Page 11 of Fae's Mate
“I beg you, you don’t know what it is like to see her, to know she exists and not be able to claim her!”
Don’t I?
“I know what I did was foolish, but if you knew,knew, that your mate was real, that you could meet her, you would have risked your life for her too!”
The desperation in his voice carves into my heart. He’s right, but I can’t tell him that. It has been less than a day since I met my mate,mySeki, and already I know I would risk my life for her.
“You risked too much to bring her here, broke far too many rules. For that, you will spend a month down here to atone—”
“No!—”
“Yes, brother, a month, because fates know it will take longer than that for the Summer Lord’s magic to return, if it ever returns, and for us to have any hopes of sending them back.”
“You can’t… send them back.”
“Believe me, I can, and I will,” I confirm. “You tore eleven humans from their homes, from their lives, their families—”
“I didn’t mean to!”
The distress in his voices softens my heart to his plight a fraction. “I know you didn’t. That is why I amonlysentencing you for a month. Perhaps you can see your mate, if she is still here, and wishes to see you, when thirty days are up.”
“Brother please,” he steps closer to the bars, wincing as he does, “I beg you, do not keep us apart, I have waited, I, I… please.”
I shake my head. “My mind is made up.”
“Tay—”
“Don’t,” I warn, “Don’t you dare use my name after what you have done.”
I turn away and almost reach the corner before a hiss fills the air. My brother cries out as the flesh on his hands meets iron.
“Brother, please!” he begs, rattling the bars of his cell.
I keep walking.
“Brother… PLEASE!”
His screaming becomes less audible the farther up the steep stone steps I climb. When I reach the top and close the door, even my fae hearing can no longer hear him. My stomach churns and knots, but he cannot go unpunished. His actions could have caused a war: if the Summer Lord had died, his brother would have sought revenge. It’s bad enough that the Lord of the Winter Court sends his wraiths across the border without going to war with Summer Court as well.
And if the portal had stayed open, it could have caused a war with the humans and their iron weapons.
I swallow the lump in my throat and steel my resolve, heading down the hall, ready to deal with the next order of business: finding accommodation for the humans now under my care.
Chapter 9
Seki
It’s mid-afternoon before the High Lord comes to take us to our ‘accommodation’. I breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of getting some time to myself. Between Alana and Riley repeating half of what they read in their books, and Willow chewing my ear off about her travels, I’m exhausted.
When he enters the room, his gaze drifts over the group, until he finds me, then his stare remains on me for so long I feel myself blush and avert my eyes.What the fuck is wrong with me?
“I assumed you would wish to stay close to one another, so I have arranged for you to stay in the south wing. Nine rooms have been prepared, two of which are more than suitable for two.”
Beside me, Alex signs rapidly to Yasmin, who nods quickly, signs something back and grabs the redhead by the arm.
“We’ll take one of the double rooms,” Alex announces.
“Us too,” Riley adds, smiling at Amber. Maybe they are hooking up.
