I lost time, consumed in the flames of Cian's kiss. I wasn't sure if I was in hell or heaven, trapped in a purgatory of my own making. When I came too I was laying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. I blinked slowly. The walls are a thousand shades of grey, there was nothing personalized in the space. I continued to scan the room, finally noticing a tired looking Cian next to the bed, holding my hand. I tried to ignore the way his palm burned my skin, painting me a thousand shades of red. I gently slide my hand from his, "Where am I?"

"My prison. Pretty isn't it?" He leaned forward, pressing his elbows into the mattress. I was acutely aware of his nearness in a way that I hadn't been before.

"So, I guess it worked? I'm still alive."

His lips turned up into a sad looking smile, "Yes. You survived my kiss. You are fully Fae now, and more beautiful than you were before." The last comment had my heart spiking. My skin felt tight and ironed out.

"How long have we been here?"

Cian tilted his head, eyes turning up toward the ceiling for a moment, "It's hard to say. Time passes differently in the otherworld. We've been here for an hour at most, but in your human realm...I believe it's been about a day or so."

"A day?" I shot up in the bed, heart racing, "Oh my god, Seth. I have to save him." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, letting out a small groan as my muscles protested the movement.

Cian's eyes widened as he watched me, rising up from his seat, "You shouldn't be able to move yet..." He seemed both shocked and curious as I rose up on shaky legs like a newborn. I took a small step and nearly collapsed, catching myself on the ornate looking bedside table. A strong arm encircled my waist, "You need to rest a little more. Your body has just undergone a huge change, it's not ready for you to be moving about like you are." He scooped me up off the ground, holding me close to his chest.

I frowned, tilting my head to meet his gaze, "You said yourself that the longer Seth is separated from his body the harder it will be to put him right again. We don't have time to waste. It's already been a day."

He stared down at me, "I promised to help you save your human, Jezebel. And we will, but you are no good to either of us as you are right now." Cian sat me down on the bed as if I were something delicate and precious. It made my stomach twist up into knots.

I watched as he turned and walked away, digging through some kind of satchel in the far corner of the room. He returned with what looked like a small roll of bread, tearing it in half and holding out some for me, "This should help to give you more energy."

I took it from him hesitantly, still feeling suspicious. Cian lifted his half and took a bite as if to reassure me, "You already trusted me with your life once before, Jezebel." He wasn't wrong. I had done that when I had accepted his kiss.

I lifted the roll and took a bite, my eyes fluttering closed momentarily as my taste buds were assaulted with flavors I had not been expecting. I also hadn't realized how hungry I had been until that moment. I opened my eyes, taking another bite. Cian watched with a satisfied look on his face, "You like it? It's called Marukai. It's made from plants found in my homeland."

"It's very good." My body felt hot and my limbs seemed to be growing stronger by the minute. Whatever plants they used to make this bread, they were beyond potent, "So what's the plan?" Cian's expression flattened, which didn't invoke confidence in me, "You do have a plan, right?"

"I have a plan of sorts. I'm still working out the finer details."

I felt a rush of anger at his words, "A plan of sorts? I trusted you, Cian. You made it seem like you had everything figured out. I let you kiss me, change me, and now you're telling me you don't have a plan..." I found it hard to catch my breath as my new reality settled in. I was no longer human, Seth was dead, and I was stuck with a manipulative faerie prince.

"Calm down. Do you want someone to find out you are here?" He looked away from me toward the door, seeming more agitated. I sneered at him when our gazes met again, "I had a plan, but now that your human is involved it's gotten a bit more complicated, that's all."

I pressed my lips together, "Well what was your plan before?"

"I was going to sneak you in with the horde of spirits. I was going to have you steal the Erlking's sword while he was distracted with the festivities, bring it to me, then I would handle the rest. Now, it will be impossible to do things that way...they will know immediately you are not human."

"So, kissing me was never part of the plan?"

"Of course not." He seemed shocked that I could ever suspect that he would actually want to kiss me. I mean I knew I wasn't on the same level as beauty as him, but I wasn't some hideous creature. Perhaps, he thought himself above me or maybe it was the fact that he was enslaved to the sperm donor. I was suspecting the latter, "As a half-breed you can survive crossing into the otherworld without trouble. There might have been a little discomfort but no lasting effects. Human's cannot cross the breach...not whole, anyway. If they cross it they are lost to your world and remain here forever, often as slaves."

"So, the hunt is just their way of, what? replenishing their stock of slaves?" I couldn't help but feel disgusted.

"It's also for the sport of it. They enjoy the hunt, the harder the prey the more enticing it is for them. Things can get rather boring; the hunt is something that these Lords look forward too."

I felt my rage churning my stomach to the point that I wanted to vomit, "Do you look forward to it?" I felt the accusations on the tip of my tongue. He must have felt them even though I didn't utter them, that fiery gaze swirling with unknown emotions.

"I am not here in this court of my own free will, Jezebel. I'm a prisoner here."

"How did you come to be enslaved, then? If they have humans why do they want you?" I hissed, still feeling anger over everything I was learning.

Cian's face shifted into a look of pure hatred, gone was the softness that had been their moments before. He turned away from me, and I could swear that the temperature in the room turned up a few notches, "The Queen of the Seelie court..."

"Your mother." I interrupted.

"That treasonous bitch is not my mother." He whirled around to face me, wisps of blue flames dancing over his skin. My eyes widened at the sight of them, "My mother is dead. The Queen, she killed my father, and blamed it on me. She wanted me out of the way so that when the time came my half-brother could become king. She offered me over to the Erlking, instead of killing me. Her wish was for me to suffer. The high prince of the Seelie court, turned slave for the Erlking...forced to dwell in darkness and death."

I thought he would turn me ash from the blaze that burned in his gaze, "I'm sorry."

"Don't pity me. I despise pity."

I blinked at his words, not knowing what to say, "I don't pity you. It's just she sounds like a real bitch."

I watched as his lips carved his face with a sardonic smile, "You have no idea, but she'll get what's coming to her." The look in his fiery gaze spoke of war and violence. Oh, the summer king had vengeance on the mind, that much was clear.

"You make more sense now..." I muttered and he gave me a curious look. I cleared my throat, "Anyway, I think I feel strong enough to stand now." I didn't need to know and I really didn't want to know any more about the Cian's world. It was clear it was full of vile creatures that enjoyed making other people miserable. There was nothing good in this place as far as I could tell. I shifted myself on the bed, and he stepped back, allowing me the space I needed to stand. I hesitated for a moment, before placing my feet to the floor again. This time I stood on strong legs.

"Damn...this Marukai works wonders. I'll have to get you to give me more of that before I go back..." I stared down at my legs for a moment before lifting my gaze to meet Cian's.

He was looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face, "I've got an idea."

He reached out and grabbed hold of my hand. His skin was warm against mine, "Are you going to share?" I arched a brow, trying to ignore how good his touch felt. I wanted to be repulsed by it. I tried to convince myself why I should be, but my body didn't seem to agree with my thoughts.

"We should go. I'll tell you on the way."

"On the way to where?"

He ignored my question as if I hadn't asked it, "They're sure to be drunk off the ambrosia by now." I bit into my cheek as he pulled me behind him, toward the door. My heart began to beat a little faster as I tried to mentally prepare myself for what was to come.