Page 10 of Their Wicked Cage

“Riven Thaelon.”

I lean back in my seat, thoroughly stunned.

Avaline’s told me plenty of stories about the fae king. That he’s cruel and cunning and selfish to a fault. She’s even mentioned that he once rejected the advances of a gorgeous nymph friend of hers simply because she wasn’t fae.

“I know,” Ava says, nodding. “I probably wore the same exact expression you are now when he approached me at Elrod’s bar asking after you.”

My heart warms at the mention of her brother as my mind spins from the knowledge that Riven fucking Thaelon is searching for me.

What could he possibly want from me?

Better yet—how does he know about me at all?

I open my mouth, but the only word that comes out is a shallow, “How?”

She takes another sip of tea. “He read about you in Warnings from the Wicked.”

My blood turns icy at the mention of that wretched book. Propaganda my coven made up about me once I fled into self-exile so they couldn’t use me to⁠—

“The how is not as bad as the why,” she says. “He didn’t say it, but I think fae magic is waning.” She blows out a breath, and it stirs the hair that’s fallen into her eyes. “His sword catcher—Arkyn—suffered a broken nose last night, and what should’ve healed almost instantly was still bruised hours later. Based on what Riven read about you in the book, he believes you could help the Fae Isles.”

“Me?” I laugh, and Achlys lets out a deep sigh from beneath the table. “If I leave here, my coven will track me down eventually. You know what it took to hide my location and finally be free of them. I won’t risk becoming their weapon again.”

“If you stay here, faekind may cease to exist,” Ava stresses. “Besides, Riven’s one of the Seven, Winny.”

As if his role in creature society means anything to me.

Out here in the heart of the Wyldelands, I answer only to Dame Nature.

Not my forsaken coven, the Seven, or even Death herself.

Ava’s watching me with those warm, brown eyes that always soften my stubborn resolve.

“Why should that matter to me?” I gesture emphatically at my home, my quiet reprieve from the tumultuous dangers of this world. “I have everything I need here.” Her nose wrinkles, and I glare at her. “What is that face for?”

“This is nothing but a half-life, and you know it.”

I flinch, jolting to my feet. In my haste, the wooden chair tips backward, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. “How dare you.”

Achlys lurches out from under the table to sit by my side.

“Winny,” she says, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant… you’ve cut yourself off from so much. You haven’t let yourself chase the little wonders of life in centuries. Remember long days spent floating in a sunlit lake, tracing shapes in the clouds? You and Achlys used to love to swim. And when was the last time you shared one of your coven’s absurd warnings they disguised as a story? You always found such delight in telling those fables. But even beyond that, you’ve missed out on so much in self-exile. Shared mischief, closeness with others, and all the joy that comes from being fully part of the world around you⁠—”

“I sacrificed all of that for my own safety,” I murmur, chest aching at the hurt in her voice.

“I know.” She smiles softly. “I guess what I’m trying to say is maybe Riven is your way back to a relatively normal life. If you help him save his lands, he’ll be indebted to you.”

I blink at her. “What are you even on about?”

“Even with the waning magic, he’s one of the most powerful creatures in the Wyldelands, Winny, and he’ll do anything for his kingdom.” Ava rises to her feet, eyes brimming with hope. “Even shield you from your shitty coven.”

I’m staring at her.

She adds, “You can agree to help him in exchange for asylum, for his protection.”

I lift the chair and set it to rights just to have something to do with my shaking hands.

“You don’t have to make any decisions just yet, but please promise me you’ll think about it.” She comes around the table and pries my hands from the back of the chair, holding them tight in hers. “You deserve a life filled with laughter and joy, a life filled with hope and love, a life beyond exile, Winny.” She pauses, letting the words sink in. “Riven Thaelon will give that to you.”