Irving’s fingers tighten. “A fairy…or a will-o-wisp?”
I pause mid-step and take a sharp breath. “I don’t know.”
“Irving!” Galinor calls from the horses.
I don’t see anything glowing now—no sign of fairies or their malevolent cousins. “I might have been seeing things.”
“Anwen, don’t move.” Irving’s voice is suddenly low and controlled.
I look around, my movements frantic. “What is it?”
He pulls me behind him, and we slowly back up the way we came.
“I don’t see anything,” I whisper.
A breeze rustles through the leaves in the trees, but there are no signs of any animals—not even a bird. At this hour, they should be chattering in the trees.
We keep our movements slow and steady, and thankfully, nothing appears to follow us.
“Irving,” Galinor calls again, growing impatient.
Irving nudges me. “Get back to the horses.”
Danver is at my feet, nervous. I scoop him up. Instead of going to Irving’s horse, I hold my hand out to Galinor, who is closer.
Irving continues to scan the forest, but I still don’t see anything. When he turns back, he nods to Galinor. “Let’s keep moving.”
We continue but hear nothing more. After a while, I relax.
“What happened back there?” Galinor asks.
“I thought I saw a fairy.” I twist to look at him. “Irving thought it might have been a will-o-wisp.”
He taps my shoulder. “You ran back to me when you got spooked?”
I grin. “You’re my protection, remember?”
A smile plays at the corner of his lips. “Yes, I remember.”
“Did you see anything?”
“No.” He looks at something in front of us, and his eyes widen with recognition. “But I see something now.”
I turn back to the front. There, towering over the clearing in front of us, is the eldentimber tree.
“You found it,” I whisper.
The gold leaves shimmer in the afternoon light, and a few swirl in the breeze around us.
Something is missing.
I turn back to Galinor. “Where are the fairies? Do you need to summon them?”
His face falls, and he looks irritated with himself again. “They should be here.”
We wait in silence, watching for something. Anything.
“Hello?” I call, my frustration rising. “If you’re there…” My voice falters. “Please.”
