Fae's Fate: Fated Mates of the Fae Royals (Summer Court Book 7)

13. Ciara

Before we’d walked too far through the strangely scented forest, a big black wolf with striking blue eyes found us. My guards were alert and on guard but then the wolf shifted, and Sledge stood in front of us. Naked.

I lifted my gaze skyward. I so didn’t want to see Briana’s fated mate naked. If fate mated me to a shifter, I don’t think I’d handle the jealousy of knowing others would see him naked.

Sledge laughed. “You Fae can be such prudes sometimes.”

“No offense, Sledge,” I said. “But I don’t want to be on the end of Briana’s staff.”

“She packs a mean hit.”

“I’ll change back, and you can follow me into town.”

“We need to go to the waterfall. Can you take us there?”

“I should take you to Briana first.”

“Ciara found who is hiding up the top of your waterfall,” Malachi said.

“Yeah? Who?”

“Water Sprites,” I said.

“Huh? I’ve never heard of them.”

“I’m surprised.” I dropped my gaze and then stared back up at the pale blue sky. The sun shone through the sparse branches of the forest. It was warm here. Almost like home.

“What do Water Sprites do?” Sledge asked.

“They manipulate water.”

“Well, obviously,” he drawled. “I’m guessing you think they can fix your spring?”

“Aye,” I said.

“I should tell Briana then.”

“Of course, after we make it up there.”

“Shit,” Sledge grumbled. “She’ll kick my ass for taking you there and not telling her.”

Malachi laughed. I shot him a look to shut him up.

“I’m not asking you not to tell her, but to take us there first before telling her because I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

“Not this again,” Malachi said.

I placed my hands on my hips and faced him. “Are we having this conversation again?”

Malachi sighed and shook his head.

“So, Sledge, are you taking us to the waterfall or are we stumbling around this forest to find it ourselves?”

“I’ll take you,” he growled. “But remember what Rian said was up there.”

“Aye. We found it mentioned in a book. We comprehend how to get by the darts.”

Well, I hoped the way worked. Otherwise, the darts might hit us. And the poison. Malachi frowned. He’d read the book too, so he comprehended our chances were fifty-fifty of being shot at. If we were, then I hoped we were as fast as Sophia and Rain at getting out of the way, but I doubted I had the skills of a jaguar shifter.

Sledge shifted back to his wolf form and howled. My skin prickled as my hair stood on end. In such a short amount of time, I’d left the safety of the Summer Court for the relative safety of Ireland and the underground library and now we were out in the open in Australia, surrounded by extended family, but knowing we were about to enter the lair of other powerful beings.

I wasn’t sure how they’d take our request either. Were Water Sprites kind creatures? Would they help us?

We walked through the forest, passing by a crystal-clear lake that glowed a shiny blue under the cloudless sky. This place was beautiful. I saw why Saoirse and Briana had made it their new home with their fated mates. At least they both had each other when they lived in the same town. I was almost jealous they’d spend so much time together even after finding their fated mates.

I wasn’t sure where I’d end up when I found my fated mate. If I ever found him. Above all if we didn’t fix the spring, then I might never find him. Perhaps that would be the best with my feelings for Malachi.

The forest trees thickened into dense bush, but Sledge passed through it with ease in his wolf form. We ducked and weaved through the low-hanging branches brushing more of the eucalyptus scent onto our human clothes. The knitted hat on my head caught on a branch and ripped off.

“Leave it,” Malachi said. “There are no humans here to question the flowers in your hair.”

I was glad he said that because I didn’t like wearing the hat. My head throbbed under the material and now it was free a shiver danced over my scalp as my hair lifted in the gentle breeze. Some branches caught my hair, and it was as though nature was greeting me with a gentle caress.

On and on we walked until Sledge stopped beside a thick wall of vegetation. He pointed his snout at a small entrance at the bottom of the bushes. My anxiety spiked at the sight of the dark entrance. Sledge disappeared through the leaves.

“I’ll go first,” Ivo said.

We watched him crouch and shuffle through the entrance into who knew where, but if I didn’t let my panic take over and I kept the knowledge of this place Rian, Saoirse, and Briana had told us about, then everything would be good because I understood there was a waterfall through those bushes. Even though I couldn’t hear it from this side as powerful magic protected this place. It made sense now knowing the entrance to the Water Sprite kingdom was in there that they would protect the only way in with magic.

Malachi crawled through next. If he did this, then so would I. I followed him, holding my breath the entire way through the dark bushes until I made it out to the other side and stood before the glorious waterfall. Water droplets sparkled in the sunbeams streaming into the enclosed area. The water was so clear the pond below glistened like a mirror. Emer followed and then we were all inside the thick wall of bushes that hid this magical place. Sledge shifted again, but he walked to a small backpack on the ground and tugged on shorts.

“You need to head behind the waterfall and climb up. There’s a switch or something up there that’ll open the entrance to the tunnel,” Sledge said.

“A tunnel?” I gulped.

“Through the tunnel is where Rian and Sophia found the statues. They didn’t go any further.”

“Right.” I nodded. “We can do this.”

Malachi gave me an encouraging smile even though the skin around his eyes creased with his concerned look. One I’d seen many times over our years together.

“Agreed,” Malachi said.

“I’d stay and help, but I’m heading home to tell Briana.” Sledge grimaced. “Good luck and don’t get yourselves killed.”

“Thank you for your help,” I said. “Tell Briana to take it easy on you.”

Sledge laughed. “As if she’d listen.”

“True.” I smiled.

Knowing my oldest sister, she wouldn’t be easy on her mate, but then I suspected he enjoyed her attitude because they were fated for each other. A perfect match. He stripped the shorts and shifted back into the glorious black wolf before running back out the way we’d come in through the bushes, the tip of his tail the last thing to disappear.

I turned to the waterfall and stared up at the great height of the falling water over the rock face.

“How are we getting up there?” Malachi asked.

“Magic,” I said.