Soul (Chaos #1)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I scowled at the velvet cushions at my feet. Five ginormous warrior fae stood outside the tent and weren't about to let me escape. I'd tried. Three times.

An old female fae strode in and smiled at me, but her silver eyes were cold. "And here she is," she cooed, clutching a handful of my hair and sniffing it. "So human. Not even a trace under your skin. We'd all heard how fae you were." She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "We all know how much they exaggerate, poor things."

"Let me go," I said as fiercely as I could manage. "I'm supposed to be with the king."

"The king?" She raised an eyebrow. "We don't have one of those yet. And wouldn't you rather be free, little girl? To go back to the humans and forget all about us?"

"That's not possible. They come back. They always come back for us. Do you think Brendan will just let-"

"The rules of today don't bow to a wannabe royal," she snapped. "We've decided on a hunt, and you will be the prize. But of course, it wouldn't be sporting if you didn't have a chance yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"If Brendan catches you, he decides if you speak for him. The same for Sadler's champion, although I think we both realise your death will do a fine job to silence you. But you... we're giving you a chance at freedom. Makes it all the more exciting, don't you think?"

"Freedom?"

She smiled wickedly. "If you find a way out, you can choose to walk away. No fae will ever look upon you again. We won't speak your name. You will be free."

I looked away. Part of me wanted that badly. Freedom. A fresh start. But the fae...

"Think quickly," she said. "It's almost time. The pixies will bring your outfit soon, then the guards will escort you to... well, you'll see." She flounced out of the room.

I barely had a chance to take a breath before a pack of pixies stormed in and began ripping at my clothes with their clawed fingernails. The pixies weren't like Brendan's, and I wondered what the difference was. They made me wear a kind of red armoured leather-looking thing over a T-shirt and shorts. But the armour was far heavier than leather.

"Oh, yeah," I said. "Because this doesn't make me stand out in a crowd."

They ignored me. The clothes were heavy, and I moved so slowly that two of the fae grabbed my arms and half-dragged me outside.

We stopped at an enormous white horse. The fae worked together to lift me onto its back. My thighs ached from the stretch.

"Keep a firm hold of the bridle," the silver-eyed woman shouted at the fae.

The horse trembled and snorted as if dying to race away.

"I haven't actually ridden a horse before," I said. "When can I get down?"

"When the hunt begins," she said, her eyes glowing.

They led me back toward camp, but we didn't pass Brendan's tent. He and my friends were gathered where the feasts were held. He carried a huge bow across his shoulder, and his jaw was clenched.

I gazed pleadingly at my usual companions, but none of them smiled. They probably couldn't see my face through the stupid helmet anyway.

"The hunt will begin shortly," Silver Eyes called out, resulting in many cheers.

"Explain yourself," Brendan said through gritted teeth. "What right have you to steal from me?"

Silver Eyes waved her fingers in Brendan's direction, refusing to look at him. "This belongs to all of us. The human has a right to freedom, and Sadler has the right to silence her. You may win her back, but only if you deserve her. That's why we're here - to find a king. Whoever wins decides if she speaks or not, and if she escapes, she's lost to the fae forever."