ABBY
Mason seems, despite his state yesterday, to be in good shape. I follow behind him, staring at his torso as we make our way through the forest.
I'm yet to see the wound underneath his shirt, but judging by how he's carrying himself today, he's not in any pain. There's a chance he's hiding it, but I imagine I'd still catch the occasional grimace or adjustment.
I'm horrified to think he's had so much improvement after only a few hours, and I'm choosing to believe he's playing down how much his abdomen hurts.
Knowing him, though, it won't take long for him to take off his shirt. I'll get a good look then.
He almost always seems to be looking for an excuse to strip.
I grab my backpack straps, fisting them nervously in my hands. I won't be surprised if they're worn thin by the time we make it to the portal.
I hoped to break free from Mason and Kieran before even getting close to the portal, but that possibility is getting smaller and smaller as the days go on. We're on our third day of traveling now, which should mean we're more than halfway there.
The pair are still watching me like a hawk, and because of my slip-up with Delysum, Mason's paying even closer attention to me.
If I so much as take an uneven step, he's turning to glare at me over his shoulder.
Kie's chosen to walk behind me today, so I can't see what he's doing, but I assume he's watching me just the same.
All because I asked about some stupid plant. Talk about an overreaction.
At least they've stopped asking me about it.
Mason's been radio silent for hours now, temporarily dropping the subject. It sounds like Kie's planning on sending his 'people,' probably soldiers, into Janta to look into what I've said. It won't take them long to realize I was lying.
At least, I hope that's the conclusion they come to. I'd hate for some innocent faerie to get in trouble for my lies.
Either way, I'll be with Zaha in the gods' realm by the time they realize that, so they won't be able to question me again. They'll never find out about Lill, not if I have any say in it.
"We should be crossing into the troll lands soon," Mason says, stepping over a rock.
Wonderful.
"Good to know," Kie responds.
He sounds close, and I quicken my movements to put some additional space between us. He may be my favorite among the pair, but that doesn't mean I like him. Kie's still a threat, and I don't want him walking so close to me.
Kie laughs as I hurry away from him, the noise causing Mason to peer at us over his shoulder.
The shifter's gaze darts between Kie and me, and his lips twitch once he realizes what's happening. He probably enjoys seeing Kie make me uncomfortable, especially after all the bickering the two have done regarding me this past day.
They have two differing opinions on how I should be treated.
Kie's eager to get me to the portal and be done with me, but Mace's ready to string me up in a tree and bleed me until I give in and tell him everything I know.
It's a fun combo. Real fucking fun.
"What're the trolls like?" I ask.
I don't think I'll get an answer, but I ask anyway.
Lill vaguely mentioned that trolls like to eat humans, but I could never tell if she was being genuine or just saying that to freak me out. I used to take everything she said about the faerie realm as gospel, but now I realize she was full of shit.
The bitch cherry-picked all the information she gave me, making this place seem significantly more beautiful and magical than it really is.
Objectively, I know I'm judging the faerie realm a bit harshly because of my kidnapping, and I'd probably like it a lot more had I come for a vacation or something fun, but I don't care. This place fucking blows, and if I get out of here alive, I'm never returning.
I don't care if the faeries have super magical mates and magic. It's not worth it.
"What do you know about the trolls?" Kie asks me.
I'm surprised he's acknowledged I've spoken, even if it's with another question.
"I heard they like to eat humans," I admit. "But that's about all."
Mason picks up the pace, and I grimace and quicken my movements to match. We've only been walking for a few hours now, but I'm growing tired earlier with each passing day. It probably doesn't help that I didn't eat any breakfast this morning.
My body's running on fumes.
"They eat whatever they can get their hands on," Kie says. "But they're small and easy to kill, and they're notoriously bad trackers. We'll be safer in their lands."
I let out a silent sigh of relief, happy to hear that. Between these two and the shifters I know are probably tracking us at this very moment, I've been on high alert. I'm over-analyzing every sound I hear, cataloging and panicking over it until I'm positive I'm about to die.
I'm pretty sure both Mason and Kie have better hearing than me, but that doesn't mean they won't miss something. I'd be dumb to trust them blindly, and it's up to me to look out for myself.
"How small are they?" I ask, wanting to know my odds of surviving a troll attack.
If I get lucky and manage to escape these two, it'd be nice to know how much danger I'm in. When I hear troll, I think of short green men with spiked bats—not the most intimidating.
"Not small enough for you," Mason says, speaking up. "You're too weak, and they'll gouge out your eyes before you can do any harm."
I grind my teeth, annoyed with his interruption. I'm also annoyed that I can't tell whether he's being serious or not. I'd like to think he's just saying this to frighten me, but it's also no secret that I'm weaker than most of the other races that inhabit this realm.
I'm no match for the faeries, I'm especially no match for the shifters, so it's not a massive surprise that I wouldn't be one for the trolls.
"They'll try to keep you alive for as long as possible, though. They believe meat tastes best when it's been infused with a healthy dose of adrenaline," Mason continues. He lets out a quiet hum before turning to smirk at me over his shoulder. "You're most afraid of being raped, and I doubt it'll take them long to see that."
I stiffen, not liking what he's insinuating.
"Mason," Kie hisses.
Mason continues, ignoring him. "They don't usually fuck their meals, but they'll probably make an exception if they know it'll get the reaction they want out of you. I imagine after four or five have run through you, they'll—"
"That's enough," Kie says, cutting him off.
Mason stops walking altogether, and I find myself holding my breath as he spins around to face us. I just want one day of peace, but at least the arguing is between Kie and Mason.
"Why?" he asks. "Shouldn't she know what'll happen if the trolls get their hands on her? Wouldn't you want to know?"
My skin feels itchy, and I want to peel it off.
"You're being cruel," Kieran says.
He walks toward Mason, and I hurriedly step out of the way as he goes toe to toe with the shifter. The last thing I want is to get caught in the middle of their dick-measuring contest. I already know that wouldn't bode well for me.
"Life's cruel, Kie," Mason argues. "And as much as you want to pretend otherwise, we both know the trolls will want to test the human's cunt. I bet she's—"
Mason doesn't get to finish whatever he was about to say.
Kie's on him in a heartbeat, and I hurry back several more steps, practically tripping over my feet.
"I told you to stop," Kie grunts.
A millisecond later, his fist is connecting with Mason's cheek. The action is met with a loud crack, which I assume is Mason's cheekbone breaking.
I flinch.
Mason handles the hit pretty well, hardly even reacting to it before launching head-first into a fight. His movements are quick, too quick to really follow, but it's clear the two men aren't holding back.
Their punches are hard, and they aim for the face.
"You were raised better than this," Kie says, speaking through his teeth.
Kie has the upper hand for approximately five seconds before Mason lands a hit on his jaw. It slows Kie down for only a brief moment, but it's enough for Mason to kick out Kie's leg and pin him to the ground.
"You don't know how I was raised," Mason spits. "I was given to you as a fucking gift, and you have no idea what my life was like before the treaty. You have no fucking idea how I was raised."
I cover my mouth with my hand, my eyes wide as the Mason slams his fist into the side of Kie's eye socket. This feels like a conversation they should've had years ago, not in the middle of the forest while surrounded by shifters who want to kill us.
"She's manipulating you," Mason continues, pulling back his fist. "And you're too fucking dumb to see it."
Kie attempts to dodge the punch, but he doesn't move in time. Mason's fist connects with his temple with a sickening crack.
They're going to kill one another.
I'm convinced the hit is enough to give Mason the win, but Kie manages to smoothly avoid the next one Mason throws in his direction. Mason's the stronger of the two, but Kie's faster. He's able to dodge most of Mason's hits, and he usually gets in one of his own between them.
I'm not going to stick around to see who wins.
It doesn't matter to me. My outcome will be the same either way, maybe slightly worse if Mason comes out on top.
The pair aren't paying me any attention, and they speak to one another in hushed, angry whispers.
I'll take it.
My heart pounds, and I don't waste any time as I turn and walk away. The pair continue fighting behind me, their voices growing in volume as they take turns insulting both one another and me. I'm catching a lot of fucking strays, which is mildly annoying considering I haven't actually done anything to these two.
Mason's giving me far more credit than I deserve.
I'm not the mastermind manipulator he seems to think I am, and I don't see the protection he's insisting Kie is giving me. The faerie is mildly kinder than Mason, but that's as far as it goes.
He's just not going out of his way to torture and frighten me as Mason does.
They grow quieter as I get further away, and my footsteps grow quicker with every giant tree I put between us. The second I can no longer hear them, I begin to sprint. I've got several hours of daylight left, and I fully intend to take advantage of it.
I run in the direction we were headed, hoping to cross into the troll territory. Despite what Mason said, I'm choosing my luck with them over the shifters.
Kie said they're bad trackers and easy to kill, which is really all I need to know.
I don't stand a chance against the shifters.
My muscles burn as I push forward, specifically in my chest and legs. I've never been the most athletic, but I'm a track star today. I ignore the aching in my knees as I jump over small twigs and logs, desperate to put as much distance between me and the pair before they notice I'm gone.
I doubt it'll take long.
They're faster than me, and I know I'm leaving a trail behind, but once I'm confident in the distance between us, I'll slow down and work on leaving less noticeable tracks.
As long as Mason can't shift into his animal form and track me, there's a slim chance I'll be able to do this.
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