Page 398 of Once Upon a Fable

And now...now he’d offered another means of freedom. A physical one and not just emotional.

Holding my breath, I pushed my leg out from under the covers, resting it on Kas’s knee.

His fingers grazed my bare skin, sending a scattering of new lust between my legs. If Jareth wasn’t here, I’d grab Kas and start all over again.

I’d show him just how much he meant to me. How much I cared about him as his hands shook a little as he inserted the key into the padlock around my ankle and turned it.

He did something I hadn’t dared dream of when I first met him.

Hewillingly let me go.

The lock snapped open.

I sighed in relief as he unbuckled the cuff and removed it entirely from my person.

My skin was red and damp, itchy with the need to breathe. Rubbing the redness, I looked at Kas.

I waited to see how he’d feel about me being completely free. Did he still fear I’d climb away without a goodbye? Did he stillwantme to leave like he’d demanded two nights ago?

His lips quickly pressed to mine, his voice heavy with guilt. “I’m sorry for trapping you.” Kissing me again, he added, “Never again, Gem. You’re free now.”

I smiled, my heart full to bursting.

Kissing him back, I stole the key from his fingers. Without saying a word, I pushed away the blanket from his waist and inserted the tiny key into the padlock.

With a small turn, it unlocked.

Kas shuddered as I unbuckled the leather from around his muscular, scarred middle, pulling it free and tossing it over the edge of the bed. “And now, you’re free too.” I leaned forward and kissed him again.

Jareth cleared his throat, wrenching my attention to him.

He stood with his hands balled and body braced in the doorway. The look in his eyes sank low in my belly, heralding premonition and fear.

He looked as if he saw what we were and what we’d become.

As if he could see the future, and it frightened him.

“What?” Kas asked, sensing the same thing I did. “What’s wrong?”

Jareth shook himself, slipping back into the self-assured ice king. “Nothing. I’m hungry. I’m gonna go find something to eat.”

Kas jolted, his hand coming up like a threat. “Don’t raid the vegetable garden. We don’t have enough as it is.”

Jareth narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean...don’t have enough?”

Kas cleared his throat, throwing me a glance. I waited for him to spin a lie—to assure his brother that we had everything under control with snow fast approaching—instead shock kept me silent as he admitted, “We don’t have enough to get two of us through winter, let alone three. We still haven’t solved that issue.”

“Wait.” Jareth suddenly laughed, loud and mocking. “Let me get this straight. You’ve lived in this valley ever since you freed us, you somehow figured out all the shit it takes to grow food and survive, yet...now that you have company, you don’t have enough to go around?” He wiped his mouth and rolled his eyes. “So your plan...before I came along was what? Starve to death in each other’s arms?”

“We’re going to hunt and—”

Jareth cut me off with a slash of his hand. “That won’t be enough. Not with the heavy snow and ice that settles here.” He shivered dramatically. “I hated winters, even when the rooms were warm and we had enough food to keep us content.” Laughing again, he turned to leave. “You trulyare more fucked than I thought, Kas.”

“Where are you going?” Kas asked, his gaze following Jareth as he stepped into the corridor.

“Gonna walk around a bit. Find out what you’ve done with the place since I’ve been gone. See what else you’ve messed up.”

“Go wherever you want, but do not take any food. I’ll gather and cook us something.”