“There.” Rowan pointed. I followed his finger, and my eyebrows rose in surprise.
Beyond the fence and the edge of the trees, a stream babbled its way across a rocky field, where a gathering of thatched huts stood in a loose semicircle around a large fire pit. One of the many small human settlements in the area, this one tempted fate by sitting on the very edge of the forest. They rarely ventured close to the trees, and never left their houses after dark, for good reason. Goblins still considered this their territory, and I knew of more than one phouka that roamed these woods at night. I didn’t know much about these humans except that they were a small druidic tribe, attempting to live in peace with the land and the forest just outside their village walls. It was risky and foolish, as all humans tended to be, but at least they showed the proper respect.
So it was surprising to see one of them alone on the banks of the stream, humming as she picked the wildf lowers that grew close to the forest. She was young as humans went, dressed in a simple shift, barefoot and barefaced. Her dark hair gleamed in the sunshine.
Rowan smiled his toothy wolf-smile and turned to me.
261/387
“All right, little brother. There’s your target.”
“The girl?”
“No, fool. Haven’t you been listening to me?” My brother rolled his eyes. “Her heart. Her body and mind and soul. Make her love you. Ensure that she gives herself to you completely, that she can think of nothing else but you. If you can do that, then you’ll be a hunter among hunters.” He sneered and looked down his nose. “If you’re up to the challenge, that is.”
I looked back to the girl, still humming as she picked handfuls of forget-me-nots, and felt a smile stretching my face. I’d never pursued a mortal heart before; this could be…interesting. “Is there a time in which I have to do this?” I asked.
Rowan pondered that question. “Well, the best-laid plans are not con-ceived in a day,” he mused, watching the girl. “But, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to win a mortal’s affections, especially one as young as that. Let’s say, the next full moon. Get her to follow you to the stone circle and pledge her undying love. I’ll be there, waiting for you both.”
“I’ll be there,” I said quietly, reveling in a worthy challenge, “with the human. Let me show you how it’s done.” Rowan gave me a mocking salute, turned his horse and vanished into the forest. Dismounting, I approached the human silently, using glamour to mask my presence until I stood at the very edge of the forest, the girl only a stone’s throw away. I didn’t reveal myself to her at first.
Like all pursuits, I began by studying my quarry, observing its strengths and weaknesses, learning its habits and patterns. If I just appeared out of the trees, I might spook her and she might not return to the area, so caution was necessary at first.
262/387
She was slender and graceful, very deerlike in some ways, which made the hunt all the more intriguing and familiar. Her dark eyes were quite large for a human, giving her a constant startled expression, but she moved from bush to bush with a general unawareness, as if a bear could come lumbering out of the trees and she wouldn’t even notice.
She swooped down abruptly, plunging her hand into the stream and emerged clutching a smooth turquoise pebble, which she turned over in obvious delight. At once I smiled, watching her drop the stone into her pocket, knowing the bait that would lure my prey to me.
So, you like shiny things, do you, little mortal? Crouching, I picked up a plain gray pebble and covered it in my fist, drawing a tiny bit of glamour from the air. When I opened my hand, the once dull stone was now a glittering sapphire, and I tossed the glamoured item into the stream.
She found it almost immediately, and pounced with a squeal of delight, holding it up so it sparkled in the sun. I smiled and drew away, walking back to my mount with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing she would be there tomorrow.
I left her a silver chain the next day, watching her coo over it with the same delight the glamoured gem had given her, and the next afternoon she admired the golden ring on her finger for a long, long time, before dropping the treasure into her pocket. I didn’t have any fear of her showing it to anyone else; much like crows and magpies, she didn’t want anyone to steal her treasures, or question where she got them.
And the glamour on the items eventually faded, leaving rocks and leaves in their place. I knew she wondered what had become of them; perhaps she told herself that she dropped or misplaced her treasures, choosing to ignore the obvious answer. Perhaps she suspected the 263/387