my face.
Papa gives a solemn nod, then steps back to admit me into the room. He closes the door, and I turn to look at him. I study his face, wanting to memorize his features just in case this is the last time I’ll ever see him. Yes, Gideon promised he would bringme to visit my father on occasion, but how can I be certain he’s telling the truth? And even if he is telling the truth, I still want to escape him. I can’t allow him to claim me as his mate.
“Tell me what’s happened, sweet daughter,” Papa says in a gentle tone that nearly breaks me.
“Gideon caught me in the forest last night as I tried to run away. He’s here. He’s just down the hall. I asked him to allow me to speak to you alone.”
“Oh, gods. It’s just as I feared.” He cups the side of my face. “Did he bring you back to the inn so you could say goodbye to me?”
“Something like that. But mostly, I wanted to warn you about the forest. Um, when Gideon found me last night, I was being chased by a pack of massive beasts from the fae realm. Direwolves, they’re called. I wanted to warn you not to travel through the forest again, and I thought perhaps you might be content staying here in Hollins.”
Papa exhales slowly, and tears gleam in his eyes. I’ve only ever seen him cry once, on the morning Mama died, and it’s a shock to see him on the verge of tears because of me. My heart swells with love for him, and I wish I could take away all his worry.
“I suppose we were lucky not to encounter any fae beasts during our travels, daughter.” He tilts his head and studies me. “Though I am anguished to learn Gideon has found you, I’m grateful that he saved you from the direwolves.”
“Oh, Papa, I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t want to say goodbye to you.”
“I don’t want to say goodbye either.” As he stares at me, a lone tear cascades down his wrinkled face. “I wish I were strong enough to fight a highborn fae male. I hope… I hope you will forgive me for not rushing into the hallway to attempt to pierce his heart with a knife.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Papa. You tried your best to help me escape, and I will never forget.” I reach for his face and wipe away the tear. “Besides, if you meant to attack Gideon, I would try to stop you. Not because I don’t want any harm to come to him, but because I suspect he’s very hard to kill. He commands powerful winter magic.”
Papa nods and his expression becomes haunted. I suspect he’s already worrying about what will happen to me. I decide not to reveal my plans to escape Gideon, just in case the fae male is somehow listening in.
“I know this might provide little comfort to you, Papa, but Gideon has promised to keep me safe. He says he’ll never hurt me.”
“Fae males are protective of their mates,” he says. “Possessive too. I suspect he’s telling the truth about keeping you safe and never hurting you. The fae mating bond is said to be… sacred. And powerful. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but perhaps one day you will come to care about Gideon.” He displays a sad smile, one that I know is meant to comfort me, but it only causes more tears to fill my eyes.
My throat burns, and for a long while, I don’t say anything. Neither does Papa. We stand in silence, staring at one another as we share a quiet moment of grief.
“I suppose I’ll stay in Hollins,” he finally says. “I can’t bear the thought of returning to Braemar without you. Maybe Helena will eventually return to the house, and she can take over the place.”
“She’s alive,” I tell him, and a genuine smile tugs at my lips. I quickly explain what happened to Helena, though I’m sure I’m missing many details. “I’m fairly certain Gideon intends to take me to the Winter Court army’s encampment, so perhaps I’ll see her again soon.”
And just like that, a new idea springs to mind.
Maybe Helena and I can run away together. Maybe we can escape the bloodthirsty fae males who are holding us captive and find a safe place to hide.
At the very least, I’ll put my escape plans on hold until I speak with Helena. I only pray she hasn’t developed feelings for King Theron, or worse… mated with the fae royal. Convincing her to run away with me might be difficult in such a case. Gideon mentioned that they might belong together, that she might be the reincarnated soul of his late mate, but I sincerely hope it’s not true.
“Am I correct in assuming the Winter Court army is no longer in Braemar?” my father asks.
“I’m honestly not sure. I-I haven’t asked Gideon.” My face heats under Papa’s assessing stare.
“Well, if the Winter Court army hasn’t departed Braemar yet, they will soon. It’s said the fae armies only stay briefly in the human and orc settlements they conquer. Though before they move on, a warden is appointed to rule over the town or city, and enough fae soldiers remain behind to help keep order.”
I frown. “I know, Papa. I know… Braemar will never be the same again. Neither will any other settlements conquered by the fae.” I suspect he doesn’t think I know very much about the goings-on in the realm, but I always listened to the conversations of our customers in the bakery. It’s how I first learned about the spread of ussha, long before the vegetation surrounding Braemar even held the faintest glimmer of the lifeforce of fae magic.
I withdraw the moneybag from my pocket. After stepping back, I press it into my father’s hands. “You must take this. If you are to stay in Hollins, you’ll need the funds to help you get settled. Please don’t argue with me. Just take it.”
