Page 144 of Owned By the Fae
She glances around. There are bleary-eyed fae everywhere, I notice, woken and drawn by the sounds of Varrik’s death. She begins barking orders, telling those with affinities for healing to help the fallen.
Dane groans. ‘How did it find him?’
I hold him close. ‘The Harbinger. It led the Dark Realms here.’
I let out a sigh as I see both Kal and Grey moving. The beast recedes, and Grey transforms into his fae form.
‘We won,’ Kal says as he sits up, holding his ribs as a healer stands over him, muttering words.
‘Did you know?’ Dane asks. ‘What it’s plan was?’
I shake my head. ‘I knew it was doing something, and it asked for time.’
I find myself trying to hold back sobs as Dane’s arms encircle me and draw me closer.
‘He’s gone,’ Dane says. ‘It’s over now.’
I frown into his neck, my mind going to Fiana. If she’s alive...
Dane seems to know what I’m thinking. ‘We’ll find her,’ he promises. ‘No matter what it takes, and if she’s alive, we’ll make sure she doesn’t stay that way.’
He draws back and cups my cheek, wiping away my tears.
‘Are you all right?’
I nod.
‘And the babe?’
‘Yes. The Harbinger says the babe is fine.’
The sheer relief in his eyes has me crying anew as he embraces me again.
‘You saved me,’ I whisper. ‘That conjure would have killed me.’
‘You saved me first,’ he says. ‘You saved all three of us, Lia.’
Grey and Kallum make their way over to us, each of them taking a turn to hold me, making sure I’m all right and that the babe is as well.
Despite my protests, Dane picks me up and takes me from the hall. He brings me to our apartments and draws my chemise over my head. He and the others scrutinize every part of me, looking for injuries, and I do the same. I pull off their clothes, my movements almost frenzied as I make sure the healers have beenthorough, and it’s only when we’re all satisfied that they bring me into our room.
They lay me on the bed and join me, taking turns to hold me close. When it’s Dane’s turn, I gaze into his eyes.
‘What did Varrik mean?’ I ask. ‘When he said you had no magick.’
He looks away, his body going rigid. ‘I ... I’ve never told anyone,’ he whispers.
‘You don’t have to—’ I begin, but he shakes his head.
‘I want to.’ He sits back, regarding me and the others. ‘The Skilled of the fold ... I think all of them had lost their families before they came to Varrik. I've never thought to tell anyone my story because I had no such tragedy.’ He closes his eyes. ‘The truth is that my family was alive and well when Varrik came. Our line had little magick, so when it was found that I had a small gift, my father used me.’
His face twists in disgust. ‘I was paid to perform tricks in the street. It wasn't too bad, but when they needed coin, I was made to go to parties for the wealthy in whatever town we found ourselves in.’ He glances at me and the others and then away. ‘I won't bore you with the many things that happened at these events, but my family made a lot of coin from me,’ he sneers. ‘Varrik bought me from them. I was terrified. I thought he might be like the other wealthy I’d been made to serve. But he brought me to the fold where he and the others were. He was like the family I'd always wanted.’
I take his hand, angry for him and understanding how deep Varrik’s betrayal was. ‘You were closer with him than the others were,’ I murmur.
‘At one time, yes. But I realized after I purged myself of all the magick that was on me ... I saw everything. I was manipulated from the start. I can't believe I let you be treated that way, my love.’
I stiffen slightly in his arms. ‘My love?’ I ask, almost not wanting him to elaborate.
