The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,76

way to the front of our group, and I’m glad he’s willing to lead.

When he lifts the slab of wood going to the dungeon, the gut-wrenching sobs reverberate from the dark space.

Kirian growls, his face flushed with anger as he wields his ax, and he pushes Dermott out of the way. “That’s Isla. They have her. I’ll kill every fucking one of them.”

“Right behind you.” Damon separates from me.

He and Kirian just jump straight down into the hole. Dermott and Kai don’t hesitate to do the same, so that leaves Quinn and me.

We look at each other for several moments, and I’m about to ask if she’s going to insist on staying up here where it’s safe. But with a shake of her head, she gives me a not-a-chance expression. Then she turns around and starts climbing down the ladder.

Well. I can’t miss out on the action. Bunching up my dress, I follow Quinn.

As my feet find the rungs, dank air wafts up from the depths. It wreaks of mildew, sweat, and something else I can’t identify. Something metallic. Copper?

I have no idea what I’m headed toward when I descend into the darkness, but I’m not prepared for the horror of it.

At the bottom, I step in something wet. Although there’s only one dim stardust lantern, I can see the slick substance coating the floor like a river. It soaks into my shoes, staining my slippers crimson.

Blood. So much of it. That’s the mystery smell.

I cover my mouth to stop myself from making a sound.

Except for Isla’s whimpering, everyone’s quiet and unmoving. The stillness is disconcerting. Not that I’d want to be tossed into battle in such a small space, but weapons and roars would be better than this shocked silence.

Rising on my tiptoes, I peer over Quinn’s shoulder. Isla’s kneeling next to Tibbs, and she’s stroking his cheek.

When I shift farther to the right to get a better view, I notice the distance of his boots. His legs are at a weird angle. I squint.

A noise of dismay bursts from my lips.

Because his head isn’t attached to his body. It’s been chopped off.

Tibbs is dead.

Seeming to snap out of it, Quinn rushes forward, pushing past all the guys to go to her friend. Kirian doesn’t try to stop her, and I find that odd. In such dangerous circumstances, I’d think he’d be dragging her away.

But then I realize why there’s no fighting.

Damon put the prisoners to sleep. They’re sprawled out in various places—one at the back of the holding cell and two just outside. Their shackles have been removed, and the chains are crumpled in the far corner. Keys dangle from the lock of the open barred door, and the man closest to Tibbs still has a large ax in his grasp.

Damon took my advice. Twice now, he handled these criminals with a no-nonsense approach, knocking them out as soon as he could.

I wish I could be happier about that. Instead, defeat and grief hang heavily in the air. I didn’t know Tibbs well, but Damon did. My mate’s emotions flow into me, and it hurts. There’s sadness, guilt, and helplessness.

I know those feelings all too well. It’s what I experienced every time I wasn’t able to prevent a tragedy.

Coming up behind him, I wrap my arms around his middle and give him a hug.

He rests his hand on my arm. “Isla, what happened?”

“It’s my fault.” She sniffles as she lets Quinn pull her up and away from her boyfriend’s body. Her pink dress is saturated with dark spots and spatters.

“I highly doubt you caused this.”

“That one—” She points to the man with the weapon. “—is a Caller.”

“Fuck,” Damon bites out, and his swear word is joined by several others in our group.

“I was supposed to meet Tibbs in his room for dinner,” she continues. “But when I got there, I just kept walking, like I didn’t have control over my body. At first, I didn’t know what was happening, but when I made it to the dungeon door and I couldn’t turn back, I knew. I tried to resist, but my feet wouldn’t let me.”

“And then what?” Damon encourages gently, like he’s talking to a kid who just had a bad nightmare.

“He told me to get the keys for him. He wanted me to use my powers because he was fascinated by what I did to their cannons. They laughed and said crude things to me while I made the keyring float to his hands. Then he told