“You . . .” I swallowed, feeling out of it. My gaze shot back to Ren. I was frozen in place, my mind and body snagged. “I don’t know if it’s you,” I said. “I don’t know why there are more fae here.”
“It’s me.” Ren’s voice was gruff. “I’ll explain everything later, but we have to go, and I know it’s a lot to ask, babe, but I need you to trust me right now. To trust us. If we don’t go, we will lose this window. We—” He cut himself off, then reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. “We have a couple more seconds,” he said, hitting a button on his phone.
He was calling someone, and I couldn’t think of who he would be calling right now.
Faye shook her head and came forward. The other two male fae stayed back, scanning the area. “We don’t have time. More will be coming.”
“Hey,” Ren said, ignoring her. “I need you here. Yeah, I know I told you to stay in the car, but you need to get here. Right now. We’re about a mile from where you are.” There was a pause as Ren stared at me. “She’s here, but I need you to be—” He paused abruptly, and frustration deepened his tone. “Dammit. Just get here. Now.”
I had no idea what was happening, but I was shaking, and I didn’t even know why. Confusion clouded my thoughts as Ren disconnected the call and put the phone in his pocket. His gaze never left me, not once, and it made me uncomfortable, because of, well, everything. Everything.
I suddenly didn’t feel like myself. I wasn’t Ivy Morgan. I wasn’t a fighter relying on instinct, because Ivy would be running since this could be a trap. Ivy would risk it all then go down fighting. Ivy wouldn’t be locked in place, full of indecision and fear. I was this . . . thing who had fed on people because a monster made me do it just to survive. I didn’t . . .
I didn’t even know who I was anymore.
God, I didn’t need to think about that right now. I needed to pull it together. I was losing my damn mind at the most inopportune moment ever possible, in the history of—
“Ivy!”
I twisted to the right and my eyes widened. A tall form was cutting through the trees, moving as fast as a sprinting deer. I knew that voice, and if he was here, then this was Ren and it was okay.
Tink burst into the clearing. He was man-sized and wearing jeans. And a shirt. He actually had a shirt on.
“Ivy!” he yelled.
“Lower your voice,” Faye said.
Tink didn’t listen, because he was Tink, but I had never been happier in my life to see him. He shouted my name again, and then he was crashing into me, nearly taking me to the ground. All the aches and bruises screamed in protest, but I wrapped my arms around him.
“Oh my Queen Mab, I thought you were dead! Or at least knocked up! And I thought I’d be dead, because no one but Jerk-Face over there knew about me, and I thought I would starve. Starve to death!”
“Tink,” Ren warned, voice low.
“And I was just sitting at home, all by myself. Well, not by myself, but I don’t think you want to hear about that right now, but I was worried. You didn’t come home for days and days, and I was down to ordering cereal off of Amazon and”—he took a quick breath—“I never thought I’d see you again. Even when Renny showed up. I thought all was lost,” he wailed, squeezing me so tight as he swayed back and forth. “And I was going to have to live with him now, and . . . Wait, why are you wearing a dress?”
I clung to Tink, my arms wrapped tightly around him. Tears burned my eyes and hit my cheeks, because I . . . I never thought I’d see him again.
~
We had to run again.
Once Tink got himself under control, I was able to get myself moving. His presence was more than just comforting. With him here, I knew this wasn’t a trap. Ren was real. Faye and her mystery fae friends weren’t going to try to drag me back to Drake or lock Ren in the pantry again.
With Tink here, and his hand clenching mine, I was Ivy again. Sort of. I was enough of my old self that I knew what I needed to do to have the highest chance of survival. Indecision took a back seat.
Faye and the two mystery fae flanked the three of us—Tink, Ren, and me. And I wasn’t doing much running at this point. Tink was mostly half-dragging me. We ran another mile and then came upon a dark stretch of narrow road. The scent of earth and dank water was strong as we slowed down. An oversized black SUV was parked on the shoulder of the road.
The two fae opened the tailgate and climbed in, getting in the very back. Then Tink slid in. He didn’t sit. His long body was folded, cramped as he bent over, waiting. A hand touched my shoulder, and I jolted.
“It’s just me.” Ren removed his hand, his face shadowed. “I’m just helping you get in.”
I flushed as I nodded jerkily, then placed my hand in his. I climbed up into the back of the SUV and sat in the seat.
“Dammit,” Ren exploded, and I looked up at him. He was staring down.
“What?” I asked.
“Your feet. Jesus.” Concern flashed over his face as he held open the back door. “We need to look at them as soon as we get back.”