Page 38 of The Heir the Fae Forgot
I opened my mouth to object, to remind him that he was the one who agreed to let Icarus lead us into this cursed court in the first place, but in the end, I knew he was right.
I cursed aloud.
The deal was too vague.Of coursewhat Shiel had said, warning me of the dark far Icarus, could be taken as doing something to get me to leave this court earlier. It didn’t matter that Icarus had done far worse, because that wasn’t a part of the deal.
Shiel might have been the one that decided to take us into this court in the first place, but I was the one who agreed he should make the deal that made us stay.
My mouth clamped shut as defeat flooded my veins.
I slumped down onto the edge of the nearest bed. No sooner had I landed on the mattress—one significantly less comfortable than the one I’d been sleeping on these past days—then Shiel was kneeling before me, his hands reaching to steady my shaking knees.
“Aurra,” he said again, his voice deep and measured. “If something happened, I need you to tell me. I’ll break a deal if I have to, but I really,reallyhope I don’t have to.”
I nearly told him then,exactlywhat Icarus hadn’t done to me, but what he planned to.
Nearly.
But something about his hands on me, steadying me, it stilled not only my shaking legs but the racing of my heart. Without the wild pumping of my blood, my breaths became more measured and my wildly spinning thoughts finally began to settle—and with this new clarity, I remembered not only who I was, but who Shiel was.
He may be my protector, but he was a fae lord like Icarus, still.
Who was to say that he wouldn’t use me the same way too, if he learned the dark fae’s plans for me? Even the best of men couldn’t resist that kind of temptation if it came down to it. And from what he and Icarus had been hinting at, it very well might—sooner, rather than later.
Even though I hadn’t said anything, Shiel’s face still darkened further.
Before he could say anything, however, Zev and Finch chose that opportune moment to burst through the door and then abruptly stop, the same shock mirrored on their faces that had been on Shiel’s not long ago. They took one look at me, and then at Shiel, and then they were striding forward as if they were ready to commit murder on the spot, the armloads of food in their arms forgotten in an instant.
“What is it?” Finch asked, his face as serious as I’d ever seen it. “What’s happened?”
Zev’s jaw worked. “It’s Icarus, isn’t it? If he’s done something…”
“He’s not done anything,” I cut in, cringing inwardly at how easily the lie sprung from me. I closed my eyes for a second, gathering my thoughts a second time before I opened them to peer into all three sets of their concerned faces. “Nothing’s happened. I just want…” I trailed off, considering for a moment.
What did I want?
I wantedoutof the Wildness Court, as much space put between me and that monster, Icarus. I knew that, but that was the one thing I couldn’t have—not without telling Shiel and the others exactly what had practically driven me straight into their arms. Shiel might still agree to it without knowing, but from the sound of his voice, the consequences of breaking his deal with Icarus might not outweigh the danger of remaining here, for just a few more days.
At least I knew one thing with certainty.
I didn’t want to be alone with Icarus again, not when he might find a way to trick me into staying again. But for that to happen, with the dark fae lord’s particular proclivities, that meant I couldn’t be alone…at all. It wouldn’t be long before he was strong enough to be able to force himself into my presence again.
“I want to stay with you,” I blurted out, at last. I glanced around the room, at the three beds lined up one next to the other, each one bearing the subtle signs of their temporary occupants. Shiel’s cloak folded neatly atop an immaculately made blanket. Finch’s gold purse, half-empty from more gambling. Zev’s tattoo needle half-tucked under his mattress. “I want to stay here, so you can keep me safe.”
I didn’t say fromwhatthey were keeping me safe, but I didn’t have to.
Shiel did a sweep around the room, checking the doors and windows before he nodded once to Zev first, and then Finch, something unspoken passing between them.
“I have to go for a while, but I’ll be back before long. If there’s any trouble, Finch, you know what to do.”
Finch glanced at me and wiggled his eyebrows as his hands went up to mimic the flapping of a birds’ wings. “I’ve been practicing.”
Shiel just pursed his lips, pausing just long enough in the doorway for him to take one last look over me. “Thank you for trusting us,” he said, bowing his head slightly. “I know it wasn’t an easy choice to make. Staying, I mean. I promise, I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll find the way to the oracle, as you asked. We’ll leave this court the moment we can, but we won’t leave it empty handed. This whole ordeal won’t have been for nothing.”
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Even with Shiel gone,neither Zev nor Finch pressed me for the reasons that had driven me to them. I wondered if it was because they simply were trying to respect me, or if they were afraid of scaring me off. Either way, it was a strange spending the day together doing simply…nothing. In all the time we’d spent together, there was always something to keep us preoccupied. Walking, tending to the horses, watching for other travelers on the path…even castrating old acquaintances and running from angry townspeople.
Now, here, in the midst of the bustle of a court preparing for a dance as if it was war, we found ourselves in a cocoon of silence.
