Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Sierra had to admit, although she hadn’t had much time to explore the Fae strength and heightened senses, she felt far less scared during this kidnapping than her previous one.
The thought caused her to chuckle to herself. Only someone with her luck would be kidnapped twice in a matter of weeks—and be making a joke about it.
Sierra tried to pay attention as she was moved, but this time, she was carried for the duration of her transportation over the shoulder of a male she assumed was Fae.
As a result of being carried like a sack of potatoes, her head was lower than the rest of her body, and it was all Sierra could do to keep from vomiting from all the jostling and jiggling.
She couldn’t decide if it was the position upsetting her stomach, or the unknown berries she had eaten earlier that day.
Either way, the last thing she wanted was to make it even harder to breathe than it already was with the sack over her head.
At least this kidnapping, they kept her conscious for the entire event, which was good, because Sierra was able to gauge more accurately how far they were going, but it was also bad because it meant they likely knew who Sierra was and that she wouldn’t be able to find her way back to Fia’s on her own.
She hoped that if Conlan was the one behind this kidnapping, she would be able to speak to Slaine again. Braan, Kaye, and Aislan were supposed to be somewhere in Fuinseog anyway, and she was sure that if Slaine could get word to them, they would help her escape.
At least Sierra didn’t have to wonder for long who had kidnapped her because a few minutes later—which felt more like hours—she was dumped unceremoniously on a stone floor, and the bag removed from her head.
“I was wondering what happened to you.”
Sierra’s eyes raised to meet Conlan’s as he glared down at her with obvious disapproval.
She didn’t really know what to say, but she didn’t even have time to respond before Conlan used a long wooden stick to lift her chin so he could take a look at her face from his seated position a few feet away.
“Well, this is unfortunate. I imagine you are useless to me as a Fae.” He snapped his fingers at the man next to him. “Lock her up with the others.”
Sierra’s heart stopped.
What others?
She didn’t have to wait long to find that out either as she was dragged through the castle. She hadn’t been to this section of the castle before, but she had a feeling it was some kind of more advanced dungeon.
The four guards dragging her attached her wrists to iron cuffs, which were on the wall, before placing similar cuffs that were attached together around her ankles.
It was dark in this room, but with her new night vision, Sierra could make out the other forms hanging in much the same way she was on the other walls.
She also took notice of the hard stone surface of the floor beneath her, as opposed to the dirt of the other dungeon.
As the men finished locking her up, one of them spat at her feet.
“We found your little escape attempt,” the guard spat, and Sierra closed her eyes just in time for him to kick her in the ribs.
Sierra moaned in pain, trying to move her hands to hold her side before remembering they were locked tightly above her head.
“Don’t try anything funny. These are Fae chains, so you won’t be able to break out or shift even if you try,” another guard snapped in perfect English.
Apparently, they had just been ignoring her before.
They must’ve considered her worth their time now that she was Fae, something which made Sierra’s insides twist.
Sierra didn’t say anything, instead focusing on breathing through the pain in her ribs and the gag in her mouth.
It was likely that she had a broken rib from the kick, since she hadn’t been able to brace herself before his boot had made contact.
She just hoped that the rib hadn’t punctured anything to cause internal bleeding.
Sierra’s mind churned. She had never asked Aodhan if Fae healed faster, but since they were so long-lived, she assumed it must be so.
The four guards just laughed at her obvious pain before pulling the gag from her mouth and moving toward the large iron door, closing it securely behind them after they vacated the room.
As soon as the door was closed, Sierra remembered the other forms hanging on the other walls. She lifted her head, trying to blow her hair out of her eyes to make out who was in the dungeon with her. Her eyes focused on the form closest to her, blinking a few times as her vision blurred.
“Aislan?” she whispered, seeing the curly brown hair and thinner frame that Sierra had come to associate with Aodhan’s brother.
“Sierra?” He lifted his head, revealing what looked like a split lip, his face covered with bruises.
“Are you okay?” she gasped out before remembering his traveling companions. “Are Kaye and Braan…?”
Aislan tipped his head to the left.
“We’re here too.” Braan’s voice sounded pained from his position across the room, and he didn’t lift his eyes to meet hers.
Sierra’s gaze caught on the third form, the furthest away from her.
Kaye was in the darkest corner, and she lifted her head to look at Sierra but didn’t say anything, likely due to having human vision and being unable to see in the inky blackness.
“What happened?” Sierra gasped out.
Aislan shook his head lightly, grimacing in pain. “We were captured on our second day here. We had snuck into the library the first day without issue, and we thought no one had noticed, but the next day, when we tried again, guards were waiting for us.”
Sierra grimaced. “And Aodhan?”
“What?” Kaye’s voice was shaky. “He’s with you.”
“No.” Hope bloomed within Sierra. “He was with me until a few days ago, but then he came to find you.”
“Well, we haven’t seen or heard from him,” Aislan answered.
“And if he left a few days ago, he should be here. Slaine is feeding us information, and she hasn’t mentioned Aodhan at all.
She would have told us if he came looking for us, and he would have gone to her first. Everyone knows she has all the connections and runs one of the largest underground information networks in Fuinseog. ”
Sierra felt something tighten in her chest. “So, if he’s not with you—and he wasn’t at Fia’s cabin—where is he?”