Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(44)

“What are you doing?”

“I’m relaxing.”

“In my bed?”

“No my bed. The bed is mine. That rug is mine, the chair is mine. It’s all mine.” He turned to look at her, and she saw a glint in his eye. “You’re mine.”

“Only because of this.” She held up her wrists to show him the iron cuffs. By now she’d grown accustomed to them and could ignore them, but she hated what they represented.

“So you’re saying if I removed them, you’d leave?”

“No, because I promised I wouldn’t. To save my friends. I’ll stay here with you forever, or until you chose to end my life.”

“But you’re unhappy.”

“I’m lonely, and I miss my brother.”

“Why do you miss him?”

She closed her eyes and counted backward from twenty as she tried not to snap at him. “Because he’s family, and I love him. Haven’t you ever missed someone so much it hurts?”

He didn’t answer her right away. “Yes, and as you’d say, it drove me crazy.” He turned on his side and leaned his head on his elbow studying her. “Why do you think I’m not happy?”

“You can never be happy, because your heart has been poisoned by the dagger.” Mina turned back, unwilling to look at him while he relaxed in her bed. It may be his cell and his prison, but he was invading her sanctuary, her bed, and she didn’t like it.

“No, there were moments when I was,” he spoke softly. “When I dethroned my parents and banished them to the swamplands for what they had done to me—that made me happy. When I finally found you after a hundred years, and I began to spin your life into tales, like I had done to your ancestors—that made me happy. When I wreaked havoc on your school—that made me happy.”

“That’s because you’re a monster.” She didn’t care if she angered him and brought out the beast.

“You’re right,” Teague answered his voice going low. “It seems that I’m happiest when I’m tormenting the Grimms. Now that I have you, I’m bored. Thank you for reminding me that there’s still another Grimm left to torment. I’ll say hello to your brother for you.” He sat up abruptly and left.

“No wait!” Mina cried out in desperation, but it was too late. She was left alone in her cell to ponder what horrible fate would befall her younger brother and her friends.



***



She paced constantly now and worried her thumbnail as she watched for signs of Teague’s return. She was desperate to hear whether he’d found Charlie and the others and—if he had—what he was doing to them. Mina had even begged the Fae light to bring Teague to her, but he never came.

She had cried enough tears to last a lifetime, and she couldn’t cry anymore. She spent hours trying to summon Fae power to her to open the wall, but nothing happened. She screamed at the wall and wished she had her brother’s gift. She pounded, and dug her fingers into the mortar, trying to pull out the brick, but only ended up with bruised and scraped hands. Before she had tried to play the obedient servant, to live a quiet and solitary life, and to avoid angering Teague, but those days were gone.

“There’s your fire.” Teague said appearing beside her.

She turned, fist raised and tried to hit him for being away so long, but he caught her wrist mid-strike. Mina fell into Teague and buried her face in his chest, fresh tears surprising her. Maybe because they came from a well of relief rather than worry. She clung to his jacket.

The shift from attacking to clinging took Teague aback. He didn’t know how to fight her.

“Please tell me he’s still alive. Please just tell me he’s okay. Even if he’s not, lie to me and tell me he is,” she gasped out between sobs as she held onto his shirt.

His grip on her wrist loosened, and he let go of it, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. He didn’t push her away, but paused a few moments. Then Teague very slowly wrapped his arms around her and touched his chin to her head.

“He’s alive,” he answered.

Mina gasped in relief. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she repeated into his chest. She could smell the scent of his clothes, the faint smell of the soap he used. As she looked up along his jaw, her heart raced. It had been so long since she had human contact, she didn’t realize she craved it.

It was so easy to pretend he wasn’t evil, but she knew so very much of him was. Even as her ear pressed to his chest, she could hear the heartbeat pounding softly, quickening in excitement. Her hand was pressed ever so softly over his chest, right over where she knew the scar was, and she wondered just briefly if she could use her power to lure the poisoned tip out.

But that could destroy him if she wasn’t careful. Maybe what she could focus on was slowly pulling the poison from him. But clearly, she couldn’t do that from within this warded prison. She needed to be free. She needed to earn his trust, but he’d see through her if she lied. So she couldn’t lie to him, ever.

She let her fingers brush against his chest and thought about her feelings for him—for Teague—back during the choosing ceremony. They were conflicted, but when given the choice at the time, she did choose to stay with him. And right after she had had chosen him, someone else had come in and ruined things, poisoned his heart against her. Why should she not fight for what they could have had? Shouldn’t love conquer all?