Page 113 of The Fae Girl 1

I shut my eyes as if I could shut it all out. Part of me wanted to yank on the reins, to turn the horse right around and refuse to go any further.

Most of the soldiers stayed back at the town’s perimeter and only Fain, Indi, Nela, and I rode into what would have been the town itself.

We rode past what should have been the gatehouse but was now just a mass of blackened stone, and had to weave the horses through the rubble.

Fain signalled for us to stop and dismount, offering me a hand from my horse. I took it deciding it was better than falling face first into all the death around me but I avoided his gaze.

I didn’t know why he’d brought me here, what the hell this was but I didn’t like it one bit.

As soon as I was on the ground I walked past him. Keeping my eyes ahead. I had to pull up my cloak around my face to prevent myself from choking on the ash that seemed to fill the air.

It felt like there was an eerie silence all around. Like this place had been so tainted even the birds refused to sing here. Even the animals refused to live here. It set my teeth on edge.

As I walked I could feel Fain’s eyes on me, watching me. I shuddered, wanting to get away, to look away but refusing to give into whatever he was trying to do.

The streets were strewn with rubble. The charred remains of what once would have been people’s lives was lying everywhere covered in that god awful ash.

A wooden toy lay half burnt in in front of me and I bent down to pick it up. But my fingers touched it I gasped recoiling.

I could feel the magic, taste the magic, see the pattern of what had done it.

My stomach twisted, bile was filling my throat and I ran, trying to find somewhere to be sick without everyone seeing.

I barely made it round a corner before I fell on my knees throwing up.

All I could feel was the remnants of dark magic lingering around me. I tried to control my own, tried to calm what was churning inside, reacting to it. My heart was pounding. My head felt like someone was squeezing my brain.

I stumbled back to my feet, forcing myself to move, to walk.

Ahead, beyond the blackened line of stones which once would have marked the town’s end there was nothing.

Not ash. Not death.

Nothing but fields and trees. And life.

I blinked. Even the air felt clearer. As if it were paradise calling to me.

Suddenly I wanted to run, to really run. After everything that had happened, I realised this might be my chance.

This moment right here.

I could actually escape, I could actually get free of them all. It was like my freedom was right there, just across the way.

It was touching distance from me.

I took a small step forward and something made me pause. If I left now, if I ran, then what would stop something like Seford from happening again?

I bit my lip. Was it really my responsibility to help them? To fight this? I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want any of it. But after seeing it, after feeling it, I didn’t think I could just walk away.

But did they even my help? After the way they’d treated me why should I sacrifice myself for them? Why should I help?

I snarled conflicted.

Where could I go? Jelric had told me that I couldn’t return to my own world, that no Fae ever returned, so if I did run I’d achieve nothing from it.

I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know where I was. If I ran I’d only end up in more danger, but if I stayed.

I hung my head and sighed realising that, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t leave now.

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