Page 12 of Owned By the Fae
Lia.
I burst forth onto my four legs and I begin to run, the beast at the forefront of my mind as I sink down. I give him free rein. We run and run until the sun begins to sink in the sky.
We reach the river that marks the edge of the fold and lap at the water. We move along the bank, leaping at small animals like squirrels and rabbits, not really trying to catch anything and by the time we get close to the village, it's mid-afternoon. It's time for practice.
I take control and sneak back to the house. There, I shift back and grab some clothes, making a mental note to put some bundles in the forest if I’m truly going to keep my shifting a secret; otherwise, it’s only a matter of time before someone sees me.
I throw on a cloak for good measure as the day has turned a little chilly, and I make my way to the fields. When I get there, the new arena gives me pause. It used to just be an open pasture, but Varrik has struck again. A proper ring for fighting with sloped tiered seating and black flags billowing in the wind now mark the spot.
Dane is nowhere to be seen, but I notice Kal swinging a sword into a wooden dolly almost angrily, and I approach him with caution.
‘What’s your plan?’
He regards me with narrow eyes. ‘I’m going to spar in the ring, and I’m going to win. Easily.’
I roll my shoulders, pushing the beast, which is barely sated even after our run, down before it gets any ideas. As I turn, I see Grith enter the space.
I can’t contain my growl when I see the cunt after what Lia told us he used to do to her. His eyes find mine, and I cover my anger by taking a sword and beginning to spar hard with a very surprised Kallum.
Grith beckons me as soon as he notices me and I throw down the sword, not even looking at Kal as I saunter over to him.
‘You’re Grey?’ he asks, somehow looking down his nose at me though I’m a little taller.
‘Aye.’
‘One of my team is ill. You’re the onlyshifterI can get at short notice. You’re better than nothing, boy,’ his lip curves upwards, ‘even if you can’t shift.’
In that moment, I decide that I’ve made the right choice by keeping everyone in the dark. I’d rather he underestimated me. After all, a fae like Grith, with no skill given to him, didn’t get to where he is in Varrik’s circle by being easy to kill.
‘When?’ I ask, pretending to look pleased that I’ve been included.
‘Now.’
He turns and trudges out, clearly expecting me to follow.
I do, smirking at Kallum, who’s looking annoyed that I’ve been singled out before he has.
I go with Grith who walks ahead of me and doesn’t speak to me again. He always was a condescending bastard, I remember, standing beside Varrik and barking orders all the time.
We enter the keep, and I feel the conjures repel me for just a moment. The magick slides over my skin, giving me pins and needles everywhere it touches.
But then it lets me through. I’m in the keep. I snort softly, sparing a thought for Kallum. He wants to get in here so badly, and I’ve done this first as well. Though in my next breath, the beast is rearing up unexpectedly, sifting through the scents wafting through the corridors as I follow Grith.
I can’t smell her at all until we go past an archway that leads to the other side of the keep. A red carpet runs the length of the hall as it curves around. Here, the faint scent of bergamot and citrus is in the air.
The north side.
That’s where her room is. Something inside me uncoils and relaxes. She’s housed in one of the rooms Varrik keeps for his elites, and it eases the worry I didn’t know I was feeling. Even the beast has calmed now that we know where she is.
Grith leads the way to a room. Outside the door, he turns back.
‘Don’t speak unless spoken to.’
I nod, not trusting my tone with the pompous prick.
He opens the door, and we go in. The room is large and richly decorated. There’s a small ring in the center. The fae lord’s personal Gate. I’ve heard of it, of course, but never seen it. The upended stone circle is smaller than I thought it would be.
Three elites, including Rikoth, who’s the only one I recognize, wait close by. I see Varrik at a desk in the next room through the wide open doors.
