4. Lira
4
LIRA
I gritted my teeth from the agony throbbing in my right toe and swallowed the bile rising from the brutality and gore around me. I wanted to keep the hand holding my pocketknife steady.
The world stopped as Tavish blinked at me before throwing his head back and laughing. His cold features warmed, and a different sort of knot twisted in my stomach. The sound of his laugh soothed something inside me, like swimming in cool water on a hot summer’s day.
How could I feel something other than horror with a man’s chopped-off wing and black blood puddled around me? Yet the very man who’d created the gore made me feel something inside that I didn’t want to analyze. I hated that I couldn’t overlook the fact that he’d done all this to protect me . Had he not intervened, I’d be in a world of hurt, if not dead.
He straightened, his irises turning a light gray reminiscent of twilight. “Sprite, do you truly believe this child’s toy can harm me?”
My stupid stomach fluttered again, and I remembered something the wise Halsey once referenced in one of her songs, she sang about red flags feeling like butterflies. I understood the lyrics perfectly now, and even though he’d used that nickname in a condescending way before, it didn’t feel like that now … or I wanted to believe that was the case.
“Tavish,” Eldrin snapped.
Darkness rolled back into Tavish’s eyes, and his features turned stony again. The man who both intrigued and terrified me fell back into place and I appreciated my internal temperature returning to normal.
“That is King Tavish, even to you,” he snapped. “Or should I remind you again?” He arched a brow at the white-haired man.
The man flinched and rubbed a spot on the right side of his chest. “No need, My King .”
With the way Tavish held himself so rigidly, I was certain the man I’d seen just moments ago had been a figment of my imagination. When he turned his attention back to me, I wanted to disappear into the darkness, which made me clench my jaw tighter, determined not to let him see that he did, in fact, make me uncomfortable.
Dad had told me that any sign of fear made predators want to hunt and break their prey more. They’d signed me up for many self-defense classes, including kickboxing, and we’d sparred in the backyard most weekends. Each time, we’d chanted the same mantra at the beginning and end: Show no fear and do what you need to in order to survive .
“I severely injured and possibly killed one of my best guards because he hurt you and wanted to do more.” He sheathed his sword back at his side like he wasn’t threatened by me at all. “And this is the thanks I get. Did they not teach you manners on Earth?”
My mind swirled, making me dizzy. “You want me to thank you for kidnapping me, taking me away from my family, allowing me to believe I was falling to my death, and locking me in a room where I can’t even piss in privacy and am surrounded by men who want to hurt me, including yourself ?”
Damn. Had I known this was my future, I’d have gladly stayed home for New Year’s and hidden under my covers. I wanted a redo and to get away from all the craziness.
“Oh, it’s not just the guards.” Tavish smirked and crossed his arms. His biceps bulged even under his shirt. “It’s every person in Cuil Dorcha.”
“Cuil Dorcha?” I parroted, not lowering my hand. I refused to admit defeat with my pocketknife. I had no clue why. I needed to either wake up from this nightmare or find a way to escape and get back home. The main problem I faced—if this wasn’t a dream—was getting back to whatever portal, magic, transporter, or beam I’d gone through to get here, and it had been high in the sky.
“Oh, dear Fate.” The white-haired man rolled his eyes. “This is more pathetic than I expected.”
“ Quiet ,” Tavish growled. “Eldrin, do I need to teach you how you are to talk to her?”
My breath caught, and that strange pleasurable pressure returned.
“She is mine to break in whatever time and way I choose,” he said and stepped toward me.
Stomach dropping, I inhaled, needing my head to remain clear. One minute, he was protecting me, and the next, he made it clear he wasn’t doing it from a place of caring.
“Cuil Dorcha is the name of my kingdom.” Tavish leaned back, his dark wings folding tight into his back, blending in with his shirt. Darkness clung to him more than it had yesterday, which shouldn’t have been possible.
Of course he was a king. This was his kingdom. The memory of the dark houses with barely any light sent a chill down my back.
“Put down the toy before my patience is gone.” He tapped a foot on the floor, the tip of his black boot hitting the edge of the puddle of blood. He didn’t even blink, as if the blood and mangled wing weren’t anything out of the ordinary.
Bile churned and burned my throat. What sort of man … fae … fae man was I dealing with? Worse, he was in charge, so he could do any damn thing he wanted to me. I couldn’t hide my flinch.
He smirked. “Excellent. You’re beginning to comprehend your dire situation.” His face tightened, making his rugged appearance more pronounced.
I swallowed, hating that I’d shown weakness.
I’d been so heartbroken and distraught last night that my shock had worn off. If I didn’t find a way out of here quickly, I could very well wish I were dead.
Even though everything inside me wanted to strike out at Tavish, I forced myself to lower the pocketknife. If I wanted a chance to escape, I needed to stop antagonizing him. I needed him to believe I would be complacent. I placed the weapon back in my pocket, expecting him to demand I turn it over.
Instead, the corners of his lips tilted upward.
Lifting my chin, I puffed out my chest. “You won’t even ask for my weapon.”
He chuckled. “Sprite, that toy wouldn’t harm anyone here. Everyone in this castle and our town is trained in combat. If you managed to injure someone or kill them with that icepick, then the person will have deserved it.”
The air expelled from my lungs in one swoop. The more I learned, the heavier my body felt. That didn’t change what needed to be done. I had to get the hell out of here. I’d just have to be careful of the townspeople as well.
“That includes the children.” Eldrin placed his fingers through the bars of the door. “In case you decide to attack a child who might visit you here from time to time, as they’re trained to keep the prisoners in line.”
“Children?” I squeaked.
Tavish scowled. “Children begin training as soon as they learn how to fly. We need to be prepared in case your people attack us again.”
“ My people.” I gestured to my back. “I don’t have wings. And if mine were chopped off—” I winced, refusing to look at the separated wing again. “—I have no doubt I’d remember that.”
“Are you sure you have the right girl?” Eldrin wrinkled his nose. “She lived in Gleann Solas for the first ten years of her life. This woman acts entirely human.”
Ten years.
My skin crawled, and I sucked in a shaky breath.
No. It had to be a coincidence. I’d remember if I’d lived in a different world.
“She’s the right woman. Those eyes are the same exact shade of blue I remember.” Tavish sneered, and despite the dangerous edge to his face, he could easily pass for a god in one of the folklore books I liked to read, trying to find answers about the eyes in my dreams.
He scoffed. “I have no doubt it’s her. Smell her. She smells of Seelie even after being in the human world for twelve years. And I could never forget those eyes. ”
The words sent goose bumps all over my body, but I refused to acknowledge it. I averted my gaze, not wanting to look at him, but I grimaced when my attention landed on the blood and the wing again. The white skin on the wing was turning a light gray and wrinkling.
Once again, there was no way I’d forget someone like him . “When did we know each other?”
“When we were both younger, but don’t hurt yourself trying to recall. The memories will come back soon enough. Now, come on,” Tavish said without the usual growl. “Let’s take you somewhere else.”
A sour taste filled my mouth, and I wanted to gag all over again. My throat was still raw from the way the bastard had choked me, but that was the least of my problems.
Eldrin rubbed his hands together. “Ah, yes. We should put her with the rest of the prisoners.”
I shook my head, my ears pounding. If the guard was willing to hurt me like that, I didn’t want to imagine what the prisoners would do if they got their hands on me.
Although … why had Tavish intervened unless the reason was that the guard hadn’t had permission to hurt me?
“I have other plans for her.” Tavish stepped into the space between Eldrin and me. Then he added, “Which I need to handle with her alone .”
Eldrin tucked a piece of his long white hair behind his ear, and I had to swallow a gasp.
Tavish’s hair wasn’t as long as the rest of the men’s I’d seen here, but it was shaggy and hung over his ears, so I hadn’t noticed them. But when Eldrin moved his hair, I’d seen that the tips of his ears were pointed like the images of fae in folklore books.
Fairy tales and folklore had always intrigued me, but I’d never imagined any of it was true. The more I saw here, however, the more I couldn’t deny that some parts of the books were right.
“Very well, My King .” Eldrin leaned to the side to study me once more. “All I ask is that I get a turn in punishing her for what she did to your father. You know how close I was to my favorite uncle.”
This weasel wasn’t merely Tavish’s advisor; he was family, and if he was the only family member Tavish had, he would be next in line for the throne. I wasn’t sure how it worked in this world, but on Earth, that was a big deal.
“No one but I will touch her.” Tavish leaned forward, towering over the man. “Do I make myself clear? Not you, not the guards, and no prisoners. Anyone foolish enough to try to harm her in any way again will die by my sword. There won’t be any chance of living like I afforded Malikor.”
A muscle in Eldrin’s jaw twitched, but after a moment, he bowed his head. “Of course, My King.” Then he stepped out of the way so that Tavish could leave.
Tavish turned toward me and grasped my wrist.
My skin buzzed. The sensation was comforting and warm, making me want to trust him. Not only that, but my chest tugged toward him, urging me to close the distance between us.
I maintained enough control to stop myself from doing something foolish.
He gently pulled me to follow him, so I obliged, but when I put pressure on my right foot, pain shot through it, and my knee gave out. I groaned as I stumbled, but Tavish moved quickly, wrapping an arm around my waist to steady me.
Our faces were mere inches apart, and his scent filled my nose, making me dizzy. I didn’t understand how I could have such a reaction to him when he meant me harm.
“I should’ve killed him.” His arm tightened around me.
My mouth went dry, and I remained silent. I wasn’t sure what to say to that, but the threat didn’t bother me like it should have. A part of me almost liked it. That must be because of all the unprocessed trauma I’d gone through.
He bent and lifted me into his arms like a princess, and my body damn near imploded.
I managed to swallow around the lump in my throat. “I can walk. It might just take me a minute.”
“We have somewhere to be, and we’re already behind schedule.” He gracefully breezed through the door and turned down the hallway. His wings expanded, and soon we were flying.
The cold air of the castle blew in my face, but I kept myself turned forward, wanting to remember everything we went by and not wanting to smell him any more than I had to.
The hallway was dark, and when we passed a window, the sky looked dark and stormy, but I noticed people strolling below the castle. “What time is it?” Though I hadn’t slept well, I’d thought I’d gotten at least a couple of hours of rest. Granted, I didn’t understand how time worked here.
“It’s morning. Time works similar to Earth here.”
That was super helpful. “When does the sun come out?” I’d love to get a better idea of the land that surrounded the castle while I could.
“It doesn’t,” he replied curtly. “We live in darkness and snow.”
My lungs seized. To never have sunlight or warmth sounded like a horrible existence. Further proof that I wasn’t meant to live here.
The dark castle was gorgeous, though simple. There weren’t a ton of items decorating the place, giving it a sterile but clean feel. He flew me by a few doors and stopped at one on the right. He landed but didn’t put me down, then opened the door.
The room was massive, with a gorgeous dark chandelier hanging from the middle of the high ceiling.
A loud, threatening growl forced my attention to a fae man dressed in dark armor with what appeared to be the biggest wolf in existence next to him. It was the size of a cow. The wolf seemed to have black fur, but even in the darkness, the ends glinted a dark green. Its eyes glowed green, reminding me of a traffic light. The fur on its neck rose, and its eyes locked with mine while it bared its teeth and drooled.
“If this is what being a female prisoner is like around here,” a man sitting on a nearby couch said, “I need to find one like her that I can carry around.” The man wore a gray tunic, and his ash-blond hair hung in his face. The sides were cut short, revealing his pointed ears with dark earrings looped in both.
“Now’s not the time, Finnian,” Tavish rasped as he folded his wings behind him. He strolled over to the wolf and guard. “Let’s get this over with.”
Fear clawed at my chest, and I couldn’t turn my gaze away from the angry animal.
The closer we came, the more the wolf drooled and snarled. Its green eyes glowed brighter as it edged forward toward me.
Tavish lifted a hand. “Not yet, Nightbane. ”
The creature stopped, but the snarls morphed into a deep rumble.
When we were a few feet away, Tavish lowered me to the floor.
Every ounce of me wanted to cling to him and beg him not to. I didn’t know what the plan was, but I was certain I didn’t want to be near the scary wolf. My heart hammered against my ribs like it wanted to escape.
“Don’t worry,” Tavish said in a cold voice. “This won’t take long.”
He disappeared from my side and commanded, “Nightbane, come.”
The creature hunkered down and snapped as it moved toward me.