Four

EVE

Part of me wanted to follow the girls to ensure they were ok, but the handsy guard behind me made that impossible.

"Are you in charge here?" I asked the new brown-haired Fae. The first one had taken the other humans away. "What's your name?"

He turned his head over his shoulder to shoot me an odd look. "I'm in charge of intake for the new humans, but certainly not in charge ‘around here.' I'm Alm. Lord Cassus is out, but Overseer Ranc will see you shortly." He paused, hesitating, then charged forward. "Watch your tone. I'm not one for hitting the human females, but lots of the other overseers would split your lip if they heard the mouth on you."

I bristled, but listened to what he said, and not how he said it. He was trying to help, in his own way.

This was Cassus's manor and his humans. It was true then; he had a vested interest in keeping the games going and stealing away more humans in the fae realm. Was our entire kingdom a joke? Nothing more than chattel?

The manor was clean, but relatively simple inside. Industrious, almost. They'd polished the wooden floors to a shine, but there was no excess on the inside of jewels and gold, nor any shows of overt wealth. The walls were bare stone with only a few vases of wildflowers on pedestals scattered here and there. I kind of liked it.

Alm stopped at the doorway and knocked on the edge, poking his head inside. A second later, he popped out. "The overseer will see you now." He shot me a look. "Do not speak unless spoken to."

An angry retort bubbled behind my lips, but Ellis's quick glare in my direction killed it immediately. We walked into a brightly lit room with a large desk. Behind it sat a fae woman with long, red hair and eyes that shone like emeralds in a tunic of amethyst with brown leather boots. She glared at us with complete and utter distaste.

"The alleged mated pair. Cassus warned me about you."

My eyes narrowed. Ellis shot me another filthy look. I was going to pinch him if he kept it up.

"I should treat you like we would any other incoming human," she sneered. The way she made it sound like a threat wasn't encouraging.

We had nothing to say to that. Her eyes drifted to Alm. "Separate them, just like the others. Humans don't mate, so the rules don't apply." She gave Ellis a long, lingering once over that immediately raised my hackles. "Mated pair, my ass. She's so large."

A small ache opened up in my chest, and I tried to ignore it. I really did. But I was here in a strange place, with strange people, and still I was being called names and teased because of my size. It didn't matter if I was home or in the goddamn land of the fae.

I still wasn't enough, and it hurt.

Alm tilted his head to the side, gesturing toward Ellis. "He isn't human."

The fae woman's eyes narrowed. "Neither is he fae. My ruling stands. Dismissed."

Alm sighed as if put upon, then whistled with two fingers in his mouth. Two more fae males came into the room, their expressions unreadable. "Take them with the new intakes. No mateship bond is recognized."

One male with short black hair and a beard grabbed me and tugged me away. I went to kick him in his shins and missed. The other fae had shoulder-length, dark brown hair and grabbed Ellis by his upper arm and hauled him away. Ellis's eyes were fierce as they connected with mine, and they begged me not to cause trouble.

It was as if he didn't know me at all.

"Stop it and submit!" the fae guard ordered, trying to twist my arms behind my back.

"Fuck off!" I spun and spat in my fae's face, which probably wasn't wise as he was the largest fae I'd ever seen—certainly taller than any man I'd ever met. He had to be over six feet easily … maybe even seven, with glowing gold eyes.

I broke away for a second before he nailed me in the solar plexus with his elbow, stealing all the breath from my lungs and temporarily paralyzing me. He used the opportunity to pick me up and fling me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, despite my height and size. I couldn't even cry out to Ellis—all I could do was hang there uselessly. Though infuriating, I couldn't help but feel stunned at how easily he handled me. For the first time, I felt … like the other girls. The ones who would giggle and simper, fluttering their eyes every time a palace guard walked by. The feeling was new and exciting, sending a warmth and pulsating ball of energy down my legs and to the apex of my thighs.

"Don't think of trying to be a hero. I've been dying to try out my new whip," remarked the fae that was holding Ellis.

My cozy bubble popped at the threat, reminding me of where I was and how high the stakes were. I didn't doubt for a second the fae would make good on his threat, even if the one holding me grumbled in obvious disapproval. And for once, I was tired of fighting. It felt like all I'd done since the betrothal banquet was fight, fight, fight. For others, for myself, and I was exhausted.

I caught Ellis's eyes and didn't look away until my guard rounded the corner, carrying me deep into the depths of the manor and going down flight after flight of wooden steps until the sounds of running water and happy voices floated up to me. My nerves were still on fire from the hit, making it impossible to move, anyway.

And why was I fighting again?

I was being separated from Ellis, and I didn't want that. Right. Meanwhile, our fae enemies offered our people healers, baths, and food.

Ellis's family couldn't claim to have done the same. Nor had any other rulers in the past.

An uncomfortable feeling wormed its way into my gut, burrowing deep into my soul and taking up residence.

It wasn't Ellis's fault any more than it was mine, I argued internally.

Instead of drinking and whoring around, he could have at least tried, the voice in my head argued back.

I made a pathetic sort of sob, my body aching and my heart hurting.

"What are you doing?" my guard asked, brows furrowing as he gave me a shake to ensure I would not fall off his back.

"Fighting with myself," I muttered vaguely.

The guard huffed. "Who's winning?"

"Me," I shot back.

He gave a dark chuckle. "I like you. I hope you're put to use in the pleasure houses. I would gladly give you enough coins to buy something nice for yourself. You are large and strong like my favorite horse. Think of the children we'd make!"

A loud guffaw of incredulity ripped itself from my throat, the ridiculousness of such a statement overcoming my fear and unease.

What the actual fuck?

I stood as he appraised me up and down, lifting me slightly as though he were testing my weight. This guard was large even for a fae, nothing but coiled muscles and taller than any man I'd seen back home. And he had a beard—the first fae male I'd seen with one. What did that mean? And why was he looking at me like that?

I wasn't used to having to look up at a man. Hot, achy need warmed at my core and quickly spread outwards through my body. I pushed it away. I was just lonely and hurting from Ellis's distance and betrayal.

He picked me up again, jolting me from my morose thoughts.

"Put me down! Fuck you!" Feeling slowly filtered back into my limbs as I spasmed wildly, trying to wrench free of him. The guard laughed and let go.

I hit the ground face first, my body unable to move fast enough to get my arms and legs under me. Pain exploded across my head, my nose and mouth smashing first. My teeth cut into my lips, and something crunched.

"Ooh," the guard remarked, wincing. "I thought you'd catch yourself. Humans are very slow."

Get up. Get up.

I was wet and couldn't see. My hands swiped across my eyes and when I opened them, red assaulted me.

Blood. I was bleeding.

I didn't (couldn't) protest this time as the guard bent down, sighing heavily. "You did that to yourself, you know." His tone wasn't mocking or belligerent, simply resigned. I understood his words, but they were tinged with that lilting, fae accent.

I hated how he was right.

"Here." He produced a handkerchief from somewhere and pressed it against my face, staunching the flow of blood. "Hold it tightly, now. The bleeding will stop. We're on our way to the medical ward, anyway."

He hefted me over his shoulder again, but he was almost gentle with how he settled me against his shoulder, his gait and pace less jolting. My head hurt from my fall, and things were spinning all around me. Nauseated, I closed my eyes and tried not to throw up on him.

Then again … why did I care if I made a mess all over him?

I fell further over his shoulder, indicating more of the fae's goddamn ramps as our angle changed. His hold on me was secure, but the blood rushing toward my head didn't help matters.

"Nearly there."

We passed under an arch, and the air immediately felt cooler. The smell of pungent herbs hit my nose, cloying and biting aggressively.

"MEDIC!"

Pain flashed through my temples as he bellowed over me, flopping me down onto the nearest little bed. The mattress was soft, and far more comfortable than anything I had back home.

Shame I was about to bleed all over its crisp, white sheets.

"Quit stomping around like a barbarian, Shyllon. This isn't the training grounds!"

A no-nonsense female fae walked from under a second arch, glaring at my guard. Her hair was just as dark, tied up high in a messy bun. Her face appeared cut from stone, all angles and sharp edges out to her pointed ears. Her full lips softened the look, as well as large doe eyes. She took one glance at me, then the guard, and scowled with her hands on her hips.

He made a sound of disbelief in his throat, backing away with his hands held high. "Sorry, didn't know you were working today. And I didn't do it! She did it all herself!"

Her silver gaze focused on me. I opened my mouth and immediately tasted blood. I spat it out on instinct, and she tutted.

"Leave us. As usual, I'm left cleaning up your messes."

My guard waggled his eyebrows and grinned, giving a mock salute. He turned back to me as the healer moved closer, taking in my injuries with an annoyed look. "Hopefully, I'll see you around. I like you, horsewoman."

The female fae growled at him, baring her fangs and shooing him away with her hands. The guard only gave what I supposed was a rude gesture back, based on how the female rolled her eyes.

But thankfully, he left.

"I apologize you had to encounter my oaf of a brother," she said. Faster than my eyes could follow, she procured bandages, wipes, and a nasty-smelling liquid that burned the inside of my nose when she released the cap with a flourish. Had that all been under my bed?

I wondered if all the fae spoke my language, or just the ones who interacted with humans. The first guard who'd smacked me certainly hadn't. Perhaps it was simply a choice?

"Did you try to run away? I wouldn't recommend that. You'll only make it harder on yourself."

I let the fae mop up my face, but inwardly I seethed. "I didn't run away, I—"

"You're enormous for a human female."

My jaw dropped to the floor. "Excuse me—"

"You are taller than most human females and more strongly built." The fae cut over me, her eyes appraising me much like the guard had, but differently; more clinically. "You'll be targeted for labor and breeding for sure."

Heat crept along my neck and ears. "I—"

"Don't be upset. It's an honor to be a breeder."

In quick succession, she finished wiping my face and dabbed the foul-smelling liquid on my wounds. It burned and stung so badly I jerked back, but she already had a hand around one of my wrists in an iron grip, forcing me to stay put.

"It only lasts a moment," she remarked casually, withdrawing a set of five needles from a drawer under my bed, all while maintaining her hold on me.

Oh, that's definitely where the supplies had come from.

Before I could even ask what the needles were for, she jabbed me with them in quick succession, and it was over before it began.

"There. All done. Come back if you need to be cleaned and re-bandaged. Do not think getting hurt is a way to get out of work. All injuries are cataloged and if a pattern is established you will be disciplined."

That brought me up short.

"How?" I managed, the only sensible thing I could push out through my lips.

A dark eyebrow raised. "A worse assignment, of course. Did you run away before your orientation?"

I didn't know. I didn't know what the other humans had heard or done while they carted away Ellis and I.

"Go on, get out of here. I'm sure my brother is skulking just outside the door for you. Word to the wise: he likes them mouthy. If you want such attention, that is."

This strange new world had left me suddenly short of quips and comebacks, so I numbly stood and gently touched the bandages around my nose, the gauze tied at the back of my head to keep everything secure.

Saying thanks didn't seem quite appropriate here, so all I managed was a small nod. Her eyes crinkled with merriment and she turned on her heel, already halfway through the room as she headed out the back arch.

Squaring my shoulders, I walked out the same doorway we'd entered. Sure enough, the dark-haired guard was there. "Well, I'd say it was an improvement, but—"

My mouth opened for an automatic retort, but I shut it, realizing anything I said would just sound ridiculous with how I looked and likely sounded with my nose and mouth all bandaged.

His lips turned down. "Can't have that, now. Surely you have something to say."

I mimicked the rude gesture he'd given the healer—his sister—and his bark of laughter was so loud and sudden that a bolt of adrenaline spiked through my veins. He bent over and slapped his knees, wiping a finger under his eyes as he straightened.

"My gods. How fun." He held out his arms as if he expected to carry me again, but I lived to thwart expectations. I ignored his arms and stepped by him, looking around us, clearly asking where we were going.

"Nice try," he snorted.

I tried to bolt, but my head pounded, and it was useless anyway. He took a step and a half to my five, and he had me tossed over his shoulder again in short order. I clenched my fists around the fabric of his tunic, hoping I could dig my nails in and rip through it. My blood already covered his shoulder, but he didn't seem to mind much. He carried me down the hall and into the unknown.

"Cheer up, horse girl."

Away we went.