Page 121 of Harnessed in Gold

Outlaw.

Beside me, Leo stiffens.

Burdock returns to a full stance, back straight, shoulders square. He’s not as big as the other fae males, but he’s just as imposing. There’s cleverness in his blue eyes, and malevolence in his smile.

“We came prepared to make a trade,” he offers, oh-so-politely.

“Trade?” Topaz scoffs. “What could you possibly have that we want?”

There’s a stifled cry as River reaches into the dark and pulls something—someone—into the cage of his arms. In the narrow cone of light, dark brown eyes filled with terror blink back at me.

“Liv!” I lunge for her, flailing blindly in the dark.

“No! Betts, don’t!” Leo seizes me around the middle, yanking me to a violent stop. I gasp and wretch, the force doubling me over.

Twisting and tearing, I fight him. Liv. I have to get Liv.

Burdock laughs, low and cruel. “Serendipitous, isn’t it, that we weren’t the only ones following you tonight?”

Juniper sneers at me. “You looked right into my eyes at the store last night, but you didn’t notice me following you today?” She directs the flashlight over her shoulder at Liv and River. “How convenient that we found your BFF. That’s the term you Subworlders use, isn’t it?BFF?”

“Get her,” I beg Leo. “Help her. Please.”

Rime takes two steps toward River and Liv. “Give her to us and we’ll talk.”

“Not until you give us the ring,” River retorts.

I snap, “We don’t have the ring, so just let her go!” Shit, Leo’s strong. Why is he holding me so tight?

“Betts, look.” His voice is gruff in my ear. “Look carefully at Liv. Do you see what he has? Youhaveto calm down.”

I catch the flash of metal under Liv’s chin, and my knees give out.

River will kill her. He’ll drag that dagger across her throat and she’ll fall to the floor. Dead.

My Liv.

Leo’s muscles shake as he holds me uprightand feeds me his calming magic. I have to get it together. He’s using too much of his energy on me.

Rime inches a little closer to River. “Olivia, right?”

She whimpers and nods as much as the blade pressed to her throat will allow.

“I’m sorry this happened,” Rime tells her in the even, reassuring tone of a trained protector. “But we’ll get you out of here. Just stay calm.”

Liv trembles in River’s grip, her head tipped back against his shoulder and her fingers digging into his arms.

Hoping to give Rime time to strategize, I stall the enemy with a question, “How did you know I was working with them?”

Juniper rolls her violet-blue eyes. “It was obvious I wasn’t the first faerie you’d seen.”

“You saw us at the hotel,” Burdock accuses. Walking his fingers in the air, he adds, “Then you scurried back here to warn your friends.”

“So it’s a ring?” Avery’s voice startles me. I’d almost forgotten she was here.

Burdock curls his lip. “What?”

“You said it’s a ring. Thanks for the info.” She gives him a sarcastic thumbs-up.