"i was...once. but being good didn't really work out for me. being nice and gentlemanly didn't give me what i wanted." he met her eyes and she thought his expression saddened for a split second. "so now i just take what i want. and right now i want the dagger."

"teague," mina cried out in frustration. "i don't have it. i have no clue what you're talking about."

"don't lie to me!" teague roared at her and rushed toward her again.

mina raised her hands, trying to mimic what she'd done earlier and push him away with power. but she was too scared.

he closed the distance between them but didn't raise a hand to touch her. "i know you have it. i've waited for so long. jared didn't think it was you. he tried to convince me i had the wrong girl-that i was mistaken, but i'm not. i know it's you. you haven't changed. after your next tale is over you will give to me. or i will hurt your friends and start sending the quests after your brother and your mother."

"i thought only one grimm at a time could complete the quests," mina said.

teague just smirked. "silly mina, why do you think the fae guild exists all over the world? why do you think the godmothers watch all the grimms from their little mirror room? i've toyed with all of them at one time or another. but there was only one grimm i ever cared about."

she knew which grimm he meant. whichever one the grimoire presented itself too. because he needed his other half-he needed jared.

he turned his back on her and walked away. "but you've always been a deceiver, and i've never been one to play by the rules," teague continued before disappearing down another tunnel, leaving her alone in the dark. his voice echoed back to her. "neither have you, mina."

what in the fae plane was he talking about? mina's hand brushed her aching throat, and every part of her wanted to break down and cry. but she couldn't at this moment. she needed to get out of while she could. teague had left a small flashlight on the stain-covered mattress. she had no desire to think on the sources of those stains. instead, she needed to focus on escape.

thankfully, the flashlight clicked on. its bright beam of light sent even more rats scurrying for safety. alarmed, she made a little noise in her throat and pain shot through it. it was probably best if she didn't do that again.

mina decided that stomping loudly as she walked would help disperse the rats faster. she aimed the flashlight at the tunnel that teague disappeared down and was surprised that it immediately turned and opened up into another large culvert. light poured in from an opened manhole in the ceiling above, and she realized teague must have carried her until he found another exit.

she stood in the circle of light and looked to the left. no sign of him. after she clicked the flashlight off, she pocketed it before ascending the rungs to the street level. orange construction cones surrounded the open manhole and a silver city sewer & water truck was parked nearby. the city workers had abandoned their sewer work to investigate a crash-the one that had almost killed her-farther down the block. mina pulled herself out of the hole and moved to the other side of the caution tape.

at first she walked, but then she started to run back to the scene of the accident. the garbage truck had struck a fire hydrant and run into the brick building. the whole area was cordoned off with tape, and carefully placed police vehicles kept the looky-loos at bay.

mina walked closer. the vehicle that actually covered the manhole and blocked her escape was a small pickup that had been caught in the aftermath of a pile up.

even now, she could see ever and nan pointing beneath a totaled toyota. a fireman was carrying over a large hydraulic spreader to try and lift part of the car off of the hole.

"nan! ever! i'm over here!" mina called out, waving from behind the police line.

nan looked up and started shrieking. she ran to mina and threw her arms around her. "don't you ever do that again!"

ever rushed over behind nan. "are you okay?"

"yeah, i'm fine. i think." she rearranged her scarf so the soft material was up against her neck. the pain seemed to lessen a little that way.

"mina, did you see?"

"see what?" she mumbled.

nan leaned forward and cupped her hand over her mouth. "ever can fly. she picked me up flew out of the way of the crash. i saw it."

"did not!" ever denied it and rolled her eyes.

"did too." nan placed her hands on her hips. "i know what i saw."

"you have no idea what you saw. i think you got a bump on your head."

mina didn't feel like hiding anything else from anyone ever again. despite teague's warning. "give it up, ever. she saw you. and i know for a fact that she won't give up till she proves you wrong. i actually think it's about time we start sharing what we know and stop keeping my friends in the dark."

ever didn't look pleased. nan beamed and turned to give ever a poke in the arm. "so how'd you do it? happy thoughts and pixie dust?" she continued to walk around ever, trying to find the secret of her flying.

ever started laughing. "you have no idea how close to the truth you really are."

nan just crossed her arms and demanded an explanation. "show me."

"wha-? no!" ever waved her hands at her.

"show me...or i'll do something really embarrassing."

ever rolled her eyes. "that's not hard to do when you hang out with a gimp." mina hated when ever referred to her family that way, but she didn't say anything.

nan frowned and turned to mina, worry etched across her face. "how'd you find your way out?" nan lowered her voice.

"yeah," ever said. "how did you escape?"

nan shot her a doubtful look.

"what? she was kidnapped by an evil fae prince."

"no, he saved me, and then he let me go," mina said loosening her scarf again. "but not before giving me a warning."

ever sucked in her breath when she saw the purplish bruise. "he did that to you?"

"yeah," mina dropped her hand to her side, feeling conflicted and confused about what had transpired with teague.

"it seems there's no hope for him," ever sighed sadly. "it would be best not to anger him. just keep your nose clean."

mina swallowed and agreed. "that's my plan. except he seems to want something from me, and he's threatened to hurt you. all of you-including brody and nix and my family."

ever didn't even flinch. she seemed to accept the news.

nan, on the other hand, flew off the deep end. "what? how could he threaten me? he doesn't even know what he's getting himself into. just you wait. no one crosses nan taylor."

"you'll stop him before it comes to that, right, mina?" ever's voice hinted at the fear that she hid behind her stony mask.

"i won't let him hurt any of you."

the rest of the afternoon was crazy hectic. since the girls were just "witnesses" to the accident and not visibly involved, the police let them leave to go on with their business.