Chapter 6

He blinked, looked at my sisters, then at my thinness—undoubtedly only seeing fragility in it—before turning back to me. "You must lie to protect them." "We didn't kill anything!" cried Amanda. "Please… please, spare us!" Celina begged, her voice muffled by her tears, while simultaneously pushing Amanda back. I nearly passed out when I saw it. “I killed it,” I repeated as my father rose to his feet, wobbling and grunting in agony, but before he could hobble in my direction. The monster, who had been sniffing at my sisters, turned his attention to me. "Today, I sold its hide at the market," I said with my shoulders squared. I would never have touched it if I had known it was a witchwolf. He screamed, "You knew, liar." If you had known it was one of my kind, you would have been more inclined to kill it. Yes, yes, yes.

“Can you blame me?” “Did it attack you? Were you provoked?” I was about to respond yes, but I let out a snarl of my own and said, “No.” “But even if I had known beyond a doubt, it was deserved, considering all that your kind has done to us and what your kind still likes to do to us.” Rather than groveling like a cowering worm, it is preferable to pass away with my head up. Even if his growl response epitomized wrath and fury. As the flames of the fire reflected on his bare teeth, I pondered how they would feel on my throat and how loudly my sisters would shriek before they also passed away. However, I realized immediately and unequivocally that Celina would give Amanda time to flee.

She despised my father with all her steely heart. I wasn't, because Celina had always known and hated that I could fight my own battles and that she and I were two sides of the same coin. However, Celina would fight for Amanda, the flower grower with a kind spirit. It was that moment of comprehension that led me to direct my last knife at the monster. “What payment does the Treaty demand?” “A life for a life,” he answered, not taking his gaze off my face. Only a human life should be taken in exchange for any unjustified assaults on faerie-kind by humans. My sisters stopped crying. “I didn’t know,” I stated. “Didn’t know about that part of the Treaty.”

The town's mercenary had murdered a faerie but had first assaulted her. “Most of you mortals have chosen to forget that part of the Treaty, which makes punishing you far more enjoyable,” he said, without using any word-twisting because faeries cannot lie. I was shaking in the knees. This was impossible for me to flee from or outpace. Since he was blocking the way to the door, he couldn't even attempt to flee. “Do it outside,” I said in a low voice, my voice shaking. "Not right here." Not in a place where my family would have to clean up my blood and gore. If he let them live at all. With a terrible giggle, the fairy huffed. "Are you willing to accept your fate so easily?"

I only gave him a blank look, so he continued, "I'll let you in on a secret, human: Duskarra must claim your life in some way, for the life you took from it. You had the nerve to ask where I would kill you." Therefore, as a representative of the immortal world, I have the choice of either killing you like a pig or allowing you to cross the wall and spend the rest of your life in Duskarra.” I was confused. “What?” He said slowly, as if I were truly as dumb as a swine, "You can either die tonight or give your life to Duskarra by forsaking the human realm and living in it forever."

My dad whispered from behind me, "Do it, Mira." "Live where?" I responded, not taking my eyes off him. "Every inch of Duskarra is deadly to us." In my opinion, it would be preferable to die tonight rather than spend the rest of my life in constant fear across the wall, only to have my life end in a way that is undoubtedly far worse. "I have lands," the faerie murmured, somewhat reluctantly. "I will give you permission to live there." "What's the point?" "You murdered my friend," the monster growled, which may have been a stupid question. "Murdered him, skinned his corpse, sold it at the market, and then said he deserved it, and yet you have the nerve to question my generosity?"

He appeared to say silently, "You didn't need to mention the loophole," which is so typical of humans. The faerie's breath warmed my face as I came closer. Although faeries couldn't lie, they might leave out details. "Foolish of me to forget that humans have such low opinions of us," the beast growled once more. With his fangs just inches from my throat, he said, "Do you humans no longer comprehend mercy? Let me make this clear for you, girl: you can either come live at my home in Duskarra—offer your life for the wolf's in that way—or you can walk outside right now and be shredded to ribbons. Your choice." Before seizing my shoulder, my father's hobbling stride could be heard. "Please, good sir—Mira is my youngest."

Please have mercy on her. She is all... she is all..." But the monster roared once more, and whatever he was going to say vanished in his throat. However, the effort he made and the few words he was able to speak struck me like a knife in the stomach. "Please—" my father began, recoiling, but the creature retorted, "Silence," and I was overcome with such intense rage that I had to restrain myself from lunging forward and stabbing my dagger into his eye. I was certain that he would have his mouth around my neck before I could even lift a finger. My fury subsided when my father said, "I can get gold." He could only earn money by begging. Even then, he would be fortunate to get a few cents. The affluent in our hamlet were utterly ruthless, as I had seen.

Our world's monsters were just as horrible as those on the other side of the barrier. "How much is your daughter's life worth to you? Do you think it amounts to a sum?" the monster said with a smirk. Amanda's face was as white as the snow that was blowing in from the open door, and Celina still had her held behind her. However, Celina kept an eye on the beast's every action, her brows furrowed. As if she knew what my father's response would be, she didn't even bother to glance at him. I took another step closer to the creature in an attempt to get my father's attention when he didn't respond. I had to rescue him—move him away from my family.

My only chance of getting out was by somehow sneaking up on him, as seen by how he had pushed my knife away. I wasn't sure I would have a chance anytime soon because of his hearing, at least until he thought I was calm. He would obliterate my family just for the fun of it if I attempted to strike him or ran away beforehand. After that, he would locate me once more. I had no option but to go. And then, at some point in the future, I might have a chance to slit the monster's throat. Or at least incapacitate him enough to escape. The faeries couldn't keep me to the Treaty as long as they couldn't locate me again. Even if it turned me into a wretched oath-breaker.

However, if I went with him, I would be breaking the most crucial commitment I had ever made. An old treaty that I had not signed was surely superior to it. "When do we go?" I asked after momentarily releasing my grasp on the hilt of my last dagger and gazing into those green eyes. The wolfish traits were still cruel and violent. My last bit of hope of battling vanished when he went toward the door, or rather, the quiver I had left behind it. He took the ash arrow out, gave it a sniff, and growled at it. He broke it in half with two motions, then threw it into the fire behind my sisters before facing me again. “Now,” he said, and I could sense my fate in his breath.

Even Amanda raised her head and stared at me in stunned amazement. However, while they were still huddled there, silent, I couldn't bring myself to look at her or Celina. I looked at my father. I looked at the few cabinets we had, with their faded too-yellow daffodils drooping over the handles, as his eyes shone. In the doorway, the monster paced. I didn't want to think about where I was going or what he would do with me. It would be foolish to run until it was the right moment.

"The venison should last you two weeks," I told my father as I wrapped myself in my clothes to shield myself from the cold. "Start with the fresh meat, then work your way through to the jerky—you know how to make it." "Mira—" my father breathed, but I continued as I put on my cloak. "I left the money from the pelts on the dresser," I said. "It will last you for a while if you're careful." At last, I turned my gaze back to my father and let myself absorb every detail of his face. “When spring comes, hunt in the grove just south of the big bend in Silverspring Creek—the rabbits make their warrens there.

My eyes burned as I shoved my hands into my worn gloves, but I blinked the moisture away. Ask … ask Isaac Hale to show you how to make snares. I taught him last year.” My father covered his mouth with his hand and nodded. The monster snarled out his warning and stalked out into the darkness. I started to follow him, but stopped to glance at my sisters, who were still cowering by the fire as if they wouldn't dare to move until I had left. My name was uttered by Amanda, but she maintained her posture and lowered her head. Then I turned to Celina, whose features were so like my mother's, so harsh and unyielding. I warned him softly, "No matter what you do, don't marry Thomas."

None of his sons intervene when his father hits his wife. “Bruises are harder to hide than poverty,” I said, as Celina’s eyes grew wider. As I faced the open door, Celina froze, while neither of my sisters spoke at all. But a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to a halt. My father turned me to face him, then opened and closed his mouth. The monster let out a snarl that rumbled into the cabin when it realized I had been taken into custody. My father uttered, "Mira." He held my gloved hands, his fingers shaking, but his gaze was now brighter and braver than it had been in years.

Mira, you were constantly too good for this place. Too good for us, too good for everyone."

He gave my hands a squeeze. "Don't come back if you ever manage to break free or persuade them that you've paid the debt." I hadn't anticipated an emotional farewell, but I hadn't pictured this either. My father let go of my hands and shook me by the shoulders. "Don't ever come back," he said. "Mira." My name came out of his mouth with a stumble, and his neck bobbed. "You go somewhere new—and you make a name for yourself." The animal was little more than a shadow beyond.

A hand was raised, and a black fog formed like a snake, coiling and hissing, enveloping my limbs. I screamed as my body was pulled ahead like a rag doll.

"According to ancient law, life is due for life." You'll join me at the Court of Shadows."

Celina's tear-stained face, and the crackling fire that I would never sit beside again, were the last things I saw before the darkness engulfed me.