Page 40 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

Eleven

I foundmyself walking back to Blue and Presley’s place. It was one of the only human-looking houses in the forest, since the majority of the fae seemed to prefer caves or treehouses.

They were both sitting on top of the slanted roof of the house, their legs dangling over the edge and their heads tipped back so the rain would land on their faces.

“What are you doing?” I called out to them.

“Living!” Blue yelled back. “Come join us!”

I hesitated.

Presley waved me toward them, so I walked over. They had a smooth wooden ladder attached to the building, and it looked like it was a part of the structure.

Though I wasn’t entirely certain it was safe, I climbed up. They had carved the ladder steps a bit, making it rough enough that I didn’t slip.

When I reached the top of the ladder, I realized the roof of the building was rough too. They must’ve made a habit out of sitting up there, since they’d bothered making it grippy enough that they wouldn’t slide off.

I’d never had a conversation with either of the women, as far as I could remember. But I tended to keep to myself unless I absolutely had to socialize.

“Doesn’t the rain feel nice?” Blue called. She was beside me, and Presley was beside her.

“I guess.” I tilted my head back like the other two women were doing, my eyes and mouth closed to the rain falling on us. Because it was being filtered through the trees, it wasn’t falling steadily at all. There would be multiple drips, and then big gushes. It was weird, but sort of refreshing too.

“You look stressed,” Presley noted, after a few calm, quiet minutes had passed. Though I was still stressing a little, the quiet peace of the moment had relaxed me.

“I formed a temporary bond with Aev,” I admitted. “As friends.”

Blue said, “Yeah, everyone knows.”

“Oren told me that I need to break it before I hurt him.”

Presley whistled. “Dick.”

“Is he, though? What if I’m wrong?”

“Oren thinks mate bonds are curses,” Blue said. When I looked at her, I found her already looking at me. “He told me he’s my fated mate, but he’s not willing to be destroyed by a bond. His words, not mine. I would take what he says with a grain of salt.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Her lips curved upward, and she turned her face back to the sky. I did the same, closing my eyes to the falling rain. “Life is beautiful here even when it’s shitty, don’t you think?”

“I do.” I let out a long, slow breath. “It’s hard to let go of the past, though.”

“Memories can be a real bitch,” Presley agreed.

“Amen,” Blue muttered.

I bit my lip for a moment before admitting, “I’m supposed to fly with someone, but I never have before. I don’t like touching people, let alone trusting them with my life that way.”

Both women lifted their heads so they could look at me, so I did the same and looked at them.

“I can fly you,” Presley said. “I spend a lot of time in the sky. I haven’t been flying for centuries like some of these bastards, but I do fly with the men a lot, and have had them putting me through drills and stuff. So I’m nowhere near a beginner.”

“I can’t ask you to risk your life,” I countered.

“You didn’t ask, I offered.”

When I hesitated, she added, “I’m not a basilisk or a life-bringer, and the guys won’t let me fly as a distraction with them, so carrying you would give me a way to help. And you wouldn’t have to be uncomfortable with some fae dude, so it’s a win-win situation.”

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