Page 16 of Given to the Fae (The Dark Realms #3)

I give a tiny nod but know that I’ll be opening my eyes as soon as I’m able. There are too many slavers and slaves alike in here for me to let my guard down.

I wait for a few more moments before I open my eyes and find that I’m feeling much better and seemingly recovering much faster than before.

Perhaps the hideous tea does work. I see that the waterskin has been left beside me so I uncork it again and brave the lukewarm concoction.

The bitter taste has me grimacing, but I no longer feel the need to vomit.

Casting a look over at the cart, I see Bell and Ila being told to take off their dresses, which they do without being told twice.

I look away for a moment as I see the bruises over their arses and teats.

Bere sees them as well and snarls at one of his men that they’re not to be touched again before they’re sold, and that they both should be given a healing potion to drink.

I see them both sag with relief at Bere’s orders and they’re taken to a water trough to wash themselves clean.

‘Get them ready, and you best hope that those potions heal them quickly. It’s market day today, and I want them offloaded! Kings!’

‘Aye, Bere?’

‘Find the Wren brothers and tell them we’ve arrived if they want to see the goods.’

‘Aye, Bere!’

I sit up, using the stone wall to lean against as I swig the tea, and watch everyone’s movements.

There are fifteen slavers and about twenty slaves including our party.

Luckily, most of the humans are locked in the pens.

..waiting to be sold, I suppose. Bell and Ila wash themselves thoroughly and then put their clothes back on.

They run their fingers through matted hair and try to look as presentable as possible.

It looks like Bell has been giving Ila help, and that they’re hoping to be sold on together.

I hope they get what they want. If they’re truly friends, it’ll be safer for them to enter a new master’s home together. They can watch each other’s backs in case the other slaves try to make things difficult for them. It’s the best they can wish for, and they know it.

I’m left by the side and largely forgotten, which suits me well because it means I can just observe.

When two large men walk through the doors, I’m the first to notice them.

They’re tall and broad demons with white horns adorned with gold filigree.

Each has many earrings dangling from his ears.

Their tunics match and there are only subtle differences in their faces and builds, though one is very slightly taller and strides forward first, clearly the one in charge.

‘Bere, my friend!’

They all greet each other loudly and then Bere shows Bell and Ila off to his potential buyers over a drink from a wine skin.

Unfortunately, the Wren brothers seem unimpressed by Bere’s wares. They eye Bell and Ila almost disdainfully, and one of the brothers even smirks at Bere and asks if he’s been letting his men sample the cargo again. They leave without buying and Bere’s face is red with anger.

But he doesn’t berate or punish his men, he lunges for Bell and Ila.

‘Worthless, useless human filth!’ he rages, backing Ila to the wall close to where I am. ‘What am I to do with you, now? Fuck! The next large town isn’t for days!’

I stand on legs that I’m thankful feel much stronger and ready myself to slink away without Bere noticing me, but as I do, I see Bell staring.

She narrows her eyes and jerks her head toward Bere who’s looming over a sniveling, sobbing Ila.

I know what she’s saying. ‘You deserve it, not her and perhaps he’ll even be punished for hurting you. ’

I lower my eyes. She’s right, now more than ever. I move quickly, placing myself in front of Ila just as the slaver’s fist is barreling toward her.

He catches me hard in the mouth, snapping my head to the side.

I go down with a thud, landing hard on the flagstone floor.

Only a moment passes, I think, while my head whirls and I try to make sense of what’s happening, but there’s a hard thud that vibrates through the floor followed by shouting and screaming all around me.

I think I’m alone. I should move. I know that, but I can’t seem to make my body obey.

Locke

‘Where the fuck did that thing come from?’ I hear Warrior yell.

I grab Bere and drag him to the wall so that he doesn’t get crushed. The slaves are screaming and scrambling together in the corners, though the massive beast that’s currently still stampeding through the main floor of the barn can’t get into their pens anyway.

I slap Bere’s cheek a few times. Probably harder than necessary.

If only we didn’t need this cunt alive. I look over at the females he was taking his rage out on. The youngest one is crying quietly with the one who seems to be her friend. The third, Bryn, is on the ground unmoving. Blood trickles from her lip, already swollen from Bere’s fist.

‘Bere!’ I snarl loudly, slapping him again harder and wishing I could do more to the nasty prick.

His eyes flutter and he groans, grabbing his head. ‘What happened?’

‘A bovine bull came barreling through the door and ran right into you,’ I tell him. ‘It doesn’t look as if he’s gorged you though.’

Bere sits up and stares at where the furious animal is being herded back outside. ‘Gods. The cargo?’

I let him see my angry expression. ‘The ones you were beating senseless after you told the men not to touch them?’ I can’t help but ask.

He winces. ‘Fucking Wren brothers. I knew they’d break their word.’

He gets to his feet, sways, and then gives his head a shake. ‘Get that beast out of here and close the fucking doors! Silve, find out who let that thing loose and give them a sound thrashing they won’t soon forget!’

Silve nods and leaves immediately.

‘Fuck,’ Bere mutters, his eyes on the unconscious girl. ‘Morgan, see to the female I put you in charge of, for fuck’s sake!’

‘He’s not here. Went for a piss, I think,’ one of the others calls out.

I don’t look to see who.

I watch as Kings hauls her up none too carefully and gives her a shake. Her head snaps back and forth with the force of his handling.

‘She’s human, you halfwit!’ I roar. ‘You’ll break her fucking neck doing that.’

‘What happened?’ I hear Jak ask and look to see both him and Morgan walking in together.

‘Taking a piss together, were you?’ Warrior spits.

Jak sneers at Warrior. ‘I was getting a new pack, you cunt. You saw my other split this morning. You heard me say I needed to find another.’

‘Morgan, see to the female,’ Bere orders, sounding as weary as I feel.

I see Morgan’s eyes narrow in on the girl in Kings’ grasp. He puts on a good show of nonchalance, but I see the way his fist tightens as he walks across the barn and takes her from him, cradling her gently.

He’s protective of her, I realize. I’ve never seen him like this before. He grew up on the fringes of the Dark Realms. He’s gruff and harsh, even with women though he barely speaks to them at all. He literally only fucks them in brothels. That’s all.

I frown at what I’m seeing.

‘Did you do this?’ Morgan asks Kings.

No one else hears the cold, calculating edge. I only do because we’ve worked together for so long. Knowing my large friend, Kings’ next words will determine if he lives or meets with a likely fatal accident soon.

I didn’t think I’d need to warn Morgan to keep his distance from the slaves, I thought it would be Jak, considering he used to be a healer. This might be a problem.

Kings shakes his head. ‘Stupid female got in the way, that’s all.’

I consider Kings’ words. He makes it sound as if she, like a small child, wandered unknowingly into danger.

But from what I saw, that’s not quite true.

I saw the silent exchange between Bryn and Bell.

Bryn put herself in front of the smaller girl on purpose.

She meant to take that hit. Bell practically told her to.

And then the bull came raging in and Bere is the only one who seems to have been hurt.

My eyes narrow, the wheels in my head turning as I watch Kings stub his toe on the edge of one of the flagstones and half trip, letting out a grunt of pain as he staggers away.

Didn’t that Healer hurt her fingers in Bryn’s presence as well. ..

I shake myself out of my ridiculous thoughts. Coincidences, that’s all. Gods, I’ve been in the Dark Realms too long. I’m becoming as superstitious as they are.

I glance at Bell when her attention is elsewhere, and I can’t help but think that she seems pleased with herself. But why did Bryn do what Bell wanted? Bell lords it over the smaller one, not Bryn, or so it seems.

Bere is speaking with Silve, who I’ve noticed has returned with bloody knuckles so he must have found the culprit who let the bull loose.

Ila is sitting in the straw, nursing her face where Bere had already slapped her before the bull came in. Bell is alone.

I approach her slowly, grabbing my pack that’s close by. I plonk it down on the hay bale closest to her, opening it and pretending I’m looking for something.

I grit my teeth. I shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t care about the intricacies of slave hierarchies. It’s not my business. And yet, I find myself eyeing her inconspicuously while I search my bag for nothing.

‘Why did Bryn do what you wanted?’

She jumps at my sudden words.

‘Milord?’ she asks innocently.

I don’t look at her. ‘I saw your exchange with her. Why did she do what you wanted? Why did she take that hit?’

Bell’s eyes are wide and guileless. ‘I’m sure I don’t know, my lord. Perhaps she simply wanted to help poor Ila. She’s suffered, you see? We both have.’

Her words sink in and confuse me even more as I remember the many scars over her body. ‘Not Bryn? She hasn’t suffered?’ I ask.

‘Not like us, milord.’