Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(52)

The air around pressed into her skin. Her eyelids grew heavy, so heavy, until they snapped shut and the world around her darkened.

Scarlett woke to the comfort of a mattress underneath her and blankets covering her. The memory of the day’s events swirled in her mind like a fine mist. She opened her eyes to find Raith sitting on the bed at her side, concern heavy on his face.

“Where are we?” Scarlett asked. She scanned the room and recognized it before he replied.

“The Unseelie Court.”

Scarlett fought the weakness in her limbs and pushed herself to a sitting position. Why was she so tired? “Is Aria…okay?”

Raith nodded. “She’s stable, though delicate.” He shifted closer to Scarlett. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner.”

Scarlett reached for his hand. “You were there in time. I don’t think we could have gotten out if it weren’t for you and your friend.” Jealousy rose in Scarlett’s throat like bile. She had no idea who the warrior woman was, but her fae beauty and fighting skills were apparent.

“Sage,” Raith said. “She saved me in the forest and has been teaching me about my Autumn heritage.”

“Oh.” Scarlett wasn’t sure what else to say. It wasn’t like Raith had promised himself to her, and, being fair, Scarlett had crossed lines herself with Kaelem. To save her sister, she tried to assure herself, but deep down she couldn’t deny she possessed an attraction to the Unseelie King.

But she wanted Raith, no one else, to hold her in his arms now. She scooted closer to him.

He shifted himself next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

Would she ever adjust to being fae? In the dungeon, she’d felt strong, far stronger than she’d ever felt as a human. At first she’d feared the changes, but after wielding power like she did, she couldn’t imagine not having it.

“My life is a mess.” Scarlett sighed.

Raith tilted his head toward her and lifted her chin.

As his lips met hers, a wave of energy passed through Scarlett, the bond between them strengthened.

Raith pulled back. “Yours and mine both, love.”



Raith absorbed the passion between him and Scarlett. He’d missed her. The feeling of attachment he had toward her felt foreign. His entire life had been him refusing to care too much about anything or anyone. The only person he’d ever truly loved was his mother, and she was stolen from him, leaving him broken inside.

The bond he shared with Scarlett complicated everything. He didn’t know how to separate his true feelings from the binding of the Summer Court ceremony.

He’d given it a lot of thought, and the reason they were still bound must be because the Battle of Heirs hadn’t officially concluded. Cade had knocked Raith down, but Raith didn’t die or surrender. And if the battle still continued, Cade wasn’t truly king.

If Raith found his brother and admitted defeat, would the bond vanish? More importantly, was that what Raith wanted? If the bond disappeared, he’d know if his feelings for Scarlett were real, but he’d lose the connection to her. If they hadn’t been bound, he’d have never felt her panic. He wouldn’t have come to help.

Scarlett and Kaelem could have become Winter Court prisoners.

Next to him, Scarlett rested her head on Raith’s chest.

He ran his fingers through her hair.

Eventually, she dozed back off and he gently laid her onto the bed as he stood. He needed to clear his head.

When he entered the dining room, he found Kaelem sitting at the head of the table.

“I want to thank you,” Kaelem said. A chair next to him scooted backward. “Sit, please.”

Raith obliged. “It wasn’t for you.”

Kaelem smirked. “I figured as much, but I’m grateful nonetheless.” He crossed an ankle over his knee. “I can feel your connection to her.”

“And?” Raith checked his mental shields. He didn’t want the Unseelie King prying into his thoughts.

“There’s care and lust and something else. A fae bond connects you two, which must mean she’s still your second.”

How would he know that? Raith could have surrendered and lived.

“There’s something about her, something alluring.”

Raith clenched his jaw. Had Scarlett and Kaelem been intimate? The Unseelie King was a ganacanagh, a creature made for women and men alike to throw themselves at. And Raith had seen Kaelem high off of attention. Had he also developed an interest in Scarlett?

“Before you imagine the worst, my relationship with Scarlett was business…mostly. I can’t deny I see her intrigue, but my mission was to save my sister, and, thanks to you and your woman friend, I succeeded.”

Raith had never seen Kaelem so sincere. His love for games was well known, but in that moment, Raith didn’t feel like a pawn in some scheme. He felt true gratitude exuding from the Unseelie King. He wasn’t sure if he should be honored or scared.

Sage had returned to the Autumn Court. She offered to help Raith search for more information, and he planned to take her up on her offer someday after Scarlett had healed.

“I don’t like to owe favors, so I will tell you everything I know about your mother, and then we will be even.”

Kaelem glanced at the dining room door and it swung shut. “When I was visiting the Autumn Court last fall, I had an unusual encounter with one of the castle servants. I usually don’t invade the minds of a servant, but I saw a shift in her expression when the Autumn King mentioned the deterioration of the Summer King.