Page 121 of Owned By the Fae
I do as she says, leaving a trail of petals in my wake. I stand and face them. I glance at the mirror as I do, hoping Dane will see that they’re here.
‘You must have known that someone would scent the pregnancy,’ she says with a roll of her eyes. ‘Rikoth told me he suspected yesterday, didn’t you, Rik? But I thought we’d better be extra sure before we go.’
‘She’s with child. I’m sure of it.’ Rikoth nods and taps the side of his nose. ‘You don’t smell so disgusting now that there’s a halfling growing within you,’ he jeers.
Fiana drifts closer and glances back at the two males behind her. ‘You know what to do. I’ll meet you back here when it’s done.’
So, all three of them intend to betray Varrik. I wonder how long Vern andRikwill survive once she rids herself of the faelord because if there's one thing I know about Fiana, it’s that she's loyal only to herself, and she doesn’t like to share power.
She turns back to me as Vern and Rikoth leave the room.
‘Well, I’m glad that the pain I caused you didn’t harm the babe,’ she murmurs. ‘You should have told me you were breeding, my little slave.’ She taps the side of my face almost gently. ‘I suppose I’ll have to wait on the rings as well.’ She tuts. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to motivate you to do my bidding in other ways, though.’
‘We need to kill them,’the Harbinger seethes.
I grit my teeth and push it back, silently promising that I’ll let it destroy Fiana, Rikoth, and Vern, but for now, we can’t do anything but wait. I roll a couple of the flowers in my hands, willing the Harbinger to get stronger.
‘Where do you intend to make me?’ I ask. ‘To the Underhill?’
Fiana’s eyes glint. ‘So you know about it. How?’
‘Varrik told me,’ I lie. ‘Long ago. He wants me there with him.’
‘Did he?’ She snorts, walking around me slowly as I try not to give in to the urge to turn with her. ‘I doubt that. Why would he tell a human of the place that holds the seat of power for all the fae when he’s kept his origins and his plans a secret from all the rest of us?’
Varrik is from the Underhill and is trying to get back there? Why?
‘The fae lord does as he wishes.’ I shrug to hide my confusion.
‘He’s wanted to return to the place of his birth for a long time,’ I say, hoping that Fiana keeps talking and doesn’t realize that I don’t actually know any of this.
She stops in front of me. ‘Of course he does. He was banished years ago.’
‘Didn’t he tell you why?’ I ask with a smirk so she thinks I already know.
Predictable as ever, she scoffs. ‘Because he was accused of trying to use the Dark Realms to make the fae stronger. They removed him from the High Council and forced him to leave,’ she says, looking smug.
‘He’ll come for you, you know,’ I murmur. ‘Varrik will never let you leave and not hunt you.’
‘If he makes it to the Underhill, he’ll find them not so forgiving once I’ve told them all he’s been doing. The experiments on the fae he’s found in the Dark Realms, the killings for a steady supply of faelings.’ She looks away for a moment. ‘The faelings that didn’t survive him. He told us that everything he did was for our kind, but he’s a liar.’
She grabs my hair and yanks my head back. ‘And you helped him, Harbinger.’
I wince. ‘I stopped when I found the truth. What’s your excuse? How long has his skill not worked on you?’ I ask quietly.
‘Since I came into my power,’ she replies, pulling harder and making tears come to my eyes. ‘But I’m not a coward like you.’
‘Enough, Fiana!’
Fiana gasps at the fae lord’s voice as he stalks into the room, as predatory as I’ve ever seen him. She lets me go, and I skitter away from them to the wall, my arms wrapping around my stomach protectively.
I jump as I feel a hand on my shoulder.
‘We’re here, Lia,’ Kal murmurs, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Did you really think I had no idea you were moving against me?’ Varrik sneers at Fiana.
‘Where are Vern and Rikoth?’ she asks.
