Free The Changeling Soldier by Shona Husk Page B

the veil to give birth. No. A soul was much simpler and a test to see how far Melody was willing to go.
    She could’ve asked for something as simple as a kiss, but a soul was much more dramatic…fairies liked dramatic. It was why magic had gotten tangled up with death and sacrifices. Demanding a soul was usually enough to put off those who weren’t committed. Taking the soul would give Ella a shadow servant in Annwyn for as long as she chose to keep it before letting it go for judgment.
    “You want me to kill?”
    Technically no, but since Melody wasn’t asking the smartest of questions, Ella wasn’t going to explain, either. Already she could feel a plan forming. She knew exactly which soul she’d like to take back to Annwyn and she was betting Isaac would be willing to cross the veil. “How else are you going to give me a soul? Think about it. You have one day.”
    Melody started walking away, then stopped and turned around. “You’re my prisoner. I’ll take as long as I want.”
    “Wait too long, and I’ll die from the iron and then you’ll have to find yourself a new fairy.” Not quite a lie, but not the whole truth. Fairies prided themselves on the ability to split the difference.
    Melody spun away and ran up the stairs. The light went out and the door slammed. Ella let herself slump onto the bed. She was going to have to make the deal to get free. Two lives would be forever changed so she could live for a few more centuries. Was the price worth it?
    Most fairies would say yes in a heartbeat. Humans were fleeting nothings compared to fairies, but humans were dazzling and radiant while they lived. She liked humanity. Perhaps too much to ever live in Annwyn again. At the moment, she simply wanted the chance to see home one more time.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Isaac had reluctantly called in sick. He hated doing it, but he couldn’t leave Ella in the house alone with Mel. However if Mel made good on her threats, it would compound his guilt in the eyes of the law. He needed to shake some sense into his sister.
    He dropped three sleeping tablets into the blender with the milk and fruit. He didn’t know how else to get Melody to take them. He’d only taken them a few times before deciding he’d rather suffer through insomnia than feel drugged. Now he was wondering if human medicines worked differently on him. He put the lid on and watched while everything turned to slush.
    This didn’t feel right. Yet he didn’t see how else he could get the time he needed to saw through the shackles and get Ella out of here. A day ago he’d have never have thought he’d be drugging his sister.
    Ella and Mel were talking now. Maybe this would all be sorted and he could pour the shake down the sink and move on. Move away. Not backpacking around Europe, but in Annwyn. That would certainly be dropping off the grid. It was sounding more and more appealing. Would Ella take him?
    He knew she did, even if he didn’t know the details, as she was with him promising to keep his soul safe. When he thought about it, it filled him with excitement and the promise of a new part of his life—he was sure he was still alive in Annwyn.
    The door to the basement slammed.
    Isaac poured the shake into a glass. He’d wait to hear what she had to say first.
    He busied himself making sandwiches that he could take down to Ella. He listened as Mel walked into the kitchen and stopped. He didn’t look up, couldn’t. “Is it time to let Ella go?”
    Mel snorted, and he glanced at her. From her expression and crossed arms, he knew Ella hadn’t given her what she wanted. Part of him wished Ella had granted Mel’s wish so this could be over. It took everything he had not to glance at the shake.
    He swallowed, his throat dry. The drink was made…but it wasn’t what he wanted to do. Maybe it was what he needed to do though. He didn’t recognize the woman standing in the kitchen. The sister he’d once loved had been consumed. His heart ached for