Page 76 of What did you do?

I took off, letting Eli’s earlier words fuel me. I didn’t need him or Mendax. I didn’t need anybody, and I needed to remember that.

My ankle cracked at an odd angle while I struggled to get started around the circle. I changed my grip on Tarani, moving all four of her thin legs into one hand so I could balance better as we accelerated around the wall. If I couldn’t keep this speed, we would drop.

“What the—” Eli said as I got closer to the lip where he was crouched.

Finally near the top, my ankles throbbed and my arms quivered, but I flung us onto the edge, slamming against the earth as large hands gripped my wrists, helping to pull me up.The mossy edge of the pit slid against my tired body until only the tips of my tennis shoes dangled over. Hurrying for fear the pit would close at any second, I pulled my knees up, away from the edge, shoved Tarani’s body from my shoulders, and rolled over, panting.

“How did you—” Eli began.

I moved my eyes from the blue sky above to see Eli holding Tarani’s limp body, staring at me with an open mouth.

“Physics,” I grumbled, dropping my head back down for one more second before standing up. “Why couldn’t she shift? Couldn’t she have flown out?” I asked.

“Sometimes fate toys with us, and our animal form won’t allow us to shift. She must have been terrified. Evals are no joke,” Eli whispered.

He had lifted Tarani to hold her in a bright ray of sun that peeked through the trees. As soon as the sun touched her fur, it glimmered like each hair was full of magic. She moved her head to the side to soak in more of the strong sun.

My shoes compressed the deep moss as I stepped back to the edge of the pit.

“Okay, be ready for me. If this closes, I’m sorry for everything. Know that I loved you, even when you’re being an ass,” I said, sitting on the edge of the pit, dangling my legs back down.

Hands clapped over my shoulders and pulled me back. “What the fuck are you doing?” Eli barked.

“The grizzly or eval—whatever it is, I’m going to help get him out,” I said, shoving him off of me. It was stupid, but so was saving Tarani.

“What? You can’t do that. You can’t carry him out. He’s six hundred pounds at least! You will kill us both! And for what? An eval?” Eli gawked at me like I had grown a second head.

“I don’t think he’ll hurt me. I can sort of feel it. I think,” I said softly.

“You can’t feel anything, Caly! You don’t have any of your Artemi powers yet. They are tucked away safely in the castle,” he said while he rubbed his forehead. “Just because a lot of animals like you, doesn’t mean they all will.”

My jaw dropped. “You know where my heart is. You’ve known this whole time?” My throat tightened until I was barely able to finish the words.

“Yes, I know where it is, but that doesn’t mean I can get to it. You’re the only one who can get to it.”

“Why wouldn’t you help me get it then?” I asked. This is what happens when you love someone and trust they will keep you safe.

“I didn’t know that you were planning on stealing it back before our ceremony. You are though.” His eyes flashed. “You were planning to steal your heart and leave with Mendax, weren’t you?” He was shouting now, hurt and anger carving lines between his eyes.

“I wasn’t planning to do anything with Mendax, but why should I have to marry you in order to get my own heart?” I shouted back at him. “It’smyheart! I was told I would be considered a Seelie royal upon my arrival. No marriage required.” I watched the muscle feather as his jaw clenched and he took a step back as though I had wounded him.

“Forgive me. I was unaware you held such objections to marrying me,” he stated. “Perhaps then, once I put Mendax to death once and for all, it will lessen your struggle. After all, he’s in my realm, stalking my family,” he said with chilling calm.

I stared at him for a minute. I had been so worried about Mendax killing Eli, I had never once thought about the possibility of Eli killing Mendax.

How had this gotten so complicated?

I turned my eyes back to the pit. Now more than ever, I needed to be around an animal. It sounded stupid, but it reminded me of my sister, and it was the only time I felt any peace. Right then, I would risk a mauling for that kind of calm.

Sliding my legs over the edge of the pit, I tried to flatten my back against the wall, in the hopes of using a playground-slide position as I slid down. Unfortunately, a large rock grated against my spine, forcing me to coil and tumble until I fell to the bottom.

“Calypso! No!”

Before I could stop him, Eli had dived into the pit, spreading his gilded wings to hover above me. The eval rose, filling the crowded space with its large frame and letting out a growl so forceful, spit flew from his open jaw.

“Eli, go back with Tarani. If she doesn’t wake up soon, another pit could open under her. I can handle this,” I said, standing up to brush the dirt off my leggings and ripped sundress.

“You think I’m going to leave you here?” Eli said, swooping over to grab my waist. “You have no defense. Itwillkill you! It’s not a puppy!”

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