"I wouldn't suggest anything that would put you or us at risk," Hilda tried to reassure me as she began to open the paper package she pulled out of the fridge. Her words didn't hold much weight since she had already put me in danger to mitigate some of theirs. "This town is small and often overlooked by the neighboring courts. It's unlikely the Winter King will have his men lingering here when there are larger cities better suited for hiding so near, but I can understand the concern. There haven't been any official announcements put out regarding you and I have strong doubts that there will be since you are a human and the Winter court broke laws by bringing you here. This isn't something the other courts would turn a blind eye to. Plus," she continued, grabbing a basket full of eggs as she turned the stove on. "Your glamour has an added feature of making your face forgettable. No one here is powerful enough to bypass its effects, so if they were shown a picture of you, they wouldn't be able to place where they had seen you, even if they just had moments earlier. If you change your mind or grow bored, the offer is always open."
"Thanks, Hilda, but I don't plan on sticking around long enough to make friends."
"You don't have much of a choice in how long you'll be here, dear. Making friends might do you some good and help time pass by faster. Plus, it's always nice to have someone to talk to."
The pitying edge that entered her eyes had me clenching my teeth. It was one I was familiar with and always hated being on the receiving end of, but I shouldn't have been surprised to see it reflected in her eyes after my excessive reaction last night. It also made it clearer why she was suddenly so insistent that I socialize after her previous warnings that I wasn't to leave this house alone.
Who would have guessed that the woman who had placed a death sentence on my chest would be showing me concern? Though, it could be left up for debate whether she had ulterior motives, even if I couldn't see them at the moment.
"It's difficult to make friends when you're confined to a property you're not allowed to leave unsupervised," I dryly remarked as I moved to offer her my assistance with breakfast.
"You're more than welcome to invite them here."
"I'll think about it."
* * *
After breakfast, the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent helping Hilda with final preparations for the market taking place the next day while trying to get answers out of her again with no success. She kept changing the subject whenever I steered it toward Silas and what I had overheard them discussing. Eventually, I stopped trying when my constant efforts led to nothing but avoidance.
The town market was open every day, but Hilda and Silas only rented a stall on the weekends to make enough to get through the following week while saving the rest to stock up for winter before the ground froze over. They were already behind, my unexpected arrival setting them back further. Hilda mentioned that typically they would be prepared by now, but needing to uproot and relocate a few months back came with a lot of unexpected costs that set them back, most spent on adjusting to the vastly different environment. It had been easier to account for food and not worry about the costs that came with keeping warm when they had resided between the borders of the spring and summer courts. Still, those lands came with their own struggles in the forms of droughts and extreme temperatures in the opposite direction.
When evening rolled around, Hilda scavenged up a few books I could read to keep myself occupied and left me with an extra portion of the dish she had prepared for the potluck that I just needed to pop into the oven and heat. She was going to be returning late and made sure I had everything I would need before leaving.
When she was gone, I gave the books she had left me with a once over before picking one that would help me learn more about this realm and headed upstairs to take a long bath to begin reading while trying to unwind in the moment of solitude I had. When the water that had my skin flushing red cooled, I made my way downstairs to pop dinner into the oven and enjoy the savory melody of vegetables, setting aside a portion three times as large as mine for Silas as per Hilda's parting request. It still sat on the kitchen table untouched two hours after I had set it aside and finished eating.
Adding more wood to the dying fire that Hilda had lit in the living room before leaving, I settled on the couch across from it and pulled a crocheted throw over my lap before cracking open the book I had been reading. It was a great source that introduced me to this realm and the four distinct Courts it was separated into. I had hoped that learning more would make it easier to understand and accept this new reality, and it did, but that only had me spiraling further as it sunk in just how little I was capable of doing in this world to defend myself. Switchblades and a kick to the balls could buy me some time against Lower Fae, but they didn't stand a chance against High Fae and what they were capable of.
Most High Fae from the Autumn Court, including Hilda and Silas, were capable of manipulating air enough that I wouldn't get a chance to make a move if they decided to strike. They could toss me through the air without lifting a finger, slice through me with blades of air as though I was soft butter, or steal the air from my lungs and watch me claw at my throat for the next breath that they controlled. Silas didn't need the choker surrounding my neck to suffocate me, something he had already proven.
Or, based on his conversation with Hilda, limit himself to using air.
The Winter Court, whose most powerful High Fae was responsible for me being here, controlled water. The King, the men he had sent to bring me here, and the numerous High Fae that resided in his Court could pull particles from the air, change their state, and create blades from water or ice. They could drown me where I stood, or move the water in my body to control my movements or the way my blood flowed. My mouth grew dry as I continued to read, a cold sweat breaking out over my brows at the thought of ending up in their hands again. I didn't know why the Winter King dragged me here, but the Stone in my chest gave me a clear picture of what his motive could become.
The Summer Court had power over the sun. Or at least that's what the book said they considered their ability to control fire. The High Fae of the Summer Court were known for their cruelty. They were able to produce flames from the air and manipulate them however want. They could throw orbs of flames that burst when they hit their target, or form whips that lashed their victims with heat that left them burned and blistering. If they were lucky. They had the ability to burn me with temperatures that would leave nothing but ash behind and make sure I felt every second of my body sizzling and burning before putting me out of my misery. Plenty of time to convince me to carve my own heart out to end the suffering sooner.
The court that was considered the kindest was the Spring Court, but that wasn't because they were any less dangerous. The Court controlled earth, or, at least what it grew. High Fae of the Spring Court were able to control plants, giving them the ability to make them grow, shrink, or move as they like. They would have no problem trapping me like the vines Silas had found me in, or using them to pierce through my body like spears. They weren't any less deadly or scary than the other courts, but their ability to heal by speeding up the process of healing wounds in a manner similar to how they speed up the development of plants had the other courts holding them in a different regard. Though the Courts held hostile relationships with one another, the other three were far more welcoming to members of the Spring Court due to their healing abilities, especially when they were in need of them.
As I flipped the page in search of an explanation for Silas's ability to reanimate dead animals, the door slammed open to let in the cold night air. I jerked upright at the sudden intrusion, dropping the book into my lap while my heart leaped into my throat. I was able to swallow past the fear choking me when Silas stormed in, tossing the charred and drenched remains of his bag onto the floor before slamming the door shut behind him. Though my panic and fear had lessened, it hadn't subsided at the sight of his angered movements.
Like what remained of his bag, his clothes were soaked, dripping water onto the floor. It hadn't been raining outside. Reaching for the bottom of his shirt that was plastered to the hard ridges carved into his torso, he ripped it off over his head in one smooth motion and discarded it onto the floor by his bag. Raking his dripping hair back with his fingers, he finally took notice of me watching him over the back of the couch with wide eyes that couldn't help but roam his exposed flesh. I shrunk behind it at the malice and anger that I found in his glare.
"Rough day?" I asked, forcing the words past the lump of fear stuck in my throat.
His glare narrowed further as he dropped his arm. "Where's Ma?" He asked, looking towards the kitchen that was dark and silent before moving towards the hallway that lead to her room.
"Potluck. She isn't back yet..."
My voice trailed off when he turned towards me, my eyes locking on a glimpse of silver on his exposed torso that look familiar. It was on his side, just under his pec. In the same spot mine was. The pattern the curved silver lines formed was identical to the one decorating my side.
"Of course," he scoffed to himself as he turned away, not noticing where my focus had shifted.
"Wait!" I called out as I pushed the blanket from my legs and rushed to my feet. "Silas!"
He disregarded my calls, continuing up the stairs as though I hadn't spoken. I scrambled to chase after him, almost tripping on the blanket that had fallen to my feet in my haste. Rushing after him, I caught up to him just as he reached the second floor and began to make his way into the room across the hallway from mine. Before he could close the door behind him, I slipped my foot inside to stop him.
Bad idea.
"Fucking fuck!" I shouted when the door slammed my foot, which was only protected by a sock, into the frame with a force that had me worrying about broken bones. In my hurry, I had forgotten I had slipped my boots off downstairs to fold my feet under me and relax.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Silas demanded, opening the door to glare down at me as I rose my foot to clutch at it.
"Rich coming from you," I snapped back, my frustrations of being left in the dark coming to a head with the pain.
His jaw ticked. "I'm too tired to deal with this. Goodnight, Greysi," he said, going to close his door again.
"Wait!" I reached out and slammed my palms against it to keep him from shutting it.
Though I was sure he could have overpowered me to close it, he bared his teeth and jerked the door open again. "What do you want?" He seethed.
"That," I hissed through the pain shooting up my foot, pointing at the silver mark at his side. "What is it?"
I watched as his body stiffened. "Nothing," he stiffly answered after a beat of silence.
I shook my head. "It's identical to the one I have... It's not related to the Blood Stone, is it? I need to know what you and Hilda are keeping from me. What else did she do?"
A muscle jumped in his cheek. "As I said, it's nothing."
My teeth ground together as my hand curled into a fist against the doorframe. "You're lying, just like Hilda. I want answers. She wouldn't give them to me either. She said to get them from you. So tell me. What is it? What does it mean?"
His face darkened. "I already gave you my answer. Now, go. Don't make me regret bringing you here more than I already do. "
I took a step back as his words struck a nerve I hadn't expected. "Can't blame Mommy for that," I sneered. "You're the reason she got the chance to make everything worse."
"And believe me, if I could go back and leave you tangled in those vines to die, I would."
His words lashed at me, leaving behind an inexplicable sting that only added to my frustrations.
"But I can't rewind time," he continued. "I'll make sure you get back home in one piece, but until then, do me a favor and stay the fuck away from me," he said, moving to shut his door again.
This time, I didn't stop him.
Taken is complete and available on Patreon.
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