The Abyss (Fae's Captive #7) - Lily Archer Page 0,13

same as his. But the words don’t come. Not yet.

I drift off to sleep and dream of ice bears and little Gareth, his green eyes in a child’s face, and no weapon in his hand as he’s surrounded. The ice bears change and meld into one being, a cruel fae with snake eyes and a forked tongue. Instead of a forest at his back, there are legions of soldiers, all of them braying for blood, and Cenet leading the charge.

7

Gareth

She sleeps uneasily, her breathing sometimes fast and constricted. I almost wake her, but then she settles back down, her body unwinding as she clings to me.

I try to go back over the events of the day—the Bazaar, the fight, Cenet, and all the dark plans that we seem to have thwarted. But did we? Cenet escaped. Zatran, too. Where does that leave Cranthum?

“Gareth.” Her brow wrinkles in sleep as she breathes my name.

I cradle her tighter, and the furrows smooth out. My mate. She brought out my feral. The tiger that lives inside me. The jungle trees hinted at my catlike nature, but I didn’t realize a golden tiger lurked in my breast. Beth seemed to like it. Her petting verged on erotic, despite the fact that she kept referring to me as ‘cute’ and ‘fluffy.’ I smile in the dark. My beloved can get away with it. Anyone else, I’d shred.

The city is still in upheaval, skirmishes breaking out in the distance. But the relatively small number of slavers to slaves made the rebellion quick and effective. Not bloodless, as we’d hoped, but the casualties seem to be far less than I’d feared. Only the morning light will truly tell what happened, the number of the dead, and what the future of a free Cranthum might look like.

I close my eyes, my thoughts churning as I hover on the edge of sleep. This is the most rest I’m going to get, but it’s enough. I can feel my magic replenishing, my body healing the cuts and bruises from my battle with Cenet. But I can’t fully relax, not when the city is still simmering, danger lurking on the air. Hours pass, Beth settles even more, her light breaths tickling my shoulder. I cover her hand with mine, both of our palms resting over my heart. When she spoke to the crowd, sharing her story of freedom in the winter realm, I thought I might burst from pride. But she gave more than that to the slaves listening raptly, she gave them the hope they desperately needed. A way forward. And the fact she claimed me as her mate in front of them all? I grin. She’s fought it along the way, but she knows the truth of our mating. The perfect match we are for each other. She knows I belong to her and always will. That alone—a loving bond between a changeling and a high fae—is reason enough for others to believe in change.

Is this the beginning of a new world? I hope so. But I can’t predict how Queen Aurentia will react. Violently, perhaps. It’s best if Beth isn’t here when the royals from Byrn Varyndr come to call. Even so, the winter realm will eventually be dragged into the conflict. Leander will have to choose sides. And if I know him at all, he’ll choose to back the slave uprising, even if it means war with the summer queen. More war. A sobering thought.

“What a mess,” I whisper to the quiet room as the sun begins to lighten the window shades.

“Are you talking about me?” Beth playfully presses her nails into my chest.

The feral snaps to attention, as do I. “What? No. Sorry I woke you.”

“I was kind of awake already. Didn’t sleep so good. You?”

“Bad dreams?”

She sighs and turns to her back, her head on my bicep. “Yeah, but they were just dreams.”

“Want to talk about it?” I reach over with my other hand and swipe the blonde hair from her forehead. It’s more golden now that it’s clean. I didn’t realize her dirty blonde hair was actually … dirty. Well, not until the bath at Chastain’s house washed it clean, leaving her natural color in all its soft beauty.

“No.”

“All right.” I have to learn to give her space no matter how badly I want to pry, to examine her fears, to show her I’ll protect her from any threat.

“Really?” She turns to look at me, her eyelids still weighted with sleep.

“Really. I mean, I’d