Page 63 of Veil of Shadows

Several of the kingsfae swirled their domals around, all of them surveying the Wood.

“Stay close to the wagons,” the commander finally called. “We don’t leave until this shipment reaches port. Perhaps the king made an error about the location, but that doesn’t mean the Dark Raider won’t be somewhere along this route.”

My heart thundered when another kingsfae kicked his domal to move deeper into the Wood, heading our way. He lifted his nose and inhaled.

Oh Goddess. The kingsfae wassoclose that if Jax hadn’t moved his band when he had, the domal would have been trampling us at this very moment.

The domal pranced closer, its breath huffing with every step. Closer.Closer.

The kingsfae stopped only four paces away. He scanned the area. Watching. Waiting. If he moved any closer, his domal would hit Jax’s air Shield.

“Berryl!” the commander called. “We’re leaving.”

At last, the kingsfae whirled his mount and joined the others, yet it felt as though I’d lost a full season off my life in that moment. Trembling, I forced my breaths to remain silent as Jax’s body remained as unyielding as stone atop me.

Finally, the wagons and kingsfae pushed onward. All of the kingsfae pulled out potions from their supplies and ingested them. One after another disappeared from view.

Nobody in our group moved a muscle. Not even when they’d left the area and the sounds of the wagon wheels faded. Eventhen, nobody said a thing as Jax’s illusion spell and Shield stayed in place.

Minutes later, when the shipment was long gone and the bird song had returned to the Wood, Jax’s magic at last dispelled.

He lifted himself from me completely, my back going cold in the wind when he eased himself away and to the side.

The prince lifted his hand and made several silent movements with his fingers. In a blink, Lars had a portal key in his hand, and everyone grabbed onto one another.

Phillen’s large hand enclosed my forearm, and I could have sworn his aura was trembling as he gave me a squeeze.

Lars began to whisper the spell to activate the key, and it hit me that nobody was touching Jax.

“Jax?” I called quietly and reached for him.

But he inched away even more. “Go,” he whispered quietly.

Wildness filled me, and I frantically grabbed for him, yet he pulled even farther away. “What are you doing?”

He shook his head and maneuvered to the balls of his feet, body still low to the ground. “I want to track them for a bit, to see what I can learn. They shouldn’t have known we were here. Go.”

Lars finished muttering the portal key’s spell, and the realm fell out from beneath me. The last thing I saw were Jax’s blazing sapphire eyes as the forest disappeared around us.

CHAPTER 19

I landed on unsteady legs in Jax’s suite, the others materializing beside me just as fast. Tension filled the room the second I was able to make sense of who I was with.

Everyone was present and dressed entirely in black: Phillen, Lars, Trivan, Bowan, Lander, and Quinn. All except Jax.

“How in the realm did you know they were going to be there?” Before I could reply, Phillen had me in a suffocating hug, his arms nearly crushing me he held me so tightly. “If we’d been captured, my family—” He swallowed thickly, and I absentmindedly patted his shoulder.

The others joined in, most of them thanking me, but I twisted my hands and glanced at the clock. Already, minutes had passed, and there was no sign of Jax.

I clasped my shaking hands together. “How is Jax going to get back?”

Trivan’s brow furrowed. “Jax is a tricky bastard. He’ll find a way.”

I gazed at all of them as they ripped their masks and bandanas off one after the other.

“How in the realm did the kingsfae know we would be there?” Lars whispered, a troubled look on his face.

“They shouldn’t have.” Lander scowled heavily.

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