Page 101 of Lore of the Wilds

“I’ll be down in just a moment, I promise. When you see the kids, take them to the tunnels. Don’t wait for us. We’ll meet you there.”

She could tell he was unhappy with this plan, but he trusted her enough not to argue. He tore his gaze from her and looked at Finndryl, something new in his eyes, something Lore couldn’t quite place. “Protect her,” he said.

Finndryl placed his hand on Lore’s shoulder. “I will.”

“I know.”

Lore would have to unpack this moment between Asher and Finn later. Shelving it, she turned and ran up the steps toward the children. Finn kept pace at her side.

Ahead was the door, just as she’d seen it in her projected dream state. Though it had been locked from the outside with a padlock, the lock was nowhere to be seen now.

A cold chill went up her back and she slowed her pace. She couldn’t see any magical wards on this door; there was nothing that would hurt her if she touched the handle. Still, sudden feeling of unease or not, she didn’t have a choice.

The door swung open on silent hinges, and she saw the children. Milo and Katu were no longer sleeping, but were now awake. She stepped toward them, already opening her arms to embrace them, when Katu shook his head, just slightly, and looked over her right shoulder.

She turned, just in time to see two winged soldiers advancing, their swords raised high.

Behind them, standing in the shadows, was the steward.

Chapter32

“Did you really think we were just going to let you take them? After we spent so long getting them here?” the steward asked, his voice dripping with malice.

His signature haughty tone made Lore want to gouge his eyes out with her thumbs.Goddess, of course he’s behind this.

“I’m taking them all with me,” she said.

“You’re a sneaky little bug, aren’t you? I couldn’t seem to get my hands on you after you ran and took the one thing of worth in that godsforsaken library.” He took a step toward her, his fancy slippers at odds with the filthy tower floor. “What I can’t understand is how you knew the book was anything special. I was told it was spelled to appear blank.”

He must not have known the book had called to her. That it had chosen her. How much did he know?

Lore rearranged her face to be emotionless. Better to leave him guessing.

“Tell your soldiers to stand down. You can’t have any of us! We are not yours to take!”

The steward stepped forward between the two soldiers until he was in front of her and Finndryl.

“Oh, don’t play the fool. I know you have the book. Syrelleunderestimated you—he didn’t realize that the human he sent into the library would have her own motive. I told him. I said all humans were liars and thieves, little better than vermin who couldn’t help themselves. They always want what they don’t deserve.” His eyes lit with fevered hate.

Lore’s stomach churned. But it was best to keep him talking while she figured out a plan to get the children out. “Weneverdeserved this.” She cast her arm out around the filthy tower, the captured children.

The steward laughed. “You are right. You don’t deserve the time or attention that cowardly excuse for a lord, Syrelle, gave you. Our race is on the brink of extinction, and he wanted to fix the problem by chasing after abook. One that we weren’t sure even existed. But I had another plan. All I needed was the threat of war from the south. Do you know what another war would do to our numbers? The dark fae would be wiped out—and the king knows it. He gave up on his useless nephew’s plans and finally invested in mine. We don’t need the magic of a long-dead alchemist when your kind were there all along, just a carriage ride away.”

Lore felt sick. The steward was walking toward her, his arms outstretched in pride. “The answer was simple, really. We will use the human women to carry the next generation—eventually we can breed out the stain in the blood. And in the meantime, we will raise the children to fill our barracks and secure our borders. You reach fighting age in no time at all, we will blink and the next batch of soldiers will be ready. Our precious youth need not go to war when we can train the human children and half-breeds to do it for us.”

“You’re mad if you think we will let you get away with this.”

He smiled at her protest and barked at the soldiers behind him. “Cut the vermin down and bring her pack to me. I think I’ll take the book for myself.”

The soldiers approached.

“Wait for my signal, Katu,” she whispered, eyes never straying from the soldier advancing toward her.

The sight of his gray wings punched horror through her entire body. If he was hoping to intimidate her with them, it was working.

She retreated a step, keeping the pointy end of her sword between them. She didn’t have anywhere to go. Another step and she risked the children behind her.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” Finndryl moved in front of Lore. “If you want to keep your ability to fly, you’ll disregard the steward’s orders. Take another step toward her or any of the children and it will be your last.” Finndryl’s voice was a purr, but heavy with the promise of violence.

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