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Onyx moves back a boulder and pulls out a quiver and bow. He strings the bow--not the Robin Hood type he would’ve made from a tree branch and some sort of string. Definitely not from the woods, but one from Cabellas or Bass Pro. It’s fancy. Black. A composite. He has a mechanical pull and a hand trigger along with his black glove. Certainly, it isn’t what I expected.
“You use human weapons?”
Phantom’s mouth draws into a thin line. “Some of our men have ventured further into the human world to seek help in our war.”
“War with who?”
But they aren’t listening to me. They’re preparing for battle. That’s what the signing must have meant.
I imagine any minute one of them will be accompanying me “into the woods.” And byaccompanying, I mean drag me out there for my own safety. Probably Dusk. Actually, I hope it’s Dusk. Onyx seems to dislike me, and Phantom, well, he’s a bit more intimidating compared to his brother.
And like I’m sending telepathic messages to him, Dusk, the man not the time of day, locked and loaded with weaponry, turns to me and moves as if he’s going to come to collect me. But I don’t give him the chance. I walk out of the cave past him, then turn. “Well, let’s get on with it, shall we?”
If I have to go out somewhere with him, it should be on my terms, even though we both know it isn’t. Nothing has been on my terms for a while now, not from the moment I met them anyway. So, this feels like a small way I can take back some of my power and remind these three that I’m not going to just lay down and accept this whole “mate” thing, nor the idea that I can never go home.
They all give me a look of surprise, but Phantom’s gaze turns to one of pleasure. Onyx, on the other hand, somehow seems even more pissed off.What is it with this guy?
Dusk just grins. “I’ll show you the way.”
He guides me deeper into the woods and away from the cave. I don’t know where the others are or why I’m being led away, but the air is thick with tension. Whatever bravery I felt a minute ago starts to fade, and my heart races. I’ve felt this way before. During the little bit of time before the light fae attacked the dark fae.
A battle is coming.
When we’ve gone a few hundred yards, he pulls me into a crouch beside him. He leans away from me, and I can almost feel his heart pounding as fast as mine is. I want to ask him what he’s doing, but I don’t want to bring any more trouble down on my head.
I turn to look into the woods where he’s looking. I narrow my eyes, and my stomach suddenly flips. I stand, feeling strange, almost like I’m walking in a dream, because there’s an incredible light, and I’m drawn to it. It’s a glow. A beacon, calling out to me, drawing me in. I edge closer, and now Dusk follows me, his hand on my shoulder.
He glances at me. “Holy shit.”
And I know exactly what he’s saying. The closer I get to it, the brighter the light gets, the sharper the glow. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s beautiful and mesmerizing.
Dusk stands staring, mouth agape, eyes wide.
“What is it?”
He doesn’t speak. Maybe he doesn’t know either.
And neither of us have time to figure it out, because behind us we hear the sounds of battle: men grunting and the clashing of swords. Dusk picks up the glowing piece--a stone maybe--and we race back to the cave, or near it, where the battle has begun without us.
I follow him because I’m drawn to that glow like a lifeforce. I don’t know what it is, but it’s incredible, and I’m not letting it out of my sight.
Nor do I want to be left alone at night, in the woods, with enemies around me.
SEVEN
Dusk
Grave trolls. Rot monkeys.All the bastards have arrived with the darkness, just as we expected, just as theyalwaysdo, only there’s more in our area than usual. For a minute I wonder if they’re starting to narrow in on where we live, but I push the thought aside.We’re always careful.
And I don’t have to guess what they’re doing out of the Void. Or what comes along with their arrival. The monkeys--and there are three of them--run when I come near.
Typical. The trolls are sent here to fight us. But the monkeys? Those little assholes are here for trouble, and only trouble. I just wish they weren’t so damn fast, or I’d kill more of the bastards.
“This way,” I whisper to Ann, switching directions.
She stumbles, and I grasp her arm, pulling her along. But as beautiful as she is, as brave as she is, she’s much slower than my kind. Dragging her along with me is definitely harder than just leaving her behind, not that I would. I’m tasked with keeping her safe, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try to stop the monkeys.
Especially after what I just saw with the moon shard...
