no windows in the room so I couldn’t tell if it was dark outside. And where exactly was I? The Kingdom of Fey or the City of Crystal—where did Nicholas live?
My wrists were sore, my head was throbbing, and I was scared and tired. I wondered what Alex and Laylen were doing. What did they do when I didn’t return to the car? Were they looking for me? Would they even know where to find me?
I’d just rested back against the wall, giving up all hope that anyone was ever going to be able to find me, when the door opened up.
My heart leapt, hoping it was Laylen. Or Alex. Although, I couldn’t feel any electricity so I doubted that was the case.
Of course, the only person who came strolling in was Nicholas. He was carrying something in his hand, and he didn’t look happy at all.
He walked over and sat down in front of me. “Tell me, Gemma, has anyone told you anything about the fey world?”
“Umm…no?” Was this a trick question?
“Well,” he crossed his legs, “we have been around forever. Most people who know of our existence think of us a tricksters, which, most of the time, we are. But we can also be very serious, at least when it comes to our kind suffering.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, so I just stared at him vacantly.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of him or not, but there used to be a Keeper who called himself Malefiscus,” he said.
I swallowed hard. “I might have heard his name mentioned before.”
“Good, then I don’t have to explain who he is. And I assume you know what kind of a person he was and what he did.”
I slowly nodded. “I do.”
“Well, during his time of chaos, he tortured everyone, including the Fey. And the Fey leader at that time, decided he had enough—that too many fey were dying, so he made a bargain with Malefiscus. Leave the Fey alone, and we would owe him one favor. Malefiscus agreed and the promise was bound with a Blood Promise.”
“A Blood Promise?”
He ignored me, continuing on with his story. “Not too long after the promise was made, though, Malefiscus was caught and sentenced.” He paused. “Everyone thought he died, and who knows, maybe he did, but his bloodline did not die with him. It carried on and now resides in a man named Stephan Avery.” He opened his hand and placed what he was holding onto the floor between us. A smooth, round stone, with a circle wrapped by an S painted on it—the Foreseers mark. “Because his bloodline carried on, so did the Fey’s promise to grant a favor. Only now the favor is owed to Stephan. No one knew of this, though, until he showed up just a few days ago, demanding his promise in the name of Malefiscus. But he didn’t want just any member of the Fey to honor this promise. He wanted the faerie who possessed the gift of Foreseeing—he wanted me. Or more specifically he wanted me to track down a very pretty, but very tortured girl with beautiful violet eyes and a fiery personality.”
If he hadn’t mentioned the eye color, I wouldn’t have known he was talking about me because none of the other parts of his description seemed fitting.
“This was after I met you,” he continued. “After I’d taken you to Dyvinius.”
“What does he want you to do to me?” I was afraid to know the answer, especially because I was in a very vulnerable situation right now, being chained to a wall and all.
“A few things,” he said. “But in the end, it all comes down to one thing—I am supposed to bring you to him.”
I swallowed hard. “Are you going to?”
“At first I wasn’t sure. I know what Stephan is planning to do—that was made clear from the beginning.” He pressed his lips together, considering something. “But in the end, I really don’t have a choice. I am bound to a promise I cannot break.”
“Are you sure you can’t break it?” I asked, practically pleading. “Because there might be a wa—”
“No, there is no other way.” He talked over me. “If I don’t turn you over, then my people will suffer.”
“But if you do turn me over, the whole world will suffer,” I told him. “I’ve seen it.”
He gave me a mocking look. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes,” I said confidently.
“And how can you be sure. How can you be sure