Page 89 of Wrath of the Fae

‘That’s… that’s not what we were told.’

‘The Fae then spread out and formed the thirteen kingdoms from below before they got strong enough to surface and cage the thirteen Leviathans that dwelled in the thirteen Kingdoms.’

‘Leviathans?’ he repeats.

‘It’s a long story. I just need you to trust me. My path lies that way, Lucca. It lies with Reid and Cyrus. I know that now and I have to accept it. As do you.’

His eyes narrow.

‘I can feel you rummaging around in my mind,’ I scorn. ‘That’s not going to work.’

‘I can’t hear a single thought.’ His suspicion shines back at me. ‘What happened to you down here? Where have you gone?’

‘Trust me. Please. Go back and keep offering sanctuary to those who need it. Build the army. I’ll come back to you. I promise.’

I step back, but he grips my hands in his, keeping me there. Such pleading stares at me. Such worry.

‘How can you know that you’re going the right way? How can you know you’ll be safe?’

‘Because I’ve been shown. Let me go, Lucca.’

He shakes his head.

‘Shown? By what? By who? If you walk into the First Kingdom, you will never return. You're wrong if you think death is all they will have in store for you. So fucking wrong.’

I take his face in my hands and rest my forehead on his.

‘Thank you for saving me.’

‘You’re saying goodbye. What the fuck did you see?’

‘Not goodbye. Just… see ya later.’

I let him go and head towards the tunnels. His footsteps follow.

‘You can’t stop me,’ I state.

‘I know. Trust me. Getting you to do something you don’t want to do is like pulling teeth. I’m coming with you,’ he sighs, catching me up and walking beside me. ‘It’s the least I can do after what I did. Besides, I can’t return without you. Wolf was very clear about that. Violently and furiously clear.’

I can’t help but smirk.

‘What did he say?’

‘Well, when he found out I drugged you and locked you up, he came down to the cellar to confront me. That was a few seconds after you got stolen by the smoke, which only improved his mood. I went to follow you, but he’s a slow fucker without wings, so he let me go ahead after vowing that if I return without you, he’ll peel the skin from my bones and wear it as a coat.’ He scoops up my dagger from the ground as we pass it and hands it to me.

‘I guess you better not return without me then.’ I laugh, nudging him as we approach the tunnels. ‘Your skin tone won’t suit his eyes at all.’

eighteen

Thetunnelsgoonand on, winding and twisting in all directions. But I know precisely where to go. The runes on the walls are clear to me now. Those strange and ancient markings make sense. They tell stories. Give directions.

The King of Monsters has passed that on to me. It’s incredible, and as we walk, I tell Lucca about everything the Leviathan said.

About the humans taking the Fae realm.

About what lurks below each kingdom.

Two are already free. Three if you include me. There are still ten to go.

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