Page 93 of Escape from the Green

"And Cass wants her back from the Light Court then. To have her rule, or steal her powers for himself, I wonder."

I wondered too.

And I prayed he never got his hands on her.

Even if that meant I had to sacrifice my freedom.

I couldn't claim to be brave, strong, to have a high tolerance for pain. But I would do my best to be the first two things, to develop the third.

Drake could do it.

Drake had done it.

Year in and year out for decades, he had been brave, strong, he had withstood beatings instead of giving up his kind.

I had to try as well.

No matter what fate befell me.

Even if this cuff ripped clear through to my marrow. Even if I was beaten and tortured.

I couldn't turn on my people.

There were so many of them now to protect.

Cece. Jasper.

Drake and our clan whose safety was only ensured based on everyone's ignorance of their existence.

"How long have I been here?"

"Oh, time is a funny thing. You lose it when you've been here long enough. But I would say half a day."

Half a day?

Oh, hell.

Where was Drake?

Was he taken too?

"Was I brought in alone?"

"As far as I can tell. I don't exactly have a great view down here."

Right.

There were a set of barred windows nestled up high near the ceiling, the panes cracked in spots, likely letting in frigid air all winter, the outside crusted with muck from passer byes, from the spatter during storms. Years of neglect making it almost impossible even to see light out of them. Not that there was any light, of course, since it had been half a day since I had been conscious, since it was night out now.

"Did you hear anything about a Draca?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from giving too much away.

"Draca," the old woman snorted, rolling her hooded eyes. "Guess you were hit harder on the head than I realized. Draca don't exist, girlie. They're legends."

I figured if guards had dragged me down into the basement and knew of Cass being in possession of a dragon-changing fae, then they would have been gossiping about it.

So hopefully he was free.

Safe.