Page 36 of Hunted By the Fae Warden

I consider how and why the greshhlins might’ve left the Linnshire area. It’s said they were once fae who cannibalized other fae during a time of great famine, and the gods cursed them to become the foul, miserable creatures they are today. Creatures who feed off fear but can never satiate their wicked hunger.

According to the old stories, the greshhlins committed their worst deeds in the high mountain caves near my family’s holdings and now they’re bound to the Linnshire province of the Summer Court for eternity, unable to gratify their dark appetites or move on to the afterlife.

Yet the greshhlins arehere.

There’s no mistaking it. I can sense their malevolent presence. It chills my blood and causes the hair on the back of my neck to prickle.

Bloody gods, Mira. Do as I say. Create a hiding place for yourself. Now.If it weren’t so dangerous to make a sound, I would growl at her. Instead, I make an urgent shooing gesture at the willow tree.

She reaches for my hands.Hide with me.

I can’t.I push her toward the willow tree.The greshhlins have never left Linnshire before. The faefolk who live in this area won’t know how to defend themselves, and they’ll face certain slaughter. I must try to erect wards and trap the greshhlins in the forest. Then I will take you back to Trevos where you’ll be safest, and I’ll rush to Linnshire to fetch the highborn guards for assistance.Even as I inform her of my plan, my gut twists. I don’t like the idea of us parting, even if I briefly left her in the safety of Trevos, and the hair on the back of my neck prickles anew.

All my instincts scream that I should stay close to Mira. That I shouldn’t let her out of my sight even for the briefest of moments. Not just because it’s my duty to protect her, but because we’re supposed to staytogether.

Hide. Please, Mira, I am begging you. I am ordering you.

Shock fills her visage as she peers at something behind me.It’s too late. They’re here. By the way, I love you too.

CHAPTER 23

MIRA

There are four of them.Ghastly, dead looking creatures that salivate and stumble as they approach us from all sides. I start to think we might outrun them, when the nearest one suddenly jumps and covers a huge distance, and the other three follow suit.

Can’t you fly us out of here?I ask Kaiden. I still can’t believe we can communicate mind-to-mind without uttering a single word aloud.

He aims a regretful look my way.I can’t summon wings when in the presence of a greshhlin. No highborn fae can. They’re able to dull our magic just enough to prevent us from making a quick escape. But don’t worry, little nymph. I can still fight, and I can create wards.

Wards. Fighting. I glance among the greshhlins and wonder what I might do to help.You described these things as being more spirit than physical creatures. They look solid enough to me.I’m not sure why it matters, but I feel like I’m trying to solvea puzzle. There’s something here. Something big, but I can’t quite grasp it yet.

Just wait. You’ll see.He takes my hand and pulls me close, then lifts his free hand and moves it in circles as a slight hum emanates from his throat. I guess he’s trying to create a ward.

Hm. Trapping the greshhlins in a ward sounds like an okay idea. But it’s a temporary measure. Otherwise, Linnshire wouldn’t need so many highborn fae to constantly fight and maintain wards against the greshhlins.

How long does one of your wards usually last?As I watch the creatures, I finally understand why he’s referred to them as spirits. Their bodies become translucent in the glow of the ushha-blessed forest.

Days. Sometimes a week. Long enough to get you out of here and seek reinforcements from Linnshire. Long enough to hopefully save that nearby town of faefolk.He glares at the nearest greshhlin while continuing to swirl his hand in the air. The creature sneers at us and reveals its sharp yellow teeth.

Kaiden hurls a beam of blue light at two of the greshhlins that have moved side-by-side, and it expands around them and prevents them from coming any closer. Immediately, Kaiden concentrates on the blue cage of light and causes it to shimmer. The aroma of honeysuckle fills the air. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I muse that I love how he smells when he’s wielding his Summer Court powers.

I notice that the greshhins trapped in the ward aren’t translucent in the ussha glow anymore. They look quite solid. They look like old, rotting creatures that are still somehow able to walk the lands. Creatures whose souls the gods forgot to extract and send to the afterlife. Whether the beings I’m staring at have souls, I’m not certain, but I sense their wickedness. Their absolute corruption.

From my peripheral vision, I notice the other two greshhlins coming closer. Still clutching my hand, Kaiden spins to face them and emits a thunderous growl. However, I don’t turn to meet the free greshhlins. Instead, I focus on the trapped ones. The two smaller creatures that are contained in the ward my mate just erected.

They look dead, rotting, and they’re now entirely solid in appearance.

I gaze at the glowing plant life, and my fear starts to subside. From death comes life. From rot comes growth. I find myself wishing the nearest trees and shrubs were sustained by the most fertile soil. I find myself wishing that they would take everything they might need to grow taller and stronger.

Ear-splitting screams rend the night, and Kaiden pauses in his ward creation. He glances at me but keeps one eye on the approaching greshhlins.

What is happening inside the ward, little nymph?His tone brims with disbelief but also a sense of awe.Their aura is fading. I can feel it. What are you doing?

Nourishing the forest. Finish making that second ward and I’ll show you.

Holy gods, I can scarcely comprehend what I’m doing. Simply by wishing the soil was more fertile, the greshhlins within the ward are becoming smaller, shrinking before my very eyes. Their expressions are twisted with terror. They know they’re being destroyed. They know they’re beingconsumed.

I release Kaiden’s hand and step away so I can caress a tree. During my time on the road, I’ve found that my wishes for the plants are more quickly met when I touch and speak to them.

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