But then he leaned closer to her, bringing his face only an inch away from hers. She breathed him in, and the scent of cinnamon, mint, and the sea enveloped her. Her heart rattled in her chest, and her whole body felt tense, as if she were about to jump off the edge of a very tall cliff.
Eurig reached up, and he brushed a thumb against her cheek. Bree practically moaned from the sparks that shot through her. “How are your wounds feeling?”
He want to talk to talk about wounds right now? The pain was the last thing on her mind, not when both of them were sitting so closely.
“They’re fine,” she squeaked out, her eyes locking on his full lips.
He dropped his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath, and then he said the words that knocked Bree straight out of the moment and back into reality. “Good. You should get dressed. We need to make our way to the village.”
Chapter 19
Bree
They were silent during the rest of the trek to the village. Bree had nothing to say, her mind too wrapped up in their almost close encounter. She couldn’t decide whether or not she she was the one being crazy. Had she imagined the tension between them? Was her desire for him one-sided? For a moment, it seemed as if he was just as drawn to her as she was to him, but then he had pulled away. Hell, he’d acted as though he didn’t even see her in that way.
They’d been naked. They’d been alone. And they’d practically been sitting on top of each other. If he didn’t want to take her then, then she didn’t see how or why he ever would. It had been the perfect moment, and now it was gone. Unfortunately, it just made Bree want him even more.
Soon, the trees began to thin before them. Eurig had filled Bree in on what to expect from the village. It was a small little town, one that could barely be called that. It had been erected in the center of a small clearing in the forest centuries and centuries ago, surrounded by a magical barrier that protected each inhabitant from the creatures that roamed through the night. While the fae could come and go whenever they pleased, no monsters could creep into their midst.
But their location in the forest meant that they rarely left the safety of their walls. They were hermits, loners, and they were not fond of visitors, even ones who would come from the King. They would not be happy to see Bree and Eurig, nor would they be likely to provide them with a warm bed for the coming night. The two of them would need to assess the situation and leave as quickly as possible, aiming to get out of the forest as soon as they could.
Of course, that would only be the case if the villagers were actually free of the curse. And Bree wasn’t feeling particularly optimistic.
Leaves and limbs crackled underfoot as they made slow steps toward the village. Buildings began to blur in before her, built from the wood of the trees all around them instead of the stone that had built the castle beyond. The village turned out to be nothing more than a small cluster of buildings. Maybe eight in total. In the dim lighting, Bree could make out what appeared to be a pub, a blacksmith, and a mill, while the other buildings look like small homes, quaint little cottages with only a room or two.
Bree dropped her voice into a whisper, just in case the residents of this village were somewhere nearby, even if they could not be seen. “How many fae live here?”
“About twenty in total.” Eurig gave a nod toward the cluster of small homes. “All families. Mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. They rarely get any new villagers moving here, and the ones who grow up here rarely leave. Much like the outposts.”
Bree raised an eyebrow. She still knew very little about Eurig’s life back on the sea, but she also knew that he didn’t want to be pressed too hard about it. “How many fae live in the outposts?”
“Oh, far more than live here.” Eurig pressed his lips into a thin line. “There are thousands outposters. So, in that regard, my world is nothing like this one here. But it is still the same in a way. No one ever leaves, and no one ever comes.”
Bree jerked her head toward Eurig and raised her eyebrows. “Thousands? I had no idea there were that many outposters. I thought there would be maybe fifty. One-hundred, tops. But thousands? How do you all live on the sea?”
Eurig pursed his lips, and then shot her a wink. “You do realize that the sea is a very large expanse of water, yes? It is much larger than this continent on which you stand. Over the centuries, the outposters have built thousands of platforms that dot the waters, a maze of homes and paths that rise up above the sea. It is…impressive.”
“It sounds impressive. I wish I could see it.” It sounded unlike anything Bree had ever laid eyes on. It was certainly nothing like any city found in the human realm, and as far she knew, there was nothing like it in the Light Fae realm either.
“If I could take you, I would,” Eurig said, the smile dropping off of his face. It was replaced with that sad expression he wore so well. “But I am no longer welcome there. Not in my own home. The Queen let me go free, but doing so meant that I was banished from the outposts. Taveon may have gotten me my freedom, but there was nothing he could do to keep my home in my hands.”
Bree’s heart hurt. She knew how he felt. She’d been ripped from her home, too, though time had begun to heal that wound. Her human home no longer felt like the safety of a warm blanket, a large mug of tea, and a roaring fireplace. She glanced down at her fighting leathers, a reminder of the Light Fae realm that she carried with her wherever she went. That realm had felt more like her home than New York City ever had. And she’d been ripped away from it, too.
But unlike Eurig, Bree could go back. She had not been banished, and she would not be turned away if she walked up to the castle and asked to rejoin the court.
One day. She would return, but just not yet.
“Nothing lasts forever,” Bree finally said. “That Queen may rule the outposts now, but one day, she will fall.”
Eurig shook his head. “Even if she does, I doubt the outposts will ever again be my home. I have changed. The realm has changed. Returning would be like stepping back in time, and I only want to move forward now. Fate has decided to bring me here. So be it.”
Bree and Eurig fell silent as they came to a stop in the middle of the village square, the dirt-packed ground hard underneath their feet. They both gazed around them, drinking in the quiet buildings, the empty mill, and the lack of any vibrant displays of village life.
“This is not a good sign,” Bree said quietly, her heart skipping a beat. Even though it was a small village, there should be at least some sign of life. The sound of voices. The clink of dishes. Or the soft padding of footsteps against the ground. There was none of that. The tiny little village felt like a ghost town.
Eurig’s body went tense, and he rested his hand on the bow strapped to his back. “We will check out the buildings together. Let’s start with the pub. If there are any fae still awake this night, at least one would be there.”
Bree gave a nod, swallowing back the desire to suggest they split up. She knew just as much as he did that it was a terrible idea. They had been attacked twice. And even though this village was protected by magic, it did nothing to stop a fae from entering. A fae that might have cursed everyone in his or her path.
Slowly, they eased up the rickety stairs of the pub. Eurig stepped just in front of Bree, his bow and arrow drawn. When they reached the door, he kicked it open. The wood splintered with a loud crack, and shards rained down on the ground. Bree braced herself for cries of alarm or some kind of retaliation from the fae hidden within, but nothing came.
Eurig stepped into the pub, and Bree followed just behind. Inside, they found three bodies sprawled across the floor. Two males and a female, all with half-full tankards on the tables just beside them. Their eyes were open, and they gazed un-seeing at the ceiling.
Bree had seen this before inside of the Great Hall. They looked cursed.
Eurig lowered his bow and crossed the room in two massive steps. He dropped to the ground beside the femal
e and pressed his fingers against her neck. His breath shuddered from his lungs as he gave a nod. “She is alive.”
A relief, but one filled with dread all the same. She might be alive, but that meant the curse had extended far past the gates of the castle. It extended all the way out here into the Forest of the Fireflies. There was no telling how much further it went. If this village had fallen, had the next? And the next? Were there any non-cursed fae left inside this realm other than Eurig and Bree?
“So, now we know,” Bree said, her voice tight in her throat. “But what do we do now?”
Eurig slowly stood, lifting his bow before him once again. “We check the other buildings, including the homes. Perhaps we can find some answers there.”
Bree gave a nod, but she wasn’t so certain. Eurig had insisted they scour the castle before they left, and they had found nothing inside of the Great Hall to indicate what had happened. She didn’t see how they would find anything now either. Whoever had done this had likely done it from afar, leaving behind no evidence of their treachery. They would only find more bodies, more cursed fae lying fallen on the ground.
But she saw no need to argue. If Eurig wanted to take a look around, then she would do nothing but help.
They left the pub and moved to the blacksmith’s building. Inside, everything had been thrown into chaos. Chairs had been splintered against the wall, and tables had been overturned. There were no weapons and no armor in sight. It looked as though the place had been ransacked.
Bree sucked in a sharp breath and whirled toward Eurig, who was gazing at the mess with as much shock as she felt. “How could this have happened? Do you think whoever cursed these fae actually came here and took their weapons? I just assumed they’d cursed everyone from afar.”
Bree’s heart thumped hard. If that were the case, then the fae behind all of this had far worse intentions than any of them had dared to believe. They needed to get back to the castle as soon as they could. If the attacker–or attackers—had come here, then there was no doubt they would head to the castle, too.
Eurig shook his head, eyes still wide. “I have seen this before. This kind of chaotic ransacking. This looks like the work of the Wilde Fae.”
Those were words that Bree had hoped she wouldn’t hear. It was one thing to face off against a solo assassin, one who was trying to pick off members of the court slowly and methodically. But to imagine that they were up against all of the Wilde Fae…she did not know how they would win. Bree and Eurig were only two. The Wilde Fae were legion.
Out of the corner of her eye, several black forms caught her attention. She twisted toward them, eyeing the feathers that dotted the floor. She took several steps toward them, following the path of feathers. They led her around a far table that had not been tipped over. Just behind it, she found three dead ravens in a pool of tarry blood. Chills swept across her skin, and her breath stilled in her lungs.
Bree had found a dead raven in her bed just after Taveon had fallen at the coronation. And now, there were three inside this building. It couldn’t be a coincidence. These dead ravens must mean something, but what?
“What’s wrong?” Eurig asked, striding up behind her and placing a warm soothing hand on her shoulder.
Bree stepped back and took comfort in the solidness of his chest. She shook her head and swallowed hard, her eyes still locked on the birds. “To be honest, Eurig, I don’t know. But if my gut instinct is right, these ravens are a sign of something far worse than we thought.”
Chapter 20
Bree
While Eurig moved the fallen villagers into their beds, Bree found a stool inside of the pub, climbed on top of it, and reached out through her bond to Taveon. After everything they had discovered, she was desperate to hear his voice. Besides, they needed to fill him in on what had happened. Bree might not understand what the ravens meant, but Taveon might. And it might just be the clue they needed to unlock this entire thing.
“Bree,” Taveon said, his voice sharp with worry. “Please stop putting up so many walls between us. I have been worried out of my mind, scared that something else attacked you. Here and there, I felt pain shooting through the bond, and fear, as well as sorrow. What has happened? Are you all right?”
Bree closed her eyes, battling the storm of emotions that shook through Taveon’s soul. Her own emotions were heightened just from the contact with his mind. If he wanted to know why she kept up the walls, this was why. As much as she yearned to be close to him, it was still far too much.
“We made it to the village,” she said without bringing up the second attack in the forest. There was no reason to worry him any more than she already had. “Just as we worried, the curse hit here, too. All of them have fallen, and the buildings have been ransacked, especially for weapons.”
Bree fell silent, giving Taveon a chance to weigh her words. And he came to the same conclusion that Eurig had.
“Ransacked? That sounds like the Wilde Fae to me.”
“Yes, it does.” Again, Bree let her words sink into Taveon’s mind. She knew how he would react when he discovered what was on her mind, but she would not back down. No matter what he said. No matter that he was the King. Bree knew what she needed to do, and nothing would stop her.
Taveon read all the thoughts fluttering through her mind, and he raged against them. “No. I will not allow it, Bree. You and Eurig cannot storm the lands of the Wilde Fae alone. There are only two of you, and they will kill you on the spot. They know who you are. My champion. The fae who defeated one of their own.”
“None of that matters now, Taveon,” Bree said quietly. “They have clearly planned something, and it involves you and everyone inside of the Court. If Eurig and I do not take them down, there is no telling what they will do next.”
In fact, they were likely to storm the castle. With everyone inside of it under that curse, there would be no soldiers or guards or fighters there to stop them from taking complete control of the throne. They might even kill everyone there, including Rafferty, Dagen, Ethne, and Taveon. Bree could not let that happen.
“I appreciate your bravery, Bree,” Taveon said, his voice growing more panicked by the moment. “But this is senseless. It will solve nothing. The two of you cannot win against hundreds or thousands of Wilde Fae.”
“Then, our plan better be a hell of a good one, don’t you think?” Bree asked with a hollow laugh. “Don’t worry. We’re not just going to run in there with swords swirling through the air. We’ll be stealthy. Covert.”
“I do not like this, Bree.”
“Too bad,” Bree said, curling her hands around the edge of the stool. “Because I’m going to do it whether you like it or not.”
At that, Bree threw up every wall she could. Deep down, she hated breaking Taveon off like this, especially knowing that he had no one else in the world that he could speak to right now. But Bree also knew that he would only lob order after order at her, insisting that she return to the castle at once.
Bree would do no such thing. As much as she hated to upset him, losing him to whatever the Wilde Fae had planned was far worse than that. If Eurig and Bree did not work fast, the curse might be the least of their worries. Lives were in danger. Lives of those she cared about. And Bree would do anything to save the ones she loved.
In the corner of the room, Bree spotted another dead raven. She furrowed her eyebrows, and she glanced around to see if any others could be found within this room. But only silence answered her. Eurig had already removed the villagers who had fallen in the pub, so there was no one left in here but Bree. Bree and the raven.
Curiosity nibbled at her brain, and she pushed her stool back against the stone ground. It groaned underneath her, the wood creaking as it shuddered across the floor. She hopped down and crossed the room, kneeling down beside the blood-soaked raven.
She cocked her head and stared at it. If it weren’t for the blood, and there was lots of it, she might believe the raven had fallen prey to the curse as
well. The horses hadn’t succumbed, but that did not mean every animal would resist it. Unfortunately, this raven’s fate had ripped it from this world. Something sharp had sliced through it stomach, a wound that had caused it to bleed out on the floor.
But why? What did it have to do with the curse?
Bree took one glance over her shoulder at the open door that led out into the village square. And then she glanced at the bird, reaching out with timid fingers. She placed one hand gently against the dark feathers, stiffening at the warmth she felt from the bird. Bree’s heart began to hammer hard in her chest, and a strange sickly sensation turned through her gut.
She swallowed hard, and then pressed her hand even harder against the raven. “What happened to you?”
Bree listened, even knowing that she would never get an answer. Her fingertips buzzed, electricity lighting up every inch of her skin. With a gasp, Bree snapped her hand back and stared down at the bird. She had felt that sensation before, but only once. And it was a sensation she would never forget, no matter how many years she might live on this earth.
It was the very same sensation she’d felt when she used Taveon’s powers to heal Rafe’s wound. But that was impossible. She had to be imagining things. For one, she was not even in communication with Taveon at the moment. The walls were firmly up between them. When she had healed Rafe, she had only done so with Taveon’s help. He had sent his power into her body. She hadn’t claimed it herself. And two, well...the bird was dead. How could she heal something that was not even alive?
Still, there was no denying what she had felt. That bright sparking electricity that filled her soul, making her feel full of the most glorious light imaginable. With a shuddering breath, Bree reached out once again and placed her trembling hands against the raven’s blood-soaked feathers. It was still and stiff, though it was warm, as though it had only died moments ago. She focused on its tiny body, closing her eyes to breathe in its aura.
A Heart of Midnight (Dark Fae Academy Book 2) Page 13