The Changeling Soldier (9 page)

“Don’t
Mel
me. We’re in this together. And if she somehow happens to escape, I’ll make sure something happens to tarnish your golden hero reputation.” She made herself a coffee, not offering to help with the sandwiches.

“I’ve done nothing but help you since I’ve gotten home. I’ve been on your arm when you’ve asked and let you use me to draw attention to yourself.” While those functions hadn’t been all bad, he’d hated the attention.

“You owe me from when you went off and left me so you could play soldier.”

“I wasn’t fucking playing.” Did she really think he’d taken off to ditch her? It was the only way out he could take. If he hadn’t left, he might have killed his mother’s boyfriend next time the man tried to beat him. If he’d known what was going to happen to Mel he’d have never left. He glanced at his sister and wished he could’ve protected her better, then maybe they wouldn’t be standing here. Although if she’d listened to him and joined up as soon as she was old enough, she could’ve gotten out of that house sooner. Instead she’d finished school and taken off for L.A.

“Whatever. I was working my ass off to get commercials and bit roles. You think this comes cheap?” She pointed to the house around them. “Isn’t this what we wanted as kids, to grow up and move out of the damn trailer park? We have nice stuff, but we have to work together to take the next step.”

“We don’t need these things. We’ve moved on. You aren’t the kid in someone else’s hand-me-downs anymore.” He’d be happy with a nice apartment…who was he kidding. He wanted to know what happened next in his dream. He wanted to know why Ella took his soul and why he handed it over so willingly, even when she’d admitted that losing it would kill him. He wanted to know why he ended up in bed with her and where they were. If she promised him answers, he suspected he’d follow wherever she led.

“All those kids who ever teased me will see that I’m better than all of them.”

“Do you think they even care?”

Anger tightened her face. “I want that damn fairy to make a deal.”

His head jerked up at the word as it echoed with familiarity. “A deal now not a wish?”

“She said she would give me fame if I get her a soul.”

Isaac drew in a breath.
His soul.
The pieces of his dream began to make sense.

Could he use his soul as the bargaining chip so everyone walked away unharmed? Would he be unharmed? He needed to find out what would happen if she took his soul in Annwyn, as that was where it happened in his dream.

“You’re not really considering it?” But from the look on her face she was.

He already knew she considered him expendable. He’d rather take his chances fighting a battle in a place he didn’t know, for people he didn’t know and with a weapon he’d never used than serve Mel’s purpose.

“Did you want the shake?” Time seemed to pause for a moment as he glimpsed the future.

The three of them were in the basement. Mel was handing over the key, and he was carrying Ella out of there.
They all got to live.
The deal had been made.

Melody picked up the glass and took a sip. For a moment Isaac thought his vision had been wrong. Then she wrinkled her nose and tipped the shake down the sink. “I think the milk is turning.”

He picked up the plate of sandwiches and grabbed a bottle of water. “Will you let Ella go once you have your deal?”

“Of course.” Melody smiled all sugar and spice, but Isaac knew she’d lied to his face without even blinking. Whatever he did he would be doing to protect himself and Ella. Melody was on her own.

Chapter Eight

When the light to the basement went on, Ella held her breath for a moment then released it as she saw Isaac coming down the stairs with a plate and a bottle of water. Her stomach gave a grumble of anticipation. She would have sat up but she could feel energy and life draining away from her. The iron was killing her slowly. Iron poisoning when it entered an open wound, or was ingested, would be a terrible way to do die. At least she would recover fully once the shackles were removed.

“Are you okay?”

She leveled a glare at him. “What do you think?”

He looked away as if ashamed, and she knew he didn’t like this either. They were both pawns in Melody’s game, and to win, they had to outsmart her. She wouldn’t be beaten by an upstart mortal. This was not how her life would end. She clung to those thoughts. They were becoming her mantra.

“Help me sit.” She paused and then softened the order; she needed Isaac as a friend and ally. “Please.”

He placed the food down and eased her up and made sure she was comfortable. “How are your ankles?”

“They’ve been better.” But if Isaac hadn’t made sure the iron wasn’t on her skin they’d have been worse. So far Melody was leaving the details of her care to Isaac—which was a good thing for everyone. “Any progress?”

He shook his head and offered her a sandwich. “She’s thinking about it, though.”

She opened up the sandwich and took out the ham. Despite spending hundreds of years in the mortal world, she still couldn’t bring herself to eat meat. “Did you want it?”

Isaac took it from her and ate it without missing a beat. “I didn’t make any without meat, sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” She smiled. “Looks like we get that dinner date after all.”

He didn’t laugh. “Tell me about Annwyn.”

“It’s as beautiful as it is dangerous. Mortals who go there often get trapped because they forget the rules.”

“What are the rules?”

She narrowed her gaze. “Are you planning on visiting?”

He shrugged, and that was as close to a lie as he’d ever told her. Why would he give up the mortal world for Annwyn? “If you have a soul, you can’t drink, eat or dance in Annwyn without becoming trapped there. Then only the King can free you.”

Isaac ate in silence for a moment, his eyes focused on something she couldn’t see. “And if I had no soul in Annwyn?”

She almost dropped her sandwich. Was he truly considering giving up his soul so his sister could get her deal? “In Annwyn, you would be fairy. A changeling is just a fairy born in the mortal world and with the misfortune of having a soul.” She took a sip of water from the bottle.

“Without a soul, how would I change?”

“What do you mean?” Did he think having no soul would make him less of a person?

“Will I still be me?”

“Of course. The soul simply makes you mortal. People have been trading their souls for wealth, fame and longevity for millennia.” She grimaced as the half-truth left her lips.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed her change in expression, but then he asked the wrong question. “If it’s that easy, what’s the catch?”

She gave a small laugh. “The soul belongs to the fairy. The human gets his or her desires…most turn sour, as mortals don’t know how to deal with the magic they’ve been graced with.” She nibbled at the sandwich and watched him closely. There was only one reason he was asking so many questions, but she wanted to hear him say it. “What are you planning?”

He looked at her for a moment then sighed. “I’ve had the same dream all my life. I fight in a battle where the ground is covered in blue-stained snow. Bodies are all around. The dream is becoming more frequent and it’s changing, becoming clearer. When I saw you the other day, I had a vision of you promising to keep my soul safe while I was in Annwyn as the snow fell around us. Does it snow in Annwyn?”

Her blood froze in her veins. Surely not. He couldn’t be dreaming of a civil war in Annwyn? If Annwyn went to war, it was be bad for everyone. When King Gwyn had taken the throne, there had been decades of fighting, and many mortals had perished in the plagues.

She closed her eyes, feeling weaker with every breath. Was there any point in going home when Annwyn was going to tear itself apart?

“Ella?” He touched her cheek. “You’re freezing.”

“Eletta. My name is Eletta merch Arawn.” She forced her eyes open. Isaac’s face was only inches from hers, his eyes filled with concern. She might have only just met him but he’d shown her more care and understanding than anyone had in a very long time. And he wasn’t being nice to gain position or favors. He genuinely cared. Maybe he wasn’t as fairy as she’d first thought. “When the old King is dying, so does the magic. Annwyn is coming into winter, which is why I’m cold, and if you’re right, civil war will follow, as there are two claimants for the throne.” She would be diving into Court politics at the worst possible time. She placed her hand over his, enjoying the warmth of his skin against hers. “Who wins?”

“I don’t know. But it’s drawing closer, and I’m meant to be there, Eletta.”

Her real name rolled off his tongue as easily as if he were truly fairy. For a moment she could see him readying for a war he didn’t have to fight in, and she couldn’t bear the thought of taking him across the veil, only to watch him die. “Do you live?”

He nodded. “I do, and so do you. That much I know.”

“Would you trust me with your soul?” Could she really take that from him?

The edges of a plan to take down Melody began to form. A plan that would reveal his sister’s true colors to Isaac so he wouldn’t hate her for what Melody did.

“I’m not sure I have a choice.”

She realized he’d already reached a similar conclusion. His soul for Melody’s deal. She closed her eyes for a moment. “There’s something else you should know. Your soul gives you compassion and the ability to fall in love so easily. Fairies can fall in love, but it’s harder. Fairies aren’t as honest and open as mortals. Letting someone close goes against our nature. Could you live knowing that?” Did she want to see him colder and calculating?

A smile curved his lips. “Are you being open and honest with me?”

She considered him for a moment and the corners of her mouth quirked up. Her heart beat a little faster as for a moment the cold left her body and was replaced with desire. “Yes.” Then she beckoned him closer. “We do this together?”

He nodded, his lips only inches from hers and his breath on her skin. A shiver swept through her but it had nothing to do with feeling cold and everything to do with anticipation.

She wanted to kiss him to see what it would be like.

Unable to resist any longer she lifted her hand. It trembled as her fingers traced his cheek. “Are you sure you want to fight in a battle that isn’t your concern?”

“I’ve been waiting my whole life to know what that dream means.” He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips that left them tingling with a heat she longed to bask in. He drew back too soon, leaving her hungry for more. “Should I let Melody know that I’ll give up my soul?”

“Not yet.” She stole another kiss. The heat of his body warmed her as she enjoyed the taste of his lips. For a second she could almost forget where they were. But now wasn’t the time or place for drawing him closer for a quick tryst, no matter how much her body craved his heat. “I told her I want a soul. I want to know if she’ll give up hers or volunteer another’s.
She
needs to do this, Isaac.”

She saw the flash of understanding in his eyes and wondered what he’d seen.

It was Melody’s deal, not his. He was just caught in the crossfire.

Tears pooled in her eyes, but they weren’t for herself. They were for Isaac, who would lose his soul and the love he had for his sister in one breath. She doubted Melody would shed a tear for him when Ella carried him off to Annwyn to meet his fate.

He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I’ll be fine. My dreams are never wrong.”

It took Ella too long to drag herself out of sleep, even though she could hear the footsteps and see the light on her eyelids. Each time it was getting harder. She didn’t have long before she wouldn’t wake at all.

Someone shook her then pressed iron to the back of her hand. The jolt of pain and the stinging of the burn pushed away the remains of sleep. Ella blinked a few times until Melody came into focus.

Melody pulled the iron nail away, but kept it in her hand. “Been talking to my brother?”

Ella swallowed, her throat dry. “He brought lunch and told me war stories.” Which was the truth, even though the battle hadn’t happened yet. “Have you thought about the deal?” How long had it been? She had no idea of how much time was passing in the dark basement.

“I need my soul to enjoy my fame. Will any soul do?”

As she’d suspected, Melody didn’t want to sacrifice herself for her desire. “It doesn’t have to be yours…but I don’t want just any soul.”

“You aren’t in a position to bargain.”

“I’m dying.” She made sure that when Melody came to visit, she played up the weakness—it was always better that an enemy underestimated her strength. “If I die before you get your deal, you’ll have to start all over again.” Ella smiled and it was all ice. “I want your brother’s soul.”

Melody had the decency to look shocked, but there was no outright denial. “You want to kill Isaac?”

“I want his soul.” And she had no intention of taking it while he was in the mortal world, thus killing him. It would be the slow death of a banished fairy but still a punishment he didn’t deserve.

“What will you do with it?” Melody looked unsure, as if she were actually considering the implications. Had Ella misjudged her? In some twisted way did Melody care about her brother?

“What does it matter? While you’re alive, his soul will be mine. When you die I’ll release it.” For as long as Melody lived, he’d be trapped in Annwyn. She would have to make sure he realized that, but he seemed quite intent on going.

“But I will be famous?”

“You’ll be front page news.” Ella didn’t know for what reason, as it didn’t work that way. She’d give Melody the gift of fame. How that played out depended on Melody’s flawed heart and soul. It wasn’t going to be pretty though. Anyone who was willing to hand over the life of her brother would never do well out of a fairy deal.

Melody crossed her arms. “Does Isaac know?”

“Why would I tell him? It’s your deal. If I told him, he might try to make one of his own.” In his mind, he already had. He was willing to give up his soul to go to Annwyn. “Maybe even bargain your soul away.” How would Melody like that?