Claus

Forty-Nine

Faryn turned to find Peter beside Clíodhna who was sitting up, braced by Peter's arms.

She blinked. "Did we—"

"Is someone going to let me out?"

Faryn squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw clenching. Nick. "Cassian, can you make sure my uncle's secured?"

Cassian nodded, his magic swirling around him.

"Peter, are you able to help me figure out Nick's shackles?"

He bent his head toward Clíodhna. "Are you okay to sit up by yourself?"

Clíodhna looked unimpressed. "Go."

When Faryn and Peter stepped into the cell, Nick looked at them with an impatient scowl.

Faryn crossed her arms. "Hello, Nick."

He sighed. "Faryn." He rolled his shoulders back and inclined his head to Peter. "Ton."

The Easter Bunny returned the gesture. "Claus."

Nick was chained only by his wrists. The skin around them was bright red. The two shackles each had a blue gem like those on the door. She had a good idea of how to get them off but wasn't ready to free him.

"Why didn't you let my mom leave?"

He looked at her, eyes wide. "You're defending her?"

"I wish more than anything she hadn't done it this way. But why didn't you let her go before it came to this?"

"So she could go have her happily ever after with your father? I love her, Faryn."

She rolled her jaw. Maybe he once did, but how he treated her mother now was not love; it was possessive. "Peter, pull out your phone and start filming." She hoped the Easter Bunny had access to an incredibly shatterproof phone that was built for being thrown across the room. She bent down beside Nick and placed her hand over the first shackle, careful not to touch him. The stone glowed, and the shackle parted before dropping to the ground.

Nick breathed a heavy sigh as if a great weight had been taken off him.

She wasn't ready to move to the last shackle. "I want your word that you'll make it clear I and my friends had nothing to do with your kidnapping."

Nick grumbled out an affirmative, and Faryn released his second shackle.

He rubbed his wrists. "Thank you."

Faryn couldn't answer. She felt like she was choking, the disgust thick in her throat. She hated Nick, and yet to save herself, she had had to save him.

And now, she couldn't help but hate herself.

Ahh I told you it was going to be short!