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Yichen silently sighed and changed his annoyed stare to an eye roll at Rei’s back. “Can you not do that?”
“What?”
Yichen grabbed the tree branch Rei had released and lifted it enough to duck under as they continued their trek through the woods. “Guess that I’m annoyed and glaring at you without looking over your shoulder to see it.”
Twigs and dried leaves crunched underfoot as they moved between the trees. A nearly full moon darted in and out behind passing clouds, offering them hints of white light to gild their path. Not that either of them needed it. As a vampire, Yichen was accustomed to traveling at night, and his sharpened night vision helped.
And then there was the elf.
The forest was Rei’s home, whether he was in the human realm or the fae. His vision was sharper than any human’s, and it was up for debate whether it was better than a vampire’s.
Rei turned his head toward his shoulder, probably just enough to glimpse Yichen from the corner of his eye. His cheek lifted, rounding so Yichen knew the asshole was smirking. “I don’t need to see it to know you’re grumpy. I can feel your glare.”
“Whatever,” Yichen muttered. He dropped his eyes to the ground, sidestepping what appeared to be a large hole.
The heat of the day was fading from the air, leaving it with a comfortable chill. They both dressed in jeans and black hoodies to help them blend in with the shadows. Not that it was going to help much when it came to the fae hunting them, but they’d take whatever little assistance they could find.
Even though he wore their clothes, Rei couldn’t pass as a human if the person was paying attention to him. He didn’t move like a human—but rather, he carried himself with a fluid grace that was mesmerizing. There was also the bow strapped to his back and a small quiver of arrows dangling from his hip.
No, definitely not the average human.
Not that it mattered. They were staying as far from humans as they could. It was safer for everyone if they didn’t involve the humans.
Vampires, shifters, witches, and the fae were all the stuff of fairy tales to the humans. Pulling aside the veil would probably make their collective heads explode.
“How much farther is it?” Yichen asked as they reached the top of the hill they’d been climbing. He picked up his pace enough to walk beside his companion. They stepped through a break in the trees, allowing the moonlight to caress Rei’s sharp features and bright-green eyes.
Rei’s lips tilted up. “Are you tired or simply bored?”
“Neither. I don’t enjoy being out in the woods any longer than necessary,” Yichen hissed.
The elf’s smile faded. “You know I’ll protect you.”
“It’s not about protection. It’s dangerous for either of us to be out here.” He poked Rei in the shoulder with one finger. “We’re being watched, aren’t we?”
“A little.”
Yichen groaned and clenched his hands into fists. “A little? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
The smirk busted out in full force across Rei’s handsome but too-pale face. “That we’re being watched by something little?”
Not laughing. Not laughing. Not laughing.
“I swear on all of my ancestors, one of these nights, I’m punching you and breaking your nose,” Yichen threatened, but it did nothing to Rei’s grin. If Rei wasn’t overly concerned about it, though, it meant they had some time before things became dangerous.
Neither of them were up for confronting the king or queen of the fae alone. Rei was recovering from being away from nature for too long. They’d rented a temporary residence in downtown Hartford, where the fae were less likely to venture, thanks to tons and tons of concrete surrounding them. All members of the fae needed nature to survive. Unfortunately, while the concrete forest of skyscrapers protected them from attack, it also took a toll on Rei. And visiting the nearly wooded park wasn’t cutting it any longer. The elf next to him was running on empty and desperately needed a recharge.
To add insult to injury, Yichen wasn’t at full strength either, as he was recovering from his recent poor eating habits.
But he trusted the elf to not take unnecessary risks with their lives when it came to the king and queen of the fae. Rei wasn’t stupid.
“Mother has sent some of her favorite spies to follow us,” Rei reported. A broad smile continued to linger on the elf’s lips, but all the warm amusement had drained from his gaze, hardening his eyes into an icy green. “Red caps and brownies. Do you remember?”
“I remember,” Yichen bit out as one hand drifted to his waist to slide free a throwing dagger tucked away in the front pocket of his hoodie. There was no forgetting those tiny beasts.
Red caps and brownies were both small, spindly figures who stood well under a meter tall with fingers like claws and teeth that more closely resembled a shark’s. The major difference was that red caps wore slouchy red hats that were almost mushroom shaped. Brownies possessed bright-yellow eyes like a cat’s and were lightning fast.
Thanks to their size and speed, they made for excellent spies.
