Kalen
Tessa’s bravery would never cease to amaze me. She descended the rest of the cliff face without complaint. In fact, there was a glint in her eye despite the danger we might face. She was in her element out here, moving with dexterity and speed across the rocks. I’d known she was good—excellent, even. She wouldn’t have survived so long stealing those gemstones if she weren’t. But seeing it with my own eyes…moon be damned, she was breathtaking with her wild, fierce eyes and that curve of her lips as she deftly maneuvered past another jagged rock.
This woman was my wife. When all this was over, I would celebrate her the way she deserved.
We soon reached the ground, and as much as I wanted to keep watching her, I turned my focus to the dangerous path ahead. Eerie silence settled over us, and not a single shadow shifted other than Boudica, who swept by overhead. The mist was thicker than I’d ever seen it now, so thick the air felt wet when I tried to breathe it in. So wet it coated my face with a thin layer of water, as if I’d just dunked my head into a stream.
Tessa’s boots thudded against the dirt as she landed beside me. Instantly, she had her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist. She’d insisted on bringing the weapon instead of something lighter, determined she could scale the mountain even with the extra weight. A flicker of pride went through me. Of course she’d done it. In fact, she’d had no trouble at all.
I tapped my face just beside my eye and motioned in front of us, not daring to speak a word out loud. Understanding my question, Tessa shook her head. She couldn’t see a damn thing. My enhanced eyesight pierced the mist—just a bit. Enough for me to spot a small hill rising on our left and a copse of trees draped across it. The enemy could be there. They could be anywhere. I couldn’t see or smell a damn thing beyond that cluster of trees. Nothing but mist.
I motioned for her to fall into step behind me and then tapped near my eye again, hoping she got the message.Stay back and don’t lose sight of me.
She frowned, and I knew she hated the idea of staying in the rear, but she moved behind me all the same and nodded that she was ready.
My breathing shallow, I crept up the side of the hill, listening to everything around us. A blast of brutal wind hit us as we climbed, bringing with it the acrid scent of smoke,the first real sign we’d had that the enemy was near. And much nearer than I’d hoped. If they were camping this close to the mountain, it would only be a matter of days before they came and wrought destruction upon us all.
Sorrow filled my heart as we moved closer to the line of trees just ahead. The fae of Dubnos had put their trust in me, the dangerous son of their once-worthy queen. Bellicent Denare had ruled the shadow lands with a kind and generous hand. Her reign had only been marred by the dark reputation of her husband. After my powers had brought the never-ending mist upon us, many shadow fae had packed up their bags and left. Those who’d stayed only did so because they thought my brutal power would protect them, even from the gods.
But I had not kept them safe from this.
I shook aside my dark thoughts as we inched below the canopy of trees. The silence struck me aswrong. There was no birdsong here, no scuttle of rabbits through the fallen leaves. Even the insects had fled this place. I stopped and held out my arm, squinting to see through the mist. Tessa tapped my back to let me know she was still there.
I could see only trees, but the scent of fire had grown stronger.
We continued on, moving like wraiths through the woods, our footsteps near-silent. Tessa had gotten better at stealth. Another sign she wasn’t fully human.
Soon, we reached the other side of the small woods. The trees cut off at the edge of a steep cliff overlooking one of the many rolling fields of this kingdom. The mists were still thick, but a harsh wind scattered them here and there, giving me short glimpses of the field below and another tree-drenched hill. Just beyond it, to the left, orange flames burned through the night. Smoke twisted and danced, a shade darker than the mist.
At long last, sound drifted toward us. Tessa stepped up beside me and placed a gloved hand on my arm. She heard it, too. The murmur of voices and the scrape of swords against whetstones mingled together in a symphony I knew far too well.
There was a war camp up ahead.
Frowning, I led Tessa back into the thicket until we were hidden in a dense pocket of brush. My voice was barely a whisper when I said, “Stay here.”
Her eyes widened. “Kalen, no.”
“We don’t know what we’ll find up there. You should stay out of sight.”
“I’m coming with you.” As if to punctuate her statement, she pulled off her gloves and stuffed them into her pocket. “If Sirius or any of the others are there, your powers won’t work. But mine will.”
“Swear you won’t do anything rash.”
She flashed a tense smile. “Who, me?”
“Tessa.”
“I don’t want to die, Kal. I won’t go rushing into an enemy war camp, swinging my sword. I can promise you that.”
I didn’t like the idea of her getting any closer to that camp, but I also knew she’d just follow me if I tried to leave her here. Stubbornness, yes, but it was more than that. I saw the fierce protectiveness in her eyes, that same feeling I had toward her. The bond had dug its claws in deeply.
Quietly, we moved back to the tree line and began our trek across the field, ducking to remain hidden in the tall grass. The distant sounds grew louder as we moved, and a new scent joined the smoke. It was unlike anything I’d ever smelled before—cloying and putrid andwrong, as if the air itself was thick with rot.
From beside me, Tessa almost gagged. She pressed a hand against her mouth and followed me through the grass and up the hill. When we reached the woods, the stench only grew worse. Her eyes watered as she gazed up at me, and I could see the question she was desperate to ask.
What in the name of light is that?!
I just shook my head. Unfortunately, we were about to find out.
