almost did kill you.”
“I can’t leave yet, but you have to. I need you to find my family. The Norwoods. My father works at the British Museum. Tell him it’s not safe here, that they mustn’t cross over the Divide no matter what they’re told or promised. Tell him to keep the bill of sale safe.”
Inigo crossed his arms. “Tell him yourself.”
Micah shook his head. The faerie in the inn had given him a clue to the whereabouts of Jayne Hart. The queen. He couldn’t leave until he’d followed it up.
“Then I’m not going either,” Inigo whispered.
“Yeah, you are.” Micah shoved him hard into the hole, and Inigo stumbled, flailed, and disappeared.
When Micah turned, there was a group of faeries headed toward him, Cavan in the lead. Shit . Bang went his plan to sneak back into the castle. Maybe he ought to cross to the other side after Inigo and come back later. Once he was captured, he could do nothing. As he threw himself toward the portal, he collided with something coming the other way, something horribly burned, clothes and skin flaking off. Micah looked with horror into Inigo’s stricken eyes before the vampire collapsed in his arms and slumped to the ground.
Fuck, fuck, fuck . “Inigo!” What have I done?
Micah caught sight of the top of the flask poking from the remains of the pocket of Inigo’s pants. Hiding what he was doing from the guards closing in on him, he yanked it out, pulled off the top, and tipped a glug into the vampire’s mouth before he pushed the flask back deep into Inigo’s other more intact pocket.
I FUCKING HURT. Shit, fuck, bollocks . Inigo was afraid to open his mouth in case his jaw fell off. He felt as though he was crumbling to pieces, those bits of him that weren’t charred. He forced himself to swallow when Micah held the flask to his lips, but it was a struggle.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Micah whispered. “Bite me. Hurry.” The faerie put his wrist against Inigo’s mouth, but his fangs were still sizzling, unable to emerge.
“Shit.” Ryn dropped to his haunches at their side. “What the hell happened?”
Cavan yanked Micah upright, thrust him into the hands of the guards, then looked down at Inigo. “What do we have here? Barbecued meat. Are you cooked on both sides?”
Bastard.
Inigo struggled to keep his eyes open. Maybe Micah was the last thing he’d see. Better that than sunlight. Fuck, I’m in agony . Though that mouthful from the flask seemed to be helping. At least he hadn’t turned to ash—yet. He’d never been this badly burned.
Cavan’s eyes glittered. “Maybe we should just throw you back into the portal.”
Micah howled and struggled to get free of the guards. “The king needs him to do his tattoo. You’re going to piss him off if you don’t bring the vampire back.”
“He’s already pissed off with both of you.” Cavan scowled at Inigo and turned his gaze on Micah. “How come you can speak?”
“I guess the king’s magic wore off. Maybe he didn’t listen in school. Maybe he’s crap at spells. Maybe he’s…”
Cavan stepped right into Micah’s face. “Be careful what you say,” he hissed. He nodded to the faeries holding Micah. “Take him back.”
“I’ll bring the vampire,” Ryn said.
Cavan smirked. “He’ll be a pile of ash before you return. Good riddance. He’s a useless tattoo artist.”
Inigo bristled.
“He hasn’t even started tattooing yet,” Micah blurted as the faeries holding him took to the air, dragging him with them. “He only tried a mock-up to be sure it was what the king wanted.”
Inigo watched until they disappeared through the canopy of the trees.
“Give him some of your blood,” Cavan said. “Handling a piece of charred shit’s about all you’re good for. If he dies, it will be on you.”
He signaled to those faeries who remained, and they left.
“And if you survive, he’ll take all the credit,” Ryn muttered before he turned to Inigo. “What can I do
“I can’t leave yet, but you have to. I need you to find my family. The Norwoods. My father works at the British Museum. Tell him it’s not safe here, that they mustn’t cross over the Divide no matter what they’re told or promised. Tell him to keep the bill of sale safe.”
Inigo crossed his arms. “Tell him yourself.”
Micah shook his head. The faerie in the inn had given him a clue to the whereabouts of Jayne Hart. The queen. He couldn’t leave until he’d followed it up.
“Then I’m not going either,” Inigo whispered.
“Yeah, you are.” Micah shoved him hard into the hole, and Inigo stumbled, flailed, and disappeared.
When Micah turned, there was a group of faeries headed toward him, Cavan in the lead. Shit . Bang went his plan to sneak back into the castle. Maybe he ought to cross to the other side after Inigo and come back later. Once he was captured, he could do nothing. As he threw himself toward the portal, he collided with something coming the other way, something horribly burned, clothes and skin flaking off. Micah looked with horror into Inigo’s stricken eyes before the vampire collapsed in his arms and slumped to the ground.
Fuck, fuck, fuck . “Inigo!” What have I done?
Micah caught sight of the top of the flask poking from the remains of the pocket of Inigo’s pants. Hiding what he was doing from the guards closing in on him, he yanked it out, pulled off the top, and tipped a glug into the vampire’s mouth before he pushed the flask back deep into Inigo’s other more intact pocket.
I FUCKING HURT. Shit, fuck, bollocks . Inigo was afraid to open his mouth in case his jaw fell off. He felt as though he was crumbling to pieces, those bits of him that weren’t charred. He forced himself to swallow when Micah held the flask to his lips, but it was a struggle.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Micah whispered. “Bite me. Hurry.” The faerie put his wrist against Inigo’s mouth, but his fangs were still sizzling, unable to emerge.
“Shit.” Ryn dropped to his haunches at their side. “What the hell happened?”
Cavan yanked Micah upright, thrust him into the hands of the guards, then looked down at Inigo. “What do we have here? Barbecued meat. Are you cooked on both sides?”
Bastard.
Inigo struggled to keep his eyes open. Maybe Micah was the last thing he’d see. Better that than sunlight. Fuck, I’m in agony . Though that mouthful from the flask seemed to be helping. At least he hadn’t turned to ash—yet. He’d never been this badly burned.
Cavan’s eyes glittered. “Maybe we should just throw you back into the portal.”
Micah howled and struggled to get free of the guards. “The king needs him to do his tattoo. You’re going to piss him off if you don’t bring the vampire back.”
“He’s already pissed off with both of you.” Cavan scowled at Inigo and turned his gaze on Micah. “How come you can speak?”
“I guess the king’s magic wore off. Maybe he didn’t listen in school. Maybe he’s crap at spells. Maybe he’s…”
Cavan stepped right into Micah’s face. “Be careful what you say,” he hissed. He nodded to the faeries holding Micah. “Take him back.”
“I’ll bring the vampire,” Ryn said.
Cavan smirked. “He’ll be a pile of ash before you return. Good riddance. He’s a useless tattoo artist.”
Inigo bristled.
“He hasn’t even started tattooing yet,” Micah blurted as the faeries holding him took to the air, dragging him with them. “He only tried a mock-up to be sure it was what the king wanted.”
Inigo watched until they disappeared through the canopy of the trees.
“Give him some of your blood,” Cavan said. “Handling a piece of charred shit’s about all you’re good for. If he dies, it will be on you.”
He signaled to those faeries who remained, and they left.
“And if you survive, he’ll take all the credit,” Ryn muttered before he turned to Inigo. “What can I do
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