“He chose the barracks. Knowing what is coming for this realm, he wanted to be free to fight. And I daresay he wanted to make sure you were safe. Some members of the court are…questioning your loyalty. You’re here because of Taveon. You were to fight as his champion. And you have supported him every step of the way. Some believe you will try to break him out of his prison.”
Her heart pounded harder with his every word. And damn him, the dark fae who doubted her loyalties were right. Because she did want to find a way to free him. She knew the dungeons well after spending so much time there when first arriving in Underworld. As long as no one paid much attention to her, it’d be fairly easy to break him out of that place.
“This isn’t right,” she argued. “Taveon is the king of this realm. He’d give up everything just to keep his people safe.”
“He isn’t king anymore.”
She shook her head and stepped back. “You’ve betrayed him. You’ve betrayed us all.”
Pain flickered in the depths of Lord Dagen’s eyes. He stiffened, turning away from her. “I don’t expect you to understand. This isn’t your home. You haven’t even been here for long. This world works differently than you know, Bree. Taveon must be held in the dungeons for now. It’s the only way to keep this court from destroying him. And, I daresay it’s the only way to keep him away from the demons who are coming for him.”
“So, then what now?” she whispered.
“Now,” Dagen said, “we ready ourselves for war.”
* * *
Bree went straight to Norah. She was sprawled across the king-sized bed with her mates surrounding her. Her hands were tangled in Kael’s dark locks, while her arms were wrapped around Liam’s chest. They all looked so happy and contended there. The opposite of Bree.
Norah sat up when Bree inched into the room. She pressed her lips together, somehow knowing the dark direction of Bree’s thoughts. “You’ve heard.”
“I’ve heard, and I’m not going to let it happen,” Bree said fiercely. “I’m going to break him out of that prison if it’s the last thing I do.”
Norah sighed and glanced at her mates. As if reading her mind, they all climbed from the bed and vanished into the hallway, leaving them alone to talk. Bree’s old friend grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her body. It was a lot colder here than it was in Otherworld, but Bree had gotten used to it by now.
“Come. Sit.” Norah pointed to two plush armchairs beside the blazing hearth.
Bree curled up on one of them, pulling her knees up to her chest. The heat of the fire rushed across her, but it did little to warm the chill in her heart. “You’re going to try to talk me out of this, aren’t you?”
Norah sighed as she settled into the other chair. “I feel like I should, even though I know you’re just going to ignore everything I say. We’re a lot alike, you and me.”
Bree couldn’t help but smile. “If you were me, you’d probably already be in the dungeons by now.”
“I would have gone without even talking to anyone about it.” Norah laughed and shook her head. “And then I’d end up trapped down there myself.”
“I can get him out of there, Norah. I know I can. If I use my Redcap powers, surely I’d be strong enough to rip a door off hinges.”
“And what will that accomplish?” Norah asked, staring into the flames.
Bree’s heart thumped. “It would free Taveon.”
“He’d have to leave this place,” Norah countered. “Find somewhere to hide that the court cannot find him. They don’t want him here, Bree. I heard what they were saying. They want to rip his limbs from his body, wait for them to regrow, and then do it all over again.”
Bree shuddered. Some of the dark fae were kind and opposed to violence, but there were plenty who were vicious and cruel. She knew Norah wasn’t exaggerating. They really would do that to Taveon if they could get their hands on him.
“So, then we find somewhere he can hide out.”
Norah swept her gaze her way, considering. “And you think that’s the right answer to this problem? What happens when the demons come for him?”
“I don’t know, Norah. If the dark fae can’t find him, maybe the demons won’t be able to, either. In fact, it’s probably better if he isn’t at this castle when they attack.”
She pursed her lips. “You might be right about that.”
Bree sat up a little straighter in her chair. When she’d first sat down for this chat, she’d assumed Norah would do her damnedest to talk her out of freeing Taveon. But now she seemed to be reconsidering. “We’ve both been caged, Norah. Wouldn’t you say that being free is better than that, even if means spending the rest of your life hiding where no one can find you?”
Norah’s eyes glassed over as she no doubt recounted in her mind those days spent trapped in the very dungeons beneath this castle. Taveon had captured her once, convinced she was the answer to ending the Tithe. In the end, he’d released her. And then he’d taken Bree instead.
Funny how they were now discussing ways to free the very same fae who had once been their captor.
