Damien.
Why was I thinking about Damien? Just the thought of his touch sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t even like the bastard… right? Right.
Even a child could tell I was trying to convince myself more than anything, but that was a conversation for another day.
“No more thoughts about the psychotic third prince, Cat,” I muttered to myself. “Get your head in the game.”
Life teemed in the forest. A chorus of birds chirped from hidden perches and small creatures scurried through the underbrush. A sweet, unfamiliar fragrance hung in the air, mingling with the earthy scent of moss and damp wood. It was a tantalizing aroma I couldn’t quite place, which only added to the forest's mystique and allure. As I ventured deeper, the natural sounds of the forest enveloped me, creating a sense of isolation from the world I left behind.
Garrick had suggested I walk in a straight line so I could easily find my way back to the entrance. He also gave me a pocketknife, claiming that while it wouldn’t be much help in fighting off the fae, it could help in other ways. I marked an X on a few of the trees as a guide just in case my straight walking idea didn’t pan out. I didn’t trust my sense of direction in this new world in which I’d found myself.
My sense of time eked away as the sun disappeared completely. I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. After what felt like hours of walking, I still hadn’t encountered any fae and started to doubt whether they lived in this forest, after all. But I really started to worry when I stumbled across my X’d trees.
That was when I realized I was walking in a circle.
“What the hell?” I spun around on my heels. “I just came from here!”
Narrowing my eyes at the seemingly never-ending forest around me, I carved another X below the first one and continued on my way. This time, I headed in a different direction, attempting to avoid the tree altogether, when I came upon the tree with two X’s again.
“Fuck!” I shouted. Someone was playing a trick on me. “Come out! Whoever you are, come out!”
No sounds. Dead silence.
That was what gave them away. I no longer heard rustling leaves or chirping birds. There was nothing but stillness. I didn’t know much about fae, but even from the storybooks in my world, they were known as tricksters. This had to be an illusion.
Hiking up the skirt of my dress, I plopped down on the ground and sat cross legged. “I’m not moving until you come out!” I yelled. “I can stay here all day,” I lied. “I have the patience of a saint.” Another lie.
I closed my eyes, placed my hands on my knees, and took deep, calming breaths. I really couldn’t sit there all day, and Idid not, in fact, have the patience of a saint, but I hoped that whoever was trying to fool me would blink first. I could play along for a while.
Half an hour passed with no movement as I sat and continued my meditative yoga. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound on my left. I stayed perfectly still and waited, knowing they would make themselves known soon.
“What’s a human doing in my forest?” a male said, sounding much closer than I was comfortable with. Like, literally a hair’s breadth away from my left ear.
It took everything within me not to flinch. I did, however, wiggle my nose. “I’ve been waiting for you,” I whispered.
He chuckled, the sound husky and deep. “Well, that’s a first. Your kind usually runs from mine. Tell me, little human, what is it that you seek from me?”
I slowly opened my eyes, but didn’t turn in his direction. From my peripheral vision, I saw he was squatted beside me a little too close for comfort. “Information.”
He tilted his head. “Oh?” he said curiously. “The fae are bound within these lands. What sort of information could wepossiblyhave that you may need, little human?”
“A song,” I calmly answered. “About travelers from another world.”
There was a lengthy pause and I was tempted to look at him, but I resisted.
“Well?” I pushed after the quiet had stretched on.
“Let’s make a deal,” he offered quietly.
I turned to face him, not realizing how close our faces were. “No!” I exclaimed. Leaning back on my hands, my eyes widened and I gasped.
His beauty struck me like a physical force that momentarily rendered me speechless. The fae before me was an embodiment of otherworldly allure, blending exquisite features with anunmistakably masculine air. His skin was flawless, pale as moonlight and emitting a soft luminescence that highlighted the sharp contours of his chiseled face. His cheekbones were high and well-defined, leading to a strong jawline that spoke of subtle strength, not just grace.
His eyes, a rare and startling shade of violet, held depths like twilight skies, shimmering with specks of silver that danced with the shifting light. He regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, his gaze so intense, it felt as though he could pluck every thought I dared to entertain directly from my mind.
But it was his hair that ensnared my attention. Gossamer strands flowed like a cascade of pure white silk, long and unbound, over his shoulders and down to his hips. Each movement caused it to shift, catching light and shadow in a mesmerizing dance. His ears, slightly pointed at the tips, peeked through the strands, completing the ethereal image.
He was dressed entirely in white, his clothes made of what appeared to be finely woven spider silk that subtly shimmered in the forest’s filtered light. The fabric moved fluidly as if it was a second skin, tailored to accentuate the precise grace of his movements.
