Page 72 of The Iron Fae
Eighteen
Rated R
Blood has driedagainst the rope that sits at my feet. Gently, I run my finger over my wrist, peeling off the left-over flakes of scabs. The skin is already smooth and new. Fae healing has quickly closed the cuts on my arms from working the ropes off of myself. Now, the dead skin is easily coming off.
I’m healed. But a little part of me will always be broken.
My white dress is now an off-putting shade of grey with streaks of green from being yanked across the grass of the valley. Strips of fabric dangle from the tattered edges of my gown. My only small, very minuscule, piece of satisfaction is that Kai had paid for this dress and now it’s ruined. I fiddle with the undone hemming, my back aching for rest. But there isn't anywhere I can lean. I hiss, just shifting my legs against the wrought iron cage. My back and wings are exposed the small jacket long since disposed of by the guards.
Lincoln groans, pushing himself up from where he's been laying on his chest. His eyes flutter, practically rolling inside of his head as he moves. His cuts, much deeper than mine, are almost closed now. But it would be hours before the scabs fell away from his perfect skin.
He wipes his hand over his mouth and stills. The images, the feeling, the helplessness of Cordelia forcing herself on him—and so publicly—fills his thoughts. In turn, filling my thoughts.
My fists clench the material of my dress tight inside of them. I hate to relive it, to truly see it through his eyes, now. I hate that he had to go through with it at all.
Finally, his iron sliced gaze lands on me. "Briar." His eyes drift away as he whispers quietly. “I’m sorry. I’m…”
"I'm fine. That—all of that mess wasn’t your fault." The moment I say it the sadness in his gaze swings to me and then drifts down to my wounds. “I’m fine,” I say once more. I try to push my skirt over my legs to hide the red wounds. Lincoln's attention only follows my hands.
"Your legs are covered in blisters."
"Turns out that releasing my Fae half only... made my allergy worse."
It could be worse, I try to remind myself. Though honestly, I'm not sure how. My legs are dotted with a heated red rash that rises up off my skin from sitting in this iron cage swinging above what is about to be a large party.
The beatings got the better of Lincoln. They'd carried his unconscious body all the way from the valley to here. Dirt sticks to his face, clinging to the evidence of Cordelia's abuse. I was awake for it all. It's hard to look at him, but he needs to know that nothing’s changed between us. I won't give my demon spawn half-sister the pleasure.
Lincoln pulls himself to the edge of the cage. The bars press against his cheeks. Under us, servants scurry to and from setting up tables and chairs and rolling out a sparkling red carpet. Presumably for the queen to walk down to the massive throne that's been brought from the room on the second level. Crystals are strung onto banners that they tack to the walls.
"Well, this is going to be grand," Lincoln groans, sitting up. He tosses a look over his shoulder trying to get a glance at his back. "How is it?"
"You have a bit more healing left to do. At least you're alive."
"Oh, there is still time for that to change. And I'm quite certain it will." He offers me a pathetic smile.
I run my finger over a metal bar feeling heat tingle up my skin from its acid touch. There's enough room in here they could have put us both in one.
"Honestly, these cages remind me of that damn sex club." I think out loud, thankful for the slightest distraction.
"Sex club?"
"Yeah, remember it's where Rowan and Kai took me and Jase?"
Nothing like making small talk while we dangle above our waiting deaths. Just try not to think about it. Yeah, maybe that will make this all go away, just don't think about it. Briar, you idiot.
"The night you kissed Rowan?"
"Rowan kissed me,” I correct him.
"You let him kiss you."
"I thought that didn't bother you. But by all means, now is the time to get it all off your chest." I gesture drastically below us.
"I didn'tlikeit. But I understood it. I even understood how you and Kai could be so... so flirty."
"You think," I laugh, "You think Kai and I were flirting."
"Yeah, and look where that got you." His brows lift so high they're hidden by his shag of bangs.
