I gasped and turned. Another Red Cap jumped out at me on the right. I yelped again and ran in the only direction I could — through a break in the trees on my left. Behind me, evil giggling echoed.
They’re herding me, I realized as the hair rose on my arms and the back of my neck.
I turned and ran in another direction, anything to deviate from what they wanted. Their noises disappeared into the distance, swallowed up by the sounds of the forest. What if they were setting up a surprise attack?
What did they want from me?
I was no soft city girl, but even I couldn’t run forever. Especially jumping over thick tree roots and skirting around briar bushes every other step. I slowed to stop and bent over, breathing hard.
My arm stung. I blinked — a long, bright red scrape ran the length of my arm. It must have happened when the wagon flipped over. The shock of suddenly lifting into the air was so fresh, if I closed my eyes, I could still feel it. Hear the sounds of the horse screaming in fright and see him running away, hopefully heading home.
I grabbed my skirt and rubbed at the blood. It was red on red, right? Mama wouldn’t notice the blood stain too much, would she? I grimaced. Such a stupid thing to worry about right now.
I needed to find my way out of these woods. I looked around and jolted.
There was someone out there. A man, from the width of the shoulders, walking in a straw-colored cloak. It covered him head to toe, making him look like a ghost drifting through the forest. He was taller than me, definitely not a Red Cap.
“Hey!” I yelled and waved. “Hey, you!”
He stilled and slowly turned toward me.
“Yes, you. Help—”
The material flowed around him like it was barely there. There was only one type of material that flowed like that. He was wearing Fae Silk, a material only the richest of humans could afford. I recognized it because Mama sometimes let me touch her cloak at home, even though she never told me where it came from.
My stomach sank.
He shoved the hood off his head and stared at me. Even from this distance I could tell his hair was as bright yellow as the sun.
“Oh, no,” I whispered.
That was so stupid. I knew there were Sun Fae in the area. I knew it. Why did I call out? I just didn’t think it would be my luck to meet two of the three most dangerous types of Fae in less than an hour.
Chapter 2
The Sun Fae unfurled his wings, sliding them through the slits in his cloak. They glowed like sun bursts, translucent and dazzling, more orange on the inside and white-yellow on the tips. The curves and shape of them so perfect it was unreal.
My breath caught, taking in their beauty. I’d seen many different types of wings, on both free and slaved Fae, but I’d never seen a Sun Fae before. Usually their name alone made people run the other way.
It wasn’t until his knees slightly bent that I realized I was in trouble. Again.
I took a step back as he leapt into the air. He flew at me, wings like a fire behind him. My heel caught on a tree branch and I tripped. I landed in the grove between two tall roots and winced as the harsh bark scraped my elbows.
I barely had time to gasp before his tan boots landed on either side of my arms, caging me in.
He loomed over me and glared down. His slender, handsome face was tight, his noble mouth a hard line. I always heard that Sun Fae had pale skin, but his was almost as tan as mine. His eyes glowed like red-hot charcoal. “Are you asking me for help, human?” His voice was deep and threatening.
My mouth opened and closed once before I got ahold of myself. I took a breath. Between fire and demons, I’d take the fire. I also knew about the animosity between the Fae races. “Well, yes. There are—”
Suddenly he leaned down, staring into my face. “You have Fae eyes. The color of the forest,” he said softly, thoughtfully. He blinked rapidly, as if shocked and confused. Some of the fire died in his eyes, revealing their real coppery orange hue. “But aren’t you too young? Humans are not immortal.”
My brows drew together. “What?” Too young? What did he mean? He couldn’t be much older than me, right?
He jerked and lifted his head. His eyes began to glow again.
I heard the chittering and chattering a second later. I gasped and tried to look around, but I was stuck and couldn’t see a thing.
His lips curled into a snarl. It was nice to know he didn’t use the full force of his annoyance when he looked at me.
Leaves crackled on the ground above my head. “Fire spawn,” a Red Cap squeaked. “This is our territory. Leave our prey alone. It’s ours.”
It? I was clearly a young woman. Then again, I couldn’t tell the difference between the male and female Red Caps, either.
The Sun Fae tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “I go wherever I want to, dirt filth. I’d like to see you stop me. Or do you need another reminder?”
With a screech, the Red Caps jumped at him.
I yelped. Fireballs spread over the Sun Fae’s hands, and his wings lit up like a bonfire, only feet from me. What if he set the trees around me on fire?
The Sun Fae lunged up and shot flames at the Red Caps. They scattered out of the way, but one gave a howl as the fire grazed its flapping ear.
I sat up, freed from the tree finally. I scrambled to my feet, and turned. Should I just run? What if the Sun Fae got hurt because of me? I knew he wasn’t doing this for me, but I had called him over.
The other two Red Caps turned on their heels and jumped at the Sun Fae, one aiming for his face, the other at his feet. The Fae Silk fluttered around him as he landed a solid kick on the lower one. It squealed and landed on its head, just feet from me.
The other Red Cap landed on the Sun Fae and tore at him with its sharp claws. The Sun Fae grunted and grabbed it, the fire on his hands glowing brighter than ever. It threw its head back and screamed as its body caught on fire.
By then, the Red Cap with a burnt ear had recovered and jumped at the Sun Fae.
The Red Cap next to me shook its head like a dog, coming to its senses. It focused on me. Its beady brown eyes narrowed maliciously.
I flinched back and glanced around. Quickly, I scooped up a branch next to my feet and hit it over the head as fast as I could.
It squawked. “Annoying human!” Its hand waved in the air, trying to catch the branch.
“Leave me alone!” I kept hitting it. Anything to keep it and its poisonous claws away from me.
Luck just really wasn’t on my side today. Its fingers finally caught around the stick. It smiled meanly.
The stiff stick changed in my hand, becoming as sinuous as a snake, sliding around my right wrist. I yelled and pulled at it, trying to get it off.
The Red Cap giggled with glee.
The Sun Fae appeared behind the Red Cap and reached out. He grabbed it around its throat and lifted the shrieking Red Cap into the air. A second later, it burst into fire.
The Red Cap dissolved into ash and drifted to the ground. My mouth dropped open. I glanced down. The stick had hardened again, forming a half-bracelet around my arm. My bony wrists came in handy for once, and I shifted it out of the small gap left. My mouth twisted as the end of the stick left another scrape.
It all started so suddenly, I almost didn’t know what to do now that it was over. I was left staring at the Sun Fae.
His face was still just as stony. He stared back, fingers dabbing at a cut on his throat. He didn’t look he was going to hurt me. Maybe. At least his fire was gone—just like the Red Caps.
He stared at me with piercing eyes.
“Thank you,” I said.
He blinked, surprised. “What?” Like all Sun Fae, he was handsome. But when he wasn’t glaring, he was borderline beautiful. Still deadly, though.
I gave a tentative smile. “I said thank you. I know you didn’t mean to, but you helped me.”
He looked around. “So that’s what you wanted when you asked for help?” His mouth twisted a
s he put more pressure on his cut.
I frowned, remembering the Red Cap poison. I needed to check on Mama, but I didn’t think my business was done here yet. From this angle, I couldn’t see if the skin around his cut was turning green or not, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I pulled out a leather bag from my apron pocket and picked out a small vial. “Here. It would be bad if that gets infected.” I stepped forward and reached for his neck.
He glared and stepped back.
I stilled. I should have asked him first. Mama warned me how violent Sun Fae could be at the drop of a hat. And I’d just witnessed it.
“This is a blend of white sage, yarrow, cottonwood, and pine sap.” I dabbed a little on my finger then wiped it on one of the many cuts on my arm. “See? It’s safe. It works well on Bell Fae and humans, I just thought it might help you, too.”
His head tilted to the side in confusion. “Why would you have something like that?”
I smiled and waved a hand. “Well—”
“Kyna!” a tiny voice echoed through the woods. “Kyna!”
I looked over my shoulder. Marabell flew between the trees, frantically calling for me. “Marabell!” I waved my hand to her.
She rounded a tree and buzzed over to me. “Kyna! Oh, we were so worried!” She grabbed a lock of my reddish-brown hair and hugged it to her body. “Maira is—”
The Sun Fae shifted and crossed his arms over his chest
Marabell shrieked in surprise, staring open mouthed. Then she glared and flew between him and me. “This is my human!” she announced, holding her arms out in a futile attempt to shield me. “You can’t have her.” She was putting up a strong front, but her tiny limbs were shaking before the giant Sun Fae.
His mouth wrinkled as he glanced between me and the Bell Fae. “I don’t see a slave bond between you.” His brows pulled together as he shook his head.
Although it was normal for me, most of the world couldn’t understand why a Fae and human would choose to be together with their free will.
I forced a smile, trying to smooth things over before Marabell offended the Sun Fae. From his casual stance, he was calm, but there weren’t any more Red Caps for him to take it out on if he got angry again. As much as I was in hurry to find out about Mama, it was important to stay polite in front of a Fae. “Ah, this is Marabell.” I stepped from behind her and motioned to her with my hand. “She’s my friend.”
Now he was dumbfounded. “Friend?”
“She’s my human,” Marabell insisted. She looked him up and down, then fluttered back to my hair and grabbed a lock, hugging it to her body.
“I’m Kyna,” I pointed to myself, bringing his attention back to me. “What’s your name?”
His brows wrinkled again, this time in curiosity. He glanced at Marabell and back at me. “You really don’t know who I am?” His voice was low in disbelief.
“I know you’re a Sun Fae,” I offered.
“… Aedan,” he said slowly, as if waiting for something.
I beamed at him. “Well, Aedan. I really need to be going. Thank you for helping me. I don’t have anything to pay you with right now, other than this.” I offered the bottle. “It should hold you over till you’re able to get to some Fae Nectar. If you need more, I might be able to get you something at the Deaglan Ranch, over the hill.” I waved toward the south.
He stared at me like I was the strangest thing he’d ever seen. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time someone had looked at me like that.
I shoved the bottle into his hands and stepped back before he could light me on fire. “Thanks again! I’ve got to go.” I waved at him and turned around. Since the Red Caps were hopefully gone, I needed to get back to Mama. “Marabell, where is Mama? Is she okay?”
“This way.” Marabell pointed and flew a little ahead of me as I ran, still holding my hair. “She’s okay. A little scratched but fine. The Red Caps left her alone and followed you.” She guided me around several trees.
“Why would the Red Caps attack you?” Aedan, the Sun Fae appeared at my side, easily keeping pace with me with lazy flaps of his gorgeous wings.
I blinked at him, surprised that he didn’t stay behind. Even more surprised that he cared enough to ask about me. I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
He looked at me like I was a puzzle he didn’t know if he wanted to solve or not. Aedan even followed us out of the tree line, boldly leaving the Fae world.
Mama was halfway across the tall grass, limping more than usual and holding a long piece of wood in her hand like a club. “Mama!” I yelled.
Her gaze shot in my direction, panic lining her face. “Kyna!” She lowered the wood and ran. She wrapped me in a hug tight enough that I could feel her pounding heart.
Instantly, warmth and peace filled me. The kind of feeling I got only when Mama hugged me. I hugged her back, glad she wasn’t hurt. Marabell snuggled into our shoulders, joining in the hug.
“Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” She pulled my arms over so she could look at the cuts. “Is this all? Thank goodness. And who …” Mama looked over my shoulder and stiffened at the sight of Aedan. The color drained out of her face and her arms tightened around me.
I stepped back—why did Mother look so shocked? I motioned to the Sun Fae. “This is Aedan. He helped me with the Red Caps.”
He stared at Mama, his face slack with disbelief.
Mama gave a tentative smile. “Ah. Well, I guess it is in your blood to hate Red Caps.” She looked at the ground and gave an almost bitter laugh. She took a deep breath and looked up at Aedan, face smoothed into a gracious smile. “Thank you for helping my daughter. We are indebted to you, your highness.”
Chapter 3
My jaw dropped. “Your highness?” I gasped. “You’re a — a royal person?” I stared at the Sun Fae — Prince Aedan? Lord Aedan? What was I supposed to call him?
The Sun Fae were the ruling Fae in the area. That meant that all the Fae land belonged to him.
Marabell squeaked, the instant blush on her cheeks causing her to glow like the evening sun. “Your highness!” She grabbed her dress and dipped into a curtsy. Then she fluttered in the air, as if looking for something to do. Finally, she flew over and hid under my hair at the base of my neck.
Aedan stared back at Mama. “You know who I am.”
Mama’s smile turned sad. “Yes. You look a lot like your father.”
I looked at Mama, shocked. “You know a Sun Fae?” There was no fear in her face at all, simply sadness. What was going on? All my life, she’d warned me away from Sun Fae. ‘Don’t go near them.’ ‘The Sun Fae and the Frost Fae are powerful and unforgiving.’ She knew his father? That meant she knew the king of the Sun Fae!
“Are you the Fae Eyes?” Aedan asked.
Her eyes grew distant and she looked down at the ground for a long moment. She sighed, coming back to the present, and dropped the piece of wood to the ground. “My name is Maira. What can I do for you, Prince Aedan?”
She might not have said yes, but she didn’t deny it either.
Aedan shook his head. “I don’t know yet.” He noticed something over Mama’s shoulder and shifted, his expression becoming guarded.
“Mama! Kyna!” A familiar male’s voice called from a distance away.
I looked over my shoulder.
My brother, Heath, along with several of my kin, rode their horses down the road towards the broken wagon. I winced—the wagon looked awful. Even from here, with it half blocked by the tall grass, I could tell there was no fixing it. It was nothing but firewood now. Expensive firewood. I frowned. Mama and I would probably get pinned with the blame.
With a small breeze and the sound of fluttering wings, Aedan flew back to the forest.
I watched him go for a moment, then turned to Mama. “What just happened?” I demanded. “Why did the Red Caps attack us like that? What do they want from me? And how do you know the Sun Fae? Why haven’t you told me about this?”
Mama sighed
and looked at the forest, a forlorn expression on her beautiful face. “Now is not the time,” she finally said.
The riders stopped at the wreckage and turned their horses about, looking around. When Heath saw us, he kneed his horse through the tall grass.
“But you will tell me?” I demanded as Heath’s horse came closer. “I should know.”
“Y-Yes.” Mama wouldn’t meet my eyes. But she always kept her promises, so she would keep this one too, right?
“Mama! Kyna!” Heath huffed in relief and slid off his horse before it fully stopped. He wrapped one arm around each of us and pulled us into a big family hug.
Marabell squeaked and flew out of her hiding spot in my hair. “Heath!” She hugged him around the cheek.
“Marabell, you’re safe too,” he said in relief and looked at us. “I was so worried when your horse came home without you. His harness was broken, and he was so spooked. What happened to the wagon?” He finally stopped to breathe and eased back, letting us breathe too.
Heath was the spitting image of Papa, a living record of the wonderful man that had been alive until two years ago. His eyes were the same hazel color and rimmed with blond lashes. He had the same broad cheekbones and tan skin. Heath’s wavy hair even parted to the right side, just like Papa’s had. And he had the same temperament.
“We were attacked by Red Caps,” I said before Mama could answer.
“Attacked?” Heath gaped at us. “What? What happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but these vines lifted our wagon in the air.”
Uncle Fergus, his two sons, and two ranch hands walked their horses over to us and stopped. They sat on their horses and looked down at us, then around.
Mama stiffened, her chin tipping up and her shoulders squared. Her usual warmth chilled as she put on the mantle of head of the ranch.
She stepped back, out of Heath’s hug. “The Red Caps manipulated the plants to trap the wagon,” she said.
Heath’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “They can do that?”
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