by Valia Lind
Blood of the Fae
The Fae Chronicles #2
Valia Lind
Contents
Blood of the Fae
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Note from the Author
Next in the Fae Chronicles series
Do you like academy adventure romance?
Want more from the Hawthorne Witches?
About the Author
Also by Valia Lind
Copyright © 2021 by Valia Lind
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover by Anika at Ravenborn Designs
Blood of the Fae
The Fae Chronicles - Book Two
Valia Lind
The world spins round,
The time flies by.
The day has changed,
The time has come.
The war is here,
As the Ancients rise.
One true hero,
Must take up the fight.
The winds are changing,
As the powers grows.
The night is coming,
But the break of dawn—is not far at all.
Chapter 1
I've been staring at the mirror for the last ten minutes, willing for the wings to appear once more. Nora is busy packing a bag for me, while the guys have disappeared to do their own preparation. I should help or something. But I can't stop staring at myself.
Pulling the hair gently over my ear I study the upward arch and the pointed end. So far only Derek has seen this new addition, and it's probably wise for me to keep it that way. The wings have stirred enough controversy for now. Queen Svetlana is not happy with my display of power. She was trying to keep me a secret, but that went out the window. Which is why she's sending me on this pointless mission.
It's for sure pointless, and dangerous. She's playing with me, but that's fae. I have no choice but to go along. Because I need answers even more than she needs my power. And this is my only chance. Plus, putting some distance between myself and this palace is an added bonus.
"Are you ready?" Nora comes out of my walk-in closet, and I drop the hair back in place quickly. She holds a cross-body bag in one hand and a jacket in the other. I look down at my dress, standing.
"Let me change."
It takes me five minutes to get into my jeans and a t-shirt and the moment the clothes are on, I feel more like myself. Not that I don't love the fancy dresses I've been wearing. But they haven't been mine. Since everything else in my life seems to belong to someone else, I need something of mine right now.
When I step out of the closest, Derek and Julian are back. Both of the guys are in dark pants and dark shirts, with Julian already in a jacket, while Derek shrugs his on. They turn to look at me, and no matter how hard I try, I can't read either one of them. Right now, they look more fae than I've ever seen them. Even though they're dressed in human clothes. I wonder if that's meant to make me feel better or if the clothes makes them more comfortable.
"We need to go. The queen has already inquired about our status." Derek speaks up in that detached tone of his. I hate when he sounds like this. It reminds me just how little I can trust him.
"It's been less than an hour," I comment.
"She likes to be obeyed immediately," Nora mumbles, handing over the jacket. I put it on, before I pull the strap of the bag over as well.
I grab the hair tie around my wrist and pull half of my hair away from my face, keeping it low enough to hide the ears. Derek doesn't miss the move, his eyes steadily on me.
Once I'm done, I face the guys, as we eye each other. If anyone asks, I will lie and say I'm ready. But in reality, my insides are a mess and I feel like I'm going to throw up. I'm more nervous than I can put into words.
"Avery," Nora's voice breaks through my internal freak out. She steps into my line of sight, forcing my eyes on her. "Trust your instincts above all else. The magic of the forest," she lowers her voice, "it's messy and manipulative. But if you trust yourself, you will get through it."
"That's the problem, isn't it?" I chuckle without any humor. I don't trust myself and my magic. When I found that book at Thunderbird Academy and read the words that haven't been able to be read in centuries, everything I knew about magic went up in flames.
Nora places her hand on my shoulders, meeting me eye to eye.
"You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. Remember that."
The intensity behind her words don't escape me. Fae can't lie, and therefore, she truly believe what she says. It's a good reminder. I just need to get to this level myself.
"Keep us updated when you can," Derek tells Nora, as she steps back. She nods and then it's time.
The queen is sending us to the eastern front, or close to it, to fetch one of the ancient fae books no one but me can read. But it seems like so much more than just a simple test. I'm determined to pass whatever obstacle she throws my way. Which I'm sure won't be the only one. She's planning on me failing, and I refuse to give her the satisfaction. It's what will have to guide me through what comes next.
"We'll portal into the area and go from there," Derek continues, and I understand what he's not saying. We have our own mission underneath the one the queen has placed in front of us. While I don't trust fae as far as I can throw them, right now, I need them.
"Let's do this then."
The portal is a ripple in the air in front of us, and I step through it, much like I did at Thunderbird Academy, with no hesitation. Derek leads the way, with Julian right behind me, and I glance back in time to watch Nora disappear from view.
When I turn back to the guys, their attention is on the forest around us. I hear it right away, the low hum of activity that surrounds us from every side. The forest is restless.
"We're not too far from the eastern front. There's a base camp to the south. About two hour walk or so."
"Why so far?" I ask, facing Derek. He pulls his attention away from the forest, and looks over at me.
"Since the Ancients are on the borders, magic here is very regulated. The queen doesn't want to unnecessarily fuel something they're doing with her magic. I'm sure you've heard about them syphoning powers."
"Yes."
Everyone knows about what happened in Hawthorne two years ago, and at Thunderbird Academy last school year. The Ancients have a way of getting inside even the most protected areas and then infecting the magical creatures with a disease that steals their magic and kills them slowly. This has happened in many places over the last few years, and it's something the witches are constantly working to prevent. I was going to be on the council to help fight this problem, before my life changed entirely.
"The Faery is weaker than
anyone would like to admit," Julian says, coming to stand beside me. "We have to take every precaution."
It's one of the few times he's put himself in the same category as the fae and I take notice. These boys might be different than most of the fae, but they're still here for themselves and their homeland. I can't forget that.
"So what do we do?"
"We go the other direction."
Derek turns north, squaring his shoulders. He's worried, I think. I can't read his emotions as easily as I could at the cabin. But I do think that we're still connected on some level. Despite all the secrets he's keeping, he's been helping me. Or something along those lines. There's tension in his shoulders, and determination on his face.
"Anyone going to tell me exactly what awaits us in the forbidden forest?" I ask, as we start walking. The trees here are so much bigger than I've ever seen before. At first I think my eyes are deceiving me. But as I blink a few times, I realize there's a shine around every piece of nature, including individual leaves and blades of grass. Pausing, I reach over to run my fingertips over the closest branch, completely in awe. The magic is in every living thing here and it almost calls to me. It's so beautiful, I think I can stay here forever.
"Avery?" Suddenly, Derek is in front of me, leaning down to catch my eye.
"What?"
"Are you okay? You've been standing frozen for a few minutes."
“I—" I turn back to the leaf, my fingers still touching it gently. Maybe it doesn't almost call to me. Maybe it actually does. And that's dangerous. I remember what Nora said about the pull of the forest. I'll have to be more proactive about keeping myself protected.
"I feel it, Derek," I say, glancing up at him. "I feel the magic in the air and in the leaves and in the ground beneath my feet. It's like—I don't know how to explain it."
But I do. I just don't want to say it out loud. It feels like I belong here. And I have no idea what to do with that.
"Faery is filled with magic, Avery," Derek says, reaching over and tugging gently on the front of my jacket. I step away from the branches, dropping my arm. "There is a lot of it in you. Magic you don't yet understand."
He pauses, as if he's trying to figure out what else to say, but I shrug it off.
"Yes. Let's get going. I'll keep up."
An emotion flashes in Derek's eyes, too quick for me to decipher. He nods, and turns away, dropping the front of my jacket back into place. I meet Julian's eye as Derek moves past him. There's something there too, but these fae are good at keeping their emotions under lock and key. I need to take some pointers.
Without a word, I follow Derek, as Julian brings up the rear.
Chapter 2
The forest grows darker and fuller around us as we walk. The buzz of magic I felt in the air from the beginning has only intensified. There's a film of static over my skin, and I'm hyperaware of every move we make.
Having fae magic is a new experience and one I don't know what to do with yet. I keep expecting the wings to burst out of my back, but of course, that's just dumb. Or maybe it's not. I have no idea. And not knowing things is very frustrating and not at all pleasant.
"So, how do we know when we've reached the forbidden forest?" I break the silence, while still keeping my voice low. I'm smart enough to know that there are things hiding in the trees that might not want us here. We have to be careful, but at the same time, I need at least small amounts of information to stay sane.
"We'll know." Derek replies, without turning around or slowing down. I roll my eyes at him, even though he can't see it, and I hear Julian chuckle. Glancing over my shoulder I notice him shake his head before he looks over at me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
I narrow my eyes, but don't push further. The intuitive part of me thinks I don't want to know what's going on in Julian's head anyway.
We walk for a few more moments in silence, before Julian appears at my side, keeping pace. I wait for him to speak up, since he clearly wants to say something and after a few minutes, he finally does.
"The forbidden forest carries magic within in, just like the rest of Faery. The difference is that it's almost dense in a way. The moment we pass the border, it'll feel like we're carrying a physical weight."
I narrow my eyes, mulling over the information. Faery is one of those places that no matter how much I studied about it, I still know next to nothing. I am severely unprepared for the direction my life has turned in.
"Is this a well known fact, or have you been here before?"
"I haven't."
Julian doesn't have to add anything else, because I hear the end of that sentence. Derek has. I shift my eyes toward the prince, who's a little ways ahead of us now, once again wondering about him. I really should stop, but I'm not going to. It's foolish to pretend I'm not curious about him.
We fall back into silence, the only noise coming from the forest around us. I keep expecting something bad to happen, or some attack to come at us from beyond the shadows, but there's nothing. It's almost as if the world around me is also holding its breath, curious to see what will happen next.
The tips of my ears tingle just then, and I reach for them before I can stop myself. It's not an unpleasant feeling, but it's also a very strange sensation. My hair still covers the tips, but when I run my fingers over it, the pointed end is there.
"What is it?" Julian asks, coming up beside me. He fell back behind me, but now he's watching me curiously. He hasn't seen my ears yet, and I drop my hand quickly before replying.
"I'm not sure."
"Avery, are you sensing something?" Derek asks, backtracking to stand in front of me. I send a glare his way, because Julian is now ready to ask all the questions.
"What's going on?"
Resigned, I tuck my hair behind my ear as I say, "The wings weren't the only thing to show up with my magic."
When Julian's eyes land on my ear, he takes an automatic step back. Derek does a double take as well, and my heartbeat speeds up at their alarm.
"What?"
Neither one speaks up, so I raise my hand and snap my fingers in front of their face. They visibly jerk, as if coming out of a trance, turning their gazes on me.
"You guys need to learn how to voice your concerns. What's happening?"
Julian clears his throat, but it's Derek who finally replies.
"May I?" His hand reaches for my hair and I have no choice but to nod. He pulls it away from my ear, studying it like he's never seen anything like it before. I try not to fidget under the scrutiny, but both of them are making it very difficult.
"Derek?" I finally prob, when his fingers brush gently over the tip of the ear, sending a flood of goosebumps down my arm.
"It's something I haven't seen before."
"What, an earlobe?"
"No," Derek steps back, letting my hair fall back against my scalp. But he stays close enough that I have to look up to meet his gaze. "Your skin, it has been--painted."
"What?" Look at that, it's my favorite word.
"There's a sort of design, almost like your veins are full of gold, that wraps itself around your ear." He says it gently, but the panic comes anyway. My hand flies up to my ear, as I rub it and move it around, but I can't feel anything.
"I need to see."
"We're not exactly carrying a mirror with us."
I step over to Derek, pushing his jacket aside, and yank the blade from the sheath around his waist. He doesn't even react to my proximity, as I raise the blade with my right hand and move the hair to see better. It's distorted, but even I can see the golden lines wrapping themselves around my skin. I move to the other side, looking at my right ear, but there's nothing there.
"It's only on my left?"
"It appears so."
"What does it mean?"
I glance from Derek to Julian to Derek again, but they have no answers for me. It's evident that they haven't seen this before, which raises my concern some. I can't even demand answers, bec
ause they don't have any.
My body continues to change in strange ways and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Not even me.
It's another few hours of walking before Derek decides it's time to stop for the night. We find a small clearing, and while Julian is tasked with putting together a fire, Derek disappears into the trees to make sure we're truly alone.
He hasn't said a word to me since the golden design appeared on my ear. He seems to be more concerned than I am. I guess maybe a part of me is getting used to the fact that nothing about me is what I thought.
All my life I just thought I was the normal kind of weird. Half witch, half shifter. Not exactly accepted by the standard magical community, but the blunder my parents created by falling in love is more known than not. Adding to the fact that I have fae blood in me somehow? That's a blunder no one will ever forgive. Maybe not even me.
My parents lied to me. Of that I am sure. The only logical explanation I can come up with is they were waiting to tell me the truth. Maybe once I became a Watcher, and would be more protected by the council because of my standing with them, then my parents would be able to be honest with me. Or maybe they were going to keep this from me forever.
The logical side of my brain is working on trying to understand their situation. The emotional side is just hurt they kept such a huge secret from me.
Mad.
Frustrated.
Betrayed.
"Are you okay?" Julian asks, looking up as the fire begins to crackle. The flames dance across Julian's face and he's not hiding his concern as he studies me.