When he grinned at me, showing off sharp teeth, I tensed.
“You remember me then, lad.” He chuckled, coming to a stop beside the kneeling Nua and placing a hand on his head, sifting long fingers through his green hair in an absentminded, intimate touch. “You’re looking a touch different than the last time I saw you. Just a wee lad then.”
I didn’t answer. He looked down at Nua and caressed the tip of his pointed ear. “If he wants you to give it back, that’s his choice.”
“Givewhatback?” Nua sounded furious, his green eyes flashing in the firelight. “There’s nothing to give back! I’d betakinghis arm.”
“If that’s what he wants, you need to respect it,” the man said calmly.
Nua let out a trembling breath and looked at me with pleading eyes. “Please, Ash, let me do this for you. I failed you in so many ways—”
“Give it back,” I repeated through clenched teeth.
My gaze darted around the low, warm room for anything I could use as a weapon. I paled at the thought of passing out in the forest with the guards still chasing me, Balor lurking with his sword to cut off more of my limbs. Golden-skinned Nua looming over me in that log.
Where had he brought me? Who was the other man?
Could I escape?
Nua pursed his lips. “It will hurt.”
“I’m aware,” I said coldly.
Nua glanced up at the silver-eyed fae, uncertain, before letting out another hard breath and nodding once. He carefully unwrapped the bandages on his stump, and I swallowed at the sight of the cleanly cut line of flesh and muscle. The cross-section of bone.
In the next instant, a searing pulse of agony made me gasp, my hand shooting up to clutch my left bicep. I panted wildly, staring down at my arm, which once again ended just above where my elbow had been. Just like that.
I instantly regretted my decision as throbbing pain made me break out into a cold sweat, and I leaned back heavily against the wall, gritting my teeth to force back any whimpers of pain. I didn’t want to show them any weakness, even though I was now realising that I had justmademyself weak in front of these Folk. The pain was distracting me enough that they could do anything they wanted to me.
“Right, best sort that out.” The silver-eyed man bustled around, disappearing back through the doorway.
The ensuing silence was broken only by the faint crackle of the fire and my shallow, panting breaths. Blood dripped from my stump, not as heavily as it had when I’d first sustained the injury, but enough to pool on the fur next to me. I could feel Nua’s eyes on me, could see both long arms with black-nailed fingers in my periphery. I didn’t look at him, keeping my gaze lowered.
“I’m sorry, Ash.” He sounded agonised. “I just wanted to—”
“Who are you?” I burst out, glaring up at him. “Why did you visit me when I was a kid? You brought all the others. What do you want with me? Why were you leaving me notes?”
He swallowed. “I—I’m your brother.”
I stared at him. More fear-soaked memories emerged. He’d called me that after hiding me in the log, just before I’d passed out from the pain. He’d called me his brother.
“I don’t ha—” The words got stuck in my throat, but Nua nodded anyway.
“Yes. You do. Me.”
He can’t lie. He was Folk, like all the others.
Abruptly, my chest got tight with an overwhelming urge to believe him. To trust him. To havesomeoneI could trust. Someone who wouldn’t try and trick me or play games with me or try to fucking kill me.
But that was just childish wishful thinking, and I couldn’t let myself fall into that trap. I’d made it this far not trusting anyone. I’d be a fool to put my blind faith in this fae, when I didn’t know him any better than anyone else.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I said eventually, my voice rough. “That doesn’t mean you’re trustworthy or on my side.”
“You’re right,” he agreed hoarsely. “Blood bonds can be a terrible burden. I’m all too aware of that. And I know you won’t trust me automatically, Ash. I know that. But I hope that I can prove to you that Iamon your side. We both are,” he added as the silver-eyed man came back into the room with his arms full. “We always have been.”
I eyed the man warily as he knelt by the fire, pushing the end of a long metal pole into the flames and leaving it there. He stood back up and brought over an armful of bandages, a bottle and a wooden bowl.
“What would you like to numb the pain, lad?” He knelt beside me, making me stiffen up even as I trembled with pain and fear. “Psilocybin or whisky?”