Page 62 of Given to the Fae
She frowns and then looks up with wide eyes. ‘Perhaps he wanted to steal from the demon.’
All eyes snap to her.
‘Maybe Warrior was using me to get inside, and as a distraction so that he could find the demon’s coin chest, or other things of value. He’d sent the demon a message earlier. That place was well-known for...breeding humansand he was pretending to be someone else, a wealthy lord.’
I grit my teeth. Prestigious houses for breeding humans. We knew they existed but, Gods, these fucking realms.
‘All right.’ Locke stands up, pacing the room. ‘This is the story. He took you there to steal, but we thought it was to breed you. The demon found him pilfering, and there was a fight. A fire started during it. You were able to escape, and we found you outside with a couple of the other humans. It was too late to save Warrior.’
‘I don’t understand,’ she says, looking from one of us to the next with a confused expression.
Locke goes to stand in front of her, and she has to tip her head up all the way to look into his face.
‘That is what you tell Bere when he asks you,’ he informs her.
‘You wish meto lie?’ she asks too guilelessly.
I snort. What does she think she knows? What leverage does she believe she has over us?
Locke says nothing, just stares down at her and stays in his imposing position above her, but she doesn’t look very cowed at the moment.
‘We came for you. You owe us, human,’ he grates out, taking her chin in a firm grip.
Her eyes narrow. ‘I will tell Bere the story as you told it,’ she says.
He looks as relieved as I feel.
‘But,’ she continues, gripping her hands together, the only telltale sign that she’s just about keeping her nerve. ‘You do something else for me in return.’
‘This isn’t a negotiation,’ he snarls harshly. ‘You know what I am. I could simply conjure you to believe whatever I say.’
I see her swallow hard. ‘Perhaps you can, but if you were going to, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You would already have done it without me being the wiser.’
He looks surprised, and her relief shows. She knows she’s right.
Smart girl.
But if she thinks Locke is less dangerous than the masters she’s known in her life, she’s dead wrong...and then maybe just dead.
‘Fucking humans,’ he growls, and I almost chuckle. He clearly has a soft spot for the girl, whether he knows it or not, or else he’d already have done something to her. ‘What do you want?’
She leans back in her chair, unsuccessfully hiding another pained wince. ‘The three of you...you’re not masters.’
My eyes widen at the unexpected remark, and I glance at Jak, who also looks surprised.
Locke sneers at her and she puts up a hand. ‘I know you aren’t. You’re too...kind.’
He leans in menacingly. ‘You think so?’
Her squeal is loud as Locke grabs the front of the shirt she’s wearing,myshirt, twisting it and pulling her up to his face.
‘I swear to the gods, if you don’t do as we tell you, I’ll whip you to within an inch of your life, girl, and then I’ll put you in a block in the stables to be mounted by any bull who wants you!’
She shakes in his grip, but her eyes don’t leave his and I find myself proud of her. She was such a meek little thing only days ago, I couldn’t imagine her standing up to Locke like this.
‘No, you won’t,’ she says, though her voice wavers. ‘You’re here for something, and it’s not to make coin as flesh peddlers. You’re not even Dark Realm, are you? Not really. You came here from the Light Realm. Somehow.’
She looks suddenly desperate as she grasps his shirt as hard as he’s gripping hers. ‘Take me with you,’ she pleads. ‘That’s my price.’
