by Dyan Chick
I always knew my father was using me to advance his own ambitions, but I thought that once I had a husband, there may be some small speck of freedom I could gain. Now, looking at the sniveling boy in front of me, I knew that would never come to be. There was no way this weak fool was running his own lands. Someone else was pulling the strings. And what would happen when that person was gone? Would someone else step in? And how would they treat the wife of a man who fled when a beast attacked his bride on their wedding day?
I sat quietly hoping Aaron would leave my room. I didn't want to deal with him and I knew I didn't want to end up a day's ride away from the woods where Nani said I could find a way into Faerie.
It still didn't seem real, and it still seemed like it might not be the best decision. I stared silently at Aaron while I thought about Nani's words. The more I thought about it, the more appealing a life away from all of this sounded. Maybe I should chance it. Just run away to the woods and see what happened. The worst that could happen was death and to be honest, that might not be as bad as being locked up in the Baron's manor.
Finally, Aaron seemed to realize I wasn't going to say any more and without another word, he left my doorway.
Carefully, I pushed myself to standing and was pleasantly surprised to find that walking was a little bit easier than it had been. Hopefully that meant my strength was returning.
Making sure my dressing gown was tied around me, I tentatively stepped toward the door and left my room, hoping I could find some word on what my father was planning for Nani. I had to see if I could help her get out of there before he completed whatever spectacle it was that he intended for her. I knew it wouldn't be something he would come up with right away, I knew he would want to make an example of her. Anything he could do to draw attention and affection from the crowd, anything to stoke his own ego.
I tiptoed through the halls, sticking to the areas where rugs covered the creaking wood floors as much as I could. Hushed voices floated toward me and I followed them to my father's study. Keeping as quiet as possible, I crept nearer to his private chambers.
The door had been left open, not something I typically saw my father do. Either he was rushed, or the person joining had left the door open on purpose. The crack wasn't large enough for me to see through, but it might be enough for me to hear what he was saying.
I pressed my ear against the door while trying not to topple into it. My father was in the room with at least one other man and I couldn't make out every word, but there were occasional pieces of the conversation I could hear. Words like: money, land, and merchants. None of the words were uncommon in our house, my father was constantly trying to increase the revenue from his business. Then, I heard my name.
I held my breath, and pushed open the door just a little. The hinges were well oiled and didn't make a sound. I blew out the breath slowly, relieved. I could see inside the room better now and was able to make out my father's face and the back of another man's head. I wasn't sure who the man was, as it wasn't someone I had seen before. Then, I realized there was a third figure and my blood ran cold. Aaron was part of this conversation. Whatever they were discussing had to do with my marriage.
"I don't know if it's worth the money," the unknown man said.
"It's more money than either of us could ever dream of, you know that," my father said.
"Uncle, I told you I can handle her," Aaron leaned forward and I could see his face now, previously hidden in the position of the door. My heart thumped against my rib cage and the hair on the back of my neck stood on edge.
"You're not going to win over a wife by fleeing like a scared child," the man who I now knew was Aaron's uncle said.
I smirked, agreeing with him.
"What was I supposed to do? Would you rather I died trying to protect that creature?" he said.
My brow furrowed. I thought he had been referring to me, but why would he call me a creature?
"I told you," my father said. "This is a long game. My contact with the faeries said she's of value. They said we have to keep her alive. Getting her into your iron house will trap her. You only have to keep her locked up until her birthday. Then, she'll be fully human and you get the dowry you were promised," my father said.
I felt like the wind had been knocked from my lungs and my vision blurred for a moment. Had he just said what I thought he said? Was my father confirming Nani's story? Had he always known? Who was paying them to keep me locked up? It was like all my worst fears coming to fruition. Nothing felt real anymore.
"This isn't what I signed up for," Aaron said. "It's bad enough that I'm expected to start a family with a Fae. Now, you're telling me I have to risk my life to keep it alive?"
The amount of contempt in his voice made my skin crawl. He didn't see me as a person. He didn't even see me as a possession as my father did, he saw me as something disgusting. No wonder he did not even try to help me. He was afraid of me.
"She'll only be Fae a few months longer," my father said.
I took a step back away from the door as a million thoughts raced through my mind colliding with each other, making me more confused by the second. Who else knew? Why had this been kept from me? Was Nani in on this the whole time? She'd encouraged the wedding at first. What made her change her mind? Maybe they wanted me to run, maybe that was part of the plan.
I took another backward step and the floor creaked under my foot. I froze and felt the blood drain from my face.
Internally, I knew I needed to run, but I couldn't make myself do it. The door in front of me flew open and three angry faces glared at me.
"How much did you hear?" my father asked.
"Enough," I said. "I don't want to be a pawn in your game. I'm done. I'm leaving." I spun on my heels, intending to march to my room to put on proper traveling clothes. Before I got more than a few steps away a hand closed in around my upper arm locking me in place.
"You're not going anywhere," my father said. "You're married. You belong to him. As soon as the horses are ready, you’re traveling to the Baron's manor, where you'll stay."
I pulled away from his grip, yanking my arm away from him. "I'm not going anywhere."
Chapter Six
Someone grabbed me by my dressing gown, but I kept running forward. They pulled harder, dragging me backward. Quickly, I untied the belt on the gown and lunged forward, pulling my arms from the sleeves as I raced away.
Another set of arms was around my waist before I could get to the stairway. I was thrown to the ground, my nose slammed into the wood floor sending stinging pain through my cheeks and into my eyes. I whimpered and tried to roll over to my back so I could see my attacker. I managed to turn enough to see that Aaron was the one who was holding me down.
"You're pathetic, you know that?" I spat at him.
He wiped his face off and glared down at me. "You think I want to waste my time with you?"
I lifted my leg swiftly, kicking Aaron in the groin. He fell onto his knees, face scrunched up in agony. He let go of me and sat down on the ground, grabbing his injured manhood.
I scrambled to my feet and ran again, only to be stopped this time by my own father blocking my path. "Let me go, I'll leave this place. I'll never come back."
"Oh no, this marriage means a great deal to this family. The people who raised you. It's the least you can do for the food we fed you and the clothes we put on your back." He glared at me, as if he were looking at a stranger.
I swallowed against the lump in my throat. There was little I could do to deny Nani's words, this man wasn't my father, but I had believed he was my whole life. How did you just go back on nineteen years of thinking one thing and suddenly think something else?
The same could be said for him, though. How long had it been an act? Was this why Rose had always been so adored while I was simply endured? A streak of defiance shot through me and I found the strength to clench my fists and stare him down. "Just let me go."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, bu
t they're paying me too much to keep you alive."
"Who?" I asked.
Suddenly, searing pain spread through me as someone tightened something around my waist. I looked down, to see chains wrapping around my lower arms, pinning them in place against my body. Where the chains touched bare flesh, I felt like I was on fire. I screamed in agony as whoever was holding them tightened them around me.
"Ease up, we need her alive," someone said.
My vision blurred and the pain made it so difficult to concentrate, I couldn't pinpoint who was speaking.
Swaying, I fought the urge to vomit as consciousness slipped away. Shaking my head, I tried to maintain some sense of myself, to fight against the increasing pain. The last thing I needed to do was pass out again.
I wasn't sure what they would do to me or where they would take me if I slipped away. I knew I needed to fight, I had to get away from here now. They had plans to keep me locked up and if they moved me too far from the woods how would I ever find where I needed to be? The hatred and disgust in their conversation just proved how much I had to get to the woods.
Something clawed at the back of my mind, aching to break free. Every time this had happened in the past, I'd suppressed it, afraid that something was wrong with me. This time, I embraced it, calling to whatever it was.
Get me out of here, I thought. I needed an escape. Something to break free of this. I screamed, fighting against the pain, using the last bit of my strength to push away from my captors.
A sudden burst of light filled the room, temporarily blinding me. I gasped as the chains fell from me, the searing agony of them slipping away as they landed with a rattle on the ground. I jumped over them, needing to put as much space between me and those evil bindings as possible.
Still nauseous and shaky, I knew this was my chance. I stumbled as I lurched forward, still feeling the burning memory of the chains on my skin. Hands stretched out in front of me, I moved as fast as I could through the achingly blinding light. My fingers traced the walls and the paintings and the tapestries that I had walked by a million times in this place I called home. Now, the only thing I wanted to do was get away.
Screams of confusion and pain and anger sounded behind me and my heart hammered wildly. Every step was agony as anxiety clenched my insides. I had to find the door first, I had to get free of this house. I had a feeling, that if I let them get me now, it was over for me.
A few more steps and my palms hit a dead end. I felt around frantically, trying to figure out where the doorway was. I turned around in the hallway and squinted, trying to see more clearly.
My eyes were adjusting or the light was fading. Either way, I could now see the door. I ran forward, toward the woods, ignoring the cries behind me from my father and the man claiming to be my husband.
I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I reached the woods. All I knew was that nothing in my life was what I thought it was. The only thing that made sense was to follow Nani's directions. I wasn't sure if I fully trusted her, but I knew I would take her word over anyone who wanted to lock me up. She was the only one who had been there for me as a child and Nani's last words to me were to go to the woods.
Grief flooded through me as I made my escape, praying I wasn't condemning Nani in the process. I knew if I went back for her, I wouldn't escape again. I also knew that she would tell me to run. She wouldn't want me to risk myself to save her but my heart ached leaving her there. I hoped she had magic, something she could use to escape.
My bare feet flew across the grass of the gardens that surrounded our home. Bright summer sun shone down on me as if mocking the horror I was going through right then. If the weather were to imitate the way my insides felt, it would be a tumbling, windy thunderstorm. Beads of sweat slid down my back and my lungs burned, but I pressed on, focused on the forest ahead.
The trees in the distance looked like sanctuary. I knew my father and Aaron were probably chasing me, but I didn't look back. I pumped my arms harder, my chest stinging with exertion, my legs burning. I just needed to get a few more steps, I was so close I could taste the pine, I could almost feel the cool water of the stream, and I could smell my freedom.
I saw the figures standing in the forest too late to slow down or turn to avoid them. Instead, I crashed right into two strangers who instantly grabbed hold of me. I'd managed to escape one group of men, only to be captured by another. I wasn't going to let them stop me.
Kicking and screaming, I clawed at the face of the man who was holding me up against his chest. I scratched, and hissed like a lynx defending its territory. He tightened his grip, squeezing me in closer to his body, pinning my arms against my side.
I kicked at his shins, but he didn't budge at my attempts to escape. "Let me go!"
"Easy, we're not going to hurt you," he said, leaning down so his mouth was against my ear.
Involuntarily, I whimpered, feeling defeated in his unbreakable grasp. "Please. Just let me go."
"Shhh, everything is going to be fine," he said. His voice was soothing, calming, like a spring breeze.
I took a deep breath, catching the scent of rosemary and honey. My body relaxed momentarily and he eased his grip on me. I tried to press against him, a last attempt at freedom, but even with the lessened grip, I didn't budge. Feeling defeated, my shoulders dropped.
"We are trying to help you," another male voice said.
"Is that what you call it?" I asked. "Do you hold everyone you try to help against their will?"
"I like the fire in her," the man who was holding me said.
I looked up at him and focused on his face for the first time. He had a strong chiseled jaw and smiled at me with full lips. His bright green eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and stray dark brown hair fell in a messy pile onto his forehead. I opened my mouth to speak, but my gaze remained fixated on my captor. It wasn't possible for someone to be that attractive. I squirmed against his chest and realized I could feel the muscles below his tunic. Whoever this man was, he was strong.
"I will put you down now, but you need to promise not to run," he said.
That's when I realized, my feet weren't touching the ground. My captor lowered me and took his hands away from me.
I looked up, surprised to find that the handsome man was a whole head, maybe even two taller than me. I'd always been tall for a woman, but this man made me feel petite, not an easy feat. I looked to my right to be greeted by another equally attractive man.
The man on my right had bronze, sun kissed skin and warm brown eyes. His long dark hair was plaited into a braid behind his head giving me a clear view of his pointed ears.
I gasped. "You're not human." I felt foolish saying those words out loud because it was painfully clear now that I looked at them again. No human male was this tall, or this strong, or this beautiful. "Your ears. You're Fae."
"That we are," the male who had been holding me said.
I blinked a few times, looking at each of them in turn. My breathing slowed as I stood there letting it sink in.
"That's better, see now we can talk about things like civilized people," the first male said. "I'm Dane, and this is Cormac."
"I don't understand what’s happening," I said.
"We're not exactly sure ourselves, love," Dane said.
Now that I'd calmed down, I could tell they didn't intend to harm me. Both males were wearing weapons on their belts, yet their hands were free from weapons. If they wanted to hurt me, they could have done so easily. Instead, they were standing there with ease, talking to me. It seemed too much of a coincidence for them to be here in light of Nani's revelation. But I wasn't sure if their arrival was connected to my departure. "What are you doing here and why did you stop me?"
"We were chasing a monster," Cormac said. "It led us here."
"Imagine our surprise when we saw a Fae about to wed a mortal," Dane said.
"Are you talking about me?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. Hearing it from Nani and hearing
it from my father should have been enough for it to sink in by now. But it was so hard to believe. Even with two Fae males standing in front of me it was still shocking. How could I be one of them? They all had an otherworldly glow to them, matching pointed ears, and a beauty I'd never seen on a human.
"Yes, we're talking about you,” Cormac said.
As far as I knew, I didn’t look anything like them but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me something had changed. Holding my breath, I reached up and felt my ears. Sure enough, there was a point to them that hadn’t been there before. I swallowed hard.
"I highly recommend you let us take you back to Faerie. I'm not sure what you're doing here, but I can tell you it's not going to turn out well for you if you stay. Those boorish humans are headed this way, probably bearing pitchforks."
"You want me to go with you?" I asked.
"Well, I assume you want to figure out why you're here as much as we do. If you were taken from Faerie, we have to get the Queen involved. This could mean war against the humans,” he said.
"No, there’s no reason to jump to war. I’ve always lived here. My maid, she told me I was a changeling, that she hid me here," I said.
"That's not possible," Dane said. "They outlawed changelings."
"It doesn't matter," Cormac said. "We're taking her back with us. She doesn't belong here and she's in danger. We'll figure out the rest when we get there."
“Ready?” Cormac asked Dane.
“Autumn Court?” Dane asked.
Cormac nodded.
“Wait, what’s happening?” I asked.
“We’re going to slide. It’s the fastest way to travel,” Cormac said.
Before I had a chance to consent, he wrapped his arm around my waist and a gust of wind rushed past me, circling me and stealing my breath. A moment later, I felt weightless and my vision was dotted with starlight.
Just as quickly as it had come, the darkness vanished, and my feet were back on solid ground. My face heated as I realized I was hanging onto the Fae for dear life. Sure that fear was etched into every furrow of my brow, I looked up at him, hoping for some reassurance.
