Page 20 of The Fae Girl 1

I whimpered. “Please.”

“Get up.” He said sounding like he didn’t even gave a damn about what had just happened.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to cry but I could feel it, the tears right there, threatening to fall. “I just want to go home.” I said. “Please just let me go home.”

“You’re coming with me.” He replied grabbing my arm, yanking me up and back out of the cell.

We were in a fort, a small wooden outpost by the looks of it. All around us lay dead soldiers. I shuddered trying not to see it but it felt like the image was seared into my brain.

Like every time I blinked their bodies were there, lingering.

“Are you hurt?” Marke asked rushing up to me.

“She’s fine.” Fain grunted before I could reply.

“Like you even care.” I snapped back at him.

“You’re right I don’t care.” Fain retorted. “Get her horse.” He said still holding me so tightly before lifting me up and depositing me into the saddle.

“Tie her to it.” He ordered as he held me so I couldn’t get off and I couldn’t fight.

“But…” I began.

He silenced me with a look that sent chills through my spine.

“I warned you. I told you not to try anything.” He said quietly so that only I could hear, his arms were wrapped around me, holding me firm. His body was engulfing mine entirely while another man tied my legs onto the saddle.

Once it was done he grabbed the reins and walked back to his own horse leading mine with him.

“We don’t stop until nightfall.” He said after mounting and looking round to see everyone else was ready. Kicking his horse he pulled mine with him.

Nightfall? The sun wasn’t even up yet. How the hell could we ride for that long?

I grabbed onto the saddle but my legs were too secure for me to come off. Little mercies I guess. At least I wouldn’t fall to my death from the horse though there was good chance the beast might collapse under me from the brutal pace Fain had set.

The pounding of hooves echoed in my head as we galloped on and on and on. My jaw ached from gritting my teeth so hard. Carefully I moved one hand down to the rope. The knots were too tight. Far too tight for me to undo.

There was no way I could escape.

No way I could get free of him.

He had me caught entirely.

When we stopped Prince Fain untied me, yanked me off and dumped me on the ground beside Marke. He tied my feet back together with rope and then tied it off to the tree behind them like I was a horse needing to be tethered up.

“You don’t leave her side.” He said as he pointed to Marke.

In front of us the other soldiers were busy making a camp for the night. A soldier started a fire, near enough for me and Marke to feel the warmth and they all huddled around it. Two others stood on guard by the horses while another four took sentry roles around the rest of the camp.

I sat shivering partly from cold, partly from exhaustion, and partly from fear too. Because this wasn’t a joke anymore and it certainly felt far from some cosplay thing too. None of it made any logical sense. Fain had killed a man, no two, had literally murdered them in front of me as if it was a perfectly normal thing to do.

“You’re freezing.” Marke said before getting to his feet.

“Where are you going?” The Prince asked from across the fire.

“She’s freezing. She needs a better cloak.” He replied but was met with a stony face. “I doubt the High King will find much use in a dead Fae High Prince Fain.” He continued.

Fain scowled in response.

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