“Don’t answer,” I rasped again. My light began to fade. Gil’s eyes shone scarlet in the dying glow, and he couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away.

  “No, do.” Renner’s voice held a calm that made my blood turn cold. I felt him shift ever so slightly beside me, leaning forwards. “Answer.”

  “No, don’t… Renner, stop! Just… just think for a moment, would you?” I stood and rounded on him. He didn’t look up. Wildly, I wondered if perhaps some of his menacing behavior was just an act; a play at intimidation, in the hopes that Gil would be frightened enough to tell us where Teela was.

  But the knife was bare. Ready. And… I wasn’t sure it was possible to fake the naked hostility on his face.

  “Answer.”

  “Renner!” I grabbed one shoulder and tried to haul him back. He wasn’t much bigger than me, but my efforts were entirely fruitless all the same. The stablemaster kept his gaze fixed on my hands through it all, blinking back tears and trembling.

  “Lady… could you… will you…?” Gil’s voice was so soft that I had to strain to hear. Whatever he’d been going to say died, and he lifted one shaking hand towards me. His mangled hand, with its twisted red stumps where two fingers should have been.

  My breath hitched. “I… I’m sorry, sir.” Vaguely, some part of my mind screamed that I should be on the floor shouting until my throat was ragged, demanding answers and raging at him. Not apologizing.

  And then I saw that flicker in his eyes again. Old, clinging grief.

  I’d wanted to shout at Durst, too.

  I swallowed. “My magic isn’t… I can’t heal you. I’m sorry.” I meant it. A little spark in his eyes faded to black, and my insides twisted.

  “Tell us about your deal,” Renner interjected, his attention never leaving the man’s face.

  Gil gulped audibly. “No.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief- and then a gloved hand shot out, grabbed Gil’s matted tangle of black hair, and with a crack that rattled my bones Renner slammed his head back into the wall. The stablemaster groaned and shifted to the side, his eyes suddenly glazed.

  And then, as calmly as if nothing had happened, “Tell us about your deal.”

  I stumbled back, my stomach in knots. My vision swam, too, but not just from the shock of what I’d just witnessed; no, it was Veth dancing before my eyes, bright and hot and dangerous. The rune flared across my mind, offering, asking if it should be used…

  “No,” I bit out, reeling back from the thought in equal parts horror and defiance. I wasn’t going to hurt my companion, wasn’t going to even threaten the idea…

  Not unless there’s no other choice.

  Gil’s attention was now entirely on the crouching man in front of him. His face was still haggard and drawn, but his jaw was clenched.

  “Get out of my home.”

  “No. Tell us about your deal.”

  I stepped forwards. “Renner, please, just give him a chance to… look, sir, you said… you told us to leave. Just a moment ago, when you saw what I am. Why?” My mind raced. I had a guess as to the answer, but I wanted to hear it for myself.

  He didn’t look away from Renner, but his low voice grew softer as he answered. “It’s not safe, lady.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “You didn’t think to warn us of that yesterday?” I tried not to sound bitter, and fought back a sudden, wild urge to laugh.

  His face twisted into a grimace. He stood on shaking legs, eyeing Renner warily as he did so. Renner rose, too, and didn’t back up, though he kept his hands at his sides and seemed content to let me lead the conversation. For the moment, at least.

  Gil turned to face me a bit more. “I couldn’t tell… I can’t…” he choked again, hollow cheeks turning a mottled shade of red.

  I glanced around with a little growl, frustration and helplessness welling up. “You… okay, okay, you can’t say; could you write things down?”

  “Write?” He winced. I did, too, upon realizing his meaning.

  “Okay, no writing. Could you perhaps… I don’t know, nod your head yes or no?” I tried, and failed, to keep my voice from turning shrill with desperation.

  Gods, it seems like he wants to help us. If there’s something actually, physically stopping him, is there any way around it? I wish I had some clue about how all this worked.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, the thought that I could perhaps find out- quite easily, as easily as simply asking- rang like a bell. I shivered at the idea, but… it was true.

  He’d probably lie. And… and even if he didn’t, it doesn’t matter right now. I wouldn’t be able to ask until tonight, anyways, and this is information we need now.

  Gil looked unhappy, but seemed to be considering the idea.

  “Can you try? Please?” He swallowed and looked back at me. I took a deep breath. “Do you know what happened to Teela?”

  Silence snaked in between the three of us. I waited, counting my heartbeats and inhaling the stench of soured beer and molding wood and stale sweat. Finally, tentatively, the stablemaster nodded his head.

  My heart swelled with triumph at the admission. I turned towards Renner, hoping perhaps this small victory would be enough for him to ease back… and my little spark of joy died. He still wasn’t looking at me, he just had his attention fixed on Gil. Waiting.

  I forced myself to turn back. “Okay. Okay, that’s helpful. Was it… did someone take her?” A pause, then another nod. His skin was turning a pallid hue, and I could make out tiny, shining beads of sweat along his forehead. I gulped. “A person?”

  He met my eyes, all weary grief and despair, and shook his head. My heart skipped a beat.

  “A Fae took her?” I whispered, wringing at my cloak. He nodded.

  “Your friend is gone, lady.” Once again, the words sounded as though they were tearing their way out of his throat. He shuddered, as though the warning was causing him physical pain. “Gone. You need to leave town, and never come back.”

  I pressed on, fighting back the icy crawl of dread. “A Fae… A Fae took her. A Fae took Teela. Do you know why?”

  He hesitated. Then, with a slowness that ached, he lifted his mangled hand.

  Renner finally responded. He swore and jerked backwards. Then he glanced my way, his jaw tight, as if gauging my reaction.

  I went numb. I shook my head back and forth, unable to look away from the twisted red hand. And I was suddenly quite sure that, whatever had happened to Gil’s hand, it had not been an accident. The fingers hadn’t been cut cleanly off; one was a bit longer than the other, and both were warped. The red flesh was pocked with divots and dents. Not like it has been cut or torn, but as though it had been bitten…

  I tore my gaze away, fighting back bile. Fae ate humans. I knew that. It was a sickening reality, a truth that everyone knew. Perhaps, given what he had told me recently, not all Fae ate human flesh, but… but some did.

  And now, wherever Teela was…

  Vomit rose in the back of my throat and I stepped away, fighting for breath. Gods, the air was so thick and sour and everything in this awful place was rancid, I couldn’t breathe-!

  I was out the back door before I even realized it. My forehead pressed against cold wood and my breath came in rapid gasps. I seemed to be on my knees, and the world of yellowing grass and gray stones spun around me. I sucked in frosty air, fighting to at least stay upright.

  You’ve got the trembles.

  I blinked, fingers scraping at the cool ground. I could almost hear her voice saying the words; a declaration made with such matter-of-fact kindness, as though my numbing panic and inability to even stand up right now was just… alright. Like she just accepted it, and it didn’t make me any less.

  She’d stayed. Even after I’d nearly gotten all of us killed, even after I told her that Fae might be chasing me. She hadn’t left; salt, I didn’t even think she’d considered it!

  He took two steps after you and then hid in here like a coward! I took… maybe five?

  Another frosty gust of wind bit at my cheeks. I inhaled deeply, finding a faint measure of clarity with the stark cold.

  There’s time. There’s still time. There has to be. It took her. The monster, or what kind of Fae it was, didn’t just devour her right there in the room. And it didn’t do anything beneath the window; we would have seen it. It took her somewhere else, so that means she might still be okay.

  I swiped at my eyes and staggered upright. Distantly, I cursed myself for leaving Gil and Renner alone- who knew if Renner would decide to act in my absence? But the house behind me remained silent, almost deathly so, as I prodded the door back open and lurched inside.

  Nothing had changed. Gil was slumped against a moldering counter, his face grim and weary and mottled. Renner stood barely a step away, his copper eyes trained on me and his expression stormy.

  I sucked in stale air and looked Gil in the eye. “Do you know where she is?” Before he could say anything I took another step, hands curling into fists. “And don’t… don’t tell us she’s gone! She’s not. It’s only been a few hours- maybe not even that long.” Something flickered across Renner’s expression and he gave his head a little shake, but I ignored it and pressed on. “Do you know where it took her?”

  Gil shook his head, too, and seemed unable to meet my gaze. “Lady, forgive me, please, but… there’s no saving your friend. I’m sorry. You don’t… truly, you can’t understand how much I-”

  “Your apology's as worthless as you are,” Renner snapped. “Do you know where it took her, or not?”

  The stablemaster fell silent. His bloodshot eyes turned back towards me, and his face pinched into a look of strained fear. Then, with a voice as quiet and cold as a grave, he whispered, “No.”