Page 23

Calysian

“Well, well, well. This is embarrassing.”

I open my eyes. My head swims and I lean to the side, retching.

Eamonn jumps onto my thighs, his tail wagging as he ponders the cuffs clamped onto my wrist, the chain between them.

“How did this happen?”

My mind provides me with an image of Madinia.

Her lips were red and pouty and she smelled like hot, wild woman, and she was leaning so close…

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Eamonn nudges me with his nose, his ears flopping. I sigh. “Just help me get out of the chains.”

“And how exactly did she get hold of these?”

“She’s been carrying them since we left the tower. I didn’t take them from her because I thought she was planning to use them onKyldare.” I grind out.

“Nasty things.”

That’s an understatement. Fae iron may weaken the fae, but it drains hybrids and humans too. And the moment the cuffs closed around my wrists, I couldn’t feel even a drop of my own power. Combined with whatever Madinia used to drug me, I’m lucky there were no bandits traveling this road last night, or my throat would likely have been slit.

“Break them,” I order.

Eamonn lets out a bark. “It’s a little difficult in this form.”

I drop my head against the trunk of the tree. I don’t know much about Eamonn, except that centuries ago, he was cursed to never be able to use his human form. When I ask about it, he grows quiet or disappears for days.

Just as he disappeared recently.

“Where have you been?”

“I can’t have adventures of my own?”

“Not when I end up like this.”

“How could I have expected this outcome? You certainly didn’t.”

I snarl, and he leaps off my thighs. “Do you have anything to pick the locks?”

“In my rucksack.”

A blink, and Eamonn is suddenly a small monkey. He scampers over to my rucksack, finds the small kit and leaps up my body to get to work on the chains.

It feels as if an icepick is relentlessly slamming into my head. When Eamonn finally frees me, my power returns in a dizzying rush.

“Thank you.”

The monkey lets out a shriek—likely in an attempt to hide Eamonn’s chuckle. “Anytime.”

I pack the chains into my own rucksack. If Madinia wants to play the game this way, I’m more than happy to oblige.

My mind throws me back to the feel of her settled on top of my thighs, her plush red lips curved in a smile as she leaned close.

Luringme in.