by Linsey Hall
“Where is it?” I asked.
The guard hesitated.
Iain waved a hand. “You can tell her.”
“It is near the entrance to our realm, on the cliffs. At the outcropping that juts farthest into the sea.”
I packed the information away for later. “Thank you.” I looked at Iain. “We should leave soon for Dartmoor. But I’ll have to take us to a specific spot. It’s the closest we can get to the SoulStone before the magic will force us to go on foot. I’ll need a transport stone to get us there.”
“You can’t tell me where it is?”
If I could, he could use his transport powers. “No. It’s a feeling. Like home. Only I can get there. Or another Fire Fae.”
He nodded. “We’ll get one.”
“Let’s leave now.” I pushed my chair back and stood, trying to figure out how to get a few seconds of alone time.
Fortunately, Iain hung back with his council for a moment. I hurried to the door and out into the hall, digging my cell phone from my pocket. The battery was nearly dead. I didn’t want to be caught speaking, so I typed a quick text message to Cass, telling her the location and the time of the solstice ceremony.
I’d just have to pray she’d get the message. Too much was riding on this to rely entirely on Iain. He had his own goals, after all. I wanted to save my brother and Iain’s people, but I also owed it to my own Court to stay alive.
I’d need backup. Hopefully the FireSouls would get the message and be at the solstice, ready to help if I needed them. Ready to yank me out from underneath the sacrificial knife if that was how this thing was going to go. I’d hedged my bets with the love potion, but just in case it didn’t work, I wanted to cover all eventualities. Even if Iain didn’t go after me with the knife, I couldn't guarantee he’d let me just walk away from all this when it was over.
I was his fated mate.
Fae males couldn’t ignore their mates. It was hard enough for the women, but the men had a compulsion to protect and guard their mates. He might never let me leave here, even after we’d cured his Court.
I’d need to be prepared to run for it when this was all over.
I hit the send button on the text message and looked up, spotting Iain as he appeared in the doorway.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“Fine.” I tucked the phone back in my pocket, hoping he didn’t think much of it. He gave me a suspicious look, but I spoke quickly. “Do you have the transport charm?”
“I do.” He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“Let’s go now.”
“You haven't rested at all.”
“There’s no time.”
“You’re going to be weaker and slower.”
I hated that it was true.
“Here.” He pulled another vial of potion out of a pocket and handed it to me. “It’s an energy potion.”
I took it, my heart squeezing. Connor made these and called them Pep-Up Potions. My throat tightened at the thought of him, frozen and near death.
“Thanks.” I drank it quickly, feeling the surge of energy and strength. “Let’s go.”
I held out my hand, and he took it, squeezing tightly. A shiver ran up my arm as I chucked the transport charm to the ground. It exploded in a poof of glittery gray.
I called upon my memories of my homeland and the SoulStone. I’d never been there before, but it was located at the other side of the ancestral pine forest. It was a place as much as a feeling, and it tugged on me.
I stepped into the cloud of sparkly dust, imagining the location. The ether pulled at me, and I kept my grip tight on Iain’s hand. We spun through space, appearing at the edge of a dark forest a moment later.
The wind whipped through my hair as I stared at the trees. The pines were hundreds of feet tall, perfectly straight. The bottoms of the trunks were largely devoid of branches, and moss covered the bumpy forest floor between them. The tops of the trees cut out the light of the watery sun, and the howling wind forced the trees to sway like matchsticks.
It was riveting, watching the enormous trees move back and forth as the wind howled. In the distance, I heard the sound of snapping wood.
“It is always like this?” Iain asked.
I nodded. “Protective enchantment.”
Green faerie lights sparkled between the trunks, zipping through the air and flying low to the ground.
“Can you see the lights?” I asked.
“No.”
Not surprising. They were the guides through the forest, and only the Fire Fae could see them. They’d lead me to the next part of the path.
When the SoulStone turned up missing, it would be obvious that it had been stolen by one of my kind. We were the only ones who could find it.
I shoved away thoughts of betrayal and repercussions. I’d deal with them later.
Instead, I looked up at the magnificent trees. They pulled at my soul as they swayed, hypnotizingly. I could stand here for days at the edge of the forest, watching as the trees danced.
But I couldn’t.
It was time to enter the forest.
And as soon as we did…
“Be on the lookout for falling trees,” I said.
He nodded.
I looked up and caught his gaze. “I don’t know what is going to attack us here, but this place will be guarded. If there are any living Fire Fae, you must vow not to kill them.”
His jaw tightened and his eyes flickered. “I can’t vow that.”
“You have to.”
“If we fail here, the alternative is sacrificing you. Or all of my people. Both of those are untenable.” His eyes darkened. “So I will vow to try not to kill, but if I have to…”
I scowled at him. It was obviously the best I would get. I was already going to be in so much freaking trouble for this. It’d be a wonder if my Court ever let me return. It wasn’t like they actually wanted me. They just wanted me to save them.
I thrust away the miserable thought.
“Can we fly over?” he asked.
“No. The only way to see the next part of the path is to walk through.” I didn’t tell him I was following the lights since he couldn’t see them anyway. There was no need to betray more information than necessary.
“Let’s go.” I stepped forward.
I could feel his magic swell slightly, as if he were reaching into the ether for a weapon.
“No weapons,” I said. “Not yet. That could signal that we mean harm. Let’s see what comes at us, first.”
He nodded, though he didn’t look pleased about it.
I entered the forest, stepping onto the spongy moss that covered the ground. The trees soared around me, majestic and silent despite the howling wind that made the tips sway violently back and forth. A sense of foreboding raced over me, and I breathed deeply of the pine scented air.
I began to jog, moving quickly and silently over the moss. Fallen pines lay flat on the ground, their trunks covered in a thick green layer of moss. I leapt over them, glancing at Iain. He kept up easily.
“You could fly, you know,” I said. “Not over, but through.”
“I’ll stick with you.” He glanced up at the swaying trees, some of which made ominous creaking noises. “Anyway, they’re as likely to hit me in the air as down here.”
I nodded and picked up the pace. The green faerie lights zipped around, racing between my legs as if they were playing a game. I followed them, keeping my eyes alert on the surroundings.
Ahead of me, the trees shuddered harshly. Thousands of pine needles dropped to the ground, floating as a thick cloud. They swirled on the air, coalescing to form a shape.
A man.
He was huge, at least ten feet tall and formed entirely of the green needles. He clutched a sharp stone blade in his hand. Another figure formed behind him.
“Guards,” I said. “Don’t draw your weapon yet.”
I was terrible at sweet-talking, but I prayed I could get us
through this.
The guard approached, his footsteps shaking the earth as the trees swayed around him. When he spoke, his voice rumbled like thunder. “What is your purpose here?”
“We are passing through to visit the SoulStone.” Visiting was acceptable, from the stories I’d heard as a child.
“You are not visiting.”
“Yes, we are.” I eyed the stone sword, which still hung at his side, relaxed but ready.
“If you were visiting, you would wear the cloak of your people, Fire Fae.”
Oh fates. He knew what I was but that I was an outcast.
“You are not welcome here, Outcast.”
Pain pierced me. I’d used the word to describe myself, but it hurt more to hear it used by the ancestral guardians of my homeland.
“My cause is just,” I begged. “Please, let us pass.”
Magic vibrated from the creature, and it raised its stone sword.
Iain shoved me aside, drawing his sword from the ether.
I didn’t even hesitate. I call upon my biggest ax, sprinting around the first guardian to go after the second.
The pine man turned to face me, raising his own sword. He swiped out with his blade, and I ducked low, avoiding the hit. Behind me, Iain fought his creature, wielding his sword with precision.
I swung my ax, slamming it through the middle of the pine man. The needles blasted apart, flying through the air, but he kept standing, his top half floating above his legs.
I darted backward as the pine needles rushed back to him, coalescing around his middle once more.
“They can’t be killed,” Iain shouted.
“No kidding,” I muttered.
My attacker swung his blade once more, and I barely dodged it. The stone whistled over my head, moving so fast it would shatter my bones if it hit me.
I tried my ax one more time, aiming for the legs. The massive blade sliced right through, obliterating the creature’s thighs, but he stayed standing still. Each part of the guard was truly independent of the rest. There was no way to take them out.
“Move!” Iain shouted.
I caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye. He’d gotten rid of his weapon, and his magic flared around him. He raised his hands, aiming for the monster closest to him. I stood right behind the creatures, in the line of fire.
I darted out of the way, drawing my own attacker to the left. I dodged a third strike as Iain sent a blast of water at the closest pine man. It slammed into the figure, freezing as it hit him. The needles froze in place, and the figure stopped moving. It looked like an icy statue, frozen in time.
I turned my attention toward my pine man. His blade was raised, ready to slam down on my head. I darted right and swung out with my ax. It slammed through the figure’s middle again, distracting him temporarily.
I darted out of Iain’s way, giving him access. He shot another blast of water at my attacker. It slammed into the pine needles, freezing on contact. Abruptly, the creature stopped moving, solidifying into an ice sculpture.
“Come on!” I sprinted away.
Iain joined me. “Faster. They’ll thaw eventually.”
My lungs burned as we ran, sprinting over the spongy moss and leaping over the fallen pines. The cracking of wood grew louder the farther we got, and the green faerie lights seemed to speed up, zipping around frantically. It was like they were excited. Or scared.
When the first pine tree fell, I felt it before I heard it. I looked up just as the loud crack split the air. The massive trunk fell toward us.
“Look out!” I lunged forward, diving out of the way.
Iain followed, his huge form moving fast.
We rolled on the soft moss as the massive pillar crashed into the ground behind us, shaking the earth.
“The guardians…” I scrambled up and looked behind. “They’ve alerted the trees.”
“The trees are against us?”
“Yeah.” I sprinted forward. “Now hurry. We just have to get to the edge of the forest.”
I ran faster than I ever had in my life. All around, the trees swayed faster and harder—back and forth, back and forth.
Another snapped, hurtling toward us. Iain’s wings burst from his back, and he grabbed me hard around the waist. He lunged forward, shooting through the air and getting us out of harm’s way just as the tree slammed to the ground.
We rolled on the moss and then leapt upright. Another tree fell, faster than the last. It nearly smashed into us, but Iain shot off the ground and grabbed it, slowing its descent so I could race out of the way.
He shoved the trunk backward, and it hurtled to the ground.
Together, we sprinted through the forest, narrowly avoiding the trees that threatened to crush us.
The sound of cracking wood made me look up. I caught sight of a tree as it rushed toward the ground. I powered up an enormous fireball and blasted it up at the trunk. The flame collided with the wood, forcing the tree to the side and away from us. The trunk slammed into the ground behind us as the fireball disappeared up into the sky.
I prayed that none of my kin were on the moor to see it.
By the time we reached the edge of the forest, my lungs were burning and my muscles aching. Ahead of us, the forest gave way to open heathland. It stretched ahead of us for miles, echoing with dangerous magic that made a shudder race over my skin.
We reached the edge of the forest, and I grabbed Iain. “Don’t leave the safety of the trees.”
“This is safe?” he asked.
“Compared to what’s coming, yes.” I stared ahead of me at the two rows of tall standing stones. They formed an avenue that stretched out ahead of us, going all the way up the hill. They stood sentinel like soldiers, and we’d have to pass right between them to reach the next phase. “I’ve never heard of anyone surviving the next part. You only make it through if your intentions are pure, and ours….”
“Are definitely not.”
13
Iain and I stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the double row of stones that stretched ahead of us, creating an avenue leading up the hill.
“We can’t just go around?” he asked.
It was a good question. There were acres of open moorland on either side. We could just follow the rows up, sticking to the outside.
I shook my head. “If we go on the outside, we won’t ignite the magic that will show us the next part of the path.”
“I’ll go, then. You stay on the outside.”
I appreciated that he would risk himself for me, but… “It won’t work. A Fire Fae has to enter in order to ignite the magic. Otherwise, any human hiker might run into something they weren’t expecting.”
“A Sea Fae won’t do?”
“I’m not willing to test it. We need this to work, so I’m going.”
He dragged a hand over his face wearily and nodded. “Let’s go, then.”
I shot him a glance, brow arched. “Tired?”
The look he gave me was tired. “You have no idea. I’ve been fighting this fate my whole life. We’re finally at the end and… I’m ready for it to be over.”
My throat tightened and I nodded. I’d been running my whole life; he’d been hunting all of his. Except he’d been hunting for something he didn’t want to catch—not entirely. Of course he wanted to do whatever it took to save his people, but he didn't want to kill his mate. No Fae did.
I drew in an unsteady breath and reached for his hand, then squeezed it.
He jerked slightly, startled.
We’d gone after each other with passion and rage, but never tenderness. We still didn’t trust each other, of course. I didn’t know where we’d go from here if we survived this, but I couldn’t think about it right now. I was going to run for it, that was all I knew.
He squeezed my hand back, and a temporary truce flowed between us.
I sucked in a deep breath and released his grip. “Let’s go.”
We stepped forward, approaching the rows
of stones. A Menhir stood at the front of each row. Menhirs were stones that were taller than the rest. They often marked the ending or beginning of rows such as this, though they occasionally stood on their own in the fields. Each had a purpose, though humans only knew them as taller, more important stones.
The Fae knew differently.
I stopped in front of them and bowed.
Iain shot me a glance, then mimicked my movement. He probably wasn’t familiar with most of the ancient monuments and traditions of Dartmoor—that was Fire Fae territory—but he was a quick study.
Magic swirled around both of the Menhirs, sparking brightly on the air. They shifted silently, but I imagined I could hear them groaning after so long standing still.
My heart raced as I wondered what I would say.
Could I possibly talk my way out of this?
The Menhirs shifted, forming stone figures that vaguely resembled Fae without wings. They walked toward the middle of the avenue, blocking our path to stand in front of us.
I bowed again and waited.
They spoke at the same time, their voices sounding like gravel rubbing against gravel. “Why do you approach the Avenue of the Ancients?”
“We seek to visit the SoulStone.”
Both Menhirs rumbled, almost a growling sound.
They didn’t believe me.
Hell, they could probably read my mind. Their magic was certainly strong enough.
“We need the SoulStone to save the Sea Fae,” I blurted. They probably knew my intentions, so hopefully the truth would gain me some points.
“You seek to steal it,” said the stone on the left. They took turns speaking, as if they operated from one mind.
“To borrow. Just to borrow, I swear. We’ll bring it back immediately.” My heart raced.
“The SoulStone has not left this land since the Great Burning. It is here for safety. Should it be removed, terrible things could come to pass.”
“I’m going to be careful,” I vowed. “Nothing bad will happen. I swear it.”
“You do not have the power to guarantee that.” The Menhir’s tone was as unchangeable as its granite form.
Desperation surged within me as I searched for a solution.
“Return to where you came from.” The Menhirs spoke in unison once more.
