Page 14 of The Iron Fae
“I think I’m going to puke.” I manage, still clinging to the saddle.
I expect an annoyed sigh or even the complaint that I’ve ruined the hunt all together. It’s what my ex-boyfriend Collin would have done. Collin probably would have even considered pushing me from the horse and letting me find my way back to the castle through the dense forest just so he could have some fun.
“Close your eyes,” Kai says firmly.
“Wh—”
“Just do it. I’ll tell you when you can open again.”
I take a deep breath, to calm the urge to yak inside my lap, then close my eyes. Kai shifts, the snap of his fingers followed by an even louder crack. Adrenaline still pulses inside my veins, making each inhale shaky. There is a final cheer from the other Fae.
The horse turns, pointing us in the opposite direction. We ride in silence for a few paces before Kai softly says, “You can open your eyes now.”
We sway together with every revolution of the horse’s steps. There is an unfamiliar tang to the air. I don’t dwell on the thought.
“Thank you.” Is all I can offer.
“Don’t worry about it. Mind if we take the scenic route so you have time to calm before we head back for supper?”
“That sounds lovely. What about the… panther?”
“Michael and Nicholai will happily take care of it. They’ll carry him off and have his pelt cleaned and shown off in one of their homes. I’d rather not listen to them bicker about who gets to keep the animal anyway.”
“Do you not want the pelt?” My shoulders fall away from my ears.
“No.” He laughs. “What am I going to do with it? We’ve got enough rugs.”
“Oh.”
The line of trees starts to thin and I can see the break of the canopy allowing the sun to shine freely not too far ahead. The noise of the forest has returned with the panther’s death. A delicate wind cools my sheen of sweat.
“So tell me about yourself, Briar Anders.” Kai smiles over my shoulder. “It seems my brother’s gotten to know you but now you’re with me and there isn’t much more to you than the fact that you prefer jeans to dresses and are impeccably mortal.”
I send him a wary glance. What is there to say? What would he even care to know?
“What do you want to know?”
“What was your home like in the mortal world?” His tone is sincerely curious.
“I lived in an apartment. It was small, kind of falling apart, but it was mine which was all that mattered.”
“An apartment?”
“It’s a large building with separate living spaces that contain a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area. Multiple families or people share the entire building.”
“Like an Inn?” Kai offers, grasping at the forgotten bits of the human world. “It truly has been far too long since I’ve ventured into the mortal realm. It’s probably much different than I remember it.”
“Like an Inn except you don’t rent the room for a night, you live there. And the space is much larger.” I pause. “Lincoln thought the same thing. Why don’t you visit the mortal world often? Is it because there is no magic like there is here?”
“Ah, no, the lack of magic doesn’t bother me. Humans can be quite fun.” We break through the end of the forest, reappearing in the long valley. “It’s more so that there are many realms that can be visited. I have others that are more cherished or favored.”
“H-how many are there?”
“Quite a few actually.” He chews on his lip. “There is this realm that is pretty strictly filled with Trolls. They make the best food. Amazing dining. Then there is another realm that is more a hodgepodge of species, but their technology is… advanced. It confuses me, but it’s very intriguing and fun.”
“You don’t worry about these other realms?”
“Why would I?”
