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“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
~ Dolly Parton
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The large warriors threw Bear into a prison cell. With a black bag over his head, he couldn’t see anything to confirm his suspicions, but the air smelled stale, the ground was hard and there was a lot of metal clanking before he flew through the air. His body smacked the floor, then his head, with a loud crack. Pain flared behind his eyes and a sharp ache throbbed along the side of his body.
The impact with the hard concrete floor knocked the wind out of him. With his hands bound, he couldn’t break his fall. One moment he was jostled down some steps, then with the creak of metal hinges as his only warning, Bear became weightless, to flop in the air like a fish hauled out of water.
Now firmly pressed against cold concrete or tile, Bear lay motionless, sucking in air and trying to get his breath back.
Someone roughly rolled him over and fiddled with his shackles. Bound, gagged and sort-of blindfolded, things weren’t looking good for Bear.
The memory of the psychotic sparkle in Lloth’s gaze did nothing to reassure him of his future prospects.
Something landed beside him with a loud thump. Chloe groaned.
Assholes.
They didn’t need to handle her so roughly.
Anger rose inside him, his power welled.
Metal clanked as they likely shackled Chloe to the floor as they had with him.
One of the warriors ripped the black hood from Bear’s head. He blinked repeatedly until his vision adjusted to the change in lighting. Low burning lanterns, flickering firelight in a dark room confirmed his thoughts. Yup. A jail cell. But not a dingy one, at least.
As far as dungeons went, Bear had little experience to draw on, but this barren dry space didn’t fit the picture he had in his mind. The dusty floors and windowless rooms didn’t make for a comfortable stay, sure, but there weren’t skeletal husks of former prisoners, rats, or random dripping sounds either.
The warrior who’d almost gutted him earlier leaned down with a cruel smile. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You won’t be here long.”
Bear swallowed. Things were definitely not looking good for him. He should’ve told that dark fae client to fuck off right from the start. He would still be completing more jobs for the guild, blissfully unaware of the details of Lloth’s dungeon.
He hesitated and looked over at Chloe. She’d straightened to a sitting position and glared at the warrior.
Unease gnawed at his gut.
If he hadn’t taken this job, he wouldn’t have met Chloe. Someone else would’ve stolen the Claíomh Solais. They probably would’ve listened to the orders, too, and not opened the box. They would’ve handed it over without realizing what it contained. There was the rub.
His gut twisted more. Stomach acid bubbled up his throat. This wasn’t the first time he’d had this thought. He wouldn’t wish that fate for Chloe, even if it meant this fate for him.
He glanced over at her again and the weird collar they’d clamped around her neck leaked with dark magic.
The warrior backed away and the other guards parted to let Lloth enter the jail cell. The long skirt of her dress whispered against the stones. The crazy gleam in her gaze was still there.
“What my caomhnóir means to say is that you won’t be here long because you’ll soon be mine.”
Well, that wasn’t happening.
Lloth stepped closer and laughed. “Oh, you might feel defiant now, but I can be very convincing.”
Chloe sucked in a breath. “Lloth, no. I’ll do what you want. Take me but leave him out of this.”
Warmth spread through his chest and then panic stabbed him. Lloth couldn’t have Chloe. No one could. She was...his?
He shook his head. No. That wasn’t right.
Chloe belonged to herself. But he wanted her to be his.
The realization hit him harder than any of Lloth’s soldiers and air rushed from his lungs all over again.
The Corvid Queen turned her attention to Chloe. “And why would I do that, when I can have you both?”
“He’s just a thief,” Chloe said.
Ouch. That hurt. She wasn’t wrong, but Bear thought...Bear hoped... Argh. Bear was a dumbass. And it didn’t matter what he thought.
Lloth chuckled and her lips curled into another smile. “Oh, I think we both know he’s so much more than that.”
Chloe’s head snapped back as if Lloth’s words physically slapped her.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Lloth straightened and jerked her chin in Bear’s direction. “I’m not waiting for tomorrow. Bring him now.”