Muscling down a disturbed expression, Cliff reached for the top of the tank.
“Stay away!” the fairy snapped, and though his voice was muffled by the glass, his tone sliced like a blade.
“Take it easy. Just trying to get this damn thing open.”
Even when the top swung open, the fairies did not immediately fly out in search of escape, and I remembered Delilah’s utterance about their wings. My mouth went dry at the thought they might have been removed entirely, but I caught a glimpse of glossy purple wing membrane at the first fairy’s back.
Instincts took hold, spurring my own wings into motion. I flew through the opening, aiming to speak with them directly. If theycouldn’t come out, I would go to them. Though still weakened, Ben joined me as I descended into the tank.
A shiver snaked through me the moment I touched down. A faint thrum of iron lined the edges of the glass, but the enclosure was no longer sealed, allowing me to muscle through the sensation.
The fairy in front narrowed his eyes. “Come to fetch us for your masters?”
“We don’t have much time,” I said, raising my hands in peace. “We’re here to help, but you have to trust us. We’re going to get you away from here and kill the man who’s doing this.”
He sneered. “Tell me why we should trust the word of a traitor.”
My hand jumped to my cheek, which warmed immediately under my touch.
“She’s telling the truth,” Ben said. “This hunter—” He jutted his chin at Cliff. “—he’s not a murderous wretch. Not tous,anyway. You have to believe us. What other choice do you have?”
The stranger snorted, unmoved. “It will take more than that to earn the benefit of the doubt.”
A fire lit in my core. Didn’t hewantto be saved?
Just as I was about to take a leaf from Cliff’s book and snap at him to get his head out of his ass, another voice piped up.
“Always with the barbed insults, Rowan. I doubt that’ll get us anywhere here. Please, let me speak with them.”
A pale, elegant hand appeared on Rowan’s arm, and the other fairy finally eased into view. My breath caught when I spotted long waves of bright seafoam-colored hair. A heart-shaped face with turquoise eyes observed me, coral lips parted curiously.
“You’ll have to forgive him,” the other fairy said. “As I’m sure you can imagine, trust is a precious thing after what we’ve been through.”
After faltering a moment, Ben and I both dropped to a knee and lowered our heads. We peeked sideways at each other. I tried to discern whether he had met anyone likeherbefore, and it seemed he was trying to figure out the same from me.
“What the hell is happening?” Cliff deadpanned.
“Beats me,” Delilah murmured, cocking her head curiously.
“She’s a noble,” I said breathlessly, barely sparing them a glance. “Her hair. It indicatesroyalty.”
Cliff exchanged a look with Delilah. “You’ll have to forgive me for not prostrating myself,” he said. But his eyes became sincere as he dropped onto one knee to catch the noble’s gaze.
“Please, call me Zia,” the noble fairy insisted. She lifted her chin to regard Cliff with confusion. “You’re a hunter?”
“Don’t lose your head over it. Your horror stories don’t tell it all.”
Zia shook her head. “No, it’s—You're just not what I expected. I didn’t think hunters could be so…pretty.” Her voice tapered into something almost shy, like the thought had been blurted in sheer astonishment.
Cliff’s eyebrows shot up in the same instant Rowan swiveled his head at the noble disparagingly, eyes flashing.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” His well-meaning smirk sobered as he once more acknowledged the glass separating them. “But we’re gonna get you out of there.”
“This building is impenetrable,” Zia said. “In the last two days since we arrived, I’ve seen Eros eliminate six men in this very room. You can’t try to reason with these people.”
“Yeah, well, he hasn’t dealt with me before,” Cliff answered. He frowned, angling his head for a better look at their wings. “Sylv, can you remove those things?”
I glanced at Zia reproachfully, silently questioning if this would be some offense to her. I tried to recall the stories of Elysia before the council of Elders took control. Was there a correct andrespectful amount of time to stay knelt before someone of her lineage?
