Page 78 of Given to the Fae
‘I should do it,’ Morgan says, and I shake my head.
‘You can’t even see out of your left eye,’ I say with a chuckle. ‘Take a healing potion. Jak was able to find a few vials at a stall on the way to the Gate.’
Morgan grumbles but does as I say and I climb quickly up to the caverns. I conjure a bright orb of white light and put it inside of each cavern ahead of me, reaching out with my senses and my magick, to ensure it’s actually safe and there’s not some Dark Realm creature, or traveler lurking in the deeper recesses of the rock.
‘It’s safe,’ I call down when I find nothing, eyes widening when I let my conjured orb go out and I see that the cave walls are covered in tiny blue lights that glow in the darkness like stars.
I hear the others scuffling up. Bryn is first, followed by Jak and Morgan last. I help her onto the ledge and she looks out over the tall trees that span as far as the eye can see.
‘When will the sun set, do you think?’ she asks.
I shrug.
‘I’m not sure but perhaps there’s time to get some hunting in.’
I raise my brows at the others and Jak nods at my unspoken question. ‘I’ll go.’
Morgan stares at Bryn while her back is turned and his lips thin. I can’t read his expression, but he isn’t happy.
‘I will as well,’ he murmurs.
They both deposit their packs and go back down to release our horses while I cast a conjure to ensure the beasts don’t wander into danger.
I go through the packs while Bryn starts a fire in the pit at the mouth of the cave but realize quickly that one of our bags is missing.
I stifle a curse.
‘I’ll need to go back to the Gate,’ I say to her. ‘Do you want to come with me?’
She shakes her head, not really looking at me.
‘Are you all right?’ I ask.
She raises her head and her eyes follow my body oddly, flitting over me. She licks her lips, and I swallow hard. What is she doing?
‘Are you all right?’ I ask her again.
She nods. ‘Yes. Of course.’
She looks away again, her face red.
‘I’ll be back soon,’ I say. ‘Don’t go down to the ground while you’re alone.’
She nods again, all of her focus on getting the fire burning well, and I climb down.
I grab my horse and jump on his bare back, deciding that I don’t want to be gone for as long as it would take me to walk tothe Gate and back. I don’t want to leave her alone here for even that long.
I make it there quickly and see the missing pack just by the Ring. Leaning down, I swipe it from the ground without even leaving the stallion’s back, and head back the way I came. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the caves, jumping down from the steed and climbing up the rock quickly.
My heart is thudding hard in my chest even though I know I’ve not been gone long, and that my conjures on the surrounding area would have let me know if she’d left.
I’m just getting to the top when I hear a groan.
‘Bryn?’
I stop short as I see her. She’s on the stone floor. Her tunic has been discarded, and her shirt is opened to reveal her body.
‘What are you doing?’ I growl.
