The Changeling Soldier (7 page)

“You left me behind in that godforsaken house. Do you know what he did to me after you left? Mom wasn’t good enough anymore. You think I started drinking because I was bored? I was trying to forget.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” He took half a step back hoping she wouldn’t notice. He needed to put a wall between him and Melody. Whatever his stepfather had done to her wasn’t his problem right now.

“Because you’d already left. But now you have the chance to make it up to me. Prove that you still love me and want what’s best for me.” She took a step closer, the gun still pointed at him and remarkably steady. “You owe me.”

If he obeyed Mel, he’d be failing Ella and if he tried to leave with Ella, they’d both be in more trouble. Why hadn’t he received a vision of this? What was the point of seeing the future when he missed the important parts like this? How did he get out of here alive?

Maybe he didn’t. Maybe he died and that was why he was in Annwyn and handing over his soul. He needed to choose between obeying his sister and trying to flee with Ella…and getting shot in the process. He could, of course, drop Ella and flee. It was Ella that Melody wanted, but that felt wrong on every level.

He took another step back.

“One more step and I will shoot.” Her gaze was hard and cold. He’d never seen this side of her and he didn’t like it.

Once he could’ve said with certainty that she’d never shoot him. But this Melody would. How long had she planned this? Had every function where he’d gone as her date been part of the set up? What had she said about him when he wasn’t with her? Cold, solid dread formed in his gut. He tried to hold on to the glimpses of the future that he’d seen.

Kissing Ella.

Fighting in Annwyn.

Ella was the key. He had to stay and protect her…which meant for the moment he had to do what Mel said. “What do you want me to do?” He hated those words coming out of his mouth.

“Take her downstairs.”

He wanted to resist, but if he played the compliant brother for a little while he might be able to find a solution. He left the lounge room and walked down to the basement. It was actually more of a large wine cellar than a true basement, but it was now decked out with a mattress and a bucket, and iron nails were scattered all over the floor.

He balked at the sight and swore softly. How had he missed what Mel was planning? More importantly, how was he going to get Ella out of this without revealing to Mel what he was? His palm and chest burned and the scent of iron filled his nose, but his shoes protected his feet.

His guts writhed. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d shot and killed his first person; after that, he’d kind of switched off the reality. It was him and his men or them. And it became an easy choice to make.

What if Ella hadn’t been a fairy? How would Mel have justified it, or would she have let him take the fall for the assault? He knew the answer already. Mel was quite happy to sell him out to further her ambition.

Carefully he lay Ella down on the bed. The bleeding had slowed, but she hadn’t woken. He checked her pulse—weak but steady. Her skin was cool. He covered her with the blanket and sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

He knew if he held his hands out they’d be shaking. This was bad.

He closed his eyes. He couldn’t deal with fairies and his sister’s…madness. That was what it was. He drew in a breath and listened as Mel came down the stairs. He had to get it together and start making a survival plan, or people would die or end up in jail. Neither was an acceptable outcome.

First step, get the first aid kit and treat Ella—as well as make sure Mel didn’t harm her any further.

Next, try and talk Mel down.

And if that failed, which he was expecting it would, what then?

He’d have to take his sister down, thus fulfilling her claim that he was violent with her. That wasn’t who he was. And it wasn’t who she was going to make him.

He stood and fixed his face so it looked as though he didn’t care. “Anything else?”

“No.” She pulled a box from under the bed and opened it up. Inside was something that looked medieval. Melody was literally going to put Ella in irons.

“What the hell are you doing?” He put his hand on Mel’s arm. He could end this now—and what? Mel would say he’d kidnapped Ella and the police would be out in force searching for him. Looking at this room, he’d believe Mel in a heartbeat.

Melody stared at him, her gaze unflinching. “Making sure she doesn’t use magic to escape.”

“She’s unconscious. She’s not going anywhere.” Where had Mel gotten the iron shackles from?

“I’m not taking that risk.” She pulled her arm free. “I could shoot her in the leg if you prefer?”

No, that would be worse. “Pissing off the fairy you want to grant your wish is not a good idea.”

Melody ignored him and placed an iron ring around Ella’s ankle, then clicked it closed. The other one she attached to the bed, preventing Isaac from just picking Ella up to escape. At least the iron wasn’t touching her skin, but he knew it could burn through clothes. There’d be a mark on his chest from the poker, every time he moved his shirt rubbed the burn.

There was no key in the box, yet he could see a hole for one. He needed to find the key to release her, or figure out a way to pick the lock. It couldn’t be that hard…could it?

“She seems pretty weak to me. Maybe the myths got it wrong.” Melody shrugged. She didn’t care that she was hurting Ella. To her, Ella wasn’t a person.

Isaac saw an opening he could take. “Maybe she can’t grant wishes either. She’s not a genie.” He couldn’t remember what he’d written about fairies and wishes in his journal. It was too long ago. He wished he’d burned the damn thing.

That made Melody pause. “No. She can. She just didn’t want to. Now she’ll have to. Besides, if she doesn’t give me what I want, I’ll kill her.”

The chill in his sister’s voice scared him more than anything he’d ever experienced. Who was this cold woman hell bent on success? “Listen to yourself. You’re talking about murder.”

“How can it be murder when she’s not a person? Don’t tell me you have sympathy for it? I’m you’re sister. You owe me.”

She kept saying that, but did he? If he added up all the people he’d failed, the ones who’d had their legs blown off because he hadn’t had a premonition of danger, the ones who’d died because he couldn’t save them, his younger brothers, did he owe them too? At what point was his life his own to live? According to his dream, never. It had been planned since he was born.

Everything happened for a reason—wasn’t that what they said?

God didn’t give you more than you could handle—another thing he’d heard over the years.

How about a break from all this crap and a chance to start over?

Annwyn. He felt the snowflakes on his face and the weight of the sword. The battle was over. He was alive.

Was that his new start? He glanced at Ella. One wish and this would all be over. He glanced at his sister remembering the words of the imp he’d held in his hands. If Melody really wanted this wish and was prepared to pay the price, who was he to stand in her way? 

“Do you promise to release her once you have your wish?” He hoped Ella would agree. Would she look him in the eye or was he now guilty by association?

Melody ignored him.

“Swear you’ll let her go afterward, and I’ll do as you ask.” At least on the surface. He could play this game and win. Melody wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her success, which meant that as long as Ella played along they had a chance.

“Only if she doesn’t want revenge. I don’t understand why you care so much. I’m your sister. You should care more about me.”

That was why he’d advised her that this wasn’t a good idea. But the moment she’d flipped on him, well, his sense of self-preservation overrode the love he had for her. Believing in fairies was one thing, but catching and harming one was another.

He drew in a breath; sure he could taste the iron on the back of his throat. He didn’t like it at all. However, he had to convince Mel he was on her side until he found a way to save Ella and leave without arousing suspicion.

“I do care, Mel.” It wasn’t a total lie. She was his sister and life after he’d gone must have left deep scars. He wanted her to get help, so she’d never hurt anyone else again, the way she was hurting Ella, and him. Mel had been the one person in his family he thought he could trust. He swallowed down the ache. He’d deal with it later. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Chapter Six

Waking up had never hurt so much. Her head throbbed, she was cold and groggy and there was a weight on her legs. She moved a little, only to feel the hot sting of iron on her flesh. Ella gasped and tried to shrink and escape the pain. Nothing. The iron was stopping her from using magic, and she was too weakened by the coming winter to do much else. She sat up, carefully, so she could see how she was trapped.

“Please don’t move.” Isaac carefully adjusted the iron so it was no longer touching her skin, but she could feel it through her clothes. Her ankles were burned despite the protection of the fabric. He was sitting next to the bed, on guard duty no doubt.

What had happened while she was unconscious? Damn Melody to the river. She should’ve returned to Annwyn and left the ungrateful girl out of pocket and with no dress.

But she’d expected more from Isaac. “How could you do this to me?”

Her snarl wasn’t as effective when half reclining. However, she was sure her glare had maximum effect by the way he glanced down.

Was he part of his sister’s plan? All part of the trick to lure her in. What a fool she’d been. She hadn’t even realized the trap had been closing around her. The Court would laugh at her stumble. If she couldn’t look after herself in the mortal world, she’d be doomed in Annwyn.

“I didn’t.” But he wouldn’t look her in the eye.

“You told her what I was, helped set me up.” How had she ever found him interesting and attractive?

He glanced at the stairs and was silent for a moment before answering as if he wanted to be sure no one else would hear. When he spoke, his voice was lowered. “I didn’t even know what I was until you showed up.”

“She doesn’t know you’re changeling?” And he didn’t realize that he’d given over a bargaining chip she could play with. She needed a way out of here before Melody came back and tried to force a wish from her. Well, humans called them wishes—fairies called them deals, and there was always a price. Annwyn could be a costly place to live.

Isaac shook his head “I’m trying to protect you from her.”

“And you’re doing a grand job of that.” She pointed to the shackles on her ankles and iron nails all over the floor. Melody knew what she was doing. She tried to remember what had happened to other fairies who had been caught over the centuries. Usually they made the deal and went on their way. She’d made plenty in her time, but the harm caused wasn’t worth it. She couldn’t revel in a mortal’s fall like she used to. She’d spent too much time among the humans and become too soft like them. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I want to get out of this alive, the same as you.” His gaze flicked to her face. “Melody is armed and unstable.”

That wasn’t news. Her head still throbbed from where she’d been hit. She really should’ve known better. “I need to go home. Release me, and everything will be all right.”

He looked at his hands. “I want to. I’ve tried picking the lock without success.” He opened his hand to reveal a small piece of metal. “She isn’t sure if I’m fully on her side because I’ve protected you. I know she’s going to pin your disappearance on me as soon as she gets her wish.”

Which would mean Isaac would take the fall when she vanished, if his sister had her way. He didn’t deserve that—assuming he was telling the truth.

“I need time to work out a solution and find the key.” He pointed at the shackles. “And I have to be very careful.” He opened his hand, and she saw the telltale mark across his palm.

She didn’t have time. “The iron makes me weak. I’ll die.” If Annwyn hadn’t been in winter, she would’ve had more strength. However, it wasn’t just the iron that could kill her. If she was trapped for too long, the power shift would happen and she’d be on the wrong side of the veil. Any fairy on the wrong side of the veil would die.

“How did you know what I was?”

She didn’t owe him any explanations. She relaxed onto the bed, careful not to move her legs and cause the iron to slip off her jeans again. It was bad enough it was close. Oh, to be able to drop the glamour shrink and hide. She should’ve done that in the lounge room instead of playing human. At least then she’d have only been trapped in the house, not chained up. If Isaac could get the iron off her, she’d be able to use magic again. She needed his support, and truly he needed hers. His sister was as mad as Ella’s father had been before being thrown in the river of damned souls.

“Your eyes gave you away. They’re fairy blue. There’s a hunger as though the mortal world could never satisfy you and that you don’t know what you want. You crave a home you can never see.” She sighed. She wanted to see Annwyn again.

“You’ve known others like me.”

She laughed then hissed as the iron slid off her jeans. He used the corner of the blanket to protect his fingers as he adjusted it for her. “I’m nearly seven hundred mortal years old. You do the math.”

His mouth popped open for a heartbeat. It was nice to see him shocked.

“You knew you weren’t like other people.” Ella gave him a casual glance. “Tell me, what gift did your fairy blood give you?” There was always something. Once, those gifts would have guaranteed the mortal status, but gradually humans had come to fear the fairy magic and changelings had become persecuted, and now forgotten.

He looked at her for a moment before shrugging. “Glimpses of the future.”

Rare; but not unheard of and not always useful. She lifted her hand and swept it across the room. “Did you see this?”

“Not exactly, but I felt like something bad was going to happen. Around you all I felt was cold and snow. I didn’t know if they were separate or combined. My talent is unpredictable.”