Hunter: Faction 10: The Isa Fae Collection Page 6

  It took almost an hour for them to gather their things and return the area to its natural state. Thora thought it strange that Garrett would be so worried about leaving any hint of their stay, yet he'd insisted.

  “The woods remember. The trees, the pixies, they’ll feel our imprint and remember what we’ve done. Best to leave it as we found it.” He gave a wiry smile. “Or at least as close as we found it.”

  When she'd finished dispersing the ashes from the fire pit among a scattering of shrubs, Thora stood a few feet from the shield, bouncing on her tiptoes as she waited for Garrett to join her.

  She thought going to The Sanctuary was what she wanted, what would make her happy, but in the woods, she had Garrett. Once she left… she didn’t know what was out there for her.

  The trees rustled, their leaves tickling the sides of the shield. Were they closing in? Did they know how badly she just wanted to stay there?

  The touch of Garrett’s fingers against her arm caused her to jump, and she turned to him. He knew. His hand slid in to the hair at her nape, cupping her head, and he lowered his eyes until they were level with hers. The intensity burning in them caused a delicious shiver to run through her.

  “We need to do this, Thora,” he said, his voice low and calm. “The woods wait for no one.”

  She didn’t think she could explain things to him. He was all she knew. All she had left. Would he even understand the fear that coursed through her at the thought of him leaving her?

  “I don’t—”

  The sudden press of his lips ended her hesitant words. He consumed her senses, and every thought she had evaporated as her eyes drifted shut and she pressed in to him. His tongue slipped into her mouth and caressed hers, teasing her with the taste of him.

  He pulled back, and she groaned in frustration as, yet again, she was left wanting more of him. Desire that deep was an unfamiliar concept for her. She'd felt desire with Darrian, but never that level of passion. Now that she had, she was reluctant to dismiss it so easily.

  He untangled his hand from her hair, and then locked his fingers with hers. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at him.

  “We go now,” he said, and pulled her along with him through the barrier.

  Still reeling from his kiss, Thora followed him. The trees had shifted since she woke. Tightening ever so slightly, like her hesitation to leave had stirred them again. An unsettled feeling of suspicion dispelled the excitement Garrett’s kiss roused in her.

  “Garrett? Why did you kiss me?”

  He didn’t answer. Just wove her through the trees and bushes toward the edge. They were only a few yards away, yet each step they took brought them no closer. Finally, Garrett stopped, and she rammed in to his back. He twisted around to look down at her, and she gave him a nervous smile.

  “I kissed you because I wanted to. Because I don’t want you to worry about the future. I won’t let anything happen to you, Thora.” He stroked his thumb in soothing circles along the back of her hand. “There is no place safer for you than The Sanctuary.”

  Trust had never been something she questioned before, and trusting Garrett was so easy, especially when he gave her that gorgeous smile.

  She nodded and followed him the last few steps out of the woods. With no canopy of leaves to block the sun, the mid-summer rays quickly warmed Thora.

  They passed through the shadow of the trees. The dome shield stood between them and a vast open field that was covered with snow. Beyond that was Sanctuary surrounded by a tall wall.

  A Fae palace. Thora couldn’t really say what she'd expected, and the feelings racing through her were just as vague. There was a bit of awe. Even with the distance between her and The Sanctuary, she was certain she'd never seen such an immense structure. The population of her entire village could have lived there without ever running in to each other. The sun hit the white marble and caught a glimmering cloud of sparkles drifted around it. The spiral towers were like those of a castle, though castles were out of place in the Neraida Faction. They were more common among the factions with a longer history of interacting with the humans from the north.

  Yet, as stunning as the palace was, disappointment tempered her wonder.

  That was her new home. No one from her village was here. Her mother and sister would never see the place, and, soon, Garrett would be gone. And she'd be alone.

  Garrett shifted beside her, tension vibrating from him as he if sensed an impending threat. Thora let her own eyes scan the field, trying to see what he did, but her eyes were more human than Fae. She saw nothing unusual.

  “Wait here,” he said.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I want to scout the perimeter. Once we reach the wall, it will take a few minutes for them to verify you. It’s time that could be used by the Bascadors to strike.”

  “If they’re out there, won’t they see you?” She thought she was pointing out the obvious, but he chuckled, and she wondered what she'd missed.

  “Only if I want them to.” He motioned her down to a kneeling position, and when she had, he pointed to the shadow of the trees. “Go in to the shadow only if you’re found.”

  From her knees, she stared up at him and saw the ring of burnt orange flaring through his eyes. It was the same look he'd had the night before when he'd kissed her.

  Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she glanced away and started to rise.

  “For Fae’s sake, Thora.” He put a hand on top of her head to stop her. “Stay low and quiet.”

  He turned around and paused, before he disappeared through the barrier and in to the icy outside. A cloaking glamour, it made sense against witches, but the Bascadors were Fae. So why waste his atern?

  Minutes ticked by, and her knees ached from the pressure of kneeling on the hard ground. She shifted as quietly as she could and sat cross-legged. As the sun traveled across the clear sky, shadows grew shorter, and she wiggled along so the darkness of the forest didn’t go too far to be of use if needed.

  She lost track of time as her mind wandered to Garrett and the memory of the rough texture of his tongue on hers. Fantasies spun through her as she pictured him taking off his shirt and running her hands along the rippling muscles of his chest and stomach.

  The fantasy cut off at the snap of a twig behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and found an old woman pushing her way from between two bushes. Thora scrambled to a crouch and waited for the woman to say something, but the woman looked through her as though she didn’t even see Thora.

  It didn’t take much effort to figure out the woman was a witch. With her straggly gray-streaked hair, large nose, and eyes set too close together, there was little possibility for her to be Fae. It also explained why she wasn’t able to see Thora. Garrett must have placed a glamour around her as well.

  Scooting closer to the woods, Thora carefully kept from entering into the shadow. Was the witch truly a threat? She looked barely strong enough to carry the bag slung over her shoulder.

  Thora was about to rise when Garrett appeared at the curve of the wall. He moved swiftly toward her, holding up his hand to signal her to stay still.

  The old lady titled her head to the side and seemed to sniff the air before turning in Garrett’s direction. From the way she glanced around, she obviously sensed his presence.

  “There was a time your spells would work on me,” croaked the woman.

  Garrett passed back in to the dome and moved to Thora’s side. He slid his cold hand into hers, tugging her to her feet. He lifted his free hand outward, and his lips formed a silent word as a flurry of sparkles rained down on them.

  “There was a time I never thought I'd need to use it on you, Odessa,” he said to the stranger as the remainder of the concealment spell fell away.

  Odessa turned slowly, her gnarled face a wrinkled mess of amusement and disdain.

  “Tis the price you pay when you bow to The Treaty,” she sneered.

  Thora shifted from one foot to the other as Od
essa’s narrow gaze fell on her with harsh scrutiny. The woman was no one to her, yet she'd never been subjected to such resentment and anger before. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, then immediately wished she hadn’t when Odessa’s eyes widened just a fraction.

  “Perhaps I could forgive you,” she said to Garrett, and the smile she gave only deepened Thora’s dislike of her. “For a price.”

  “I don’t need your forgiveness,” Garrett snapped. “You seem to forget that it was you who brought Sophie here.”

  “And yet it was you who stopped me from taking her home.”

  Thora’s eyes darted back and forth, watching the exchange in stunned silence. The biting tone Garrett used was so unexpected, yet Odessa appeared unsurprised.

  “As I said, no forgiveness is necessary.”

  Odessa’s artificial smile tightened. “Then perhaps approval.”

  Garrett’s grip on Thora’s hand tightened painfully as his body stiffened.

  “And your price?” he asked slowly.

  “I take this breed instead.”

  Thora’s breath caught as she finally understood what the witch wanted. Her gasp seemed to pull Garrett from his thoughts.

  “No,” he said. “Find yourself another source.”

  Odessa pulled a small leather pouch from her pocket, and Garrett shoved Thora behind him.

  “Is this how you want to die?” Garrett raised his arms in front of his chest, the bottom palm facing up while the top faced Odessa.

  Thora had seen her father take that pose once. A stranger came to town and asked questions about some of the children. When he refused the village council’s orders to leave, a group of elders gathered around him, each taking a similar stance. Lightning flared between each of the hands before erupting into one massive ball of fire that flared up and then vanished in to the sky. The man vanished. As a child, she'd assumed he had simply been sent away. Now, she realized his fate had been death.

  “Your cuff is flashing red,” Garrett said. Around him, the air crackled with static, and Thora hastily took a step to the side.

  The witch shrugged and dug her fingers into the pouch, searching for something. “And you’ve been in the woods for weeks. I’m surprised you had enough atern left for a concealment. Are you willing to use up what little remains before you pass through the outside?”

  Garrett twisted his arm so she could see his cuff. “Thank you for your concern, but I had a recent recharge.”

  The woman froze, then an abrupt, false laugh burst forth as she withdrew her hand from the pouch. “So, you’ve already made use of the breed. Perhaps I don’t need her at all. Perhaps I’ll wait for Sophie to come to me.”

  The force of energy surrounding Garrett grew until the vibrant blue-green particles danced around him. It was the second mention of Sophie, and curiosity stirred within Thora. It was apparent Odessa thought Sophie was important to Garrett, and from his reaction, she was right.

  There'd been a moment’s hesitation before Garrett turned down her offer. She didn’t believe he would have given her over to the witch, but Sophie was important enough that he wanted the acceptance Odessa offered, and he'd give up nearly everything for it.

  Odessa stepped back, lifting her hands up in a defensive stance. “To kill me now would be to break The Treaty.”

  “Breed hunting violates that same law,” Garrett pointed out.

  “I was here to see my granddaughter. Despite the restrictions the Fae Council places on the coven, we do retain the right to see our family.”

  “I suggest, then, that you take your leave.”

  “For now,” she said, inclining her head so she stared up at Garrett from under her thinly arched brows. From the small pouch, she took a pinch of powder between her thumb and index finger, then moved her hand with smooth, snake-like motions before her. “Páre me makriá apó edó.”

  She flicked the powder upward, and it exploded in a plume of yellow smoke. As it settled, Thora realized the witch was gone.

  “How did she do that?” Thora asked. Garrett gave her a disbelieving look, and she rolled her eyes. “Obviously magic, but what was the powder? And those words she said?”

  “Your mother never used magic?”

  “No. Very few in the village did.”

  Magic had never been taught at home. The remoteness of their village meant there were never any outsiders coming to trade. Atern had been scarce, and instead of using magic to do the work, everyone had been expected to do the physical labor.

  “With the Fae, we contain the magic within us,” he explained. “Our atern is connected to us on a level that allows us to create magic. Words and movements can help amplify the power. Witches aren’t able to do that. They combine their atern with spells and concoctions to harness the magical elements of the realm.”

  Garrett walked over to the spot where Odessa had disappeared from, stooped down, and swiped his fingers through the dirt. He held up his hand, and she could see the dull yellow residue coating his fingertips.

  “Dittany of Crete, birch, and broom. It’s a mixture that witches often use for vanquishing spells. She didn’t use much,” he noted, rising to his feet. “It won’t take her far. We should get moving.”

  “Through the outside?”

  He gave a reassuring smile. “We can use a heating spell. It doesn’t last long, but we should make it to the other side before it starts to wear off.”

  Standing in front of her, Garrett sandwiched their hands together.

  “You can create a heating spell on your own, but by combining our magic, we can conserve atern. For this spell, you’re going to focus on the warmth of the sun on your skin. Feel it soaking in, until the heat within you becomes too much.”

  It was hard to concentrate when he was touching her. Any heat she felt was coming from him.

  “I don’t think it’s working,” Thora said after a few minutes.

  “It takes practice. Close your eyes. Block out everything around you.”

  She did as he suggested, and the build up of heat gradually began. When it became unbearable, she yanked her hands from his.

  “Let’s go,” he said, and led the way through the barrier.

  Thora had never been outside of the dome before, but she knew what to expect. The bitterly cold wind, snow whipping through the wind, and the sudden drops in temperature that could penetrate even the strongest of magic.

  It was the silence that was most unexpected. Nothing survived out there, and when the howling wind broke through, it echoed around them.

  They walked in silence as Garrett’s eyes constantly searched the open field around them and did little to reassure her about the safety of The Sanctuary. She wanted to ask him about Sophie, how he knew Odessa, what he wanted the witch’s approval for. But the stiffness of his shoulders and the way his eyes focused exclusively on the building kept her quiet.

  When they reached the gate, Thora stared up at it in wonder. Above the top, the spiral towers loomed a heavy white against the soft blue sky.

  She'd expected a wrought-iron or wooden gate, something akin to those decorating the yards in the village. Instead, the gate was simply another massive slab of marble. There were no holes to peek through, or notches to aid in climbing over it. There wasn’t even a door knocker. The only marker that made the slab different than the others was a waist-high pedestal holding a basin filled with sparkling blue water that stood only inches from the white stone.

  Garrett dipped his hand in the water and scooped some up, taking a sip. He squeezed his eyes shut, and pain lined his face for a moment before he relaxed. When he opened his eyes, he motioned to the basin. “Drink.”

  As much as she trusted him, she had an aversion to pain. “What is it?”

  “Alítheia water. It will strip away any deception used to cloak your true self and allow the guard to read you. The gate will only open to those who are deemed allies to The Peace Treaty between The Council and Grand Coven. It only stings for a moment.”


  That it wasn’t regular water made sense. In that temperature, plain water would have turned to ice almost instantly.

  She took a scoop of the water and hesitantly lifted it to her mouth. The icy liquid stung her lips, and she quickly swallowed it. Her harsh gasp was followed by a fit of coughing. The sting he'd promised was more of a searing pain that scorched her throat and attached itself to her chest until it gradually faded.

  “That was horrible,” she said.

  “It was necessary.”

  Thora glanced at the still closed gate. “What do we do now?”

  “Wait.”

  “For what?”

  “For the guards to determine our intentions.”

  He turned away from her and surveyed the open space around them. It would have been hard for anyone to sneak up on them, yet he was very diligent in his protection. She supposed she should have been relieved, yet she was tired of the silence that hung between them.

  “Who’s Sophie?” she asked, unable to keep quiet any longer.

  “Sophie?”

  “The witch mentioned her.”

  “Sophie is her granddaughter.” His eyes flicked to her then away again. “We need to stay as quiet as possible. Sound carries far here, and while to a breed or witch it might not be audible, a Fae could pick it up a mile away.”

  What he said made sense, and on the surface, Thora understood him and agreed, but there was something in the way he said it that caused pressure to settle around her heart.

  For the ten minutes it took before the guards opened the gate, not a single word passed between them. Unlike the comforting moments in the woods when Garrett’s presence was enough to give her peace, those minutes dragged on until she thought she'd burst. His answer about Sophie explained who she was on the most basic level, but not who Sophie was to him.

  A loud shudder came from the gate as it opened. Despite the weight of the marble, it swung wide with ease. Thora’s eyes widened at the sight of The Sanctuary and grounds.

  It looked like a palace from the fairy tales her mother used to tell her. Fitting, considering they were in the Fae realm. She'd seen much of the building from the field, where its position on a hill had elevated it above the wall surrounding it. But the garden was what gave it life. Lush bushes with vibrant pink and yellow flowers lined the base of the building and continued down the path that led to the gate. Across the bright green grass, on the east side of the grounds, a pear orchard was thriving. To the west was a series of trellises, covered with grape vines. From between the rows, Thora could see a handful of people picking the ripe fruit.