Page 90 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

I take a step in the direction Ryland went when I feel a slight tug at my side.

Glancing down I find a young girl with brown sorrowful eyes. Something niggles at my senses, my eyes widening when I realize that she’s also Fae.

I bend down when a loud howl sounds out, followed by cries of pain. I glance over to the spot, but my view is still blocked by the larger gathering crowd.

Turning back to the girl, I find her no longer there. I quickly look around, pushing myself through the crowd but just like the old man that warned me, she’s already gone as if disappeared into thin air.

I turn around heading back towards Ryland to see if he can help me find her when a large hand wraps around my arm, yanking me sideways through the large crowd and into a small dark alleyway.

I’m jerked to a stop and whip around to face a man I’ve never met before. But with his dark clothing and the strange silver symbol, I know exactly who he is. A Hunter.

A moment of panic hits me before I remember I’m not as helpless as I once was.

Using the move Hook taught me, I twist my hand under his grip before yanking hard. The hard pull makes me stumble backwards but frees me from his grasp.

I move further back into the alley, quickly glancing around for another way out, my stomach dropping when I realize there is none. It’s a dead end and my only exit is through the Hunter.

I turn back to find his eyes full of anger on me. “You could have been something useful.”

“Useful for what?” I ask, trying to buy myself another moment to come up with a plan to get away from him.

I could fight him. Use the moves Hook taught me. But I had a feeling that once he got hold of me, it wouldn’t be so easy to escape that hold a second time.

Instead of answering me, he smiles at me. The kind of smile that’s ugly and twisted, before taking a step closer to me.

I quickly glance around for anything I can use as a weapon and find a chunk of dirty rock on the ground. I lunge for it just as he reaches me and freezes.

He frowns before his eyes widen in surprise. Before I get a chance to figure out what’s happening, an invisible force yanks him sideways straight into the wall beside us, knocking him out cold.

A shadow appears, followed by footsteps, revealing Hook and Ryland. Hook heads straight for me with a frown on his face.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

I immediately relax at seeing him and nod my reply, but he continues to search my face and body for any injuries.

“I’m fine. I had everything under control.” Lies I tell myself. But not a word came out shaky or broken so I take it as a win.

He smiles at me like he knows but doesn’t say any more on the subject.

Ryland appears behind him. He glances over at the Hunter lying on the ground and back to me before choking back a laugh.

“Mighty fine weapon of choice you have there,” Ryland’s gray eyes glimmer with humor.

“How about you come over here and see just howgoodof a weapon choice it is?” I raise a brow at him in a challenge. The side of the rock is jagged and with enough force I’m betting you could seriously maim someone if needed.

Ryland rolls his eyes at me, but I don’t miss the small tilt of his lips before he turns back to inspect the Hunter.

Hook gives me a look of amusement as he shakes his head. “You can put down the…weaponnow.”

I glance at the rock in my hands, realizing I’m still gripping it like a vice, ready to attack. Throwing it to the side, I wipe my palms before taking Hook’s outstretched hand.

He glances over at the Hunter with a glare while my mind runs over the last few minutes, wondering if there was anything I could have done to prevent being caught.

I was watchful of who came near me in the market. But there was something that distracted me. The girl... The Fae girl. I squeeze Hook’s hand and he instantly turns to me.

“There was a Fae girl here at the market. She looked like she wanted to ask me something but got frightened.”

Hook frowns as he shares a look with Ryland. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

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