Ivy's Choice (The Fey Quartet Book 3) by Emily Larkin Read Free Book Online Page A

stood. “Not necessarily. If this is a punishment laid on him by the Fey, it’s unbreakable.”
    “Could it not be a spell cast by a human?” Ivy asked.
    “Cast by whom?” Tam shook his head, and turned to Cadoc and Aleyn. “We’ll take him back to Dapple Meadow, though I doubt anything can be done for him.”
    “But if it is a spell, he could be returned to his true form?” Ivy persisted.
    “Probably,” Tam said. “But it’s not a spell. Who could have cast it? No, it’s a Faerie punishment.” He looked at Hugh, and sighed. “What did you do to deserve this, poor creature?”
    Nothing.
    Hugh shuddered and rolled his eyes wildly. Cadoc still looked grimly compassionate. Aleyn looked smug.
    “It’s so sad,” Hazel said. She leaned against Tam.
    Tam hugged her.
    Hazel whispered something in his ear and stepped back.
    Tam gave her a sharp glance, and turned to Cadoc and Aleyn. “We’re getting nowhere here. Go back to Dapple Bend, both of you, get us beds at the alehouse, see if you can hire a wagon. We’ll take this creature back to Dapple Meadow tomorrow.”
    Cadoc nodded gravely and turned to go.
    “I’ll stay with you,” Aleyn said.
    “No, no,” Tam waved him off. “There’s no point. Go.”
    Aleyn hesitated, and glanced at Hugh.
    Hugh rolled his eyes, and stood splay-legged and askew, chest heaving, shaking as hard as he could. I’m mad. Quite mad .
    Aleyn shrugged, and followed Cadoc.
    When both men were gone from sight, Tam swung to face Hazel. “What did you mean, get rid of Aleyn and Cadoc?”
    Hugh straightened and stopped shaking.
    “Just that,” Hazel said, slipping the halter from Hugh’s neck. “Tam, the roebuck’s not mad; he’s just pretending.”
    “Pretending?” Tam directed a fierce, suspicious frown at Hugh. “Hazel, what’s going on?”
    “This is Hugh.”
    Tam’s face drained utterly. “Hugh? No! ”
    “He’s not mad,” Hazel repeated firmly. “He was pretending.”
    There were tears in Tam’s eyes, and pale horror on his face. He lurched to his knees and held his arms out.
    Hugh went to him, butting his head into Tam’s chest. Tam, Tam.
    Tam hugged him fiercely. “Hugh? Oh, gods, Hugh .”
    Hugh closed his eyes and leaned into his brother. Tam’s chest was shaking, his breath hitching. He’s crying? He tried to burrow closer to Tam, tried to climb into his lap. Don’t cry, Tam. Please, don’t cry!
    “It was Aleyn,” a thin, breathless voice said.
    Tam’s grip slackened slightly. “What?”
    “It was Aleyn.”
    Hugh looked out from under Tam’s arm. Larkspur stood at the edge of the bluebell dell. Her face was deathly pale. She leaned against Bartlemay, looking close to collapse.
    Our distress is her distress . Hugh tried to control his agitation.
    “Hazel, get her away from here,” Ivy said.
    Hazel ran to obey, looping an arm around her sister’s waist, taking her weight. “Come on, love,” she murmured.
    “I can carry her,” Tam said, scrambling to his feet, one hand still gripping Hugh.
    “No,” Ivy said.
    Tam swung to face her. Tear tracks were wet on his face. “She can barely wal k— ”
    “Your emotions are hurting her. You’re too upset. She needs to get away from you.”
    Tam closed his mouth. He inhaled a shaking breath, visibly trying to control himself.
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
    THEY MADE A slow procession back to the cottage: Tam Dappleward, the roebuck, and herself. Ivy explained matters as best she could. Tam walked with his hand on the roebuck’s neck, his expression growing grimmer with each step he took. “I’ll kill Aleyn for this,” he said, when Ivy had finished, and there was such murderous rage on his face—jaw clenched, nostrils flared—that she believed him.
    “Not yet,” Ivy said, placing her hand on his arm. “You mustn’t do anything, Tam. Wait until Larkspur’s told us what she learned. Wait until you’ve spoken to Hugh.”
    A muscle jumped in Tam’s jaw. He inhaled a harsh breath—and released