Page 12 of Atop the Faerie Throne
“If you can, would you please tell us what was said at that meeting?”
“He—” I gag, still unable to confirm my father’s presence, even though she knows. “I talked about my curse. It didn’t go down well?—”
Fuck, I’m going to cough up a lung. Blood paints my palm as I draw it away.
“Rosie,” Jaro murmurs. “Ask something else. If he fights the geas too much, it could do permanent damage.”
She bites her lip. “Aside from kidnapping me, did you complete all the things your father ordered you to do while you were there?”
“Yes.” My breath whooshes out of me.
Drystan scowls. “Do you feel any compulsion to try again?”
I think back to the moment Lore said those three little words, remembering with a shudder the compelling fog that settledover me. It was like being a passenger in my own body. All I could do was watch as I tricked Prae into being alone with me and then used her bad eye against her.
Elatha only ordered me to sink a knife into her back. I’ve done that.
“Prae is safe,” I admit, shoulders sagging with relief.
“And Rose?” Jaro presses.
My mouth glues itself shut, which is an answer in itself. The urge to break out of here and take her is a riot beneath my skin.
“He’ll try to kidnap you again the second you let him free,” Drystan surmises, and Rose nods.
“I know.” She’s quiet for a moment. “I think we can use that.”
My head whips up. “No.”
Absolutely not. She needs to lock me up and throw away the key. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll kill my father before Beltaine, though I doubt it. He’s a cunning bastard. I’m honestly surprised he crossed the Endless Sea in the first place.
“What are you thinking?” Bree asks, hugging her from behind and pressing a kiss to the crook of her neck while his ears remain fixed on me.
“Elatha doesn’t want me dead,” Rose begins. “He asked Caed to take me to him. So what if we let him?”
“Let him?” Drystan looks like he might pass out. He’s bypassed rage and gone straight into pure, panic-fuelled fury.
Rose smiles at him, placing a hand on his arm. “Breathe. We’ll take precautions, but you wanted a way to get people inside the palace. This is it.”
Jaro’s actually considering it, and I glare at him. “We can discuss it.”
“No,” I repeat. “You can’t. He—” My voice cuts out, throat closing over. “If she goes to him—” I hack up more blood.
Do they want me to beg? I’ll get on my fucking knees if I have to.
“Elfhame will be full of iron, and I can’t use my magic in his presence.”
He never rescinded the order he gave me beneath the mountain all those months ago.
The dullahan raises an eyebrow, turning back to the little queen as he visibly searches for his lost composure. “Exactly. What do you plan to do when you’re there?”
“We lost the palace.” Rose’s lips thin. “That means there will be a lot of fae spirits lurking around. If you can keep me away from the iron, I can use that, just like I did when we freed those forts on the north coast.” She holds a hand up to his lips. “I’m not saying it’s a perfect plan. There are details we can figure out, but it could work.”
“Please,” I whisper, and it’s a hoarse, broken word that tastes like copper and defeat. “You’ll hand him everything.”
Lore hands me his cap with a manic grin as Rose regards me with sad purple eyes. “I intend to.” Her spine straightens. “And then I’m going to rip it all away.”
Five
