I wanted to tell him then he should have chosen to die, but I’d once been in his spot. Though I was practically a kid, I’d known better and still complied.
Lenny continued, “I thought I’d only be here a short time, but things are getting worse. I haven’t seen beyond the castle walls since my arrival. Do you guys know what is going on out there?”
I released my hold on him since he wasn’t even trying to fight me and moved so I could see his face. The eyes could often tell more than words, and Lenny’s were nearly lifeless and a dull blue.
“We’re what’s going on,” I said while taking in the rest of his nondescript traits: buzzed black hair, slight shoulders, and thin waist.
“Have you seen a blonde woman that’s being held here?” Finn asked when Lenny didn’t respond to my comment.
Lenny shook his head. “Gabriel doesn’t let most of us ‘see’ anything. We’re just supposed to watch for people who don’t belong. You’re the first I’ve seen since my arrival.”
Damn it. That wasn’t helpful.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“At the rear of the castle. Above us should be the guard chambers and up ahead is storage. I haven’t been beyond that, but I believe it’s the holding cells. I’ve heard screams from there on many nights. Not much sleep happens here,” Lenny answered.
Maddox’s chest rumbled. “We need to get past here. How many more guards patrol these parts with you?”
“Probably another three on shift right now. But most of us don’t want to be here. We were farmers just trying to provide a safe home for our families. We didn’t know we couldn’t trust our own king until it was too late.”
Pity for the fae filtered into me, but it didn’t change anything. We needed to keep moving. “Thanks for the information, Lenny. We’ll be seeing you around.” I turned to move, expecting the others to follow, but Lenny grabbed my arm.
I raised a brow at him. “I’d release me if you want to keep your head attached to your body.”
He jerked his hand away and apologized. “I just wanted to know how you got in.”
“Why?” Finn asked.
“So I can get out.”
I laughed. “I don’t think so. We’re not helping you unless you want to help us.”
“He already did. He let us pass and told us where we were. That is more than he had to,” Neva spoke up.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Whatever. You guys can do what you want with him now, but next time, there will be less questions and more action.”
Finn followed me as I moved to continue, and he was vibrating next to me. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I left my sister here.” His voice was rough and full of agony.
Understandably so. These lower parts of the castle weren’t maintained. It was amazing the building hadn’t fallen in on itself yet. The mostly brick and cinder walls were cracked and covered with spider webs. The air was stale, and the stench of death wafted through the cold air. We were two or three levels below ground, and everything was damn depressing. Add in the fact that Ivy was being tortured, and well, that made it one hell of a nightmare.
I grabbed on to his elbow, encouraging him to focus on the task at hand instead of how long it took us to get to her. “You did what you had to. Ivy understands her role in all this. Just focus on the fact that she’s not dead. We’re going to find her.”
He paid me no attention as he stared in front of us. “She’s not dead yet.”
If none of that helped, then there was nothing else that I could say to make him feel better, so I stopped talking. He had a right to be furious if he wanted to be. Those emotions could even be the key to saving his sister. We’d both done all we could considering the shitty situation. Now, it was time to see how it all played out.
Maddox and Neva joined us, no Lenny in sight when I glanced back. It wasn’t like me to let people get away, but I was evolving. Look at me go.
Finn led the way this time, and we made it to another door without seeing anyone else. He didn’t wait before opening it but did so quietly. Again, there was no one around. My gut was telling me this was wrong. We weren’t supposed to be wherever we were, but none of the others were concerned, so I let my feelings go as my past caught up to me again.
The next hallway was made from cinder blocks and twice as cold as the cellar had been. An instant wave of nausea came over me, and a stabbing pain in my head made me stop to press my palms against my forehead.
I had no idea what was happening, but sickness like this had never happened to me. Finn grabbed on to my arms, and I thought he was speaking, but I couldn’t hear over the pounding in my mind. He turned me around and covered my hands with his own, forcing me to look at him.
I focused on his eyes, the bond that was hammering against my core, and the feelings he evoked within me. Slowly, the pain subsided, and my hearing returned.
“Lucinda?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t know what happened, but I think I’m fine now,” I replied, stepping closer to him and trying to soak up whatever energy he was putting off.
Finn nodded and took my hand, keeping me close. For once, I didn’t mind.
We came to the first row of cells, and a tsunami of death rolled over us. I gagged and brought my shirt over half my face while scanning the area. Apparently, people were sent down here to die, and nobody bothered to clean up after it happened.
The first cell had three bodies in it, one definitely older than the other two. The second had four on the ground and a fifth newer one hanging from the ceiling. The smell must have been too much, and I didn’t really blame him. One minute down here, and it would have been clear what his fate was.
Neva was in tears, and Maddox stayed near her, his face red with rage. “If Ivy is down here…”
He didn’t need to finish. We all knew how much it would have ruined her on top of whatever abuse she’d already been served.
We continued down the long section of cells. Thankfully, the worst of them had been where we started, but none of that mattered. There was no one alive down there. Only cold bodies and a few remaining empty cells they probably used to taunt prisoners with as they threw them in with the dead. The only benefit to finding nobody alive was that we didn’t have to deal with some idiot yelling for us to set them free and bringing unwanted attention.
There was a sound from further up, but I couldn’t make out what it was. Finn began to squeeze my hand tighter until it was almost painful. Before I could ask what was going on, he let go without warning, and the stabbing sensation returned in my head. I reached for him, but he wasn’t next to me any longer. He was running away from where I stood with Maddox right behind him, but I couldn’t follow. I couldn’t even force words to leave my mouth to ask Finn to come back.
My muscles tightened and screamed as my insides heated. The warmth was first welcome against the cold air of the dungeon, but everything became too hot. I seized up, dropping to the ground. Neva joined me, reaching for my hand, but winced when her fingers touched my skin.
“Lucinda?” she asked.
I groaned, unable to give any other response or even focus my eyes on her.
“Have you touched anything since we’ve been here?” she asked.
My head shook, or, at least, that was what I was going for.
“What exactly did Olida say about your darkness? I know it hurts to talk, but I need to know.”
I took a deep breath in, and another out, then repeated several more times as Neva held on to me, but no matter how tightly she squeezed, her touch did nothing like Finn’s. Where the hell was he?
Finally, I forced the words out to answer Neva’s question, but I was nearly out of breath by the time I was done. “She said my bond with Finn made it go away. Freed me from some sort of curse Zephyr put on me as a child to make me a dark fae when I’d been born neither light nor dark. Apparently, he thought that would make me easier to control.”
“A curse? You weren’t curse
d, Lucinda. I would have known it. Your darkness was strong, but it was part of you. I wasn’t surprised when I couldn’t sense it after the bond, but I didn’t think it had truly gone away. Do you not feel it anywhere within you?” she asked.
I thought about her question, trying to ignore the roar of agony taking over my body. My skin took on a sheen from my efforts as I struggled to stay conscious. “I think I can feel the darkness but only sometimes. I don’t hear it anymore.”
By the time I finished speaking, I was damn near tears. My body shook against the grimy ground covered in Gods knew what, but I couldn’t deny that the cold stones did ease some of my aches. Though, not anything like Finn had. If he didn’t get back soon, I was going to haunt him for the rest of his miserable life.
Neva lifted my head with one hand and placed the other over my chest. “I don’t think Olida knew what she was talking about, or she lied to you. I think the voice was forcefully suppressed and it’s trying to come back out. That was not a curse in the sense someone gave it to you, Lucy. You’re going to have to set the darkness free, or it’s going to keep hurting you.”
Her statement made me want to scream at her, but I knew none of this was her fault. Neva was the only person in my life who’d never lied to me. Sure, she’d omitted things about her abilities, but that didn’t matter to me, because I knew she also accepted me just as I was. Sure, she hoped I’d make different choices at times, but I never felt ashamed for the things I did. If I figured out a way out of this shithole in one piece, I was going to make sure she knew how much I appreciated her.
As my mind fought to focus on her request, I closed my eyes and searched within me for the voice I missed. Still, there was nothing I could find to make a difference in my situation. Nothing tangible to set free.
“There’s nothing there for me to grab on to. I don’t know if you’re wrong, or if there is something worse going on with me. Either way, Finn seems to be the only thing to make the pain stop. Do you think he did this somehow?” I hated to think that way, but the bastard had run off on me without a word and hadn’t come back when we didn’t follow.
Neva’s eyes narrowed, and her head shook adamantly. “Finn would never. Olida must have done something when she healed you. I can’t sense her magic on you, though. So, it might not have been on purpose, or she’s even stronger than any of us realized. Regardless, whatever is happening to you, I don’t know how to fix it.”
If Olida had anything to do with the way my body was revolting against me, I was going to torture the hell out of her. Her mischievous lavender eyes flashed in my mind, and I grew more furious by the second. This was why I didn’t get close to others. They were almost always only out for themselves. I’d known from the start that Mosi and Olida had their own agenda, one they’d somehow convinced me was okay to keep secret.
Well, that wasn’t going to work for me any longer. We had to get the hell out of the castle until I figured out what was happening to me. I wouldn’t be able to fight in my current state, and contrary to how hard I’d fought to stay last time, I didn’t actually have a death wish.
As I struggled to regain control of my legs, Maddox came back. His wings were out and eyes wild with emotion. “We found Ivy. She’s not conscious, but she’s alive. Finn is trying to free her from the cell.” Then, he realized I wasn’t okay. “What happened?”
“Nothing we can fix here. Go help Finn, so we can leave. I’m going to start getting Lucinda back to the tunnel,” Neva answered, and I wasn’t going to argue. We knew how to get inside, and we’d be back. Hopefully, within the next couple of days. The extra time could possibly give us the opportunity to get through to someone on the inside as well.
When Neva grabbed on to me, I tried not to laugh. She was more than a foot shorter than me, and her attempts to manhandle me weren’t working so well. But, she was determined and clearly not giving up, so I kept my thoughts to myself.
When her first plan failed, Neva released me back onto the repulsive floor and rubbed her hands together until they glowed red. Then, she put them on my stomach and head. Within seconds, the roaring sensation dulled to something still painful, but manageable in comparison.
“That likely won’t help for long, but can you at least walk now?” Neva asked.
My legs were twisted under me. I leaned forward onto my hands, trying to straighten everything out. Gods, this was even more agonizing than when I’d had my stomach cut open and had a broken wing.
Regardless, I pushed through and, with the help of Neva, stood up after several choice words. By the time we were headed back the way we’d come, I was sweating profusely from the exertion, and I could hear the pounding of feet from behind us.
“It’s just Finn and Maddox. They have Ivy,” Neva said before I could try to look myself.
Perfect, because I was damn near ready to volunteer myself to whoever was coming just so they’d kill me and end my suffering.
We’d only made it another ten feet before Finn and Maddox caught up to us. Maddox was carrying Ivy, and Finn came straight to me.
“I’m so sorry I left you. I had to get her out,” he said as his arms wrapped around me. The relief was instant. The change was so significant that I collapsed in his arms, but I righted myself before he could think to pick me up.
The searing heat was replaced with a cool stream of magic that I could only assume came from our bond. As much as I appreciated having some sort of control back, I wasn’t pleased that it was at the mercy of Finn staying glued to my side. Once we were outside of the castle walls and the blocks they kept up, we’d be able to teleport away. Figuring out how to get me back to normal was the priority.
“Can I do anything more?” Finn asked, his eyes moving between me and Ivy’s limp body in Maddox’s arms. I couldn’t see anything more than her matted hair from where I stood, and I was okay with that.
“Just don’t let me go until we get back to Mosi’s island,” I replied all the while thinking about my revenge if Mosi and Olida had anything to do with how I was feeling. “I need to be at full strength when we confront them.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, but I waved him off.
“Not now. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
It still took every ounce of energy I had to keep a moderately fast pace with them, but I was at least moving on my own even if I winced each time Finn’s hand loosened slightly from mine.
Maddox and Neva were ahead of us and he froze after opening the door to one of the rooms just before the cellar. He took a step back, still holding on to Ivy and pushing Neva to the side. The area beyond the door was dark, so I couldn’t see what made them pause.
A light flashed in my eyes, bringing spots to my vision as Finn backed us up further away from the dark room. Unease settled over me, and I instinctively called on my power. Even if I couldn’t find my inner voice, it didn’t mean I was defenseless. Or, so I hoped.
As my magic surfaced, Finn’s grip on me loosened considerably and he growled in pain. “What the hell, Lucinda?”
I sighed. Clearly, nothing was going to go right for me within these walls. “Well, it’s not like I meant to hurt you.”
I was up shit creek without a paddle or even a damn boat if I couldn’t let Finn go without collapsing and couldn’t use my magic without hurting him.
Lenny came into view, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d had a change of heart and came back to help us. Except that thought diminished as soon as I saw the glint of a blade at Lenny’s neck and five other fae stepped out of the darkness.
“Lucinda. I was hoping I’d run into you.”
Chapter 22
Gabriel stood behind Lenny, and a fury rose within me. I wasn’t sure what I was capable of in my current state, but I knew I couldn’t fight him while holding on to Finn the entire time. Whatever was about to happen was either going to be a hot mess, or… actually, I couldn’t see any other outcome.
Finn forced us to take a step back as Ga
briel pressed forward with four more guards moving in around him. We were outnumbered and, given my current state, severely outpowered. I didn’t care how much it cost me; I wouldn’t give up willingly. Gabriel would never get me alive.
“I had hoped we’d killed you last time, but torturing you will be worth the disappointment you always seem to bring,” Gabriel said, one of his hands choking Lenny and the other pointing a small dagger to the fae’s neck.
“You won’t live long enough for that,” I replied, keeping my head up and refusing to show weakness, no matter how dire our situation seemed.
He tsked. “Oh, Lucinda. I know you. I helped create you. You’re not who you think you are, and you can’t win this. You should have stayed away if you wanted to live.”
The other guards moved in closer. I didn’t have much time to decide my next move. Maddox had moved behind us with Ivy still unconscious in his arms, and Neva was at my side, opposite Finn.
“Take her and go,” I said to Neva. She couldn’t bring anyone else to her pocket realm, but considering Neva was a lot more powerful than she’d allowed me to believe, I trusted her to find somewhere to hide with Ivy. Maddox just needed to be smart enough to trust Neva as well.
When I turned back to Gabriel, he smirked. “There is nowhere for you to hide. I won’t let you get away from me again.”
“I don’t intend on getting away. I intend on killing you like I should have the last time,” I sneered, power swelling within me, painful but not like when I’d collapsed. It was as if I just needed a release, like Neva said, and all would be fine, but I couldn’t find the trigger to make it happen. Though, the longer we stood in this room, the more powerful I felt. Something was happening. I just had to survive long enough to figure out what.
Gabriel grinned. “Well, let’s see how that works out for you. How about I start us out with the killing?”
Maddox shouted and began moving forward, having already given Ivy to Neva, but it was too late. Gabriel sliced open Lenny’s throat and shoved him to the ground with a swift kick that sent Lenny crashing into the cinder wall. At the same time, the guards charged for us, and I had no choice but to let go of Finn. It was time to see how bad off I really was.
Dark Fae Freed (Broken Court Book 2) Page 16
