I stopped walking for a second. “You don’t?”
“No. I think you’ve seen far too much evil for someone your age. It’s set an impression on you, but you have to separate yourself from it. Your magic is strong and good. You just need to let yourself shine.” He reached for my hand. “Aim for the stars, Claudia. If anyone can reach them, it’s you.”
***
The sun was setting over the mountain, spreading a mixture of oranges and pinks across the sky. It looked as if the clouds were on fire.
Lucas stopped in a clearing, and set down the backpacks. “We’ll set up camp here for the night. The mine is just a couple hours away.”
I wrung my hands together. “We’re so close and we’re going to stop?”
“It’ll get dark fast. If you twist your ankle on the way, then I really will have to carry you back to the car.” He pulled a tent out of his pack. He gave the fabric a shake and it popped up, almost on its own. “We’re going as fast as we can. You told Raphael to hang in, and he will. But if you ended up hurt again and we couldn’t complete the journey, he’d be in trouble.”
Lucas was right, but that didn’t help. I rolled my shoulders, trying to release the tension in my back. Being so close yet not actually there was frustrating. I wanted to get there.
I tapped my fingers against my leg as I contemplated going on without Lucas. He’d catch up, eventually.
“You’re making me nervous with all that tapping.”
I sighed. Realistically, I couldn’t go anywhere without him. I’d probably just get lost.
I sat down on the dirt as Lucas built a fire. He set rocks around the perimeter so the flames wouldn’t spread, and then placed some dried leaves under a teepee of sticks. I laughed when he got out a lighter.
He glanced over at me, his eyebrows raised high. “You thought I was going to rub two sticks together?”
I winced. “Kind of. I mean, the way you were going about it—” I waved to the fire. “It seemed like two sticks was the next logical step.”
He chuckled. “No. I abandoned that method a long time ago. This is much faster.” When he was done, he went back to his pack. “I didn’t bring anything to cook for dinner, but I did manage this.” He tossed a small plastic bag.
I somehow managed to catch it. “Marshmallows?”
“I heard Americans really love them for camping.”
“Not that I’ve done much camping, but you heard right.” I set the bag down. “So, a healthy dinner of beef jerky and marshmallows. Is that enough for you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about me. I can go wolf and hunt my own food.”
My mouth dropped open. “You’d eat it raw? Something furry?”
“Yup. My wolf doesn’t mind too much.”
I shuddered. “Yuck.”
“You might like a furry, newly killed animal.”
I full on gagged. “Nope. Not going to happen.”
“Don’t knock it til—”
Suddenly Lucas and the campfire disappeared.
All I saw instead was the darkening forest. A massive tree stood in front of me, with a large knot in its center.
“Luc—” Before I could get out the words, hands with thin, cold fingers wrapped around my throat.
“Careful little one,” a deep voice said as the hands tightened just enough to terrify me. “Mustn’t move. Mustn’t speak. Or Gobble will take care of you.”
I froze as I realized what had happened.
This was a fey.
I’d been kidnapped by the fey.
Chapter Eighteen
A wolf howled in the distance, and I hoped that meant that Lucas would be here soon. If that was Lucas at all…
Please be Lucas.
The hands released me and I collapsed to the ground. I whirled to face the thing as I tried to catch my breath.
In the fading light, I could see the creature’s face—long and narrow with a pointy chin and thin lips. It stared with big, round eyes the lightest shade of blue I’d ever seen. The silver hair that fell in curls to its chin was tucked behind slightly pointed ears. His tall blue and green wings rippled behind him.
His aura was like a sapphire, glittering with silver speckles. Not quite as pretty as Cosette’s, but still beautiful.
“Little you looks tasty,” he said, flashing sharp fangs.
I scrabbled backward on the leaves, trying to put some distance between us.
Please don’t let him mean that literally. Maybe he meant tasty in that I was nice.
That was a possibility, wasn’t it?
The wolf howled again, this time closer, but I didn’t dare turn toward the sound.
He wore only a tattered loincloth. If he’d have been tiny—mouse-sized—I would’ve thought he was just a creepy little fairy.
No such luck. He was big. Lanky. Tall. He wasn’t thick with muscle, but he was completely lean. My throat throbbed where he’d grabbed me.
He crouched in front of me, bringing his face close to mine. I didn’t dare move out of fear that he’d strike out. Instead, I waited and watched. Hoping I could get cast a defensive spell faster than he could attack.
“What brings such a tasty treat to these parts?”