Page 107 of Owned By the Fae
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ I ask, trying not to feel betrayed.
‘We didn’t realize what she was doing or why. We didn’t know.’
Dane bears his teeth as he jumps to his feet. ‘No! I would have noticed. I'd have ...’
Kal opens the jar and waves it in his face. Dane breathes it in and blanches, his eyes finding mine as he takes some of the loose tea out with his fingers and looks at it more closely.
‘Lia,’ he whispers brokenly, his face as shocked as mine must look. ‘I didn't know. Gods. You must believe me. Why would Fiana ...? Why would she ensure ...?’
‘She wants the babe,’ I whisper, sinking back into the chair slowly, my head in a whirl.
I clutch my belly, feeling sick and ignoring the others for the moment as I give in to my fear. I’m with child. Dane’s child. A babe that both Varrik and Fiana would steal for the power it might possess.
‘How do you know what Fiana wants?’ Dane asks.
I laugh mirthlessly. ‘Think I’m lying? She’s in here after you leave every day, telling me ...’ I break off and close my eyes, stifling a sob.
How can this be happening? As if things weren’t bad enough.
‘I wasn’t—’ Dane starts.
Kal interrupts him. ‘Lia’s right. She and Vern are leaving together. They’re only waiting for Skith’s word that your seed has taken. They intend to take Lia with them. They'll keep her as a slave until after the babe is born.’
Dane's mouth opens and closes, and he sits down in the chair hard.
‘There's ... something else,’ Grey continues.
How much more can there be, I wonder as I stare down in front of me at nothing, barely hearing their words. The Harbinger is similarly shocked. I can feel its astonishment. It didn’t know either. The next time I’m at the Dark Lake will be an interesting conversation.
For now, though, I try to focus.
‘We’re sorry, Dane, but Fiana, the love you feel for her. It's ... not real.’
Dane scoffs. ‘Not real? What? She put a conjure on me?’ He laughs.
Grey and Kal glance at each other, and his eyes narrow.
‘No, that's not pos?—’
‘Itispossible,’ Grey says almost gently. ‘We heard them talking about it. It was done long ago. She practiced her skill on you, Dane, and she couldn't undo it. That's the only reason you think you care for her.’
In the chair, I wince, dragging my legs up and hugging my knees to my chest. I glance at Dane and, despite everything, my lip wobbles at the devastation I see in his eyes. I’m not the only one who Fiana’s ruined.
‘When are they leaving?’ I ask.
‘They’ll go soon as they know you're with child,’ Grey says quietly.
I stare at him for a moment, weighing my options. But there aren’t any. Not really. I touch my stomach. It’s not here. I feel no different, and yet everything has changed. I suppose I could ... do something about it. It's still very early, after all.
‘Jak,’ I murmur, remembering his last visit.
‘The healer?’
I nod. ‘I think he knows.’
‘Will he tell?’
I shake my head as I recall the conversation we had and see his words, his talk of help in a new light. ‘I don’t believe so. I think he offered me a way out of this,’ I whisper.
