Page 108 of I Summon the Sea

Small, hard hands grab me around the legs and pull. Gasping in shock, I turn and twist, but after another hard tug, I go sprawling.

Around me dance little hunched creatures with tattered moth wings and big toothy grins, chanting something I can’t make out.

“Oh, they brought lesser faeries with them to theanaktor!” Amaryll sounds delighted. “I’ve never seen anyluminafrom up close.”

Dear gods, is that supposed to be good? They caper around, cackling and pulling on my hair. I slap their little hard hands away, and they shriek and slap me back.

One of them sinks those sharp teeth into my hand, and I let out a sharp breath.

Amaryll is laughing too hard to help me, apparently.

The faeries drag me by the hair away from Amaryll and the table, and I grab at chairs and people’s feet to stop them. Unable to make a sound, I barely catch anyone’s attention—and those who do notice me, laugh.

They laugh and laugh, and it’s like one of those nightmares you can’t escape from, can’t wake up, can’t move. My back scrapes against the flagstones. My hair has come out of its updo, and my scalp is burning as the faeries keep dragging me toward the pillars marking the end of the roof.

They’re going to throw me into the sea. The realization hits, and I start struggling harder, grabbing at my hair, trying to release the hold of their small hands, and I’m still sliding toward the edge?—

Hands grab me and lift me to my feet, and then higher, until I’m dangling in the air.

Big hands.

A sigh of relief escapes me. I’m saved, or so I think… until I realize that I’m staring up at the faces of two male High Fae whose grins look just as wicked and those of the lesser faeries.

“What have we here?” one of them says, his grip bruising my upper arm. “Could this be the mute human girl everyone has been talking about? What an honor, right, Gillen?”

“I wonder what would make her find her voice and squeal like a pig,” Gillen replies, grabbing my other arm. “I have some ideas…”

The faery wine has made me slow and dizzy. I struggle, my now tangled hair falling in my face, but the two fae drag me awayfrom the crowd. Above, the sky seems to whirl, stars spinning, leaving blinding trails.

“Oh, you caught her, Gillen?” The female voice is familiar, and so is the sneer. “Let’s have a look… Heavens, where did she get this gown? Stole it, most likely. You little human thief.”

It’s Neere. Why am I not surprised? She’s like a goddess in her artfully draped red gown, a white hawk perched on her shoulder, and a red tiara in her hair.

Stepping close,tooclose, she taps a finger under my chin. “Look at you. What a mess you are. It’s as if you were dragged through the bushes by the faeries.”

Very funny.

“Oh, nobody was interested in escorting you, were they? Not Arkin. I know he was shadowing you, but I sent a girl to distract him. Looks like it worked!” She grins, all teeth. “He’s easily distracted, but still such a good match for me. Our families want this match, and we’ve been a couple for years.”

A couple, and she sends a girl to distract him? All right. What do I care? I just want them to release me.

I elbow the man on my right, and he grunts but doesn’t let go.

“Now, now, human.” He bares sharp teeth in my face. “Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me angry. We’re all having fun here.”

Are we?

“Where do you want her, Neere?” Gillen asks, closing in on my left.

But Neere isn’t done talking. She likes talking, and she likes taunting. “It is a custom for a lord interested in you to gift you a token,” she says, all mock earnestness. “A jewel, or a bird is customary. Like this hawk.” The white hawk on her shoulder whistles. “Has any lord gifted you anything? Has anyone come here with you? But of course not. You’re a lowborn human piece of trash.”

“Neere,” Gillen says, “we should hurry this up, in case?—”

“In case, what? Now…” Her grin has turned into a condescending smile. “We don’t like humans catching the king’s attention. We don’t like humans conspiring behind our backs. One way or another, you’ll tell us who you are and what makes you so important.”

Why would she think I care about being escorted and given gifts? It shows me that she has no idea why I’m here, which is a good thing. As for the rest… good luck waiting for an answer.

Neere grips my chin, and something sharp nicks my skin, making me jerk. Her nails? “No, no, you’re not running away. All this mute nonsense, I don’t buy it. Tell us who you are and why the king wanted to talk to you.”

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