Page 79 of Given to the Fae
Horror and anger war with something I don’t want to name and, thankfully, the former wins.
‘Get up! Put your clothes back on. Whatever this is, it’s not going to work.’
But I hear a stifled sob, and I take a wary step closer.
‘Bryn?’
‘Locke? I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening.’
She writhes on the stone floor of the cave and lets out a whimper.
I’m beside her in an instant, feeling her forehead. It’s hot. Her whole body is. She leans into my touch, closing her eyes and pressing her body close to mine.
’What’s wrong with you?’ I ask.
‘I don’t know. I just… I need...’
She unbuttons her breeches and her hand slips between her legs. I freeze, staring into her wild eyes, andnotat what her hand is doing.
She lets out another sob. ‘What’s happening to me?’
‘I—’
‘Help me. Please, Locke. I can’t do it. I can’t make it feel the way you make it feel and Ineedit to feel that way.’
I swallow hard. ‘You want me toreleaseyou?’
‘Yes!’ She nods vigorously. ‘Please!’
I move away from her even as everything in me demands I give her what she wants.
‘I can’t do that, Bryn. It isn’t right.’
My hand runs through my hair, pulling at the strands. ‘Human females don’t even really need that. It doesn’t keep you less troublesome, or docile. It’s another lie they tell to keep everyone following the rules.’
‘It doesn’t feel like that right now!’ she snarls. ‘Please! I’m begging you to help me. You don’t understand, Locke. Ithurts.’
A tear slips down her cheek.
‘I can’t,’ I say again, but I try to calm her with a conjure the way I did before when I released her in front of the others.
‘You did it when you were ordered to!’ she spits out.
Her hand leaves her breeches and pinches her own nipple, making her gasp.
‘I know I’m not nice to look at, and my scars are... But you can’t see them now! You can pretend I’m a pretty fae female, and… Please!’
My conjure' does nothing. She’s not calm. I try one to make her sleep, but she just stares at me, her eyes moving over me.
‘Please,’ she whispers brokenly. She kicks off her boots and tears off her breeches, baring her body to my eyes completely.
I avert my eyes. ‘Bryn, I?—’
She looks around wildly and then bounces to her feet, lurching toward the entrance of the caveand to the cliffside.
I lunge after her.
‘Where are the others? I need to find them. They’ll help me!’
