Page 27 of Hunted By the Fae Warden

Darkness starts to set in, and I finally slow my pace. I pause and hold my breath as I listen for sounds of a fae army, but I only hear the rustle of a small animal in the bushes and a crow cawing in the distance. A glance upward reveals no winged fae in the skies.

I’m safe. For now.

But it’s going to be fully dark soon, and I need to find shelter. I also need to hydrate and eat a quick meal. I plan to wake early and cover even more distance tomorrow, so I must keep up my strength.

As I search for a sheltered area in the forest, a thought comes to me, and I concentrate on a row of sapling trees. They grow taller in unison and then curve straight out. Meanwhile, their branches grow impossibly long and twist together between the flat surface, creating a makeshift roof. I summon other plants nearby to finish my creation, using a thick holly bush to form one wall, and a growth of ferns to make another wall.

Lastly, I watch as a bed of soft moss thickens on the floor of my shelter, and the nearby undergrowth heightens to overwhelm the entire structure, causing it to become hidden.

Anyone walking by won’t be able to spot this shelter. It looks completely natural. I step inside, remove my pack from my shoulders, and sink onto the soft, warm moss bed. Gods, I’m shocked by how warm it is, and I can’t help but suspect the plant life is giving me what it thinks I need, even going beyond my wishes.

I pet the moss and whisper, “Thank you, friend,” and it becomes even warmer in my shelter. “Well, thank you,friends, I mean.” I take a moment to caress each of the plants that are part of my creation, and some of them shudder against my fingers. I smile. I might be alone in the forest, but I’m not truly alone. Not when I can beckon plants to help me.

Maybe I can actually escape Kaiden.

Hope surges inside me, but it’s quickly replaced by heartbreak.

I remove my boots and get comfortable, but a glance outside the shelter gives me pause. Only the faintest light remains in the forest. Once I close the door to my little shelter, it’s going to be pitch dark in here.

Fear skitters through me. I’ve never liked the dark and usually sleep with a lantern burning low. If only I’d thought to bring a small lantern or a candle, but I suppose that wouldn’t bevery practical in a structure made entirely of plants. I wouldn’t want to risk starting a forest fire.

A soft red glow suddenly emanates from my left. I gasp. It’s the berries on the holly bush. They’re glowing and providing the perfect amount of light. My fear fades and I finally seal the door, calling upon a shrub to grow tall and thick in front of it, completely concealing the entrance.

I force myself to drink some water and eat a piece of cheese and some bread. Then I curl up on the soft bed of moss and fall fast asleep.

Unfortunately, I keep dreaming of Kaiden. All night long, I hear his voice and feel him, and I wake several times half expecting to discover him in the shelter beside me.

I awake in the morning to find a single beam of sunlight coming through a tiny gap in the holly bush. Despite my fatigue, I immediately prepare for a long day of travel. I tug my boots on, drink more water and have a quick meal of dried berries, then summon the shrub to grow sideways so I might pass. It works, and I exit my temporary home and head for the nearest stream to refill my canteen.

The warmth I experienced during my dreams of Kaiden lingers all day, and I keep glancing around, certain he’ll emerge from the trees at any moment. It’s unsettling but surely he’s not following me. Surely he would make his presence known if he were actually here.

A day passes, then another, and eventually I lose track of the days as I continue my journey southwest. The strange warmth I always feel when I’m near Kaiden doesn’t abate, and if I’m being honest, it’s starting to drive me a little mad. I try to put him out of my thoughts, but it’s not easy when I keep catching vestiges of summertime in the air. But whenever I feel a warm, honeysuckle-scented breeze or hear locusts and tree frogs, I tell myself it’s only my imagination.

He's not here.He’s not.

I haven’t reached any of the small villages yet, but I know I’m headed in the right direction. At an early age, my father taught me how to navigate using the position of the sun, and every time we went into the forest to collect firewood, he would make me practice. It’s a lesson that very well might save my life.

Well, not that Kaiden would kill me. At least, I don’t think he would. Hold me captive and keep me as his human pet? Yes, he might do that. But I don’t think he would physically harm me. I pray I’m right, but I also pray I’ll never have to find out.

At last, after about a week of travel, I come across a wide, dirt road. I peer up and down it but don’t see any signs of civilization otherwise. Still, a road means people—eventually, if I follow it for long enough.

I set off down the road, and when I glimpse a cottage with smoke rising from the chimney in the distance, cautious hope rises within me. I quicken my pace and pray I’ll receive a warm welcome.

As I approach the structure, warmth spreads through me and I feel compelled to continue to the door. Compelled to open it and see who’s inside. Gods, I really am losing my mind.

I knock but no one answers. Eventually, I turn the knob and nudge the door open a crack. “Hello?” I call. “Anyone home?”

I push the door open further and gasp at the familiar figure seated on a plush chair. His feet are propped up on a tea table, and he’s holding a glass of wine in one hand. Though his posture is relaxed, his visage is stern as ever. His pitch-black eyes gleam with accusation.

“Hello, little nymph. I’ve been waiting for you.”

CHAPTER 17

KAIDEN

Longing fillsme as I behold Mira. My fated mate who is apparently not fully human. Betrayal darkens my mood as I look her up and down.

She ran from me.

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