Chapter 11 Rune
rune
. . .
The forest of Fae’s Blessings didn’t feel like a forest so much as it did the fae realm itself. Every tree shimmered faintly with magic-fueled veins, and the air thrummed with fae power. Moonlight filtered through leaves the color of emerald glass.
Cassie and I walked the narrow path in silence, our glamours still faintly rippling over our skin. Her aura was calm, but mine itched. There was a prickling in my magic that told me we were being watched, not by our squad, but by someone else.
“Stay calm and get intel above all,” she whispered. “Let me know if anything feels off.”
“Something feels off,” I said automatically, and she winced.
“I was hoping it was just me,” she sighed.
A figure waited ahead, seated with one leg over the other on what looked like a throne of living moss and stone. The earth itself had shaped around her as if it recognized its queen, though I was pretty sure she wasn’t fae royalty.
Briar Thistledown, a wealthy merchant’s daughter, had shoulder-length ombré green hair, dark moss roots fading into pale mint ends.
Her eyes were so luminous, they could’ve been carved from emeralds.
Her pointed ears flicked as she tilted her head, watching us approach.
“You’re agents, right?” she asked. “From the Supernatural Council?”
Cassie and I exchanged a glance. Technically, we weren’t supposed to confirm that.
“We’re here to talk,” Cassie said cautiously. “You sent word.”
Briar’s fingers drummed once against her knee, and the earth beneath our feet pulsed faintly.
“You’re agents,” she said again, more sure this time.
“So, here’s my offer. I’ll tell you everything I know about the dragon scale trade, because I’m sure that’s why you’re poking around, but only if you help me take down the ones running it. ”
“Why not bring this to the royal court?” I asked.
Her lips twisted bitterly. “Because they don’t care. The royal fae profit from it, just as everyone else. I’ve been ignored, threatened, and nearly silenced for trying. So, what do you think about my bargain?”
Cassie and I hesitated. The fae were much more dangerous than anyone thought. One wrong word, and we could fall into a tricky fae contract.
Cassie stepped forward, calm as ever. “I will take the bargain, but my mentee will not,” she said. “She is still in training.”
Briar nodded. “So, you agree to help me take down the ones running the under-ground market for the information I have on the dragon scale trade?”
“I agree,” Cassie murmured.
A shimmer of green light unfurled between Cassie and Briar, weaving into a sigil that pulsed once before sinking into Cassie’s palm.
“Deal sealed.” The ground quieted as Briar rose from her throne and walked toward us. “It isn’t random theft of scales, which I’m sure you’re aware of already. The drake scales were stolen using Supernatural Council intel. Someone on the inside leaks vault locations every time it is moved.”
Jesper’s growl vibrated through the comms.
Cassie’s jaw tightened. “You’re sure?”
Briar’s gaze hardened. “Positive. The fae buyers believe they’re purchasing directly from ‘the drakes,’ but it’s a lie.
Some know it’s a lie; others believe it.
Knowingly or not, marking it as consensual sales keeps them safe from royal law.
The royals don’t intervene because the trade stretches across all four kingdoms. They’d rather ignore it than cause war. ”
“No idea which council member is leaking it?” Cassie asked.
“No idea.” Briar shook her head.
My pulse hammered faster. “Who’s running it?”
Briar hesitated, then said softly, “A mated pair. It’s a fire drake woman and a fire fae male. They use enchanted auctions, projecting illusions of themselves so no one can get them. They’re elusive, and they’ve done a lot of harm.”
Cassie ran the hand with the new fae contract through her black curls. “And your involvement?”
“My father,” Briar said tightly. “He’s a merchant.
He’s resisted helping them for years, but now, they’ve started threatening me to force him.
I can’t stand by anymore.” Her voice cracked, and her hands trembled.
She kept glancing toward the trees as if she were expecting something to step out. “Wait…something’s off.”
“Get down!” Cassie shouted, throwing up her arms, but it was too late.
A pulse of heat screamed through the air. The nearest tree exploded outward, sending splinters flying toward Briar, specifically.
My instincts kicked in, and I moved.
“Rune, stop!” Cassie screamed, running to stop me.
I covered Briar as the splinters reached her. They pierced me, slicing through my back as green energy surged through my entire being. Some type of fae curse slammed into me with the splinters, cracking my reserves in a way I’d never felt before.
It drained me of all magical essence.
Blood soaked through the shirt I was wearing, and I really wished we’d been wearing our suits.
Pain seared up my back.
I gritted my teeth and held my breath.
“Rune!” Cassie shouted, her demon form coming out.
“Get her out,” Jesper snarled through the comms, but I couldn’t focus.
The surrounding air shimmered with fae power, symbols flaring across the ground. Somewhere behind the trees, a voice hissed in an unfamiliar tongue.
Briar stumbled back before tripping over her feet and falling backward. She looked up at me with horror etched across her face. “They found us—”
And then everything burst white.