Page 101 of Given to the Fae
She steps closer to me as I shut the gate, her lower lip trembling.
‘You three fae have managed to hurt me more than all the masters I’ve ever met,’ she whispers in my ear. ‘Well done.’
And then she goes to the corner and slides down the wall, closing her eyes. I back away, guilt and shame washing over me like a swelling river breaking its banks.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper again.
She doesn’t look at me.
When I return to the main house, I find Locke alone. Bere and the others are nowhere to be seen.
I sit down at the table with him. ‘What is it? I’ll be going to the auctions soon.’
‘What are we doing?’ I growl quietly.
‘What we came here to do,’ he says simply.
‘Withher, Locke.’
He regards me with a calm and detached look that I find infuriating.
‘I don’t know what you’ve done to Morgan to make him forget her,’ I whisper, ‘but I’m taking her with us. I don’t care what you say or do. She’s not being sold to the pits.’
Locke straightens with a sigh. ‘I warned you both not to get attached to her. I told you that we wouldn’t be able to save her and still do what we must. The reason we’re here is what’s most important. Her life. Yours. Morgan’s. Mine. They’re not significant. You told me you understood that.’
‘I do. Idid.’ I stare at him stonily. ‘But what’s the point of any of this if we can’t save any of them?’
‘It’s too late for them. All we can do is shut down the slavers who are bringing them here in the first place.’
‘It’s not enough,’ I snap.
‘I’m sorry, my friend. I didn’t want it to come to this, and you should know that while this won’t cause any permanent damage to you, I don’t do it lightly. But the mission is paramount.’
My eyes widen as I take in his words and Morgan’s odd behavior today flashes through my mind.
I jump to my feet, shaking my head at my friend. ‘N?—’
I see a bright flash and blink away the momentary blindness.
‘What happened?’ I ask Locke.
He shrugs. ‘Ready to go back to the Light Realm? I’ll follow you in a couple of days.’
I grin. ‘Are you sure? You don’t need us?’
Locke shakes his head. ‘Bere is ready to tell me everything we need. There’s nothing more you can do here. You might as well go back and fill everyone in, find out who Tori and Soreno were sold on to after The Barrack. Morgan’s waiting for you.’
All right,’ I say. ‘If you’re sure. See you in a few days.’
I go out through the barn, vaguely seeing a human slave girl in the paddock who’s staring at me. She says something to me and gets a hard smack from one of Bere’s men for speaking out of turn. I frown as I hear her pained cry.The poor humans here, I think as I shake my head. I catch up with Morgan, who gives me an odd look.
‘Is there something we’re forgetting?’ he asks, scratching his temple. ‘I feel as if there is.’
I think for a moment, canting my head and pursing my lips.
‘No,’ I say finally. ‘There’s nothing that I can think of. Let’s get to the Ring and get home. I’m done with this fucking place.’
CHAPTER 10
