Chapter 33
The tiny grove of trees surrounding the border of the Star Court was unassuming at first glance. But that was exactly what the unseelie tribes wanted.
During the few hours of daylight my court saw every year, the trees were quite pleasant, appearing as nothing more than a simple copse of spruce trees.
But at night, the unseelie emerged from their shadows to prey on unsuspecting victims.
My mother had tried to reason with them. But they only wanted fae blood. And the blood of the Night Fae was particularly delicious to their kind.
This was why they lingered by the border. They knew only Night Fae could pass through the mist. And when the traveling party reached the border, that was when the feral creatures would strike.
But this was the last place we had to travel through before we were safe. Only this forest stood between us and the Court of Twilight.
I felt Aurelia, tense and alert beside me, her eyes betraying no sign of fear. The glint in her gaze was reminiscent of when she fought off those goblins with me.
She was capable and strong. I knew she could handle herself.
But she had never encountered creatures like these. Of that, I was certain. And an intense dread filled me at the thought of her falling prey to the unseelie. If they captured her… If they ha rmed her…
My heart seized at the thought. My chest tightened with a mixture of fury and panic.
I couldn’t let her get hurt. I refused to let it happen.
Even so, I inched closer to her until our arms were touching. She shot me a sharp glance but said nothing.
A deadly silence surrounded us. Not even the creatures of the forest moved. Not a twig snapped, nor a leaf crunched.
The stillness was the most unsettling of all. It spoke of dangers lurking nearby, of silent demons watching from the shadows. My skin prickled, the goose flesh rising along my arms and the back of my neck.
This was a mistake. Why did I think we could creep through these woods undetected? Of course they knew we were here.
I stopped, turning to Aurelia. “On the horse,” I whispered. “Now.”
Her eyes flared wide. “Why? What is it?” Her head whipped around as if she would be able to see a threat looming.
“You promised you wouldn’t hesitate,” I growled, placing my hands on her hips. She uttered an alarmed yip as I lifted her and set her atop the horse. I raised a leg, prepared to climb up behind her, when a twig snapped a few yards away.
I stiffened, then froze, my blood chilling.
The forest did not make noise unless someone wanted to be heard.
I swallowed hard, then lowered my leg and drew my sword.
“Fenn!” Aurelia hissed. “Get on!”
My eyes narrowed as several shapes emerged from the darkness.
We were too late.
“They’ll catch us,” I said in a low voice, not bothering to whisper. The creatures were already here. They lumbered forward, their long arms dragging along the ground. In the moonlight, I caught a glimpse of their fangs flashing. I kept my gaze fixed on the dark figures before me as I said, “When I say go, you go. Do you hear me?”
“Are you insane? I’m not leaving you.”
“Aurelia,” I warned. One of the creatures stepped into the light of the moon, and I caught a glimpse of his green and leathery flesh. His inky black eyes stared at nothing and everything all at once.
“I can fight with you,” she said. Shifting leather told me she was trying to climb down from the horse.
Swearing, I stepped forward and slapped the horse on the rear. With a whinny, he bolted, and Aurelia cried out in surprise. His hoofbeats echoed in the distance, along with Aurelia’s shrieks of anger.
She could turn the horse around eventually. But, if she was smart, she would keep going.
I clasped the pommel of my sword with both hands, angling it toward the approaching creatures. Several more passed under the moonlight, confirming my suspicions.
Ogres.
Most people assumed ogres were large, slow, and stupid. But not these. Perhaps it was the magic of the Night Fae, or perhaps these beasts had evolved into something more deadly. I had seen them move so fast they were only a blur to my keen eyes. If they were inching forward like this, it was a choice, meant to intimidate me.
I glared at them, keeping my sword steady. It would not work. I refused to be cowed.
When the closest ogre was only a few feet away, I lunged. My strike was wide and intentional, but the feint worked. The first ogre roared, diving for me, but at the last second, I ducked, ramming my head into its stomach. We crashed to the forest floor, tumbling in a tangle of limbs. Its long arms wrapped around me, and clawed fingers reached for my throat. I nicked it with my sword, and hot black blood soaked my tunic.
The creature hissed in pain, and the hesitation was all I needed. With another swipe of my sword, I opened its throat, barely rolling away before its blood splattered my face.
The remaining ogres screeched in rage before converging. They seemed to blend in with the forest, their movements so swift they were merely shadows streaking forward. My fae sight would not help me here, but I knew what to do.
I closed my eyes, trusting my other senses. Trusting my Night Fae blood .
The disgusting stench of the ogres’ skin burned my nose, but it was a telltale sign of their location. Years of training to fight these beasts served me well. My nostrils flared, and the sting of their closeness seemed to singe my insides.
I slashed my sword. An ogre howled in agony. More warm blood oozed, drenching my arms, but I didn’t stop. From my left, the foul odor came nearer, and I ducked, dodging the blow of one of their fists, then stabbed one directly in the chest.
He fell, but more were coming. I couldn’t fight them off forever. Not on my own.
But I only needed to weaken them. I had a secret weapon at the ready, but I could only use it once. And it would drain me.
I had to save it for the perfect moment.
My body moved, my arm arcing with each thrust of my blade. The ogre’s screams filled the air, echoing around me. With each shrill sound, the remaining ogres began to tremble, their bodies quivering.
Silence was their domain. Their safety. It was how they stalked their prey.
Loud noises were distressing to them. And I could use that to my advantage.
I slit the throat of one ogre, then whirled to lop off the arm of another. He sank to his knees with a groan, blood gushing from his stump-of-an arm.
Sharp claws raked over my neck and shoulder, and I cried out, gritting my teeth against the burning fire along my flesh. I staggered back a step, and another ogre wrapped one meaty fist around my throat. I swung my sword wildly, trying to stab any part of him to release the pressure building on my neck. Spots danced in my vision. My lungs strained, and I choked, trying to breathe in.
My arm went limp. The sword fell from my grasp as darkness pressed in on me.
A shout rang out. The ogre released its hold on me, and I fell, gasping. Each breath was like knives in my throat. I gagged and coughed, struggling to clear the fog in my head.
Another shout followed. The ogres roared, and the sounds of a blade slicing through flesh filled the air. I opened my eyes, squinting, and as my vision cleared, I made out Aurelia, her cloak billowing as she twirled. Her dagger flew as she gutted one ogre then stabbed another. She bent over backwards, ducking low to avoid the strike of one, while sliding her dagger along the belly of another. When she leapt, her legs stretched wide, forming a graceful arc, her movements more of a dance than anything else.
Massaging my throat, I staggered to my feet and retrieved my sword, beheading an ogre before it could snatch Aurelia.
“You were supposed to leave,” I said, my voice hoarse.
“I never agreed to that,” Aurelia said, ramming her blade into an ogre’s eye. “Besides, you need me. That beast would have killed you.”
Pain flared in my shoulder as I twisted my arm to block the strike of an ogre. Blood ran down my neck and arm, but it wasn’t black; it was crimson.
My blood.
I lost my footing, sinking to one knee. I barely managed to roll out of the way before an ogre swiped its claws for me.
“How are they doing this?” Aurelia cried, then swore as one of the beast’s claws grazed her shoulder.
“They are ogres,” I said. “They can move impossibly fast. You cannot match their speed, Aurelia.”
“Then how the hell do we fight them?”
I looked around, my heart racing in my chest. More creatures poured from the trees, converging on us like a swarm of insects.
It was time. I had to act now.
“Like this.” I sheathed my sword, stretched my arms wide, and bellowed as loudly as I could. My voice strained against my aching throat, the sound tearing painfully from me. My scream echoed in the forest, making the very tree branches sway.
With all the force of my power and energy, I shouted, “ Leave us! Now! ” The words ripped from me, carving out every last bit of my strength. But I repeated them again and again, drawing power from the earth, the air, and the stars. Pulling from my ancestral home, from the blood of my people.
This was my domain. My kingdom. My land.
And the earth responded to my call.
The air rippled with power, and the ogres were thrown backward from the force of my command and the shrill volume of my voice. Some collided with tree trunks, their bodies lolling into unconsciousness. Others stumbled away, fleeing in obedience to my command.
I sank to my knees but let my voice continue to ring out, scraping against my raw throat. A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I knew I’d pushed myself too far. Blood dripped from my nose and ears.
At long last, the remaining ogres vanished, some skittering up trees, and others disappearing into the shadows, their blurred forms blending into the darkness.
With a groan, I slumped over, my head meeting the earth. Blood pooled from my mouth, and I felt nothing but pain. Pure agony.
Soft footsteps approached, and Aurelia crouched by my side, her blue eyes wide with concern. Her fingers were warm as she swiped a lock of hair from my eyes.
“Fenn?” she said hesitantly.
I mumbled something incoherent, trying to tell her I was fine, but the words came out as more of a gargle.
She chuckled. “I don’t know what the hell you just did, but it was impressive. I suppose you’ll need me to somehow hoist you atop the horse?”
“No,” I said thickly. “I—I can walk. Just… a moment.”
But I didn’t move. My limbs would not respond. I could do nothing but wheeze, my lungs straining for air as I tried to regain my strength.
Yes. I had definitely pushed myself too far.
“Gods, you are pathetic,” Aurelia muttered, rising to her feet and sheathing her dagger. “Hold on.”
Her footsteps retreated. I tried to turn my head to follow her movements, but I was in too much pain.
Louder, heavier footsteps thundered nearby. Alarm raced through me, and I managed to lift my head despite the searing agony splitting through my head. “Aurelia!”
Aurelia was gathering up the reins of her horse, and she turned at my shout. But she was too late. A dark shape lunged for her, tackling her to the ground. They rolled and tumbled, and her shrieks filled the forest. With a cry, I pushed myself up on my arms, trying to crawl toward her, but I had nothing left. Every drop of my power had been expended already.
I could do nothing but stare in horror as the ogre wrestled with Aurelia. Grunts and screams followed blows. From the feeble sound of her protests, I knew Aurelia was losing.
“No!” I roared. “No, stop !” I tried to summon my fae magic, but nothing happened. The air was still and silent, save for the sounds of Aurelia’s struggles. The earth did not respond to my call.
I fumbled with the hilt of my sword, trying to draw it. Perhaps if I could fling the blade at the ogre, I could impale it and help her…
With one last groan, the forest fell completely silent. I froze, horror pooling in my gut as I waited, desperate for a sound, for Aurelia’s laugh of triumph, or for the ogre’s screech of pain.
I lifted my head higher, trying to make out where the ogre had dragged Aurelia.
But the woods were eerily empty. Nothing but darkness and shadows.
Aurelia was gone.