Page 62 of Wrath of the Fae

‘They’re supposed to be tiny and super rare. One spotted every thousand years or so. Not like that.’

We both stagger back as a loud groan trembles the ground. Tessa and I shuffle closer together as we watch these things.

‘What are they exactly?’ I ask, hiding my mouth and nose in the crook of my arm.

‘De-sert De-mons,’ she repeats slowly as if I'm stupid. ‘We have to go before they spot us.’

‘What are they, Tessa?’

‘Malevolent spirits that have existed deep below ground since the beginning of time. Can we go?!’

She frowns deeply, but I wait for more.

‘Legend says that they feed on anything they can get and turn it into sand, which they then use as their physical form. They fear joy and hope, so they sink deeper and deeper beneath the earth when they sense it. It’s why this city was built here all those years ago. A whole Kingdom filled with hopeful Fae to drive down the monsters that lurked below. Since Ivan emptied the Seventh Kingdom, they’ve returned. Without life, there was nothing and no one to stop them. Silence fell, so the demons returned.’ She gestures to the air in front of us. ‘Portal, if you don’t mind!’

‘I can’t,’ I reply. ‘You know I can’t.’

‘Well, you made one to get us here!’

‘Not on purpose. I have no idea what that black dust stuff was. It felt like I was pulled here.’

‘Pulled?’ She looks down and wipes blood from my nose. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I think so.’ I wipe the rest of the blood away, feeling my head throb hard from whatever just happened, and look ahead to the city's wreckage. ‘It’s here. The arch. That’s what’s pulled me here. I can feel it. Somewhere over there.’ I face her. ‘I think a monster came out of that fire mountain.’

‘I think so too.’

‘It knew my name.’

‘Yeah. I heard.’ She shoves her finger in her ear and jiggles.

‘Do you think Lucca and the kids are okay?’

‘I choose to think they are,’ she replies. ‘What do you say?’ She nods at the monsters ahead. ‘Shall we go and destroy that arch for good? Seeing as you were pulled here. Must have been for a reason. Fates and all that.’ She doesn’t wait for my answer and begins making plans.

I’m really starting to like this new Tessa.

‘Lady Hazel was mistress of the Seventh Kingdom,’ she tells me, nodding to the North of the city. ‘I heard her boast of the arch ruins at a banquet when I was a child. She said she built her bedroom above it, but that could have been a lie. I’ve not been here before, so I have no idea where to go. I’d imagine it would be the largest house or castle. We should find the biggest place and head to it.’

‘Well, considering the buildings are in ruins, and we can’t see beyond those Desert Demons, that’s easier said than done.’ I look out once more at the swirling vortexes and watch the gaping jaws sweep over the dancing sand caught in their grips. ‘Maybe we fly over them? I mean, the First Kingdom soldiers got in there. We can too.’

I admire her firm nod. Damn straight we can get past if they did.

‘They’re creatures of emotion,’ Tessa says. ‘They shy away from joy. From hope. Maybe they'll leave us alone if we walk through them with big smiles.’

‘Yeah. Because you’re nothing but smiles these days.’

Tessa slowly turns to glare at me.

‘You think you can rustle up some joy, Tessa?’ I ask, not hiding my sarcasm one bit.

‘Can you?’ she mocks before we both turn back to the demons. ‘Or are you too busy moping about Reid leaving you again to go fuck your best friend?’

‘You’re such a bitch.’

‘Feelings mutual,’ Tessa huffs, prying her feet from the sand they have sunk beneath. ‘I’ll send out some emotions to distract them whilst you try and get to the arch. They’ll sense it and come towards me. Destroy it or whatever, then come back here.’

‘Sounds good.’

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