by D. D. Miers
“I’m doomed,” I admitted as Aedan took up residence leaning against the tree.
“You aren’t doomed. You have a lot of skill; you just lack the practical experience.”
“I’m used to hunting turkey, not fighting Fae.”
Aedan sighed. “You would have had me there had your crossbow been at least cocked.”
He was right in that, and right in what was left unsaid. “I once sheared part of my hair off when I left a bolt loaded in it on my back.” It had scared me so badly I refused to touch the crossbow for a week.
“Well, let’s avoid that.” He shoved away from the tree, clearly ready for more as his open hand outstretched toward me. “Today is all we’ve got. Are you ready?”
My eyelids had already drooped, and my limbs felt like lead against the solid ground. I desired sleep, but sleep was not what I would get. Against my every burning wish, I took his hand and pulled back up to my feet.
“All right, let’s go.”
The sun rose directly overhead, showering us in heat and light as we fought within the courtyard. Aedan attacked relentlessly, his every pressing onslaught followed with a word of encouragement or a small tip meant to boost my skills and increase my chance of survival. Time and again, it worked, but through the waning afternoon, my defenses grew so sluggish I feared becoming battered and bruised would be the least of my worries.
Several times over, I managed enough distance to shoot off a bolt, but Aedan was always ready, narrowly dodging them each time. He was left unharmed while the surrounding walls were a different story. Several arrows were embedded into the stone and caught within the thick weave of ivy. Finding them all would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
When the sun eventually began to fall and my legs wavered with exhaustion, Aedan relented.
“You should sleep,” he said, his knife spinning within his grip before he tucked it seamlessly into a sheath within the inside of his waistband. “I’ll have someone find your bolts for you.”
Flooded with relief, I dragged myself behind him, each step heavier than the last. I barely even took notice of the room in which he led me, save for the bed whose headboard curled in an intricate knotwork of branches. If it was half as comfortable as the headboard was beautiful, I’d be in heaven.
Haphazardly, I slung off my sheaths, and dropped my crossbow to the floor.
“By the way, it was the marking—on your wrist.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked through a yawn.
“The birthmark of the moon—your brother has the same one. When we noticed it, we had to find out if you were her.” He paused. “I didn’t think I’d ever find you—or that you’d ever help.”
I wanted to ask so many questions, but exhaustion owned me. I’d barely even heaved my body onto the bed, boots and all, when Aedan spoke again from the open door.
“Sleep. In the morning, we’ll meet with the others.”
“The…others?” Though my head lifted, he was already gone, sealing me in as a willing captive of the same people who’d kidnapped me only the night prior.
Only a few breaths left me before I felt the tug of sleep urging me under. With my last ounce of energy, I murmured, “Killion, I hope you knew what you were doing.”
10
My wakeup call was a rude one.
Three solid knocks upon the door startled me from the deepest of sleep. In a haze, my mind clung to dreams of Dark Fae chasing me through the woods. I rolled to dodge them. With a solid thud and an aching groan, I hit the ground.
Immediately, I recalled I wasn’t in the Outlands at all. I was…in Inorah. Inorah of all places—and Killion was gone.
A harsh tightening cinched my chest, but I shoved it down. As children, we’d learned to overcome our emotions. To fight back the pain and move on. Otherwise, the crippling agony of loss, of suffering, would have destroyed us. After Dark Fae stormed our village, I vowed to never let myself feel like that again. Yet, somehow, despite the loss they’d caused in my life, I’d been convinced to work alongside the Fae.
“Sloane,” Aedan called through the door. “Are you all right?”
I grabbed at my arm and rubbed the ache free, “I’m fine.” In a hurry, I dressed, slung my crossbow over my shoulder, and opened the door.
Those same amber eyes stared back at me, but that was where Aedan’s similarities to the day prior stopped. His relaxed attire had vanished, replaced with a breastplate and pauldrons the color of obsidian. The bracers covering his forearms were similar, save for the etchings that drew my curiosity but no solid conclusions. Last, hooked to a belt slung low over his hips, was a scabbard that held a sword that far outweighed the uses of my daggers. He looked a force to be reckoned with, far fiercer than the Dark Fae I’d run from.
Amusement glittered in his eyes before he simply turned and started down the hall. “Come, the others are waiting.”
I had no choice but to hurry after, grateful I’d managed a solid night’s rest, but still groggy from waking so abruptly. We entered the same meeting room from yesterday. Caitrín sat behind a desk and smiled at us.
“Aedan tells me you did well yesterday.”
“If by well, you mean getting my ass kicked, then yes.”
Aedan’s lips quirked at my reply.
“I wish we had more time to offer you training, and to get you more comfortable with the others,” Caitrín said.
“Yeah, the others… How many are we talking?”
“Two other sets of familiars, so six of you total. One, you’ve already met.” Her finger ticked over my shoulder to where Ronen smirked.
“Sleep well, Sloane?”
Audibly, I groaned.
“Hey, we’re on the same team now,” he said with a clap of my shoulder. My logical mind wasn’t apt to believe him, but I sensed he truly meant it somehow. “You would’ve done the same had some girl threatened the life of your familiar.”
A second man stepped from behind Ronen, his features soft and his smile warm beside the faint cuts on his cheek. “Bit fierce with that blade of yours, aren’t you?”
The rough voice I recognized, even without the fierceness he’d placed behind it in demanding I answer what I was doing at the tavern that night in Inorah.
Pointing at my own cheek, I motioned to where the scar lay. “Did I…?”
“Mm, you did, but I’ll be fine. Name’s Darius, nice to meet you under better terms.”
I shook the hand he offered and smiled, grateful he was more forgiving than I’d ever been. “You, too.” Somehow, I even meant it.
“Where are Quinn and Fleur?” he asked, drawing another teasing point from Caitrín toward the door.
Like dangerous warriors, they surveyed the room in matching leather armor that put my leather pants and choice jacket to shame. Yet, their similarities stopped there.
The woman was Fae, her ears sticking out just a bit from the sides of her head while ribbons of hair, black as night, lay in a perfect coif atop her head. Where my body settled into swells of curves, hers was ramrod straight, leaving her towering over much of the space. She was intimidating, and her stalwart partner even more so.
He looked a polarizing image of her, with golden hair and eyes of faded gray that seemed weighed down with the weight of the world. Along every inch of them, they’d strapped weapons, from short daggers to throwing knives, and others I’d never seen before.
“Quinn, Fleur…” Aedan introduced me with a nudge of my shoulder. “This is Sloane, Killion’s sister.”
The pair made no efforts to hide their curious gazes that seemed to score my ability to survive. Had it not been for the reassuring warmth of Aedan’s hand on my shoulder, I would have bit back, but instead, I bit my tongue.
“Now.” Caitrín shattered the tense air and looked to me. “Sloane, since there is much you need to know, but no time to educate you, your knowledge must be gained along the way. Today, you all leave for the City of Shadows. Along your journey, you must retri
eve three remaining runes that are required to perform the final ritual. This must be completed before the next blood moon, else we fear more creatures and fallen will rise.”
“Right, no pressure.”
Caitrín smiled. “They all know the way, best anyone can who has never stepped foot inside such a city. Should any guards remain outside of Inorah’s walls, we will distract them to allow you to leave now, in the light of the day. Any questions?”
All eyes turned on me. “No.” At least, none that seemed answerable.
“Then I wish you all the best of luck.”
Within no time, we’d gathered our packs, my retrieved bolts, and a bit of food before slipping outside the walls of Inorah.
We traveled the opposite direction of home, and I found myself glancing time and again back toward the Outlands. Endless greenery lay before us in a thick carpet of territory with nowhere to hide. We moved swiftly, grateful no Sonola guards came after us and none seemed to stand ahead.
I wondered how many of those inside Inorah were infected with the shadows? How long had it taken to consume them to a point where they detested humanity? I couldn’t imagine a world where humans and Fae laughed and lived together, and part of me didn’t want to. It seemed…well…unnatural. Working together for a common goal was one thing, but having our lives blended seemed like an outright fantasy. Though, Killion had believed the fantasy enough to fall in love with a Fae himself.
Silence pervaded our heavy steps, with Quinn and Fleur marching ahead while Aedan and I took up the center. It didn’t take long for us to reach the thick tree line that surrounded the city of Inorah.
We slogged into the shade and foliage. Our journey slow moving due to the overgrown ferns and shrubs. In some parts, they were so thick no path could be seen. Stealth was also out of the question, with how loud the leaves rustled and branches slapping against our legs.
“Aedan,” Ronen called out a few steps behind us. “How is Sloane doing with channeling your magic?”
I craned my neck and looked back, “His…what?” I asked, far louder than I intended.
“Would you hush?” Fleur snapped from ahead. “I don’t relish the idea of just handing out our position.”
Though my eyes dropped to the ground, I couldn’t help but feel as if Aedan was amused at my expense. Sure enough, the moment I looked, I saw the curl of his lips straighten.
“There wasn’t enough time,” he said, “but you’ll learn. Of that I promise you.”
I lost track of how many steps we’d taken, or how many hours had likely passed since we’d left Inorah. All I knew was we’d stopped only for the shortest of breaks before Fleur barked at us to get moving again.
Low on the horizon, the sun’s warmth began to fade, its light broken by the massive trees that rose around us. The landscape was beautiful, and changing by the minute. The ferns and spreading greenery were fading into craggy stone and soft beds of moss, and the aches in the backs of my legs proved to me we were gaining elevation. We were heading into the mountains.
“This is the Fae border,” Aedan whispered to me as we reached a small creek, barely the same width as I was tall. We merely trudged straight through. “Keep your eyes and ears open.”
I did as I was told, the entire concept of remaining always alert far more exhausting than the simple task of walking. Every chirp, every flutter of a leaf, drew my attention until the single loud crack of a branch drew us to a sudden halt.
Not a soul spoke as the heavy steps drew nearer. Whomever, or whatever, it was, did not care if they were found.
“There!” Quinn’s voice rang out just as a thick cry pierced the sky. I could barely see it as it darted low to the ground, far quicker than the hurried knife throws of the pair ahead. Their weapons sank into the dirt, leaving the creature unflinching as it circled around our group.
The closer it drew, the more I recoiled. Hairy legs protruded from the beast’s core, which shined with the reflection of hundreds of tiny eyes. Like a spider, with a body large enough to eat me alive and a weight heavy enough to shake the earth as it barreled toward us.
I yanked the crossbow from my back, grateful it was ready as I merely knocked a bolt into the chamber. With one last breath, I lifted it and fired.
The beast squirmed and fought against the piercing blow. I had to slam my hands over my ears at the deafening shriek. The bolt had vanished entirely, having driven straight through its body. I was certain from the thud, it had hit the ground below.
Darius flew out of nowhere, his short sword held overhead in a daring lunge. He aimed, straight for the spider’s head. Seconds before the two met, the sheen of his blade lit into flames. It plunged in, fire licking out from the wound, which brought forth one final cry before the creature slumped over in death.
As if nothing at all had happened, Darius pulled his sword free, wiped it clean with a handful of leaves, and tucked it back into its scabbard. “Shall we?”
No one said a word, but I’d already heard footsteps moving ahead.
“Care for your bolt, Sloane?” he teased, pointing to the spider. It oozed the same black liquid as the beast by Falseon Lake.
“No, I’m good.” Yanking them from bodies was one thing, but driving my arm elbow deep into a shadowed creature to get it was another entirely.
I hurried along, quick to catch up to Aedan’s side and ready my crossbow before tucking it into place again.
“Aedan? The flame, on Darius’s sword…”
“Yes?” It seemed he wouldn’t answer lest I asked an actual question.
“How did he do that?”
“Fae magic, just as you could learn to do channeling mine.”
I nodded slowly. “And that creature, that was nothing compared to what we’re in for, right?”
“That one was mere child’s play.”
I wished he had been lying
In quick order, the group came to a stop atop a hefty knoll scattered with the same towering trees. Snowcapped mountains loomed, their white tops now barely visible in the waning light.
“Nuxvar Pass,” Ronen murmured.
“Nuxvar? Where Killion died?” My attention snapped to the mountains, and the winding path that led between them. Even for the most adventurous of travelers, it was rife with rockslides, dangerous climbs, and the potential for fatal falls.
What truly drew my steps forward, though, were the dotted figures waiting at the bottom of the pass. “Who are they?”
“Dark Fae,” Fleur said. “And it appears they are waiting for us.”
11
“There’s too many of them, even for us.”
For once, I agreed with Ronen. It was difficult to tell from where we stood upon a high knoll far from the pass. At best, we counted six. At worst, we figured ten. The Fae stood waiting and guarding what was known as the last cutoff point between regular civilization and the most unsavory of places. For the first time since we’d left, my stomach truly churned; there was a chance I wouldn’t make it home alive.
“We need to find a way around,” Fleur said, garnering a sharp look from Ronen.
“A way around a mountain pass?” Ronen laughed “Are you daft?”
“Not so daft to believe we should push through that.” She nudged her head to the figures below. “Do you not see the poleaxes they wield?”
Sure enough, everyone’s eyes swung back to them, mine included. I wouldn’t have known what they were, not from this distance, but now she’d put a name to the strange items in their hands, I could see the lengthened weapons whose axe heads glinted in the dying light. My daggers would be useless against them, and cowering behind Aedan didn’t sound like my idea of a good night.
Fleur’s finger jutted into the distance, far from where our enemies stood. “It looks like there’s an old trail on the far side of the mountain.”
Even through a squinted gaze, I could barely see what looked like no more than a few ruts up the side of a treacherous climb. “Are you certain we can handle tha
t?”
“There’s the alternative,” she said with a point back to the guarded pass, before setting off in the lead.
The ground beneath our feet had already begun to harden, with thinning foliage and widespread rocks that threatened to twist ankles with every step. We trekked down until the ground leveled out, and the lifting night breeze tugged at our loose strands of hair. Already, I was exhausted, and before us now stood a beast of a mountain. We’d barely even left Inorah, in the grand scheme of things.
“Stick close together,” Fleur instructed, “and watch your every step. There’s no telling how narrow and dangerous this path may become.”
I needn’t be told twice. In quick order, we made our way up the narrow, winding path. We shimmied between crushing rock faces and over boulders taller than any two of us combined. It was a grueling trek that soon forced us to stop and catch our gasping breath.
“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you.”
Several weapons drew, mine included, at the raspy, unfamiliar voice. An old woman appeared from beyond the cover of a nearby cluster of trees. Her stature was hunched with time, her body draped in a cloak more ragged than the unruliest of spiderwebs. Not a soul spoke as her head lifted, giving us a vision to put to the voice.
Her eyes were dark and deep, like the depths of the ocean, and her skin weathered as the hide of my boots. Even more disconcerting was the black of her teeth when she smiled, as if each one was coated in tar.
“Kill yourselves, you will, if you keep going that way.”
No one’s guard relented as we kept our weapons at the ready. At any moment, she could attack, or others could come tumbling out of the woodwork.
“And why should we trust you?” I asked. Almost immediately, I regretted it as her piercing eyes turned toward me.
“Because I’ve just given you a piece of free advice.” Each time she spoke, it sounded like something dry was captured in her throat. “I’d wager you’re trying to get to the city beyond.” Casually, as if she had not a care in the world, the woman settled onto the nearest low-lying rock. “Pay me well enough and I’ll take you there. To the city.”
