Someone stepped forward, yanking the bag off. Gasps rung out around the room as my hair fell free over my face and shoulders. I shook my head quickly to clear my sight before looking around.

  I was in a hall. Like some sort of castle. I narrowed my eyes. What the hell was this?

  It looked some sort of medieval banquet. Four long benches ran either side of where I was and ahead was a higher table. Everyone around me was dressed in costumes. The women were in long dresses, the men in tunics. Whatever this cosplay thing was it was getting way out of hand.

  Maybe it was a cult or some weird religious sect. My gut told me that it wasn’t good. My gut told me this was serious.

  “Take the gag out.” The man at the high table ordered. The Lord by all accounts.

  I fixed my gaze on him. Clearly he held all the cards here.

  “I wouldn’t do that my Lord.” The lanky one of my captors said beside me. “She’s a Magar. She’ll curse us all.”

  “She’s not a Magar.” A man from the far corner behind the Lord replied sounding irritated as he stood forward. He pulled his robe back and puffed himself up.

  He looked like a monk. Only he didn’t have the weird haircut, instead his was shoulder length and neatly tucked behind his ears.

  “So you’ve wasted my time with a peasant girl.” The lord sneered as finally stood up.

  “She’s not just a peasant either.” The man in robes said moving nearer to me the way one would approach a wild animal that was cornered and yet not subdued.

  The Lord turned to look at him. “Then what the hell is she?”

  “I’m not sure.” The cloaked man murmured kneeling right in front of me.

  Staring like he’d never seen a girl before in his life.

  He raised his hands placing them inches from either side of my face and as it felt like the whole room held their breath he shut his eyes muttering what sounded like nonsense.

  I huffed. Swore at him under the gag too.

  He frowned opening his eyes looking more enthralled than before. “If she was a Magar she’d have been screaming with pain.” He stated before scrutinising my face, my hair, all of me more. “I think she might be Fae.”

  “Fae?” The Lord repeated loudly.

  “Fae?” The woman who’d been sitting next to him repeated as she got up and rushed to touch me like I was some sort of Holy Grail. “Think of what she could do husband. What we could have…”

  “There hasn’t been a Fae in a hundred years…” Someone muttered.

  “Longer than that.” Another argued as everyone started creeping nearer to me. As the crowd began to swarm around.

  “She belongs to the High King.” The robed man said loudly making everyone pause.

  But only for a second.

  Hands reached out. I felt my hair snag as someone stole a clump.

  “But just think, think what we could achieve…” The Lord’s wife whispered loudly for him to hear. For us all to hear.

  “All Fae belong to the High King.” The man said louder facing the woman down.

  I stared from one face to another. But they all had the same expression. The same greedy hunger.

  The rope around my wrists was so tight I could feel it biting into my skin and I could feel my blood too as it stuck to it. As it congealed around it.

  All these people were staring at me like I was some mythical creature and not human at all. They were touching me, grabbing at me as if I had no rights, as if I were theirs to do as they wished.

  I shut my eyes and screamed behind the gag.

  Suddenly I was on my feet though I didn’t remember moving to stand. The rope that had bound me was no longer there but had disintegrated into a pile at my feet.

  My body was visibly shaking, my heart was hammering in my chest. I tried to compose myself as slowly I took the fabric out of my mouth.

  “I don’t know who the hell you all are and I don’t know what the hell sort of game you’re playing at but I’ve had enough. It’s over. This whole charade thing is over.” I said before turning and storming right out of the hall, pushing past all the people that stood looking half infatuated, half petrified.

  As soon as I was out in the corridor I started running.

  I didn’t know what direction to go but I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste any time thinking it over. All I had to do was get outside.

  Or better still, find a phone and call the police.

  My bare feet slammed against the stone slabs. Every cut, every bruise screamed out in protest but I didn’t slow. I just kept going.

  I slammed through a door and into the room beyond. People screamed. I paused staring at them. They looked like servants. Like this was some sort of movie set that extended way beyond just the hall.

  One of the men made a grab for me and I reacted on instinct, lashing out, landing a punch right to his face before running on. I could hear the footsteps of everyone behind me. These people clearly weren’t about to let me go but I sure as hell wasn’t going to make this easy.

  I raced into another room. And then another.

  Eventually I found myself in a dark courtyard. And that made me pause.

  We’d travelled for a few hours at most. Even with the incident back in the woods there was no way it should be night by now. I stared up trying to see if this was a trick. Maybe we were in a studio and this was some visual effects but the sky looked real enough.

  “Hold up.”

  I turned already knowing it was the robed man calling to me.

  “Leave me alone.” I said gritting my teeth, clenching my fists. I was done playing. I was done being their captive. I’d fight my way out if that’s what it took.

  “I’m trying to help you.”

  “Help me? Help me? What would have helped me is if you lot hadn’t have kidnapped me and brought me here. What would have helped me is if you’d just left me alone back in the woods.” I half shouted.

  “Please, just wait a minute.”

  “For what, so your buddies can tie me back up again? No thanks.” I turned and headed away from him. Away from the buildings. Towards the gatehouse up ahead.

  “How do you think you got free? Huh? Who undid your bindings?” The man continued making me pause.

  It’s a trick. Don’t let him trick you.

  “Where even do you think you are right now? What country are you in?” He asked.

  I scoffed at that. “What do you mean what country? I’m in England obviously. We didn’t cross any rivers, we didn’t fly anywhere.”

  “This is not your England.” He replied pronouncing the word strangely as if he’d never said it before. As if were alien to him.

  I stopped, against my better judgement, and turned even though I knew it was a ruse.

  “Do you honestly think I’m that stupid?” I asked.

  From the building shouts could be heard and then a group of men came rushing out. They stopped when they saw me staring at me in that same ridiculous way as before.

  The man in front of me stepped forward and muttered something under his breath. And then he held his hand out in front of him as though he were trying to ward off the very devil himself.

  “This is for your own good.” He said quietly before clicking his fingers.

  I barely had time to register the gesture before darkness overcame everything and I fell into it like a lovers embrace.

  King Rette always put on a good show. It was the one thing you could count on.

  I sat back in my chair, enjoying the fact that for once I could actually relax. That here at least there were no real politics. No one hiding with a knife ready to gut you in the stomach as soon as night fell.

  Around us the court watched on as a series of dancers spun and pirouetted, showing off the admirable flexibility of their bodies.

  “So your brother is happy with our agreement?” Rette asked.

  I nodded. “He seems to be.” Uther was more than that. He was relieved that he had another ally. Another Lesser King happy to provide necessary resources should the war turn to that. Should it escalate enough that we need that.

  “And you High Prince Fain?” He said smirking.

  “I don’t see how my happiness comes into it.” I murmured.

  He let out a laugh which I returned. We’d always had an easy enough relationship, considering he was a king and I was commander to the High King’s armies.

  “Come Fain, you cannot always be so serious. You need to learn to relax more. To enjoy yourself.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Who says I don’t when I’m with my friends?”

  “You mean I am not your friend?” He pretended to look outraged.

  “You are a thorn in my side King Rette.” I replied.

  He laughed again before taking a deep swig of his goblet. “Maybe that’s how I like to position myself. The other kings are so boring with all their prancing around, I might as well have a little fun with it.”

  “Is that what this is? Insisting I come the whole way here to finalise your treaty in person?”

  “Like you haven’t enjoyed yourself.” He replied.

  I shook my head. In truth it had been a welcomed distraction.

  “Lord Ridley certainly seems to be enjoying himself.” Rette said nodding his head to where the man was up and dancing, along with half the court.

  “Ridley always enjoys himself.” I replied just as I spotted a man making his way through the crowd. His eyes fixed on the king beside me.

  I tensed ready for whatever bad news this was. He bowed low, more to his king than to me, handing a note before disappearing.

  I took a timed sip of my wine, watching Rette from the corner of my eye. His face went from confusion to shock to something I couldn’t read.

  “What is it?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  He looked across at me, aware that more than just my eyes were now on him.

  “See for yourself.” He said passing the note.

  I frowned, reading the contents and then looked back at him.

  “Is this a joke?” I asked.

  “No.” Rette replied.

  I let out a low breath. Mentally calculating what actions I had to take, how everything had suddenly changed.

  “How far is this village?” I asked.

  “A days ride.” He said. “I can provide horses, soldiers, whatever you want.”

  “We’ll take the horses.” I stated. “If you arrange for fresh ones at each stop. But the rest you can keep.”

  “You’d turn down soldiers? Even with a Fae?”

  I narrowed my eyes, glancing about. “No one knows of this yet. So we keep this to ourselves.”

  “You plan to conceal it?”

  “At least until we are back at Montefore.”

  He tilted his head. “That’s a bold move Fain. Even for you.”

  I shrugged getting to my feet. The feast was over. Duty once again was calling me.

  “It seems to me you’ve been very fortunate.” Rette said standing as well.

  “In what way?”

  “If I hadn’t have insisted you come all the way I might have been tempted to keep the Fae for myself.”

  I smirked. “You’re not that much of a scoundrel Rette.” I replied as he laughed more.

  We arrived with the dawn. We’d ridden through the night, me, Ridley and the entire damn detachment. Rette was right, we were fortunate to have been this far west. If we’d set off from Montefore by the time we arrived I don’t doubt word would have gotten out, and there would almost certainly be a fight on our hands.

  I dismounted, pulling the reins over my horses head and handed them to the waiting stableboy who looked half petrified of me.

  “High Prince Fain.”

  I turned, seeing the Magi stood half in shadow. He bowed quickly, then glanced around as if he thought someone might jump out at us.

  “Where is the Fae?” I asked.

  He winced. “She is sleeping.”

  “Sleeping?” Why did he look so embarrassed by that?

  “I had to put her to sleep. To stop her from fighting.” He said.

  “I see.” I grumbled.

  “If you would like I can take you to see her.”

  “What would be the point?” I replied. I could hardly transport her like that, though the thought did cross my mind. Maybe I could keep her like that, asleep that is, shove her in a box and have her pulled along in a cart.

  I shook my head at the idea. No, it would slow us down too much and right now the only thing we had on our side was speed.

  The Magi bowed again like he wasn’t sure what to do.

  “When will she wake?” I asked.

  “In a few hours.”

  “Good. See that she is ready when she does. We’ll leave as soon as she’s up.”

  He nodded turning to go.

  “You’re coming with us Magi.” I said.

  He opened his mouth to argue but clearly thought better of it.

  I jerked my head for him to go and told my men to go sleep for a few hours. We’d have to do shifts once we were on the road, better they get a kip in now while they could.

  “So it’s a female Fae.” Ridley said quietly.

  I glanced at him and sighed. Something told me this would be easier if it wasn’t. If it was a man. And yet a man would fight harder. A man would resist more.

  “Do you think she’ll be like the last lot?”

  I shook my head. I bloody hoped not.

  “Do you think she’ll be pretty?” He grinned.

  I let out an exhale. “All Fae are pretty.” I said through gritted teeth. That’s how they won you over. How they tricked you.

  Only I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it.

  Because their beauty was only skin deep. Beneath that exterior I knew was a creature so deadly, so treacherous I wondered why my brother even bothered claiming them.

  Why he didn’t have them exterminated the minute they crossed over and be done with it.

  I woke up sore. And uncomfortable. And confused.

  For a moment my head couldn’t figure out where I was and then it all came crashing back.

  I kept my eyes shut very aware that there was someone in the room. Watching me. Whatever the hell had happened over the last twenty four hours it clearly wasn’t just a bad dream.

  The covers were heavy, weighing me down but they gave me almost a sense of comfort that I was grateful for. I could feel my jeans clammy against my skin but at least no one had stripped me because it felt like that was the kind of thing they would have done.

  Stripped me and clothed me in the same weird costumes they all wore.

  My back was killing me, most likely from where I’d been tossed over the horse for hours on end. But laying as I did wasn’t helping. I needed to shift. I needed to move.

  Giving up the pretence I sat up taking in my surroundings.

  The room was small and plain. A fire was crackling but beyond the bed there was little in the way of other furniture. In fact, the only other furniture in the room was a chair occupied by a girl that sat half frozen to her seat.

  I glared at her but felt instantly guilty as she squealed and ran out, slamming the door behind her.

  No doubt she was gone to alert the others. That all too soon they’d be back and the charade would start again.

  Steeling myself for another episode of madness I got up, feeling the stiffness in my bones. Feeling every aching muscle as I went to look out the window. The bright sunshine told me it was a new day; I’d somehow slept the whole night.

  The window was bolted shut and despite my wrangling it wouldn’t budge.

  No chance of escape that way.

  I gritted my teeth. If I could figure out where I was then I could come up with a feasible escape plan. But the problem was everything in front of me looked alien. The building I was in overlooked a village like place made up mostly of small hut houses with straw roofs and mud walls.

  Whoever these people where they’d taken the cosplay thing to a whole new level.

  I felt another flash of anger at that. Anger and frustration.

  The door behind me creaked as someone opened it and walked in. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was; the robed man who’d somehow knocked me unconscious the night before.

  “I heard you were awake.” He said but I chose not to even acknowledge him. Not to even turn and look at him. “I trust you slept well…”

  I bit back the retort. Bit my tongue so hard to stop it.

  “My name’s Marke, I’m one of Lord Ghosh’s Magi.” He said as if I’d understand what that would mean. “I know this all seems very strange but I promise you it will make sense soon.”

  “Oh really? You promise that do you?” I said turning round to face him and feeling the anger rising up again. They were all mad, completely, utterly mad.

  “If you just trust me…”

  “Trust you? How can I trust you? Going on about Magars and Fae like they’re real, like any of this is real. What even is a Magar, or a Fae, or any of it?”

  He tilted his head. Giving a low sympathetic breath. “You don’t have a clue do you?” He muttered before wiping his face with his hand. “Have you not considered the other possibility?”

  “What possibility is that?” I asked.

  “That maybe this isn’t the world you live in. That you’re somewhere else.”

  “Or maybe this is all some big charade, with a TV crew hidden away to get it all for reality TV.” I retorted with the only thing that made sense in my head.

  “I don’t know what that means but I can assure you there is no, what did you say, ‘TV crew’ hidden away.”

  “Then you are all mad.” I half shouted. “Mad or part of some weird cult.”

  “I can take you to someone who can prove it to you. But you have to trust me.”

  I narrowed my eyes. Running them over him. He looked like a priest. Or a monk. Some sort of religious zealot. Definitely a cult then. “Prove what? If you could prove it you already would have.”

  “Is she ready?” A soldier called through the doorway. He was dressed in full armour, chain mail, the whole works.

  I looked from one man to the other. “Ready for what?” I asked feeling my stomach already starting to flip at the thought of whatever was coming next. What fresh torment they would unleash.