“Well, the Skythari Nomads have managed to stay hidden this entire time, haven’t they?” I pause, giving Raiden a pointed look. “I didn’t mention it because you wouldn’t have rested. You need to rest, Batman—you’re running on fumes.”
Raiden grunts in response. I glance back at the fae woman who watches our exchange, a faint, unreadable smile tugging at the corner of her lips as if she finds our banter amusing—or maybe just curious. It’s hard to tell with her, with all of them, really.
The other fae remain silent, but their eyes glimmer with that same intensity, as if we’re all pieces of some puzzle they’re trying to decipher.
“You are different from other high fae. Who are you?”
“My name is Everly. I’m the last true blood druid heir. I’ve come seeking your help.”
The fae woman raises an eyebrow in surprise. “The princess died along with her family many years ago.”
A cold sweeps through me at her words, and images of my mother’s last moments flash through my mind.
“Mother, please!” I cry, clawing at her arms. “Don’t leave me.”
She shakes me firmly to get my attention. “Everly, listen. You have to go.”
I stop crying and feel the warmth of my mother’s gaze as I look into her moss green eyes. So many emotions flicker through them as she stares at me.
“I’m so sorry, Everly.”
The sounds of howls fill the night air, and the horses draw nearer. Mother spins around, drawing her sword. She slowly looks around, her eyes carefully scanning the area. Spinning back to me swiftly, she places a tender kiss on my forehead before whispering words in an old, forgotten language. Pulling back, her eyes fill with tears, and I feel the pressure of her hands on my chest as she pushes me away. I stumble backward, my hand instinctively reaching for her as I fall. I watch in horror as an arrow pierces her chest and blood instantly spreads across the front of her dress.
Then I’m falling.
The world around me slips away, and I fall through the ground. I fall for only a few seconds before I am suddenly lying in a grassy meadow, the sun’s heat warming my skin.
I shake my head, trying to dispel the images. “My mother sent me through the Faerie gate into the human world, sealing it closed behind me.” I drop my gaze. “I came back through the gate two months ago, and have slowly been gaining my memories back.”
The woman is silent for a long moment. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
“I’m telling the truth. I was sent to find you; I need your help.”
“Who sent you?”
I hesitate.
The fae woman crosses her arms and waits.
“Ancient spirits and the guardians of the land guide her,” Nero’s voice sounds from behind me.
A gasp rings out among the group and the woman steps closer, her arms dropping. “You spoke to the Guardians?”
Their reactions prevent me from turning and questioning Nero.
“Yes.” I can sense the others coming to stand closer, and the group in front of me shifts uneasily.
“We have only come looking for aid. The Shadoweaver has taken the king of the unseelie fae hostage. We need your help to rescue him. Can you take me to your chief?”
The group exchanges uncertain glances, their eyes flicking toward one another. A quiet tension hums in the air. Finally, the one in charge turns her attention back to me, her gaze unreadable.
“Please,” I say, my voice catching slightly before I steel it. “Just let him hear me out. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t important.”
The woman’s face softens for only a second but I see it. “I will take you to our chief and he will discuss this with you. From what we’ve witnessed, you seem like good people.” Her eyes harden slightly. “Don’t make me regret this.”
I hold my hands up. “You won’t.”
The fae woman turns, her movements smooth and graceful. “My name is Iridessa.” Her voice is like the crackle of ice in the wind. She stops and turns slightly, gesturing to the fae standing beside her, nearly a mirror image save for her hair, which is intricately braided into dozens of tiny plaits. “And this is my sister, Onora. If you have any questions, you will direct them to us.”
