Page 59 of A Bargain with the Fae King

This is our third shift to a new location to repair the wards. Each time they finish at a honing spot, the tents come down, they shift everyone and everything, they start at the next spot, and the tent city comes back to life. Rinse and repeat until done. Horribly boring and infuriating with my sister still missing.

The only thing keeping me sane is Ambrose’s confidence that the repaired wards will keep the Unseelie trapped within their territory and help locate May faster.

We’d come to this spot late in the night. Riven and Sigurd rested for just a few hours before trudging through the woods to the nearby focus point to apply their magic. Sylvie shared a tent with me instead of Riven, a blessing I am grateful for. The age difference still sits oddly with me, and the thought of wounding him further over that knowledge makes me ill.

Though, it’d be a lie to say I don’t miss him or the comfortable way we were before.

“Let me take you back to Arbrean,” Ambrose says. “If we find any trace of your sister, I’ll come get you.”

This again.

I nearly groan in frustration as I roll my shoulders. “I want to help.” Who knows my sister better than me? No one. “We’re already out here.”

He shakes his head. We’ve had this conversation already, several times in fact, and even I have to admit he’s being patient. But damn, he wouldn’t have to be if he’d just let me look for her. I pace and redo my ponytail, just to have something to keep hands busy.

“You’ve got spirit, as much as any of my guard,” he says. “But they’re trained to know the forest and read its clues. You’re not.”

Sylvie plops down on the ground in front of me. “He is right, you know.”

My lips thin, and I turn away. All ganging up on me. How sweet.

“And if I’m not here watching you, then I can search for your sister as well,” Ambrose says.

His words knock the wind out of me. I twist back to look at Sylvie and Galen, who both give silent nods. Guilt churns in my stomach, a sick twisting mass of knots that refuses to loosen. How could I be so shortsighted?Possibly their best tracker, and he’s stuck here watching after me.

“I-I didn’t know.” I should have but... “You should have told me.”

“Aye.” He nods and looks at the ground before gazing back at me. “Perhaps. But you were so determined last time. Didn’t want you running off on your own again. I thought if we gave in a bit…” He shrugs.

I stare awkwardly at the ground. How many times can I mess up? At this point, it’d be easier to list the things I haven’t screwed up, though right now, I’m not even sure what those are.

Make the fae aware of May? Check.

Let her get kidnapped? Check.

Fail to save her? Check.

Delay her rescue? Check again.

And that doesn’t even cover mine and Riven’s relationship or any of my previous life failures before the past.

God. I groan. It hasn’t even been a week.

Ambrose clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t feel too bad. We’re very grateful you’re here. More than you know.”

Still. “I need you to do me a favor.”

He releases me to rub the scrub the scruff on his face. “Am I going to like this favor?”

“Maybe. Hopefully.” I wring my hands in front me. “If I’m getting in the way or making things more difficult, I need you to tell me. Especially if it’s delaying us in finding May, I—” The words catch in my throat.

“That, I can do.”

“Good.” I give a sharp nod. “Take me back. Sooner the better if it helps May.”

“We’ll take you,” Galen offers. “We’re to stick with you anyway, whether out here or back in the city.”

At least I won’t be alone in my misery.

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