I stared at her, then barked out a hysterical laugh.
“No, I’m not. I’m human. A mortal.” That was what they’d always called me as a kid—mortal. “I have a dad—a human dad.”
“Your father was human, yes.” Caom nodded. “Your mother isn’t. She is one of us. The Folk. You’re only half mortal.”
I snorted and looked away. “Sure.”
I didn’t believe that for a second, but part of me knew this whole situation was really happening. My ass was still sore from falling out of the cart, and my wrists were chafed raw beneath the rope. The air was cold, making me shiver, the wooden cart hard beneath my bare feet.
The rational part of my brain still wanted to chalk this up to a vivid, grief-stricken dream. I was still in the garden, and I’d passed out after seeing that cat. I’d conjured this entire thing to take me away from real life for a little while. Back to when everything was good. When I could play in the garden with strange creatures and return home to my dad, who’d hug me tight and put me to bed. He’d give me indulgent nods while I chattered endlessly about my friends with wings and fur and beetle eyes.
“Aren’t you pleased?” Caom’s tone told me he couldn’t imagine menotbeing pleased by thisnews. “This means you have power somewhere inside you. You just need to find it. Unlock it.”
He shot me a salacious grin. “I can help you try to find it, pretty boy.”
“Get fucked,” I snapped at him, but that didn’t seem to deter him. His eyes brightened.
“By yo—?”
“He doesn’t want to fuck you, Caom,” Idony barked, pulling her thread viciously. “Get over it.”
He shot daggers at her before looking at me again.
“Do you want something to eat?” he asked, eyes gleaming as he held out the apple in his hands.
“No.”
He pouted and leaned back, gazing sullenly at the forest.
My stomach was jittery, breaths still coming too fast. I felt like a complete coward, sitting here talking to my fucking captors instead of trying to escape again. But I couldn’t feel my hands anymore, and I knew if I tried to make another run for it, one of the creatures behind us would just catch me again. The big deer beast was bringing up the rear of the procession, and I could see its huge head looming over all the others.
What was going to happen to me? Why had the Folk stolen me?
“I don’t want to be in the Carlin’s court,” I said through clenched teeth, trying to fight my shivers. The air was getting colder. “I don’t want her protection. I want to go home.”
“You can’t,” Idony said bluntly. “So stop whining. You have no idea how lucky you are, mortal boy. Most humans can only dream of living with the Folk.”
“Then take one of the ones who wants to,” I gritted out.
Caom let out an easy laugh. “It’s not that simple. Yes, we take them sometimes. For fun. This isn’t for fun. This is important.”
“Why is it soimportant? For me to…” I tried to gesture, anger tightening my chest when I remembered my hands were bound. “Unlockmy secret powers or whatever?”
“Because it is.”
I snorted, staring out of the cart. “You’re full of shit.”
“Folk can’t lie.” Caom’s eyes were piercing as he stared at me. “You know this.”
“I don’t know anything. You haven’t told meanything.”
“You know plenty. You know enough. We all told you things when you were younger.”
Idony let out an impatient growl. “Shut up, both of you. We’re nearly there. The Carlin can tell him whatever she wants.”
Fear streaked through me. Who the fuck was this Carlin? Their Unseelie Ruler? So she was a queen? A queen of what—these woods?
How was this real? How was this happening?