Utterly lost.
She wasn’t a general or a fighter or a leader. She was a clumsy seventeen-year-old girl. She couldn’t be responsible for all of these people dying. She didn’t want to be the reason for so much tragedy.
“You said you weren’t unreasonable,” Mina choked out softly.
“I’m not.”
“Then let’s reason. What would it take for you to stop this massacre and leave my friends alone?”
Teague looked around, his hands held wide open. “You want me to stop destroying this… and the people who hurt you?”
“Yes, yes I do. And I want you to release my friends, all of them, even the Godmothers. What would it take for you to do that and to never bother them again?”
“I think you know the answer to that, Mina.” Teague made their bubble fly higher and higher into the sky until they were way up in the air surrounded by clouds. “There are only two things I want. If you give them to me, I’ll stop everything and let your friends live.”
He stood before her, his eyes glowing with power. She tried to stand tall in front of him, but she couldn’t stop the tears as they fell.
“The dagger and…” She let her voice trail off, knowing the other but unwilling to say it out loud.
“Your life.” He smiled, one corner of his mouth pulling up to show his even white teeth.
Mina took a deep breath and shuddered. She held out her hand.
“Deal.”
Chapter 8
She knew the deal had to be made, but she pulled her hand back at the last second.
“Changing your mind already?” He sneered.
“No, I uh, I’d just like to add a few conditions.”
He crossed his arms and snorted. “Of course you would.”
“I’d like twenty-four hours before you collect on your debt.”
“Two hours.”
“Twelve. Take it or leave it.” Mina panicked inwardly, thinking she wasn’t even going to get that.
“Twelve measly hours isn’t going to save you from my wrath any more than two. The ending will be the same.”
Mina sighed. “I know. I just want to say my goodbyes.”
“Your human emotions are so typical.”
“They’re not just human emotions. They’re Fae as well.”
“Emotions make you weak,” he said, as if his own jealously and rage weren’t emotions.
Apparently he only considered sentimental emotions weak. How interesting. “Twelve hours,” Mina repeated and held out her hand.
Teague looked at her offered hand with a raised eyebrow. He wasn’t sure what to do with it. “So Mina, twelve hours I grant you. Then I will come for you. You better have my dagger. And no funny business. He pulled her delicate hand mirror out of the air. “Remember, I’m watching your every move.”
He disappeared right before her eyes—and with him, the bubble holding her thousands of feet above the ground.
Mina screamed as she fell out of the sky. Her hands clawed at the air as if, somehow, she could slow her freefall.
She couldn’t inhale, she was falling so fast. Her destroyed school appeared, and what looked like ants all around it. But they weren’t ants. They were people—people getting bigger.
As the ground rushed toward her face, she placed her hands in front of her, closed her eyes, and prayed. She imagined two large hands catching her and stopping her fall, saving her moments before she hit the ground. She pushed every ounce of willpower she had into her imagination.
She could hear someone else scream when they noticed her falling, or maybe she was screaming herself. Then she slammed into something warm and soft.
She grunted at the impact and looked up, but she was surrounded by darkness. Except that it wasn’t completely dark. A crevice of light opened up, and Mina could see what was left of the day peering in through the crack in rock. Although it couldn’t be rock. The walls shifted, opening up, and she realized she was sitting in the palm of the giant’s hand.
She looked up into his eyes, and they looked straight into hers, glowing golden. When Mina turned her head, the giant turned his head too. She looked up, and the giant looked up.
Put me down. She mentally commanded the giant. Then added, Gently, for good measure.
The giant bent down and placed his hand on the ground. Mina scrambled out and gave herself plenty of space for safety. The giant just stood there blinking at her, awaiting orders. She wasn’t sure how, but she had taken control of him. His will was hers.
Very cool, but very scary.
Teague appeared next to her. “So you think you can control my army? A giant is the weakest minded creature here. But tell me, what are you going to do with him now?”