Rage filled Isaac, along with a feeling of helplessness. This wasn’t a rescue mission.
It was an exchange mission.
And he was the bargain.
CHAPTER SEVEN
It felt like being trapped between a rock and a hard place—the King’s cold power being the rock, and Isaac’s laser gaze being the hard place. Between the two, Roxie felt the latter more efficiently as anger radiated off Isaac in waves, ready to slice through her if she wasn’t careful.
The guilt increased, but she tried to ignore it. She also tried to ignore his look and turned her back on him, facing the King instead. Asha was an old fairy who’d managed to maintain his beautiful façade for so long, with his long white-blond hair and those dark blue eyes. Obviously, powerful magic came with it, because no one had contested his position for many years. He was perhaps the oldest of the rulers in the four fairy courts, and the calmest.
He was also the most dangerous.
Roxie remembered her mother warning her of the Winter King’s thirst for more power and how he usurped the old Spring Queen before the Spring Court took their throne back and a new queen was established. She shuddered to think what would happen to her warm court should Asha choose to touch it.
This was why her mother needed to get home immediately before the King took an interest. So far, all he’d done was kidnap Pine after learning Pine had access to non-fairy creatures. Sometimes, her mother really needed to know when to stop bragging.
Roxie attempted another smile. She tried to think happy thoughts to make the smile seem natural. “Will your promise hold, Asha? My mother will be released in exchange for this shifter’s imprisonment in Winter Court for three months.”
Asha nodded, making her inwardly sigh in relief. Fairies kept their promises—those that were full fairy, anyway. The guilt lessened as she got the assurance that Isaac would be released after three months, and his death wouldn’t be on her conscience.
Now all she needed to do was convince her mother to completely remove Isaac’s curse in exchange for her freedom. But Roxie could do that later.
“Roxie?”
Roxie blinked. Then she turned to smile at the King again, realizing he’d been speaking and she’d been lost in her thoughts. “Yes?”
“I would like for you to attend the party tonight. I will release your mother tomorrow as a gesture of my good intentions.”
She eyed him curiously, wondering if he meant it—the good intention, at least. She hesitated as another question came to mind. “Thank you. What are you planning to do with the shifter, anyway?”
Asha smiled, and the gleam in his eyes held the first emotion she’d seen since she got here: eagerness.
“You’ll see tonight.”
*****
Ten minutes into the party, Roxie realized what a grand mistake she had made.
The castle’s grand court was filled with all kinds of guests, and not just from the Winter Court. She could see guests flying, sprinting and creating all kinds of mischievous magic that made her nervous, and she wondered how she was going to bow out from this early.
No one here knew her secret, and she didn’t think they would take it kindly once they did know. The best way to keep it secret was to keep to herself in the background because they were bound to find out that she just wasn’t as powerful as she should be, and everything about her was a dimmed version of a fairy’s full potential.
Soon the King made a speech, and an area was cleared in the middle of the hall. It was enough to get Roxie curious enough to extend her stay.
And then Isaac came out in icicle chains, and the curiosity was replaced by horror as her blood ran cold. He was taken to the middle, and he might’ve growled once—but it died quickly as the chains sparked, indicating he was being subdued.
Asha spoke again. “This is a shifter. A non-fairy from the other world, more intellectual and powerful than those they call humans. This is my gift to you all. Feel free to test him out for the next three months, as he is mine.”
A sound strangled in her throat, and she tried to swallow it down as the King glanced at her. Telling herself to stay calm, she asked softly, “I thought he would be free after three months…”
“Of course,” he assured her. “He will be.”
The fairies began to flock around Isaac, curious at first. He tried to break free, he really did—but the chains were too strong, and even his shifter strength couldn’t help him. She watched, helpless, as the guests began to touch him at first. Then touching turned to cutting, where they ooh’d and aah’d over his spilled blood. They pleaded the King to release him from his chains enough to move, and the King happily obliged.
Then they all began to battle with him.
There were playful battles. There were serious ones. Isaac fended them all off and steadily lost his strength, and Roxie felt bile rise in her throat at the sight of a proud man becoming steadily defenseless. This wasn’t what she wanted, and this wasn’t right.
Nor was what you did to get him here.
The guilt was back, mixing with the horror and threatening to make her throw up. She ruthlessly held it in and slid her fingers down her palms, trying to keep them from shaking as she tried to maintain a cool expression through it all. Watching was impossible, especially when she saw flickers of pain start to appear in his earlier calm expression. She wanted to turn away, but that was impossible, too.
The guests eventually grew bored of him and finally left him alone. The King ordered for him to be taken to a cell, to be removed again for his next party. It was sick, and in that moment, there was nothing Roxie wanted to do more than hurt Asha.
In the middle of watching Isaac crawl on the ground with his own blood surrounding him, Roxie felt the King take her hand. She looked up and found him watching her.
“Are you having fun at my party?”
She looked down at their joined hands, then at him. An eerie feeling settled in her stomach. “Of course.”
“Then I hope you don’t mind staying for a few more days. I’d like to show you the Winter Court in its full glory.”
Roxie swallowed. “My mother—”
He squeezed her hand. “As I promised, Pine will be released tomorrow. I’m sure your court doesn’t need you to be there so soon with her back to fulfill her duties. Surely you have time to spend with me?”
It wasn’t a request.
There was no proper way to get out of this right now, even while her mind screamed at her that promising him she would stay would only cause more harm than good because she had no intention of keeping said promise. Again, her promises didn’t mean as much as full fairies, but he absolutely couldn’t know that.
So, she settled for a safe answer.
“Yes, I have time,” she said with a bright smile, squeezing his hand back. Curiosity got the better of her. “Why?”
“Because you feel different. I see something in you that I don’t see in anyone else here, and I’d like to see more of it.”
Her blood stilled.
Of course, he felt she was different, because she was.
The King let go and went on to watch his guests mingling, finally leaving her alone with her thoughts. She watched as servants with wings wiped the blood from the icy floor, and the image of Isaac defeated for the day had her heart hammering and her nerves increasing.
Isaac wasn’t her friend, but he wasn’t her enemy, either. He was an asshole, but she’d seen the way he treated those teenagers and knew he didn’t have it in him to kill without reason, unlike Asha.
As for her? She needed to get away—fast. There was a reason she didn’t go out much from Autumn Court, and if the Winter King found out…
A plan formed in her mind. Tonight, she’d try to check on Isaac and see if she could make a gamble with him one more time. Hopefully, his hate wouldn’t have him killing her on the spot.
Tomorrow, once her mother was free and absolved of any blame, Roxie would make her escape.
C
HAPTER EIGHT
He’d been in the cell for about eight hours now, with nothing but a platter of food and a bowl of water to sustain him. Of course, that wasn’t counting the time he’d spent at the fairy party, where he began to feel anger seep in his bones, to be followed by what had to be the most humiliating experience of his life. But all the humiliation soon died down as pain took its place, and Isaac felt himself have an out of body experience just to try to get through it.
He couldn’t even lift his hand, and he was pretty sure he’d broken too many bones to count. Still, he tried to sit up and lean against the wall, gritting his teeth as his ribs protested at the movement. But his pride screamed that he wouldn’t be caught dead just lying there helpless.
The platter of food was within his reach, and he remembered how one wasn’t supposed to take food from any of the fairy courts unless they were fruit, because doing so would only make him more susceptible to fairy charms. The same applied to fairies—whenever they took in food from Isaac’s world, they grew weaker and more distanced from their powers.
He eyed the foreign selection critically, realizing the King probably had no plans to feed him well considering there was not a single piece of fruit. He barked out a laugh, but the laugh turned into a groan as pain sliced his abdomen. He stared hatefully at the icicles on his wrists and ankles that prevented him from shifting and slowing down his healing process.
These creatures were going to pay.
An image of Roxie’s guilty expression entered his mind, and anger surged powerfully and gripped him like a vise.
She was going to pay, too.
An hour later, he felt the pain in his body increase clearly not getting better, and an alarm ran through his mind as he wondered how much longer he could take it. He needed to get out of there, and he needed to do it fast. But how?
He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that it took him a while to sense someone else beside him in the prison compound. The moment he did, he felt his body tense as he looked towards the prison bars at the front made of icicles. A shadow came, then a foot. Isaac let his eyes linger on the figure that stepped into sight—ethereal skin, knockout body, golden hair that fell down her waist. Up, a face that could stop and sink a thousand ships appeared, along with purple eyes that regarded him thoughtfully.
Pine K'Lashtama was as beautiful as ever, and he felt nothing but contempt.
“Oh, my. This certainly wasn’t what I was expecting.” Her smoky voice filled the air, melodious and seductive at the same time. She eyed him from head to toe, taking note of his wounds in what could only be amusement. It was the exact reaction he expected from the Autumn Queen, who loved nothing more than seeing those who rejected her in misery.
Him, among other things.
“And here I thought you would never return to our world again,” she murmured. “What, pray tell, have you been doing dabbling with the formidable Winter King?”
So she didn’t know yet. Unable to help himself, Isaac bared his teeth. “I’ll kill your daughter in her sleep. Mark my words.”
Pine wasn’t stupid, and she managed to take all but a few seconds to figure it out. The moment she did, she smiled at him so beautifully that repulsion filled him. It was her fairy charm at full blown capacity, and he was one of the few who never really got caught up in it.
But he didn’t let on now as she kept talking.
“So, my daughter has actually traveled to your world to fulfill Asha’s wishes and set me free? That’s pretty impressive. I wouldn’t have expected it…” she trailed off. Watched him again. “And you agreed?”
He remained silent. Her eyes lit up.
“Oh, so she promised you she’d help you get the curse lifted off if you rescued me successfully.” She laughed—a high, tinkling sound that filled the air with magic. It flowed from her so freely, and he had no doubt that meant whatever restrictions she had had already been lifted by the Winter King, and she was only here to visit him. “Oh, this is very inconvenient. Now she got herself tangled up with Asha, and he’s not going to let her go so easily. Or you.”
“Remove the curse, and I’ll get myself out,” Isaac clipped out.
She laughed again. “Did my daughter really promise I would?”
“Yes.” And fairies couldn’t break free from their promises.
As if she read his mind, she shook her head. “You’ve been duped, Isaac. You see, my daughter isn’t who she’s been telling you she is.”
What?
“I’ve made the mistake of sleeping with a human in the past—hence, her creation. So, she’s half-human, therefore only half useful. And as you know, only real fairies have to keep their promises.”
The rage came back two-fold as he realized exactly how deeply he’d been betrayed. Pine kept watching him for a reaction, and he knew she was going to rejoice if she saw any.
So he gave her nothing, keeping his expression carefully blank and wrapping a tight fist around his emotions. Pain kept sizzling, and he refused to look down and check on his body while she watched on.
A thoughtful look flashed on her face. “You know what? Since my daughter failed you, I will make you one promise.” She stepped closer, eyeing him almost hungrily. “Bring my daughter back to Autumn Court, and I’ll remove your curse. That’s my promise.”
Go to hell, his mind screamed.
“Now I have to leave,” she sighed. “Court duties and all. But remember my bargain.”
Then she was gone, leaving him baffled and trying to absorb her words.
Her magic still filled the air, and he almost felt suffocated at the power of it. It wasn’t as strong as the Winter King’s, but it was still there. When it left in gradual seconds, the pain in his body increased, and he realized that it was keeping the severity of the pain at bay.
He didn’t know Pine’s game. He could only remember the mistake he made ten years ago when they had met as he accidentally ventured into her world. She had offered herself to him freely, enchanted by his newness. Having found her magic overpowering, he had rejected her, not even thinking of softening the blow.
And she hadn’t taken it kindly.
His sister was the only person who knew about it, and even she thought he’d actually had sex with Pine and gotten in trouble because of it—he hadn’t bothered correcting her. The thought of his sister had a surge of emotion coming out again, trailing off as he remembered the clan he left behind for his own selfishness.
He needed to get out of there, no matter what.
As Pine’s magic disappeared completely, the pain doubled. Then, it tripled. Isaac felt his thoughts slowly leave his mind, along with his consciousness. He tried to keep sitting up, but his eyes had become so, so heavy…
Darkness filled him. Darkness encumbered him.
*****
“Isaac, wake up.”
The voice filled his mind, soft and cajoling. He blinked a couple of times to adjust to the darkness. Slowly, he began to realize that he could only see ice.
Everything that had happened came back to mind in a rush—and so did the familiar voice. In an instant, Isaac was up and ready to attack the one person he currently hated the most.
Roxie looked back at him expectantly, her hands held up, as if she was expecting it. She winced as he leaped, with only the icicle chains preventing him from getting at her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“You’d better get far, far away, or I will fucking kill—”
“Don’t kill me, and I’ll get you out of here in time,” she said in a rush, her voice dropping low. “It was a mistake to bring you here. I didn’t know the Winter King wanted you as his plaything.”
“As opposed to being his prisoner?” he snapped.
“Quiet,” she hissed. She looked around as if trying to sense movement. He automatically did the same, straightening up.
And that was when he realized something new.
He was feeling no pai
n. At all.
Shocked, Isaac looked down. His wounds were gone, leaving only faint scars behind. He inwardly cursed himself for being slow to realize it.
Then his head snapped up.
“You healed me,” he accused.
“And I’ve used all my magic for it,” she shot back. “If you kill me now, it would be all for nothing.”
“You’re the cause of all this.”
“And I’m trying to make amends. I need to get back. Asha wants to have dinner. I’ll come back for you after.”
“Why?”
A determined expression crossed her face. “Because I’m getting us both out of here. We’re returning to Autumn Court. Then I’m returning you to your home.”
“And why should I believe you this time?”
“I’m the only choice you have,” she said simply. Silence passed, then, “I really am sorry.”
She stood up, reopening the icicle bars and slipping out. He didn’t say another word as he looked at her retreating back, watching the white robe flow all around her tiny body. He would be stupid to trust her ever again, knowing what she’d done. But she was right.
She was his only choice left.
CHAPTER NINE
Healing Isaac was the first step—a very taxing first step—and now Roxie needed to proceed with the second: actually trying to find a way out of there. Asha had given her a tour yesterday, but the castle was just so big that she felt confused by the end of it. She almost requested for another tour, but that would be suspicious.
So Roxie decided to keep charming him and wait for the next party he was going to throw. As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait long because the Winter King had one planned two days later.
“This party is lovely,” she said feelingly, taking a dainty bite of a piece of green fruit. She stayed away from the chocolate, which looked absolutely scrumptious and suspicious at the same time. Asha was sitting beside her as usual, and she felt like a queen and a prisoner at the same time. “And this food is delici—”
She interrupted her own statement by coughing into her hand, trying to make it appear soft at the beginning. Then she let the sound increase until it turned almost violent, racking her body with shaking and turning loud enough for guests to glance in her direction.
Isaac (The Clan Legacy Series) Page 4
