Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Cassia

I've lost track of how many days I've been here, but it's been enough for me to give up hope of ever being rescued. No one is coming to save me, and as tough as I consider myself to be, I can't save myself. Not when I can't get this damn thing off my ankle!

Sitting outside near the well, I have to take deep breaths to push past the sadness and desperation brewing inside of me. I shift the chain on my ankle around and scoop water from the bucket, dripping it onto the wound. The water from the well soothes the burns on my ankle from the ball and chain, if only a little.

Clenching my teeth together, I shift the chain as much as I can. My skin is red and raw underneath, so painful-looking that I'm afraid it might grow infected with time. There has to be a better way for them to keep me imprisoned.

If I lose my leg, I won't be of any use to anyone.

I let my mind wander as I soak my wrists in the bucket of water. The cuffs aren't nearly as bad, but they still leave red, painful marks. I don't know if the wounds are from the chaffing of the metal or from something in the material, but I swear that I never want to wear a bracelet again after this.

My mind wanders as I soak my wrists in the bucket. I hope my father and grandmother are all right. Again. I have to wonder if they were put out right away and left to fend for themselves or if Prince Sulien thought I ran out on our deal and had them thrown in the dungeons at the castle to punish me.

Not knowing anything about them drives me crazy. If they're sick or hurt or on the streets, it's my fault. If I had stayed, if I hadn't run away I would be with them. Instead, I've been here caring for thieves and drunks.

I turn my thoughts to my men, to the men who have been invading my dreams every night. I feel like I know them intimately now, even though none of it is real. My chest even aches when I think about them.

It's confusing. Why do I dream about them? Why them ?

I don't know the princes, but the dreams just feel so real. How can I miss people I don't know?

These feelings aren't real. This connection is fake… fabricated somehow by these dreams. I think I'd like to get to know them though. If I ever get out of here, I'm not even going to care that there's four of them. If they back the fuck off and stop trying to hump me like horny rabbits, I'll give them a chance.

My main concern is my family, though. It should be. There should be no contest, even though my thoughts and dreams say otherwise. I just… need to know if they're well.

My thoughts are interrupted by yelling, aggressive and angry yelling. It sounds like someone's fighting. It's probably two of those drunken idiots fighting over the last piece of meat at dinner. I dump the water from the bucket and return the bucket to the well and sigh.

Then the shouting grows louder. It's outside! And it's definitely not just fighting about food. I hear things crash. I hear screaming that's not the least bit manly, and then voices.

Those voices shouting sound familiar.

I drag my ball and chain as fast as I can, winding from the back of the house to the front, my heart beating in my throat. I'm in pain. I'm exhausted. Fuck, I'm probably imagining the familiarity of the voices, but I keep going.

It takes forever to get to where I can see the commotion. When I have a full view of the ruckus, I see my men. Prince Sulien. Prince Cobar. Prince Forrest. And Prince Zane. They're all there, beating the shit out of the men who took me.

Prince Sulien, eyes ablaze with red, lets out an earth-shattering roar that echoes through the yard. He spreads his feet in an intimidating fighting stance and thrusts his hand forward. A searing blast of yellow light, fae magic, cuts straight through a man's chest. The man falls to the ground, dead, but Sulien doesn't even give him a second look.

Prince Sulien vanishes, nothing but shimmering air where he just stood. My breath hitches when he reappears behind another man with his sword already mid swing. The man can't react before his throat's ripped open from Prince Sulien's blade and blood colors the ground.

He's fighting for me, I realize. They all are.

Two men approach him with knives drawn and eyes desperate. He meets them head-on, a storm of power bursting from him. Prince Sulien blasts one with his yellow light while the other meets the cold tip of Prince Sulien's sword. When the hilt hits bone, Sulien twists his arm before kicking the man down.

Green light catches my eye as it slices through another man. Prince Cobar's determined face scans the area for others to take down. He's wielding his sword now, attacking anyone who comes near him with it, showing a strength I didn't know he had. One of the men who'd been giving me a lot of trouble charges for him, a dagger pointed right at Prince Cobar's heart. Prince Cobar pivots, almost dancing away from the attack.

A smile lights my face as the man's eyes grow wide with surprise. Prince Cobar rams his sword into the man's side. Surprise turns to agony while the man slouches to his knees, lifeless.

Another of my kidnappers charges at Prince Cobar from behind with an ax. I hold my breath. Prince Cobar doesn't see him. I open my mouth to yell out a warning, and Prince Cobar vanishes. The man swings the ax into the ground where the prince was only seconds before. Prince Cobar appears from thin air standing over the man and jams his sword into the man's neck.

Who the hell knew these delicate princes could fight?

Prince Zane teleports from wherever he'd been and stalks through the yard like a wild animal after its prey. He slashes his sword at the men with precision while making it seem effortless. His white light flashes here and there, like daggers made of light, taking men down left and right.

Prince Forrest's green eyes seem to glow as he storms around the yard. Unlike the other princes, he uses no weapons. He's only using his body against the men, punching some in the face, elbowing others. He's taking them down as quickly as everyone else is. Hell, it almost seems like he's not even breaking a sweat.

I drag myself even closer, trying to watch all the action, trying to be there if they need me. Suddenly, there's a loud yell a few feet away from me. One of the men Prince Forrest had taken down has his knife aimed at Prince Cobar. Prince Sulien appears in front of him and guts him with his sword. The knife falls from the man's hand as he topples backward and crashes to the ground.

These men are incredible. Never would I have imagined them as warriors.

Shaking myself, I stand taller. There's no way I'm just going to sit here being some helpless maiden. I need to be fighting, too. I reach down to grab a stone. There's someone a few feet away from me, I can hit him and stun him, at the very least.

"Don't even think about it," a slimy, familiar voice whispers behind me. Grif's arms are suddenly wrapped around my waist and my throat, holding me in place.

"You really sure you don't want to take this opportunity to run for it?" I ask as he draws his arm tighter across my throat, making it harder to draw in breath. Nor can I shout to get the princes' attention.

"I've got you, and they're not getting you back," Grif says as he drags me away.

Like hell. I grit my teeth and attack, clawing at him with my fingernails, digging my nails deep into his face while he struggles to get me to release him.

His hands drop from around me. I turn and start to run, then snap back as the damn chain keeps me from going faster. I try to drag it along with me, but Grif's back. Leaping onto me. His face is covered in bloody scratches.

"Fae bitch," he hisses, hitting me in the face.

I collapse to the ground, but he pulls me back up. My head spins. The world spins. And my face fucking hurts. But I attack again, scratching out at his face.

But he smacks my hands away, and then he's back behind me, dragging me away. "They're never going to get you, fae bitch." My ankle feels like it's going to rip off as he hurries with me, dragging the ball along with us.

No. My face hurts like hell, but I can't let him take me. The guys are so close. I kick behind me with my unchained leg, but it lands nowhere. Then I realize how slowly we're going. I almost laugh, but the pain in my face and my racing heart prevent it.

"Yeah, now you understand why I move slowly," I jeer at him, squirming to get out of his arms.

He surprises me by shoving me onto the ground. My body hits, jarring every bone. "Lucky for me, I have the key." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the key, then he leans over and unlocks the cuff from around my leg.

Mistake, asshole.

I take half a second to relish the sweet relief I feel being freed from that thing. Then I thrash and kick both of my legs, landing a few hits this time.

He's unmoved. If I hurt him at all, he doesn't show it.

Damn it. I fight him harder, determined to free myself now that I can run, but he doesn't hesitate when I turn to try to climb to my feet. He hauls me from the ground while I punch and kick, but without the ball and chain, he's rapidly dragging me away from my men.

I scream, "Princes! Help!" I don't know what else to say. I just need them to hear me, no matter what happens next.

Then I look behind us as Grif takes me toward the woods. Desperate. Hopeful.

All four men are looking at me, their expressions ones of horror and relief. Instinctually, I try to go to them, but Grif's hold on me intensifies so much that it hurts, and then he tosses me over his back. Without hesitation, he's running again, and I disappear from their view as I'm hauled around the back of the house.

No. Not again.