24. Lira
24
LIRA
T avish went as still as a statue while my chest heaved, though I was still in torment from the injury to my wings.
“See.” Finnian crossed his arms, shoving his hands under his armpits. “Even Caelan knows Ecoar’s penis is too small to be found. A two-inch arrowhead would still be too large to remove it.”
Forehead creasing, Eiric blinked. “I’m certain he wasn’t referring to that particular comment.”
Even Nightbane huffed at the end of Eiric’s sentence, adding to her point.
When things settled, I’d have to heal the poor beast. He didn’t deserve to be in misery. He’d become what Tavish and the others had forced him to be.
“It wasn’t.” Caelan frowned then grimaced. Blood dripped down his chin from the crack in his lip. “The wood here isn’t the dried bark of the ruined lands. It’s from the true Unseelie kingdom.”
Shock and concern swirled through Tavish. “Only the guards are supposed to use those weapons. How did a townsfae get hold of one?”
“Obviously someone provided it to her.” Finnian pursed his lips. “But they would know that doing something like that is punishable by death.”
“Death?” I choked. “That seems extreme for merely using an arrow from your homeland.”
“Those arrows are more deadly because they’re infused with Unseelie magic.” Tavish lifted a hand. His wings flexed, but the chains held them in place. He tensed, and I could see the flash of stormy gray in his eyes from his anger. He exhaled and continued, “They are the strongest weapons we have, more so than our swords, and are to be used only in dire circumstances. The metal isn’t as strong because it isn’t forged solely from Unseelie metals. It’s a mix of Seelie as well, which helped form the point the way we needed to.”
“If she was attacked with Unseelie magic, shouldn’t the damage be worse?” Eiric rolled her shoulders. “The cold out there alone had me turning into an icicle, and your magic wasn’t even centered on me.”
“I’m assuming it wasn’t worse because our fated-mate bond is complete.” Tavish took my hand. “I broke through the Seelie veil when Finnian couldn’t, but then the guards took down the veil temporarily to pull him through, and when we returned here, Lira got through while you couldn’t. Our fated-mate connection protected her, and the blood Eldrin stole from her must have created a veil strong enough to keep you out for a short time. Once it blocked you the first time, the veil came down because he didn’t take enough to form anything stronger.”
My gut lurched as if I’d been kicked. “Eldrin didn’t scold anyone for harming me until after the arrow was shot.” Had that been his intention? To damage my wings? But why? What was the point?
“She must have been aiming for the muscles at the base of your wing and missed.” Caelan shifted around and grunted. “That would’ve caused each flap to rip your muscles more.”
Finnian’s blue eyes widened. “The actual base of your wings, leaving you unable to fly ever again. A Seelie princess that can only walk would make the Seelie appear weak, especially to the dragons.”
That would be the only benefit. I almost wish they’d succeeded. Then Prince Pyralis wouldn’t be interested in me.
Wait. That wasn’t true. I enjoyed flying, and I refused to have another thing taken away. My parents and the dragons had already influenced my life too much.
Don’t speak like that. Tavish’s anger swirled within me. The fact that you want to sacrifice something so precious makes my hatred for the ashbreath grow more. His breathing quickened, and his jaw clenched. It’s bad enough that he touched you, but this makes it worse. I will kill him for even looking in your direction.
“I’m hoping you know a way to get out of here.” Eiric sighed. “Do you have a secret key or tunnel? Something no one knows about?”
Tavish shook his head. “I don’t know of another way out, but we didn’t build this castle. It belonged to the dragons. They lived on this island and ruined the lands before heading to the next island they now claim as their home.”
Eyes widening, Eiric glanced around the dark cell. “The prince lived here at one time?”
“All the dragon royals.” Caelan leaned his head against the wall. “Not just the prince.”
“Right. Of course.” She laughed breathily.
Nightbane lowered his head, a faint whimper coming from deep in his chest. Unable to handle it anymore, I released Tavish’s hand and squatted next to him. When I touched his fur, my wings screamed in torment, but I ignored the pain. My friend required comfort.
I cringed when my hand touched the dried blood in his fur. I fought through the instinct to jerk my hand back, and Nightbane let out a contented sigh.
Realization washed over me. I knew we’d talked about keeping my healing ability a secret, but I trusted everyone here. I lifted my head to meet Tavish’s gaze. Soon I would have chains on my wings, preventing me from tapping into my magic. I remembered the way I’d felt during the gauntlet when they’d chained my newly returned wings. Part of me had gone missing. I could only imagine what it would feel like now that I’d grown accustomed to them. If I heal us enough that we regain some of our strength while still looking injured, we might have a better chance to get out of here. I nibbled on my bottom lip, dreading Tavish’s response.
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
I pressed on, knowing his one weakness. If I don’t heal myself, I won’t be able to fly if we get a chance soon. But if I heal myself, the others might notice and ask questions.
The corners of his lips tipped upward, and when he opened his eyes, the irises had lightened marginally. You’re learning how to get your way with me, sprite. I’m not sure I like it.
I crinkled my nose, trying not to return a smile. Even in a cramped jail cell, he made the world seem less bleak, if only for a moment. That’s not what your face is saying.
You and Eiric speak so strangely still, even with your memories restored. He exhaled, allowing his shoulders to hunch. I assume, since my face can’t actually speak, you’re suggesting I’m not upset that you know me so well, and you’re right. I blasting love that you know you’re my weakness. Your well-being and happiness surpass everything.
Nightbane lifted his head and stared into my eyes. The light-green color pulled at my heart. I could ease his pain.
Eiric has proven she’ll do whatever’s needed to keep you safe, and I trust Finnian and Caelan. Since you’re right and we’re in a dire situation, I agree with you, especially about healing your wings.
Some of the weight lifted from my body, and the healing magic swirled deep within me, readying to release. My magic was weak, but I had enough to repair some of the damage.
My gaze dropped back to Nightbane, and I allowed the warm, healing magic to flow into my wings and through my hand.
The sharp pain in my wings faded. I couldn’t heal us completely. The guards would come and place chains on my wings to restrain me, and I couldn’t be back to normal health. But I could have the wounds scabbing over.
I allowed the magic to flow freely into Nightbane and watched as the cut on his nose slowly closed. His breathing became less labored, and he opened his large mouth, allowing his tongue to roll out.
Eiric sucked in a breath. “That dog’s nose is healing. How is that possible? Is that part of his magic?”
“What?” Finnian yawned, and then he gasped. “No. Cù-sìth heal like normal fae.”
“You two, calm down.” Tavish turned his back toward me to address the others. “Don’t alert anyone outside this cell. Lira is healing him, but that secret remains between us. That’s how I know Eldrin isn’t the one who saved me. Lira came to me that night. She kept me from dying.”
Caelan’s head tilted back. “How long have you known this?”
“Since her memories came back while we were in Gleann Solas.”
“That must be why she didn’t die at the end of the gauntlet.” Finnian clasped his hands together. “We all heard her heart stop. I’m so glad Lira is here. She’s made our world so much more interesting. If she wasn’t yours—”
A deep, threatening snarl came from Tavish’s chest, and even though our bond was cool, the heat of his anger bled through.
“Finish that sentence and I shall kill you here with my bare hands.” Tavish’s words ended in a snarl. “And I won’t have one ounce of regret for doing it.”
“Just let me finish.” Finnian smiled widely, showing his teeth. “You could be wrong.”
Calean hung his head. “Finnian, this isn’t the time to pester him. Do you value your own life?”
“We don’t have time for any of this.” Eiric’s jaw dropped. “We shouldn’t be expending energy. We should be saving it for later. And what is this gauntlet everyone keeps speaking of, and how did Lira almost die? Why weren’t the king and queen informed of this?”
My chest tightened. She wouldn’t like the answer about the gauntlet. “This is how Finnian copes with stress, and the gauntlet is in the past. None of that matters now. It’s over.” At times like this, I wondered how Tavish and Finnian had remained friends, but then I remembered how loyal Finnian was to us. He just enjoyed riling up Tavish. If you ignored him, he wouldn’t do it nearly as often. He won’t say what you expect. Just let him finish so E doesn’t kill him because she doesn’t like jokes in situations like these.
Nor do I , Tavish replied and clenched his hands at his sides.
My wings still ached, but the pain no longer stole my breath. I pulled my healing magic back in. Neither Nightbane nor I needed to be completely healed. Doing this much might already raise questions. Still… I couldn’t allow my friend to suffer like that.
When I dropped my hands, Nightbane climbed to his feet and shook out his fur like he wanted to get the blood off. That would require water, and even though I could do that, I didn’t want the guards to notice I was back here using magic.
“Let me get past you two,” I murmured, knowing Caelan needed some of my magic.
As I stepped between Tavish and Finnian, I felt the toll that healing Nightbane and myself had taken on me. A decent amount of my magic had been used, and it thrummed inside me faintly. Healing Caelan even a little was better than nothing.
When I reached him, I touched his arm and pushed my magic toward him before it dried up.
“Lira’s nonanswer is bad. That’s her habit when she knows I’ll be pissed,” Eiric answered. “Someone better tell me what happened to my sister.”
My stomach dropped. She wasn’t letting this go, and I couldn’t blame her. If I were in her wings, I’d want to know the same damn thing.
“She escaped and fought with some of our people,” Tavish answered, causing a warning sensation to course down my back. My magic vanished, along with most of my energy. Dammit, I hadn’t healed Caelan enough.
I spun around to find Tavish with his head lowered, staring at the floor. Normally, he was composed and confident, but at this moment, he appeared broken.
We wouldn’t do the thing where he took the blame and let Eiric hate him, so I interjected, “When a prisoner goes against the rules, the punishment is to have all the prisoners fight each other. If Tavish hadn’t called for it to happen, they would’ve killed me on the spot. At the end of the last game, Tavish interfered and saved my life, which is why I’m standing here today.”
“You bastard .” Eiric bared her teeth at him, and Nightbane growled.
He inched in front of Tavish, his eyes glowing as he stared at my sister.
“I’m not sure what ‘bastard’ means, but given the hate with which you said it, I agree.” Tavish straightened, regret clinging to him like a second skin. “I should’ve done something before then, and I wish there was a way to go back and do it now.”
I had no doubt he would let Eiric hurt him as punishment, but we wouldn’t do that.
Pushing through so I stood between Eiric and Nightbane, I faced my sister. “I’m fine, and we need to focus on a way to get out of here. He’s beaten himself up over it enough. Let’s leave the past behind.”
Eiric gritted her teeth. “Fine, but when this is over, this conversation isn’t. Do you understand?” The way her emerald-green eyes hardened told me there was no negotiation. The question was merely a formality with one acceptable answer.
“Fine.” I patted Nightbane’s head.
A groan had me spinning around to find Caelan slowly climbing to his feet. His swollen eye had healed some, making it look an even deeper black, and his lip had a scab.
“I wish I could’ve done more.” The injury to my wings had reversed any recovery I’d made since passing out in the woods. “But—”
Caelan raised a hand. “I’m a lot better. Believe me. It doesn’t hurt to breathe anymore.”
“What in blighted abyss happened when we left?” Finnian asked.
“A few hours after you left, the snow melted, and the sun came out fully. Eldrin flew in front of the castle doors, proclaiming he was the new ruler and that Tavish had died.” Caelan sighed. “Me and the guards who knew tried to tell everyone you were alive, but Eldrin is convincing, and we had no way of knowing if you’d died while at Cuil Dorcha. Eldrin beat me to a pulp in front of everyone, proclaiming me a traitor, and had me thrown in here. I’ve been here since you left.”
My chest constricted.
“They haven’t been feeding me or giving me water, so I’ve been growing weak.”
“The same blasted thing the Seelie did to us.” Finnian’s eyes narrowed.
Which meant they would be doing the same to the rest of us. That was why they’d crammed us in here together—to ensure we had no room to sleep comfortably.
Silence hung around us, and the tension could’ve been sliced with a knife. We were in a horrible situation, and I doubted we’d be getting out.
“Everyone, think.” Tavish leaned against the cell wall. “There has to be something we can do.”
No one spoke for a long time. My legs cramped from standing, but I didn’t want to sit on that nasty floor. I had no clue how long we stood there, but it felt like hours. My only comfort was having Tavish’s arm around my waist.
“Please tell me someone’s figured out a strategy by now.” Finnian sighed as the sound of footsteps headed our way.
I turned so my wings couldn’t easily be seen, and I partly hid Eiric. She was Seelie too, and I didn’t want her to be mistreated like I had been before.
The steps were slow and unhurried… like they were letting us know they were coming.
It had to be a scare tactic, and unfortunately, it impacted me, even if I didn’t want it to.
Eldrin and Lorne rounded the corner, and Eldrin’s heartless silver eyes focused on Tavish. “Dear cousin. I hope things aren’t too cramped in that cell of yours.” He grinned.
Tavish’s face turned stony, but he didn’t reply.
“Don’t fret. I have plans for your pet.” He nodded toward the door.
Lorne removed a key and slipped it into our cell lock.
There were two of them. This was the moment we could use to escape. Eldrin’s arrogance would work in our favor.
Tavish shoved past me, preparing to fight to keep me here. Nightbane snarled at my side.
“Bran, handle the beast and Tavish,” Eldrin commanded.
Bran? The twin brother of the woman I’d been forced to kill in the final round of the gauntlet. The strike from his sword was what had killed me… temporarily.
A guard stepped around the castle wall of the cell, green hair sticking out from under his helmet, confirming my fear. “It’ll be my pleasure.” And then his green eyes darkened, and Tavish, Nightbane, and the others crumpled in the cell. Everyone but me.
What’s wrong?
He’s using his illusion magic on us, making us feel pain and fear.
Bran had done that to me in the tournament. With Tavish’s magic bound, he couldn’t protect himself. I needed to protect them, but Lorne opened the door, grabbed my arm, and pulled me out. He led me away from the cell.
I heard a click, informing me they’d all been locked in again.
“Lira!” Tavish screamed.
My heart pounded in my ears, and I tried jerking out of Lorne’s grasp.
“It won’t work, Lira.” Lorne tightened his grip on me.
He led me into another holding cell where several large bowls sat on the floor. Bile inched up my throat.
I had no doubt what this was about. The same reason Eldrin had attacked me in the tub.
He wanted my blood. He wanted to drain me.
I had to get out of here because there was no coming back from blood loss.