House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(57)

I glanced around. Surely there was some way to escape. Some way to defend myself. But aside from a few rocks, there was nothing.

When I got out of there, I was sure as saints going to learn how to fight.

“Something wrong?” Lucien asked. “I can hear your heart rate increasing.”

“Just thinking about all the things Mal will do to you when he finds us. It really gets me excited,” I responded. I meant for the words to sound strong and sassy, but they were hardly audible. I was too weak.

Lucien took another step, just an arm’s length away from where I sat on the floor, and knelt down. His sharp ears and bright silver wings blocked my vision from anything but him.

“Did you think you would be different?” Lucien asked. “Did you think you would be the one human to survive?”

With Lucien this close to my face, I could have sworn I saw fangs.

“That was the plan,” I spat.

Lucien smirked. “You really think you can survive against us? Against me?”

I rolled my eyes. “It would have been a lot easier if you weren’t all giant assholes.”

Lucien didn’t laugh this time. “How about this, princess. I’ll untie you and I’ll give you a head start. You can run as far as your little human legs can carry you, but I’ll still find you. Because you’re just a human. You’re prey. Do you understand that?”

Now my heart really was racing. But I didn’t say a word. I lifted my chin, staring Lucien directly in the eye.

“Killing you will be fun. Hunting you will be even more thrilling,” he growled before ripping the ropes off my arms with a single movement. “Better get going, princess. The clock’s ticking.”

I waited another second, just to make sure this wasn’t some sort of sick plot to kill me even sooner. But Lucien just waited for me to move.

So, with all of the energy I had left, I got to my feet and bolted.





CHAPTER 33





Jade





I ran until the bottoms of my feet bled on the forest floor.

Dying hadn’t been something I was necessarily afraid of. Even when I left to marry Malachi, I wasn’t afraid of dying.

But somehow, this was different. In the weeks I had spent here in Rewyth, something changed. I no longer felt content at the idea of dying.

I had to survive, and it wasn’t just for my sister. It was for myself.

I stopped running and dropped to my knees. Who was I kidding? If Lucien wanted to find me, he would. Running like the dumb human I was wasn’t going to stop anyone.

Malachi had to find me. They had to be close. I could feel it.

And that was my only chance at living to see another day.

My breathing was loud and my heart raced in my ears. I hadn’t run like that in ages. I hadn’t run away from something in ages. I had typically been the stand and fight type of girl.

But that was the reckless version of me. That was the version of me who didn’t care what happened to her.

Footsteps crunched on the dead leaves to my left.

But I was out of fuel. My feet were numb from the pain. My mouth was cotton dry, and the healing wound on my back had split open.

I rubbed the sweat and tears from my face with my dirty hands. If these bastards were going to kill me, I couldn’t do a single damn thing to stop them.

“Come here,” a voice said. But it wasn’t Lucien. It was a woman.

I snapped my head in her direction, and was surprised to see a middle-aged woman, also barefoot, summoning me.

“What?” I breathed. “Who are you?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you all that later, darling. I know where Malachi is. You have to follow me if you want to live.”

She smiled as she spoke, as if she were happy to see me for some reason.

Frankly, I didn’t care. I was out of options.

I flinched as I stood, and the woman took my hand in hers. Warmth radiated from her. A long braid fell down the middle of her back.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Not much further,” she said. She did not sulk or whisper as if she were hiding. She stood tall and she held her chin high.

She didn’t look fae. Her ears weren’t pointed, and she didn’t have wings. Although it could have been the glamour that Serefin and Malachi had been using before.

My thoughts were interrupted when a pair of footsteps approached us.

My heart raced. If this woman had just led me to my death, I was going to be pissed.

“What is this?” I asked her.

She smiled at me and stopped walking.

Right when Malachi stepped into view.

“Saints,” I whispered. I moved to step toward him, to throw my arms around him, to let him know I was sorry and I didn’t mean to leave.

But Malachi stopped dead in his tracks and drew his sword.

The woman shoved me to my knees and pressed a blade against my throat.





CHAPTER 34





Malachi





“If I so much as smell a drop of blood spilt from her skin, you won’t have time to take a single breath before your life has ended,” I said. “Think wisely.”

“If you were going to kill me, I would be dead,” the woman responded.