Atmystartledbreath,the man in the prison cell looks up at me.
The space between us crackles. His eyes are an autumn gold, thickly lashed, and wide. Disheveled brown hair floats in curls over his thick brows, the shorter sides sticking up. His full mouth opens questioningly as he looks at me. He’s shirtless, his torso lean and muscled, legs stretched long before him in tattered pants. But what stops me in my tracks and has my heart racing… His ears.
They’re pointed.
This man isn’t a man at all. He’s fae.
And he’s also chained to a wall. Fae or not, he needs help.
I rush toward the cell and grab the door. “Hello! Are you okay?”
The man blinks at me, as if he can’t believe his eyes. Hey, he’s the one with pointed ears and he’s looking at me like I’m the weird one?
“Who… Who are you?” he asks. He shoots a look at the window behind me. “You can’t be here. You need to get out. Now.”
I yank on his door. There’s a huge padlock. Do those monsters live here? Did they imprison this fae? “I want to help you. But please tell me. Is there a man here? A human, like me?”
The man licks his lips and sits forward. I notice now his collar is massive. He could easily lift it off. Why does he keep it around his neck like that? “It doesn’t matter. You need to leave this place right now. Listen to me, okay?”
“A human,” I urge. “Is there a human here? Taller than me, brown hair. His name is George. Please, tell me!”
The fae’s throat bobs up and down, and he digs his long fingers into his pants. “Yes. But that doesn’t matter. You’ve got to go. It’s not safe.”
A flood of relief rushes through me. He’s here. He’s here! “I have to find him, then I’ll come back and free you,” I promise. “I won’t leave you behind.”
“No, no, no!” the man yells. His voice would almost be musical if it wasn’t laced with fear. He surges forward, clutching the bars, his face a breath away from mine. He stares into my eyes so intensely, I nearly stumble back. But instead, I shift closer. “Listen to me,” he says. “You have to get out now. There’s not much time. If you’re here when the sun sets—”
His golden eyes flicker with the fading light. He’s beautiful, even though his expression is clouded in dread. “I’ll figure out a way to get your lock undone,” I say. “I just need to find my father.”
“No! No!” he screams, shaking the bars.
I turn and run. Papa’s here. He’s here and I’m going to find him.
A sickly coughing fills the hallway as the fae man’s yelling fades behind me. Papa. Empty cells line the walls, some completely crowded with thorns. “Papa!” I call.
“Rosalina? Rose!”
I rush through an orange sunbeam and skid to a stop in front of a cell. My father.
He’s down on his knees and clutches the bars, resting his head against the cold steel. His hair sticks to his forehead with sweat and he’s still wearing the same clothes he left in. Except they’re soaking wet and covered in mud. His favorite necklace, the one Mom gave him, dangles around his chest. The moonstone rose shimmers in the dim light.
My hands clutch his through the bars. “Papa! You’re so cold.”
“Rosalina,” he whispers, his voice hoarse. “How did you find me?”
I give a sad smile. “I’ll always find you.”
“It’s real, Rose,” he croaks. “All this time. I finally found it.”
With a hard yank, I test the door. Locked. “I know, Papa. We can talk about that later. I’ve got to break you out of here.”
“No!” He stands and grabs my arm. “You must leave. Now. Save yourself!”
“Not until you’re free,” I demand.
“You don’t understand. They’re monsters, Rose! Beasts!”
Suddenly, the sunlight is ensconced with shadow. My father looks up, up, up, face falling into a mask of horror.