of the four of us. This area didn’t strike me as a place that saw a lot of bleeding, barely dressed humans escorted by an elite squad.
It was far nicer than Leopold, everywhere there were buildings maintained with new paint, pristine roads, and fresh flowers. Our side crumbled behind the patchwork façade we put up.
The fae guards directed me across the square. I knew exactly where I was, recognizing the buildings from so many years of staring at them from the other side of the river or from old books Istvan had me study. There was no mistaking the taste of my city; Budapest curled on my tongue like comfort food. Cool wind rolled over the ornate buildings, smelling like the Danube, like home.
Tense and alert, they hustled me around the corner. I gasped at the view, struck by the beauty of the whitewashed mini castles and walkways overlooking the river, seeing the true beauty this close.
I’d looked out at this view many times from my high perch on HDF. But I had stared at the fairy-tale-looking buildings across the water, the white dreamlike spires and turrets, romantic and beautiful, reminiscent of fables humans used to think of as fairy tales.
“Fairy” had a different connotation now, and it was nothing I wanted to be part of.
What used to be called Fishermen’s Bastion was now coined Killian’s Bastion, after the arrogant fae leader. The neo-Gothic-Romanesque terrace was situated high on the Buda bank, Killian’s Castle a little distance away. Through the ornate towers, the lights of HDF glowed in its majestic beauty. I had never seen it from this side, the glorious building causing a sob to hitch my throat.
As the men shoved me forward, I kept my eyes on it. My home. My sanctuary. My heart.
Caden.
My soul screamed for him. For him to feel me. Somehow see me. Was he sitting up at our spot now? Thinking about me? Staring over, not even realizing I was right here? Did he know I was alive? Were they trying to get me back? Was Istvan trying to make a deal for me? Istvan was cold and tough, but I knew he cared about me. Caden certainly wouldn’t let me go; he’d make Istvan fight for me. Maybe Rebeka would also.
A bit of hope buzzed inside me as the guards walked toward a black SUV. For a moment, I believed Istvan would be sitting inside, motioning for me to get in. My heart sank when they shoved me past it, keeping me close as we marched down the street.
“Where are we going?” Fear choked me. What was ahead of me? Maybe they were going to kill me after all.
“Your new home.” Vale smirked, pressing his gun harder into my back.
About to turn down an alley, I yanked my head around, getting my last glimpse of the HDF’s dome, my heart breaking into pieces. The historic building twinkled in the darkening sky, so familiar and lovely—my old friend.
This was the last time I would see my home, smell the musty scent of the Danube, feel the wind roll over my skin.
I understood where I was going.
The place feared by HDF soldiers more than anything.
Halalház—Death house.
The fae prison was dubbed the House of Death for a reason.
Captives went in...and never came out.
Chapter 9
Since no one ever returned from the House of Death, no one could expose the location. Theories and speculation buzzed around HDF. Istvan sent out spies, but so far, those scouts either never came back or never located it. It wasn’t at the top of our priority list compared to all the other things we had to worry about, so this feared place remained unknown to us.
Sloane pulled me down the cobbled streets, Vale behind me, Connor in front.
It was strange to think tourists used to stroll freely through this area at one time, while now only a handful of the older human soldiers could recall what this area had once looked like. If you were wealthy enough, you could try looking up pictures on the internet, but Killian had blocked most for security reasons, along with live-action maps.
Just as our side did.
I was getting to see what few had seen in person.
We were not very far from Killian Bastion or the castle when Sloane stopped us in front of a building. It appeared similar to an ordinary attached house, painted a buttery yellow with an arched metal door at the entrance. A single guard stood outside. He opened the door the moment