“All I could think about was how . . . how abominably we parted.” My mother sweeps a finger beneath her misty eyes. “The dresses, your choice of suitor, none of it mattered in the end.”
I hope she still feels the same when she hears who I’ve chosen as a mate. Not that her opinion would sway my decision.
That is, assuming I can save Maddox from Riverglade.
“It’s all in the past,” I assure her.
My father appears behind her, a smile finding its way to his lips. “You have been missed, my girl.” He gives my cheek an awkward pat, which is as much affection as I’ve ever received from him.
“This calls for a celebration,” my mother says after a few more sniffles.
Kerris nods emphatically. “Everyone can come to the castle.”
“No.” There will be time to celebrate once Maddox is safe. “Not yet. We need to save Maddox.”
Everett pulls his wife close, his eyes narrowed. “He is in danger?”
“Very much so.” Although probably not in the way he assumes. “Do you think you can find six Unseelie men interested in meeting a whole village of Unseelie women?”
41
Maddox
“Love is a wasteful emotion that can ruin even the hardest fae.”
— Surviving the Unseelie Lands, Author Unknown
Part of me expected the Chieftain to force me into the hole with the Seelie prisoners. Instead, she escorted me back to the home I shared last night with Nia.
Was it only last night? Already, the world feels darker, emptier, than when she was by my side.
Before I can climb the ladder, three different females bring forward plates of food—everything from roasted meats to fish to some sort of green paste mixed and mashed in a clay bowl.
“I am not hungry.” My loud stomach reveals me for the liar I am, but I do not care.
My response makes the Chieftain frown. “You will need to keep up your strength.”
“For what? Waiting?” I can become like the slugs on the ground and lay in bed until Nia comes back.
Her frown deepens. “Your Seelie will not return.”
The confidence in the Chieftain’s tone cannot sway me. “You do not know my Nia.” Nia Quill is a loyal fae. She will not leave me or anyone else behind. She is probably on her way back already.
The Chieftain’s hand falls to her silk skirts, smoothing them into place. “You think us ignorant, Mad-dox, but I have known many Seelie fae. They are frivolous, wasteful creatures. A Seelie promise is sure to be broken. The female will forget you the moment she reaches her city.”
That is not true. Nia and I have chosen each other.
“She will prove you wrong,” I say, knowing in my heart that it is the truth. All the other things she has said are only words. They bear no weight, and I refuse to let them steal my hope.
I climb the ladder and return to my cell. The home that felt so warm and welcoming only a handful of hours ago now feels empty as the canyon.
One thing I have learned over the years of being alone: A home is not a home without those you care about nearby.
I am still sitting on the bed when the Chieftain appears in the doorway some time later, a large platter of food in her hand. “These gifts are from me. I had many years with my mate and do not wish to find another. This I promise you.”
Perhaps her word is not to be trusted. These could be gifts from other females, and I would not know. Unfortunately, her warnings about keeping my strength up ring true. I will be unable to climb the ladder to this house, let alone one to the top of the canyon, if I do not eat.
By the time the plate is empty, my stomach has stopped aching.
