“Leeches,” Kesha cursed.
I traded another silent exchange with Isabel. Neither of us mourned that their jobs would be made harder, but still … Viola loved to say, “Better the demon you know, than the fae you don’t”, whenever she’d play cards with village gossips. It didn’t quite work now, considering both our enemies were fae, but Hunter wasn’t so bad. It could always be worse. Gus and Elain had taught me that.
“Anyway,” Hunter deviated, “maybe you should all try to sleep. Dinner will still be a bit of a wait.”
Groans of agreement had Hunter unpacking the hides and blankets we’d slept on. Once I’d climbed onto the wolf pelt again, I looked down at my boots. My blisters had blisters, but if I took them off now, I might never get them back on.
I loosened a breath and lay down. It was too much effort anyway.
Moments before I passed out, Hunter threw a blanket over me and whispered, “I’ll wake you in a few hours so you can eat.”
I mumbled something and had just enough time to wonder at his confusing blend of kindness and cruelty before drifting away.
He was true to his word. But my body felt too heavy with exhaustion to move once he’d woken me. Then Hunter was there, putting one arm under my neck, pushing me into a seated position. “Come on, you need this.”
I opened my eyes and took in a twinkling blanket of velvety blackness stretching out overhead, a blazing fire in the center of our camp, and a bowl being shoved under my nose. My stomach clenched painfully, and I thanked him before thinking better of it.
Hunter flashed me a bright smile and placed it in my waiting hands. I raised the bowl to my lips, sipping greedily.
“Don’t get attached,” Kesha scolded from behind us. “She’s not a pet; she’s an object we’re selling.”
Hunter rolled his eyes at me. I almost giggled.
I checked myself. Monster or not, he was a kidnapper: a murderer.
Hunter straightened and went to fill another bowl to offer a still-napping Isabel.
It promised to be a cold night despite the spring warmth that had blessed the day. I basked in the taste of the meaty stew, rolling it around on my tongue. It was bland but hot, and therefore, delicious. I watched on as Billy, Brandon, and Isabel received their own dishes.
“This again,” Billy grumbled.
“Be glad we’re feeding you at all,” Kesha said, poking at the fire with a stick.
I bit my tongue.
If what Hunter had told us proved true, I’d be parting ways with Kesha soon. Another week was nothing—I’d put up with Elain for years.
Done with the stew, I set the bowl aside. I had every reason to believe tomorrow would be more of the same, so I didn’t want to waste a single second not sleeping. Lying down, I let the crackling fire and soft whispers of the others act as a lullaby. It was on the verge of a sleep-induced haze that I noticed the whispers taking on a more clipped pitch.
Some embedded instinct, now sensitive to all manner of horrors, made me force my eyelids open. Hunter was standing, staring out into the forest. Kesha did the same while slowly stringing her bow.
Isabel, still awake, stared hard at the two fae. I waved my hand up and down violently and caught her eye. She shrugged: she didn’t know what was going on. Thankfully, Billy and Brandon hadn’t noticed nothing and appeared to be sleeping, having inhaled their food within seconds.
“What …”
Kesha cut off Isabel, hissing at her.
I pushed myself up onto my knees.
Hunter ran to me, leaning in to whisper, “Wake Brandon up, but keep him quiet. We have company.”
He pulled back to stare down at me, awaiting my response. I nodded to show I’d understood, and then he left to tell Isabel.
I moved closer to Brandon’s side and bent down to shake him, ever so gently. Eyes fluttering, he mumbled, “What …”
I clapped my hand over his mouth and breathed into his ear, “It’s Serena. You need to be quiet. Hunter says we’re being watched.”
Brandon’s arms instantly reached out and tightened around me. I pulled him up into a hug and stroked his hair, as much for his comfort as for mine. I had vague memories of my mother doing the same thing—I still dreamed about it.
My gaze darted to Isabel and then to Billy, who was wide awake, looking solemn. The gap between us bothered me—something told me we’d be safer together.
I said into Brandon’s ear, “Should we move closer to Isabel and Billy?”
He nodded his head against my shoulder. So, with him still clinging to me, we shuffled around the flickering fire. Isabel and Billy watched us with grim faces. As we moved into touching distance, Isabel reached for my hand and Billy pulled Brandon closer. I wasn’t sure if we did it intentionally, but we ended up huddling together, making a cocoon around Brandon.
Hoots filled the air. Hunter took a protective stance in front of us. Warnings about roaming fae packs rang in my ears.
Kesha hissed, but this time to Hunter. A signal.
She raised her bow skyward. Her eyes must’ve seen something in the gloom, because she released one.
A mocking laugh answered back. And all hell broke loose.
Chapter 7
The Winged Fiends
A moment to wonder, a second of confusion, then red and blue fireballs sailed into view.
Hunter twisted to us. “Get down!” he cried.
Kesha moved like a whirlwind, stringing arrow after arrow. But nothing could stop the missiles from landing. Our tiny, insignificant huddle of four humans caved inward as the balls of heat and flame exploded on impact. Heat seared my cheek. Isabel and I tried to shield the boys as they clung to us.
Someone screamed. Isabel gripped my sweaty palm tighter.
I waited for the pain that was sure to follow … only it didn’t.
The chaos trickled in all around us. Left in the wake of the projectiles were smoking patches of scorched earth. These were centered to the right of me. They’d aimed for Kesha and blown her backward. Now, Hunter crowed in challenge. A series of howls answered back.
From out of the forest flew half a dozen masked fae, dressed in brown leathers, their masks resembling creatures of the sky and wood.
Hunter went for his bow. Stringing it, he unleashed himself. His aim was deadly. He’d pierced two sets of wings and sent the masked fae tumbling before their archers could even nock.
Then their bows answered back and arrows rained down. Hunter darted this way and that, dancing, playing with his enemy. None of the arrows found their target. All overshot or buried themselves in the ground in front of him.
The masked fae hovered. A whistle sounded. Hunter paused and looked to me with a fear that was plain and savage in its intensity.
A second whistle sounded and several things happened at once. The four fae still aloft split up. Three dove toward us, while the fourth fae stayed behind. His wings beating in place, he drew something bright and glistening from within his leathers. He threw it, and Hunter wavered just long enough to see it unravel in mid-air, spinning, spreading out into a giant silver net.
With one last agonizing look in my direction he unfurled his wings, speeding along the ground to Kesha. Once she was in his arms he flew, disappearing into the night. Abandoning us to the mercy of strange fae.
“He’s leaving us,” Brandon squeaked.
“Good riddance,” Billy spat.
Harsh laughter rippled off the three fae who’d landed and surrounded our group, trapping us in place.