Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(37)

“Okay, this might hurt.” She spoke soothingly as she placed her hands above his wrists and concentrated on healing his hands. She watched her work with surprised satisfaction—his wrists glowed, and the skin started to heal. When she was done, she frowned. Terrible scars remained on his wrists.

“I don’t understand. I thought it would heal.”

Jared rubbed his wrists. “Nothing can fully heal iron wounds. I’d been bound for a long time. I’m lucky to be alive.” He turned his back on her once again as he sat on the cold stone floor.

“What are you doing?”

She’d freed him. He should be jumping for joy, thanking her, kissing her even. Instead, he sat back down.

He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes like he was asleep. “I’m sitting,” he answered dryly. “It’s a bit cold, but I’m used to the cold.”

“No, why aren’t you trying to escape? I freed you. You should be thankful.”

He opened his eyes to slits. “Do you see a another door besides the one you tried? And thanks. You want me to say thanks. You came in here to my home—”

“Prison,” she interrupted.

“Prison,” he repeated. “With no clue what you’ve done or who you’re messing with.”

“I know exactly what I’ve done. I’ve come to save you.” Mina ground her teeth.

“I don’t need saving.”

“You don’t mean to stay here.” She gestured to the small room.

“This is where I belong.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

Mina came to sit by him and touched his arm. “No, you don’t, Jared.”

He pulled his arm away from her. “I’m not Jared.

She tried to not let his words hurt her. She steeled her resolve and her voice. “Teague can’t imprison you any longer. I’ve trapped him in seven mirrors. Four of those are destroyed already. All I need to do is destroy the others, and we’ll win. Teague will be destroyed and…” She couldn’t finish.

“I’ll be destroyed as well,” he finished for her. “It’s why I have to stay here.”

“Well, I’m not leaving without you.”

“Fine by me. Enjoy your stay, although I have to say, the meals are few and far between, the beds are non-existent, and the company is horrible.” He flashed his teeth at her, then pulled his knees up and rested his head on his forearms.

“Jared…”

He groaned. “Girl, I swear. Stop calling me that cursed name. I am not this… this person.”

“Mina.”

“Whatever,” he rolled his shoulders and ignored her.

How could she convince him she was here to help? “Okay, well I meant it. I’m not leaving unless you come with me. I’ll use the seam ripper. We have to try to escape. You can’t give up hope.”

“Not going to happen.” He yawned and proceeded to stretch out on the cold floor, his back to her.

Mina sat down and pulled her knees up to her chin for warmth. She could wait him out. She was almost certain of it. She knew Jared could be stubborn, but she was going to have to show him that she was serious.

Mina rocked back and forth trying to get her body to warm up. As Jared slept, she held back the desire to go over and kick him in the stomach for being so stupid. Instead, she settled for walking as far as she dared in the dark, while trying to keep an eye on him.

The longer they stayed in the basement, the more it seemed like the darkness was creeping up on them. The shelves and boxes slowly disappeared, and they were surround by it. A darkness that continued forever. Finally, perhaps hours later, she came back and sat on the cold floor as close as she dared to Jared without waking him up. Soon, the chill set in, and drowsiness overtook her.

She couldn’t hold her head up anymore. Mina let herself slide to the ground, and she heard the sound of chattering. Was that her teeth? It didn’t matter, because staying awake was a fight she didn’t mind losing.

Sometime during her sleep, she dreamed someone grumbled and cursed about her freezing to death. Something heavy and warm draped over her, and she wrapped herself up in the safety of it.

After all, what harm could come from sleep?





Chapter 17



Mina opened her eyes and blinked in confusion at her surroundings. Where was she?

It took a few seconds before she comprehended.

She was in the mirror. But she was no longer freezing. She was in fact quite warm, or at least her back was. She tried to move away, but a weight across her waist pulled her back against the warmth.

She froze. A soft brush of warm air caressed her neck, and she couldn’t help but notice the masculine arm around her stomach, holding her possessively. Mina turned over and looked into the deep gray eyes of Jared. He had moved over and spooned her to keep her warm. Now, those mesmerizing eyes were looking at her with what? Regret?

She couldn’t read them.

He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “You are the most insufferable girl when you’re freezing. Whining and shivering. I could hear your teeth clattering. I had to keep you warm, just so I could get some sleep.”

She smiled softly at him. “Liar.”

His gray eyes darkened, and she thought she saw a hint of blue. She needed to remember—he might not really be the Jared that she knew.