“Interesting.”
“As for the Seer, as far as I know, nobody has heard from him since.”
At this point, we reached the top of the hill and found Seer Goddard’s now-abandoned hut. Our conversation lapsed as we came to a stop. The one bonus of coming here was the sense of comfort associated with this area.
It was where I’d spent hours upon hours in my early training days, focusing on nothing but my roots and my powers. It was, truly, where I’d begun to come into my own as a Fae Queen. It was where I’d visited The Glade. Where I’d met Seer Goddard. Where I’d first used my magic on command.
That small gravel circle, now buried beneath layers of snow, felt like a haven of good memories and hard ones, breakthroughs and disappointments. I’d experienced a lot in this tiny location.
And just beyond the rose garden was the patch of earth I’d healed. The patch of earth I’d healed on the day that Seer Goddard had decided to train me. Today, I hoped to do more than heal a tiny patch. I hoped to heal my island.
I stood where the circle lay hidden and pushed the snow outward in a big wave, revealing the familiar gravel beneath. Once the snow was cleared, I sat and pulled out my Fae book. My fingers felt like frozen logs as I opened to the spell I’d found to help me enchant the snow.
I studied the spell, cemented it to memory. I read it through, time and time again, taking just as long as I thought I could spare, and not a second longer. When I was confident I had the spell memorized to completion, I looked up.
“Something happened,” I said instinctively when I saw Ranger Z’s face tight with worry. A glance at Silas told me he knew, too. “What is it?”
“They’ve all solidified,” Ranger Z said. “The flesh-weaving spell is complete, and the spirits are taking solid form as they cross onto our lands. We don’t have long before it’s a full-fledged attack.”
Ranger Z’s eyes glowed a shade of gold that reminded me of a piece of information Lily had shared with me. Her cousin’s skills allowed her to turn into animals, and her most favored form was a jaguar. The way the tension bunched in a feline way in Zin’s shoulders, I could tell that, like Silas, she would prefer not to be here on a mountaintop guarding me, but down with her fellow Rangers on the front line.
Her sacrifice to be here with me made me even more determined to ensure this was worth her while. That it was worth everyone’s while.
“That means we could be interrupted at any time,” Silas said. “And if we are, Alessia, don’t stop what you’re doing. Let us handle it.”
I returned my attention to the textbook, knowing I needed to get started on the enchantment. However, the second I did, I felt it. The drumbeat in my chest that sounded like the thrumof hooves against the ground. The vibration of several creatures headed this way—large, angry creatures.Solidcreatures.
“Behind the hut!” I leapt to my feet. “They’re coming.”
By the time I was standing, the riders had made their way into our line of sight. Five of them, all on mounts. Fortunately, we’d set up shop off the beaten track from the largest portals and swatches of charred lands, so for now, the numbers attacking us appeared to be limited. It sounded from Zin’s intel like the larger attacks were coming from the south and northwest corners of the island.
But five riders charging at us was more than enough. We were certainly outnumbered.
As the riders charged at us, I noted their forms were mostly solid, but not true flesh. They flickered when they moved too fast, like the spell hadn’t completely set just yet. They didn’t slow down, didn’t show any sign of fear, didn’t show any spot of weakness. They simply charged at us, driving spears downward with angry jabs.
I ducked, driving my dagger into the thigh of the first rider seconds before I would’ve been trampled. As I yanked my blade away and rolled out of the way of the pounding hooves, I felt the hoofbeats stop suddenly, the sound and vibrations simplygone.
When I scrambled to my feet, there was no sign of the rider or his steed. My blade had vanquished him in his entirety, and as I watched Silas spike another with his blade, the same thing happened. No blood, no gore, just thin air.
A cry from Ranger Z had me turning to see two riders attacking her from both sides. She’d been hit in the head by one of them, and blood was streaming down her face. She tried to get up, stumbled, and in seconds, Silas was at her side slashing at one rider. Zin recovered in time to toss a potion at the second rider that sizzled him into oblivion in a fireworks display of sparks and smoke.
Once all the riders and their horses had been dealt with, we stood around silently, breathing heavily for a long moment. Zin wiped angrily at the blood on her face, and seemed annoyed when it didn’t stop but merely smeared.
“They’ll be all across the island soon,” I said, fear gripping my belly. “If you combine that with the reports of crimson lycanthropes coming from the north and the south…”
Silas was already scanning for more spirits, anxious and alert.
“It’s best we keep moving forward with our plan.” I swiftly returned to my little patch of stones and sat.
There was no sign of a scuffle except some bits of matted snow and wherever Zin’s blood had dripped. No major carnage, considering the sheer bulk that had been five riders not moments before. It was eerie, how they had seemed so threatening one moment and were simply gone the next.
“Are you okay?” Silas approached me while Ranger Z backed away to a higher vantage point on the hill and took up patrol. “I know how you feel about…killing.”
“I didn’t kill anything.” My mouth felt dry, my voice hoarse. “It’s no different than when you took me hunting. I can’t kill what isn’t alive.”
Silas nodded, wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me to him. He kissed me—long and deep. In it, I felt everything. Passion. Forgiveness. Possession, and with it the certainty that I belonged to him.
I set my hands on his chest and wiped a trace of blood from his cheek, probably Ranger Z’s. Then I sucked in a deep breath and nodded, signaling to him that it was time. Silas backed away, joining Zin on the perimeter to guard for more spirits while I set to work on my enchantment.
