Page 95 of Faerie Hunted

The constriction in my chest eased somewhat but not enough for me to rest easily.

Noren remained outside and I didn’t blame him. If I’d been able to fend for myself, then I might have done the same, but then again there was safety in numbers too. I felt better with my friends and family beside me.

No matter how really fucking weird this was.

Laina nodded decisively. “We’ll rest here for a few hours and then we’ll leave.”

Mike turned to her with his jaw slightly open. “Mom. You can’t be serious.”

She turned to him with her hands on her hips. “Any longer and we are wasting time. You will stay behind with the others.”

Mike shook his head. “I’m sorry, but no. I’m coming with you.”

The idea of being trapped in this space with Onyx and Bronwen seemed to weigh on him. And to be honest, it didn’t sit well with me, either.

“They’ll need your protection.” Laina glanced at Onyx, her expression softening. “You’ve been raised with strength and dignity and I expect you to use them to protect those who cannot protect themselves, Michael.”

I shifted from foot to foot with my stomach an uneasy mass. “It’s not a good idea for you to come, anyway.”

“Why?” he pressed. “Why won’t it?—”

“Enough, Michael,” Laina cut in. “This isn’t part of your journey.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why can’t it be? I should be with Tavi.”

“Tavi is going to be absolutely fine.” Laina’s insistence felt misplaced.

All this effort just for me, and I would never in a million years deserve it. I always made it out of these scrapes but what if I didn’t this time?

Part of me didn’t think Mike would agree. A mottled flush had crept up the base of his neck and turned the tips of his ears pink. His shoulders slumped forward. “Tavi, I hate this,” he muttered.

His whispered truth was too vulnerable for me. “I’m not keen on it myself.”

“Let’s go outside and talk. Take a second for ourselves.” His gaze darted to the cave opening.

I twisted with him, sucking in a breath to agree.

“No,” Livvy interrupted. “We stay out of sight. Rest.” She slid down the wall until she sat cross-legged. Regal despite her surroundings. “My word is final.”

There were too many things left unsaid between me and Mike and they were getting closer to the surface with every moment. We’d have our time.We have to.

I swallowed hard, my throat constricting, the rest of me tense and aching.

After several hours where no one rested, Onyx, Mike, and Bronwen remained behind in the cave for protection, while Noren prowled around the outside.

The word clanked around inside of my head and lost its meaning along the way.Protectionfelt like a joke.

There was no safe place anywhere.

Especially not when we were going right back into the raging bonfire of shit I’d been desperate to leave behind.

Livvy and Laina crawled back toward the mouth of the cave to travel to the human realm. Livvy paused to greet Noren, who bumped his head against her outstretched palm.

“How do you propose we travel?” My hands went to my hips. “I lost my key.” And I doubted, in her mad rush, that Laina would have remembered to grab hers.

Noren whined but a sweet word from Livvy had him falling silent, crouched between us and ready for action.

“I have mine.” Livvy reached beneath the collar of her shirt and pulled out a golden chain, linked through the scrollwork of an antique key with its sharp point honed to the same glistening gold. “This will work.”

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