20
Vethari
* * *
It took what seemed to be an entire hour of full-on sprinting before I slid to a halt. The tunnel we had been running through led upwards like a muddy ramp. The dark of night greeted the three of us as one by one we exited out of the tunnel.
The troll, in all its horrid glory, could stand at its full height of twelve feet and rolled its head around in comfort. It no longer had to hunch in the cramped corners of a prison cell or the tunnel it had dug to reach me. At least for all their uselessness, they were good at making tunnels, being subterranean creatures.
It growled, gurgling to get my attention once we were free. The girl in my arms unconscious and limp, making it easier to hold her without her pulling away. I slung the human over my shoulders and approached the beast that had been faithfully waiting for me to escape.
A beautiful creature of fur and feathers. It screeched, its beak clicking in approval at the sight of its master making an appearance.
A saddle was nowhere near such a wild beast, the silver fur on its back and paws glinting in the moonlight. The hair transitioning into snowy white feathers towards its head, looking similar to that of a barn owl. I ran my fingers through the creature's feathery mane before haphazardly placing Penelope's body onto its back.
I turned around as soon as the troll calmed it's gurgled monstrous speech, and I gave it a curt nod.
"You owe me no more favors. Return to whatever cave you crawled out from at the Unseelie Court."
The troll flexed, an attempt to frighten me now that it owed me no loyalty, but I'd faced monsters far more capable and far more fearsome. I stood still, a calm expression gifted to my face matching the confident smirk I gave it.
Without giving the troll a second thought, I scaled the large bear-sized steed. I swung my legs over either side and scooted the body of my human captive closer against my lap so she now laid across.
I pressed my heels into the sides of the beast's flanks, ready to continue my escape. I wasn't free just yet. It reared upwards but took off with blinding speed as it barreled forth and into the woods, far away from the stinking city of iron. The claws digging into the ground, kicking up pieces of dirt, mud, and rocks at the speed it bolted itself forward with.
I couldn't help but grin, my plan was coming together. Though with a few failures thrown in, and more setbacks than I had anticipated.
Even though I had been captured as intended, the human leader I knew to be Father Acaba hadn't given me the opportunity to speak my demands or my plans. Instead, he jailed me like the foolish human he was and questioned me with the same idiocy day in and day out.
For a much longer time than even I had expected, no less. I thought the imprisonment would last no more than a few days, the bastard.
Now with the female in tow, things were finally turning in my favor.
I had captured the human girl of someone who held close personal ties to the grand city that constantly threatened my home and my people. A bargaining chip, one I would use to more advantage than one. But enough of that.
Soon.
Soon I would be home. I only hoped that Faariin would listen and not try to assert more of his idiocy upon me. His damnable rules that aided no one but himself.
I would kill him if he dared to interpose himself into what I was doing.
I was getting ahead of myself. I would need to meet with Batik and Ley far outside the faerie circle to let them know things were going forward.
My jaw clenched to keep myself from shouting with pride.
I glanced at the human girl as she bounced with each lunge forward the beast made as it ran faster. Every court would be demolished, the disconnect between human and faerie would be abolished. We would be one society, together.
I would rule over all.
And she would help me.
Just as her mother did.
About the Author
Charlotte Royalin is a lover of paranormal romance and high fantasy. She grew up in a household where her mother collected comic books and introduced her to tabletop pen-and-paper roleplaying games. She used this fascination to enthuse her own imagination and began to write fan fiction in high school. Now, she takes these skills to write fantastical stories of her own.
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Taken by Fae (Humans vs Fae Book 1) Page 12
