Page 70 of Faerie Hunted

“I’m sure we can find a bed and breakfast or something in the next few miles, if you can make it,” answered Bronwen with a small smile.

Where did I even begin to search for Mom?

This place was huge.

We were filthy and travel-worn, and we all knew if we wasted another minute, those precious seconds would count against us. Not to mention my mom was full-blooded Fae. Which meant she wouldn’t be associated with the Claw & Fang or any spots they might frequent.

She could be anywhere.

I shook out my head and arms, craning my neck to work out the kinks.

Glimpses of the sea shimmered in the distance. The city, from what we saw overhead, looked like a combination of cottages and chalets close to the water. The further inland you went, the more it grew into an actual city.

“If you want to rest and get something to eat, Onyx, then be careful,” I said, finally straightening. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Just stay out of sight while I look.”

Bronwen regarded me with overly wide eyes. “You’re not going to sleep?”

“No. I’m fine.” I flashed her a ghost of a smile. “I want to start my search. The sooner I find her…” I trailed off.

I’d spent too much time imagining what it would be like to finally see the woman who gave birth to me. But to this day I had no idea what to actually expect, and none of my fantasies extended to the conversation we had coming.

I had no clue where to start.

I opened my mouth to say something, the others watching me intently, and my stomach gave a violent and audible rumble.

“I think we should all get something to eat before you head off on your own,” Bronwen suggested. “Honestly, I think we’re tired and hungry and need support.”

“You have an idea?” Onyx wanted to know.

Noren, without prompting, stayed to the wilderness on the outskirts of the green fields. He wouldn’t stick out but I wasn’t willing to risk his safety. Only mine.

We kept close to each other on the sidewalk, catching glimpses of the ever nearer sea. The view opened up in front of us, composed of individual thatched cottages that reminded me of a television show I’d seen set in England.

The cliffs were not as magnificent as the black rock I’d seen on the show, but there were lichens and flowers leading down to the sea and birds screeching overhead. The expansive sea stretched into eternity with a timeless push–pull.

The sidewalk curved toward the water, the cottages growing closer and more eccentric the nearer we got to the sea wall.

Even this late in the afternoon, there were fae out running along the little beach, with small children splashing and playing.

It was a vastly different scene than anything in Eahsea, or at home in the mortal world. The pale pebbles of the beach were dotted with driftwood and seaweed marking low tide, and a small fleet of white sails bobbed distantly out on the waves, anchored safely.

“This is beautiful,” Bronwen muttered, sounding as though she was warming to the area.

“It’s definitely something, isn’t it?” Onyx added quietly.

His attention had focused on a small group of turquoise-winged fae flitting down the road parallel to the shoreline. They were shorter than the average fae but larger than a toddler’s stature. He watched them until the group disappeared among the tall walled buildings and cafes along the walk.

Yelaine looked like the type of place where wealthy couples “got away” from the city for their mental health. All cute, quaint, and safe. The crashing of the waves made a beautiful hum of backdrop noise and my own pulse thrashed and danced to the melody. Partly compulsion and partly nerves.

“There.” Bronwen pointed ahead to a black and red flag fluttering in the breeze coming off the water. “That’s where we need to go.”

“How can you be sure?” Onyx squinted and tried to read the sign in hammered gold beneath the flag. “Trust me, I know what to look for. I’ve been with the Claw & Fang much longer than you guys. I mean—” Bronwen huffed out a small chuckle and started to walk.

I hesitated behind her, my feet like two anchors and the rest of me unwilling to move.

If Selene had taken the members we knew and brought them under Dorian’s wing, then what would make the members in this city any different? What if they took one look at us and decided we’d be better off with him, too?

Then we’d be right back where we started.

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