Page 37 of Given to the Fae (The Dark Realms #3)

‘She was likely told them,’ Locke says from the other side of the cave where he still looks grey. ‘That’s right, isn’t it Bryn?’

I close my eyes and nod, shame coursing through me.

‘Who told you all this nonsense?’ Morgan asks.

A blanket is thrown over me belatedly and I give Jak a look of thanks.

‘Ogdan and Sio. Warrior. Others at The Barracks.’

Morgan draws me even closer somehow. ‘Nothing they told you is true.’

‘I want to believe you, but I can’t,’ I whisper.

‘Then, one day you’re going to tell me everything they said, and I’m going to prove them wrong about each and every single thing.’

I give him a small smile, wondering if that means he wants me to stay with him in the Light Realm, wondering if I would like that.

I don’t know. It’s not something I can even fathom.

‘What happened last night...’ I grimace. ‘I’ve never felt like that before. What was it?’

Jak looks grim. ‘It could be this world. There are many that don’t agree with humans. We’ll have to see if it happens again.’

He looks outside at the morning sky, the sun still the same odd red color.

‘We should get packed up,’ he says. ‘The Gate box didn’t specify the time the Breach would open. If we don’t want to be stuck here for another night, we should go.’

Locke picks himself up, looking better, and he and Jak make short work of packing everything up while Morgan gives me some flatbread and meat, and plies me with the tea and water. Only after I’ve eaten and drunk does he allow me out of his arms, not that I’m in a hurry to leave them, I realize.

He lets me up and I clutch the blanket tightly as I get my clothes and put them on, not forgetting the bracelet.

We leave the caves, Morgan making sure we haven’t forgotten anything, and we head toward the Gate on horseback. I’m in front of Morgan and he keeps a tight hold on me when we hear the roar of the Bridge opening and we aren’t there yet.

The hard gallop has me gripping the horse for dear life as my flesh is shaken from my bones, but we make it to the Ring before it closes. I clutch Morgan, steeling myself for the horrors that await me inside the corridor between worlds.

But when we enter, the screaming doesn’t assail me. I can still hear it, but it isn’t so loud, and I don’t feel so terrified.

The whispers come from one direction, and I make myself open my eyes to look, but there’s nothing but the black of the Breach around us.

‘Bryn.’

I turn my head to see who calls for me, but there’s no one else in the Breach that I can see.

We come out into a small town square under morning sunshine and blue skies. The buildings are wooden and painted brightly, and there are colored triangles on long lines of string hanging all over as if there’s going to be a celebration.

I look back at the Ring. I don’t know why, but something tells me that the Breach didn’t affect me so much this time because I’m stronger, and I’m stronger because of last night. But that doesn’t make sense. How would that give me strength? It must merely be a coincidence.

‘Where are you coming from?’ the Gate keeper asks from his hut.

He smiles at us amiably, even at me, and I’m taken aback because I’m usually overlooked, or I receive a scowl.

I find myself smiling back, enjoying not being a slave in his eyes, and putting my thoughts away for the moment to enjoy the freedom even if it is false.

‘Just passing through the Circles,’ Locke says. ‘Is there a festival?’

The pixie Gate keeper nods. ‘Tonight. For the full moon. We have a witches’ coven here, and they enjoy their lunar celebrations.’

‘Aye, they do at that,’ Locke nods. ‘Where’s the best inn?’

The pixie scratches his head, his lips pursed in thought. ‘The Ram’s Head will serve you well, I think, and last I heard they had some rooms.’

Locke nods his thanks and we leave the square.

The Ram’s Head is on the main street, so we find it easily, and the last two rooms are procured for the night.

It’s a refreshing change that the males aren’t reminded to not let me on the soft furnishings or told I have to sleep in the barn with the other slaves.

It’s decided that I’ll be with Jak overnight in case what happened in the cave occurs again, but I’m almost sure that it won’t.

I don’t have the same odd sensation that I felt yesterday.

Jak doesn’t think it will be a problem again either, assuming it was the world we were on.

I haven’t told him that I felt odd from the moment I woke up that morning.

I traipse up the stairs behind Jak, deep in thought.

It scares me that I wasn’t in control of myself and it frightens me even more that he’s wrong.

If I don’t know what caused it, I don’t know how to stop it from happening, and the thought of having it come upon me again, of begging to be fucked.

.. It’s bad enough when I asked the three fae, but what if they aren’t there next time?

What if I’m reduced to begging some unknown master to relieve me?

I shy away from these thoughts, my heart thudding in my chest. I can’t let that happen.

I need to speak to Jak, tell him the truth about when I began to feel odd, and that the Breach isn’t affecting me as much as it has before.

Should I tell him about my suspicions as well?

That I feel stronger because of last night?

I have no proof. He likely won’t believe me. But perhaps he should know everything I know.

When we get into the small room, Jak heaves a sigh and puts his pack gently on the table.

‘How are you feeling?’ he asks.

I tilt my head as I look at him. Is the concern in his eyes because he fucked me? Or is he just being kind because he pities me?

‘I need to tell you something,’ I say instead of answering him.

He nods and sits down, handing me the skin with the tea in it.

I know instinctively that I don’t need that now, so I don’t take the cork out and drink the vile stuff.

‘Yesterday...’

He gestures for me to sit down at the small table with him, so I do.

‘You don’t need to feel embarrassed, Bryn,’ he murmurs.

I wince at his words, feeling more mortified than ever now that he’s talking about it.

‘I don’t,’ I lie. ‘But there’s something you should know.’ I take a deep breath and hope that this conversation doesn’t lead to dire consequences for me.

These fae are still masters, whether they pretend to be different or not, and I know what happens when masters find out that I’m different.

But I need to know why I felt that way. What made it start? Why did it stop? I need to make sure it doesn't happen again. Jak was a healer. He knows more than I do, so he’s my best chance at finding answers.

I rub at the welts I know are on my wrists even though I can’t see or feel them.

‘Yesterday, it wasn’t the world, or the cave that made me feel as I did,’ I say. ‘I felt it as soon as I woke in the morning in Dead City, I just didn’t understand what it was. There was an ache.’ I touch my lower abdomen. ‘It was faint, but it was there.’

Jak

I lean back in the chair and regard the girl in front of me.

‘There’s more,’ she says, taking a steadying breath.

‘Go on,’ I murmur, hoping my expression doesn’t give away my thoughts.

There’s nothing I can think of that would cause what happened to Bryn, bar a plant that grows in the Light Realm, which would be nigh on impossible to bring here because it needs to be fresh.

The only other cause might be a conjure, but Locke told me there was nothing on her at all, and he would have sensed it.

I can’t shake the notion that the human in front of me knows more than she’s decided to let on. Things don’t quite make sense when it comes to this girl.

‘Since I’ve been traveling the Breach, it has taken its toll on me. The healer said it was Gate Sickness, but I... I hear voices. Inside the portal tunnels. I have since the first time. Screaming and crying, feelings of terror and sadness. It’s been like that every trip.’

I keep the frown off my face. I’ve never heard of anyone hearing anything like that in the Breach itself. But she’s clearly afraid of what’s happened to her already, and the last thing I want is to add to her fear and make her stop talking to me.

‘But this morning,’ she continues, ‘it was easy . I could still hear everything, but I could will it away, not let it affect me. I think...’ She clasps her hands together. ‘I think it made me stronger .’

I know she’s seen the concern in my eyes even though I banish it quickly.

‘I’m telling you because...you’re a healer and because I’m afraid that if I don’t know why it happened, it’ll happen again and...it won’t be you who I’m begging...’

She stares at the table and I try to ignore the elation that rises in me that she wouldn’t want to ask anyone else.

‘Do you have any ideas about it at all?’ I ask.

She shakes her head.

‘And you’ve never felt like that before yesterday?’

Another shake.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say softly, ‘but there’s nothing I can think of that would cause a human to...’

A human. I said the same thing last night, I realize.

‘Do you remember your parents?’ I ask carefully.

‘No. I don’t recall anything before The Barrack as I said in Dead City.’

I sigh. The cogs in my head are turning slowly, but I need more information.

‘And is there anything about you that’s unusual for a human? Anything at all?’

‘No,’ she says quickly.

Too quickly.

She’s lying now. There is something, but the fear in her eyes has me changing tack. I won’t get anything else out of her now. She doesn’t trust me enough to tell me more.

And rightly so.

‘Are you tired?’ I ask. ‘From last night.’

She looks at me as if I’m trying to make her admit something, trick her into telling me what she doesn’t want me to know.

‘Because I am,’ I admit. ‘Shall we rest awhile? We can leave the others to explore and stay here for a bit. We can talk more later if you like.’

She nods a bit reluctantly, and I gesture to the large bed that can easily fit two.

‘Do you mind if we share?’

She looks away.