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K ian

There has to be a witch who is willing to do what it takes to escape. Surely? I need someone with enough magic. Someone willing to take a risk. Why is this so difficult? I thought I would be able to take my pick of willing individuals who are sick of this place.

I sigh, looking down the dimly lit hallway. Candles flicker in lanterns hanging at intervals along the wall. I turn the corner and watch as the woman I nearly bashed heads with walks into her quarters and slams the door in the face of the guard, who scowls as he turns back in my direction.

He walks toward me, giving me a filthy look as he gets closer. “What are you still doing here? I thought I told you to leave. You lost or something?” He pushes me against the wall, pressing one hand to my chest, his flinty gaze on mine. We’re eye to eye. I’m tall for a human. Strong, too.

I don’t want trouble.

I let him dominate me. I know I can take a lone fae, but now is not the time. Not when I’m about to escape. I will get out of here. I must. I just need to convince someone with power to help me. As a last resort, I will make the attempt on my own, but my chances will be greatly diminished.

I need a witch.

I put up my hands in a show of submission. “I don’t want any trouble. I heard that the witches are…” I look down the hallway, first to the left and then to the right. “Are good in bed,” I whisper, like I’m letting him in on a secret. “I wanted to test the theory.”

He grins at me, letting me go. “You would be right. I’ve heard the same, but they also think they’re better than us.

That one especially.” He points toward Rhiannon’s door.

“Actually, they all think they’re better.

They wouldn’t lower themselves to the likes of us.

And you thought you’d what? Knock on the door and show them your member, and they’d let you in.

” He laughs, slapping his thigh. “You look like you’re plumb out of luck.

” He lifts his brows, his grin growing wider by the second.

“You might be right.” I sigh deeply, smoothing my tunic. “No luck at all,” I grumble, pretending to be upset.

“You don’t stand a chance,” he snorts, looking in the direction he just came from. “They all think that the sun shines out of their—”

I snort. “Typical.”

“You should go to the brothel. You would have your pick of women. There are even a few fae females, if you’re looking for adventure.”

I grin back at him. “I’ll do that.” I nod.

“You’d better hurry, or you won’t make curfew. I take it you have coin?”

“I do, indeed. I don’t need very long,” I lie.

The guard sniggers, nodding a few times.

“Off you go, then.” He starts walking away but turns back.

“Make sure you don’t get caught in this section of the servants’ quarters again.

Next time, you might not get away so lightly.

The overseer is protective of the witches and won’t tolerate it.

Like it or not, we need them to make quota. ”

I nod. “I know, it’s just…” I shrug. “I was trying my luck. I meant no harm. Thank you for your help.”

“Okay, then.” He turns and walks away. I make as if to follow, but once he is out of sight, I turn back. I’m not going to be so easily deterred.

I need a witch if my plan is going to work. Ideally, a powerful one. If I’m going to risk my life, it needs to be worthwhile. The more powerful the witch, the better my odds, provided I can trust her.

Witches have been known to stick to their own.

The stable hand gave me the names and locations of a few of the more powerful witches staying at the Emptyfae Court. Or should I say, witches who are prisoners at the Court.

Same as me.

Same as most of us non-fae.

I’ve learned a lot living in the fae Court over the last few weeks.

It seems that the fae themselves, although they have it better, are prisoners, too.

We all serve her . I wish the kings would come back.

That wrongs could be set right. I feel a prickle in the back of my mind.

It’s like my subconscious is trying to tell me something, but I ignore it.

It happens to me more often than I’d like.

There is one left I haven’t spoken to yet, and time is running out. I make my way down the hallway until I reach door number eighteen.

I rap on the wood, looking left and right. I half expect the guard to return. I’ll be in trouble if he does.

I knock again, and the door opens.

“What do you want?” the witch asks. She looks at me with wary eyes, her face a mask of irritation. Her hair is gleaming black. It falls in waves around her shoulders. She leans against the door frame, one hand clutching a small, worn book tightly to her chest. “I don’t have all day.”

I clear my throat, trying to appear more confident than I feel. “I heard you’re a powerful witch,” I begin, “and I need your help.”

She arches an eyebrow, unimpressed. “And why would I help you?” She looks down her nose at me.

I swallow hard, feeling the weight of desperation settling in the pit of my stomach. “Because we’re both trapped. I want my freedom. I’m sure you do, too. I’ve figured out how to make that happen, but I can’t do it on my own.”

She laughs in my face. “Don’t you think I would have escaped by now if there was a way?

Like you said, I’m powerful. My big problem is that this is keeping me here.

” She clasps a ruby amulet in her fingers, then drops it like her hand was burned.

“Unless you’re a powerful wizard, you can’t help me, which means that I can’t help you. ”

“That’s just it. I have an idea. I—”

“An idea?” she sneers. “You realize that we are dead if we are caught trying to escape?”

“I’d rather be dead than rotting in this Court. This is no life. Don’t you want to go back to your coven?”

Her eyes brighten, but the light soon dims. “I want nothing more, but I’ll take this life over none at all.”

I look up and down the hallway. “Then let me in, and we can talk about it. I’ll tell you of my plans.”

Her eyes narrow, and she folds her arms tightly across her chest. “No, you have ten seconds to give me a brief idea of how you plan on getting us out. You need to convince me of why I even need you.” Her jaw tightens.

“Thing is, I don’t have it that bad here.

My quarters are comfortable. I get certain…

privileges. I would be stripped of everything.

I’d be thrown into the dungeons. Or…put to death.

” She shakes her head. “I would love my old life back, but at what expense if we fail?”

This is what I was afraid of. The truth is, my plan is just a theory. I don’t know if it will work, and she doesn’t need me…not really.

“But you would prefer your freedom…surely?”

“Of course.” She snorts.

“You would need to trust me. If I can get the amulet off your throat, you’ll help me escape. Do we have a deal?”

“No.” She rolls her eyes. “The amulet can’t be removed. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. You have to give me more than that, and quickly. I’m growing tired of this conversation.”

“Okay…fine.” I sigh. “I managed to get my hands on a tool that holds magic,” I say under my breath.

“What tool?” Her eyes narrow with interest, but it’s clear that she’s also skeptical. “And what kind of magic?”

“A hammer. I believe it holds enough magic to remove your amulet by breaking the chain.”

“You believe? Believing something and knowing it are two different things.” She shakes her head.

“Not good enough, human. You realize that the moment you break the chain, there will be a gigantic magic shift. The fae will know that one of the witches is escaping. They may even know that the witch escaping is me. In fact, I’m sure they will.

They’ll come for me…for us, if you survive breaking it, that is. ”

“I know they will come for us. I know the risks, but I don’t care. I have a plan. We’ll need to time it just right. So that by the time they find out, we’re long gone.”

She narrows her eyes in thought and then gasps, her eyes brightening. “You’re planning to do this tomorrow during the eclipse, aren’t you?”

“Yes, there’ll be a big surge of magic, which could mask the shift when the chain is broken.”

“ Could, maybe …” She shakes her head again.

“ I believe . I don’t like any of these terms. You’re not sure that this will work.

In fact, you’re going to take a huge gamble.

Gambling with your own life is one thing, but gambling with mine is another entirely.

” She shakes her head slowly as she speaks.

I’m doing a terrible job of convincing her.

“It will work.” It has to.

“You hope it will, you mean. Bring me this hammer you say holds magic. If it does, we can talk about it, and I’ll give it some thought. Without seeing this magic hammer, my answer is no.”

“There isn’t much time.” It’s the truth, but not the reason I don’t want to bring her the tool.

“I know,” she grinds out. “That’s why you’d better hurry.”

“Be reasonable; curfew is nearly upon us. Let’s talk through the plan. It will work. The hammer is strong, and so am I. Quick, too.” I wince inwardly. I shouldn’t have said the last. It makes me sound desperate…which I am.

“You’re a human,” she says in disgust. “Hardly strong. Best you run and fetch the hammer. I’m not attempting an escape unless I am certain it holds the kind of magic you say it does. Don’t come back without it.”

I nod once and step back as she closes the door.

The gods be cursed. This is terrible. I was so sure I would be able to convince one of them, and I couldn’t.

I failed.

The chances of escape are little to none without a witch at my side.

There won’t be another opportunity. It’s tomorrow or…I’m doomed to go back to the mines. It’s backbreaking labor and soul-destroying at that. I was only down there for a year, and I nearly lost my mind.

I start to trudge down the hallway and stop in my tracks. Then again, maybe I’m going about this all wrong. I scratch my chin, the stubble catching.

There is another option. A last chance. One I must take.