Page 41 of Given to the Fae (The Dark Realms #3)

Jak, still beneath me, makes a noise of annoyance and pulls me back to him, wrapping his arms around me firmly so that I can’t escape his tongue, nor Morgan’s cock.

‘That’s it,’ Morgan practically coos at me. ‘Relax and feel how well we can pleasure you.’

I let go at his words and squeal my enjoyment into the blankets as Jak sucks my bud into his mouth and flicks it with his tongue. I crest quickly and am a bit disappointed that now it will be over. But Morgan and Jak show no signs of stopping their assault.

I shy away from Jak’s tongue, too sensitive now, so he gentles his motions, barely touching me while Morgan quickens his pace. I feel every inch of him as he thrusts in and out, his movements becoming harder and faster.

‘Give us another,’ he growls in command and one thick finger eases into my other channel.

My squeal of pain and pleasure is shrill and an intense wave breaks over me, making me scream.

My legs give out and my body languishes, held up only by Morgan and Jak.

Jak surges up and sucks on me hard, making me crest again with a cry. My fingers curl like claws into the bed as I whimper and moan.

Morgan’s movements change, his hips snapping forward hard and fast and he finds his own pleasure, throwing his head back and opening his mouth on a silent roar as he bathes my cunt with his seed and then collapses over me, breathing hard.

He rolls to the bed and pulls me with him and Jak raises a brow when he sees my well-sated face.

‘How was that for you, pretty little human?’

I will my mouth to form words but I can’t seem to find them, so I caress his face instead, panting hard as my body relaxes in Morgan’s arms and I close my eyes.

Strong.

That’s my first thought when I wake in the night. I feel strong. I look around the room in the low light from the fire and see Morgan getting dressed. I’m in Jak’s arms now, I realize.

‘Stay,’ I murmur, wanting him on my other side, but he shakes his head.

‘I can’t be gone any longer or Locke will wonder where I’ve been.’

‘What will you tell him?’ I whisper.

Does it really matter if Locke knows what we did together? An odd feeling in the pit of my stomach has me frowning in the gloom.

‘I won’t have to tell him anything. He’ll assume I was at a brothel.’ He gives me a wink. ‘But in truth my time was occupied with someone far more in every way.’

I can’t help my small smile at his words even as he leaves the room and I close my eyes to sleep again, cuddling closer to Jak.

‘Bryn?’

‘Hmm?’

I blink sleepily and rub my eyes, yawning behind my hand.

‘It’s time to wake. We leave soon.’

Oh.

I sit up and stretch, my body feeling strong and my mind clearing rapidly. The bed is warm and comfortable, and for once I’m waking without the aches and pains that are in the background, typically ignored, but always there.

‘How do you feel?’

He asks the question casually, but when I look up at Jak, his eyes are on me and unwavering.

‘Well,’ I say slowly.

‘Different at all? Remember your promise,’ he reminds me, gaze boring into me.

I frown. ‘Yes. Stronger, then, I think.’

He sits at the table hard. ‘I thought you might,’ he mumbles.

I rise from the bed. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Carnal acts. I had a feeling you might feel different today after Morgan and I last night.’

I freeze at his words, my body and mind stuttering to a stop.

‘You thought that me being with you both would force a change in me?’ I ask, battling to sound normal.

He nods, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

Was last night, them and me, a master’s experiment? A way of finding out more about the Kismet?

I turn away, feeling sick.

Was Jak just trying to uncover the mysteries of the odd human?

I thought...

I asked him to , I tell myself ruthlessly. I wanted him to give me answers. There’s no reason to be upset that they were using me. I’m used to it, after all, and perhaps I was unknowingly using them as well.

Fighting tears, I get myself together before I face him and when I do, he’s packing up, seemingly deep in thought.

Feeling numb, I berate myself for my stupidity. I know better, don’t I? I’m still a slave here no matter my disguise. I close my eyes, tell myself to stop being a fool.

I’ll be in the Light Realm soon. Free . Nothing else matters.

Jak

‘There’s food for you,’ I say absently, gesturing to the table as I think about what this could mean.

What is she?

Mostly human, certainly, but what else? What manner of being draws strength from the carnal? I know of at least one, but I’d need to look in the great Library in Kitore, which I can’t do until we return to the Light Realm. I need to speak to Locke.

‘I’ll be back in a moment,’ I tell her.

She doesn’t look at me. In fact, now that I’m focusing on her, she seems subdued and quite pale.

‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine,’ she says quietly, not looking up from her plate.

Frowning, I exit the room, deciding to leave it for now. We’ll talk later and I’ll find out what’s wrong then. I close the door behind me and I walk the few steps to the next chamber, knocking quietly.

The door opens and Morgan answers. He blinks at me and lets me in.

‘We need to talk,’ I say to Locke.

Locke, sitting at the table, leans back slightly, regarding me impassively.

‘What about?’

He takes a sip from his mug.

‘Bryn.’

Locke’s eyes darken almost imperceptibly. ‘What of the human? Is she well?’

‘Yes, but?—’

‘Good. We reach the auctions today, and Bere. She needs to look like she’s been taken care of as promised. Have her eat and,’ he reaches into his pack that’s on the other chair, ‘put her in this.’

He throws a slave dress at me. It’s the one from before. The rough-spun one. It’s been cleaned and mended.

‘You’re really going to go through with this? You’re going to give her back to him after everything? You’re going to let Bere have her?’

Locke turns away. ‘We’ve already spoken about this. I’ve told you what I’ll do. You need have no part in it. In fact, go back to the Light Realm if you like. This part of the mission will soon be finished anyway.’

I stay silent, not sure what to say.

‘Oh, and, Jak, get that bracelet off her before we leave. It’s valuable. See you outside.’

He drinks the rest of his tea, picks up his bag, and leaves the room. I stare incredulously at the door he closes behind him.

‘What are we going to do?’ I ask Morgan.

The giant just shrugs. I grab his arm but he shakes me off with a grunt.

‘Morgan.’

He looks at me, brows raised in question.

‘Last night. You...I thought you liked her. I thought you cared. We made a deal with her. We can’t leave her.’

He simply shrugs again. ‘Human-fae deals aren’t binding without a vow.’

He grabs his bag and goes the way of Locke, leaving me reeling.

I return to the room I’ve been sharing with Bryn in a daze. When I get inside, she looks at me warily, as if she knows what’s coming. I put the dress on the table.

‘You need to change,’ I murmur.

She eyes the slave garb. ‘When will we get to the Light Realm?’

‘We have to get to Merediea first,’ I hear myself saying. ‘It’ll be after that.’

She nods, trusting me, and dons the dress quickly, leaving the other clothes in a neat pile on the bed by her boots. I turn away and busy myself with packing up quickly.

I find the collar and turn to her, feeling like the worst cunt who’s ever lived.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say softly, buckling the thick leather around her slender neck.

She says nothing, and we leave the room, Bryn walking behind me while I hold the rope.

Outside, Locke and Morgan are mounted. I turn to Bryn to help her onto my steed, but Locke’s voice cuts through the noises of the street.

‘The slave walks.’

I hear Bryn’s sharp intake of breath and I give her an apologetic look. Why is Locke being like this? I cast a look at Morgan. He’s ignoring all of us in favor of watching a pair of pretty pixie girls washing in a water trough nearby.

Bryn’s eyes follow his gaze, and she looks down when she sees what he’s staring at, her jaw tightening.

We walk the street, seeing the remnants of yesterday’s festivities.

Bryn plods beside my horse, flinching at the scowls of the townsfolk who were all so friendly when they thought she was their equal.

They don’t recognize her from yesterday, not even the innkeeper at the taphouse where we ate and drank.

My stomach churns. What am I going to do? And why is Morgan pretending he doesn’t care how Locke is acting?

We reach the Gate and Bryn looks relieved, though it’s hard to tell as her eyes are downcast.

‘Give me the rope,’ Locke commands. ‘She stopped inside last time, and we don’t want an accident in case she does it again.’

I do as he says and he pulls her hard enough toward him that she lets out a pained cry.

‘Locke!’ I hiss.

‘Come, female,’ Locke commands, ignoring me.

I look at Morgan. He’s watching Bryn, but there’s nothing in his countenance to suggest he cares about her at all. She looks up at him, and my heart lurches at the tears in her eyes, but he just looks away as if he’s not really seeing her.

The Gate opens and Locke unceremoniously pulls Bryn through the Ring and into the Breach without a backwards look.

I try to keep my eyes on her inside the portal, make sure she’s not succumbing to Gate Sickness or the screaming she told me about, but besides being confused by Morgan and even Locke’s callous behavior, she only looks out into the darkness once, listening to something I can’t hear.

We come out in Merediea, the first city, and I watch her eyes take in the gleaming white buildings for the first time, her awe palpable.

Locke barely gives her a moment though, pulling her along beside his horse.

We traverse the wide cobbled streets until they become the narrower dirty roads of the outer city, and it takes the better part of half a day.

More than once I tell Locke to let Bryn rest, but he pretends he can’t hear me.

My hissed remarks to Morgan are met with his silence as well.