CHAPTER 53

At five minutes until midnight I stood outside the Shadows’ fortress, the wooden pea box in my sweaty hands. I took a deep breath and sent a prayer to my maker. The next hour of my life was going to be bloody. I knew it. And honestly, I didn’t care. My only thoughts were of Izzy, of what would happen if my half-assed plan didn’t work. For one thing, the entire fairy race would pay a hefty price.

I guess the prophesy was true after all, I thought as I glared down at the jewelry box. I was about to betray the fairies to save a half-human one.

With one last prayer, I rang the doorbell.

Twenty seconds later the same butler from before opened the door. He looked surprised to see me standing there, if the slight widening of his eyes was any indication. “Sir,” he said, “Mr. Damien is expecting you. If you’ll follow me . . .”

I wiped my feet on the welcome mat a few times, generating more electricity, and did as he asked, following him into the fortress and what very likely would be my death.

He motioned into the library, where a crackling fire filled the fireplace. “May I take your . . .” he nodded to the jewelry box, “. . . box?”

I slowly stepped inside the room, shaking my head. “No thanks. I think I’ll hold on to it for now.”

“As you wish, sir,” he said, closing the door behind me.

My gaze quickly searched the room for any shadowy signs of life. In the corner at the back of the room stood a familiar Shadow. The Shadow from the bar, the one who’d licked Izzy’s neck. I started forward, but the library doors opened again before I could confront him.

I spun to face the latest threat, not too surprised to see Damien standing in the doorway, looking as douchey as ever. He wore a turtleneck sweater even though with the fire in the fireplace the temperature hovered around eighty degrees.

“You have the pea?” he asked, nodding to the box in my hands.

“I want to see Izzy first,” I demanded. “Once she’s safe I’ll give it to you.”

He laughed. “Nice try, Mr. Reynolds. But I’m the one in . . .” he shot me a slimy smile, “in charge, if you will.”

“Funny,” I said in a tone indicating just what I thought of his attempt at humor. Considering Izzy’s, my own, and the entire fairy population’s lives were at stake, I found very little humor in the situation. “Where’s Izzy?”

“She’s quite a woman, isn’t she?” Damien took a few steps into the room. Behind him, two more Shadows rolled a cart inside. It was covered with a tarp, which sent the blue hairs on the back of my neck dancing with electricity. I had a feeling I knew exactly what lay beneath it.

My jaw clenched. “If you’ve hurt her . . .”

Damien shook his head. “And why would I do that? Izzy and I go way back.” He paused, his gaze hard on my face. “We were engaged once. Did you know that?” His grin grew. “By the look on your face, I’m guessing she forgot to mention that little tidbit.”