Chapter 15

Sleep had started to take its hold on me when a sliver of light slowly filled the night, overpowering the moonlight. If I had found the color of Faerie's moon to be bizarre, its sun was even more alien. Its radiance filled the area in a manner of seconds. Fires burst into life all around me, creating a furnace of heat.

Ronan—who had not uttered a word to me all night—sprung to his feet as if he had not been sitting there motionless for hours. He turned in the opposite direction—towards the way I had come when I had arrived in Faerie. I stumbled to my feet, wobbling. My legs felt like rubber.

As much as I didn't want to rest, I knew I could not continue much longer if I didn't get a chance to sleep soon. Ronan's graceful strut was not hindered in the slightest as he walked. He didn't bother stopping or waiting for me to catch up.

I clenched my jaw. I hated that I needed to rely on him and that I was bound to him. I started over the dirt path, the rough ground biting into my raw toes.

I really needed a pair of shoes.

Not to mention my torn, almost transparent, dress—which had been shredded through my run in the forest. I was covered in a layer of dirt and a mixture of mine and Everard's blood. I wasn't sure what Ronan's plan was next, but I hoped it involved less walking and a new change of clothes.

I frowned, looking over at him. He had nothing but his weapons on him, his sword holstered across his back and a ring of knives and daggers at his hips. I noticed their metallic glint, and wondered if they were made of steel. Gran had said iron weakened fae.

It didn't appear to bother Ronan in the slightest.

We reached where the circular fence narrowed, and Ronan moved down the slim pathway. No more guards were there. Overseeing the mortal women was likely up to their fae...

I swallowed, unable to think of the word "spouse," even if based on whatever Faerie laws there were, Ronan was supposedly mine now.

Ronan's long strides had taken him several paces in front of me, and I tried to move faster, frustration and annoyance overpowering my fear of him. Faerie or not, he was being an ass.

And I was starting to have enough of it.

"Could you slow the hell down? I don't even have shoes on, jackass."

When I yelled at him, Ronan was nearly as startled as I was. My voice came out somewhat raspy and weak, ruining my desired effect. Ronan stopped and turned towards me, a frown on his face as he looked me up and down. His eyes lingered on my feet, the cuts that had just started to scab over were now reopened and bleeding. For a moment, I wondered if he understood me a bit better than he let on.

But as he turned and continued walking, I quickly banished that idea.

My feet still stung, and my legs were aching, the muscles clenching with every step.

Ronan stopped again. I nearly walked into his back before catching myself. I had been looking out at the trees, the shadows around them appearing less ominous with the bright Faerie sunlight reflecting off their dewy leaves, creating a lively tableau filled with greenery that radiated pure, natural beauty. For a moment, I thought I had seen a figure among them. Bright green eyes that stared back at me, hidden in the leaves. But just as fleetingly as it had appeared, it was gone.

I looked away, but I felt a prickle at the base of my spine move along my skin. Like I could feel the weight of something's eyes out there, watching me.

I almost bumped into Ronan's large frame, catching myself before I fell backward. I saw Ronan's shoulders lift and fall as he heaved a sigh, then the world was spinning as his arms wrapped around me. Before I could understand what was happening, everything was upside down, my gaze fixed on the dirt ground below me.

Ronan had thrown me over his shoulder. Most likely tired of my slow pace. Anger took root inside of me. I didn't care who he was—he had no right to throw me around like a rag doll. I struggled, kicking my legs which he quickly placed an arm around, squeezing them with little effort, effectively preventing my attempts to wriggle from his grasp.

"Let me go!" I cried out, beating my fists against his back. He continued moving, much faster now as I continued to squirm, ignoring my increasingly irate protests.

"Hey, asshole! Put me down right now! Just because I'm some trophy in your game gives you no right to do whatever you want with me!"

He ignored me.

After some time, Ronan eventually stopped. I was breathing heavily, my head rushing from being in an upside-down position for so long. Infuriated, I also came to the realization his backside was just as muscular as the rest of him, having had the misfortune of staring at it for so long.

I tilted my head to see where we were. We had cleared the fenced area a while ago and then walked down a treed pathway. The shadows from the trees danced as a breeze softly blew through the area.

The sweet smell of faerie flowers filled my nose, their scent headier and more potent than any other. The wind carried a whisper, as if it were trying to speak to me. Sounds echoed, carrying giggles and the fluttering of wings. The trees moved in ways that hinted they were alive and moving along with us.

As I huffed out my anger, my eyes caught on the form of a red-toned wolf, its white fur speckled with shades of copper and brown. It was sitting by the base of a moss-covered tree, watching me with emerald eyes. It made no move towards us, instead only staring back at me as I watched it. It looked familiar.

I could never forget the wolf that had appeared in my faerie ring all that time ago. It had haunted me for years. I found myself captured by it...entranced. Its eyes held an intelligent gleam, like the mind behind it was measured in centuries as opposed to years. My breath caught in my throat.

The next thing I knew, Ronan was pulling me off him and placing me on my weak legs like I weighed nothing. I looked back towards the wolf, but much like the morning after my summoning as a child, it was gone.

I stared in the direction of the trees until Ronan tugged me forward, forcing me to turn away.

Ronan had brought us to another smaller clearing. A stable and several small surroundings cabins filled the space. Stalls were set up with fresh fruits and vegetables that did not appear to be enchanted—not that I was eager to test that theory.

There was a well in the middle, where various kinds of fae stood collecting water. This place appeared to be a rest stop for travelers after they exited the forest. It was busy, likely with many fae passing through because of the Hunt.

Despite its innocent nature, it still held a certain Faerie quality that set me on edge. There were a few other mortals, following along wide-eyed behind hunched fae who had gnarled hands and mottled skin. Where during the Hunt, the types of fae had been mixed, the ones here looked mostly monstrous, making Ronan appear almost human in comparison.

Males with long pointed ears and bald heads gnawed on bones as they stood leaning up against the walls of the cabins. One of the vendors sold charms and trinkets. I sensed a sinister energy that radiated around them, and I steered clear as we walked by.

A tavern sat in the center of the makeshift village, loud, boisterous faerie song echoing out its doors as fae males stumbled out, holding large glasses of ale that sloshed over the side. When they caught sight of me, they fixed their beady eyes on me and grinned with ill-concealed hunger as we passed.

Ronan paid them no mind, moving towards the stables. I trailed along behind him on my bare feet. Even though I had been yelling at him to put me down moments before, now I found myself hesitant to stray far from his side.

I followed Ronan into the stables. Greeting neighs rung out, accompanied by eager grunts and swishing tails. Ronan walked partway down one of the long rows, stopping in front of a stall.

When I looked at where he had led us, I almost fell back in alarm.

A tall black stallion stood inside, huffing and excitedly bobbing its head as Ronan neared. Its eyes were a similar shade to Ronan's; a bright red. Only, his were licked with the orange of glowing, swirling, flames. He stood tall, larger than most of the other horses I saw. Not just any horse.

He was a faerie horse.

Ronan swung open the stall door. I backed away, watching in both surprise and wonder as Ronan—great, big, terrifying, Ronan—cooed softly, reaching into a pocket to pull out something. Whatever it was, it immediately had the equally as formidable horse nuzzling Ronan's hand and gobbling up whatever it was that he had given him.

I watched the back of his dark head, wondering not for the first time just what kind of fae I had gotten myself tangled up with. There was a loud warning snort behind me, and I jumped forward from the stall where a silvery coated colt had its head over the door, eying me with bright brown eyes.

Being a city girl, I had near zero experience with horses. I had ridden one once on a family vacation, and it hadn't gone well. I jumped forward, looking towards Ronan, who was too occupied in softly whispering to his horse to pay me any mind. I was surprised his voice could even sound like that.

Before I could muse further over his change of attitude, a voice spoke in my ear, from where the horse had just been.

"No apples for Trahern?"

All the hair on my body stood on end, and I yelped in surprise..

I spun back around to see a young man, likely a few years younger than me. Fourteen, maybe fifteen. Though, since he was a faerie, I figured he was probably older.

The only feature that remained of the horse was the silvery mane of his hair. It fell in a lopsided mohawk as it swept over his delicate-featured face. He had big, round brown eyes, and the rest of him—aside from his simple brown tunic and trousers—was washed of color. He gave me a wide, mischievous smile.

"I'll forgive you. You're fun. I have never met a mortal before." He was suddenly even closer, eyes wide as he inspected me, his pointed ears twitching—just like a horse's would when excited.

"Ronan, can she stay here? I can tell you don't want her. I can keep her in the stables. It would be so much fun."

I blinked, taken aback. But then again, I still had no idea what Ronan intended to do with me. Maybe the stables wouldn't be so bad. Trahern was definitely smaller... perhaps in the night I could slip...

A horse neighed, the sound strange and echoing. I looked across the stalls to glimpse a shadowy creature, its form shifting and morphing. A memory of a similar horse stalking me before the Hunt appeared unbidden in my mind.

I shuddered, stumbling as I backed away.

Licking my lips, I focused on the horse-boy that was circling me like I was his newest toy.

"I am not a horse. You can't—"

"Uimh," Ronan said moving out of his horse's stall to fix Trahern with a stern glare. I looked at him curiously. I understood that word. He'd said "no" in Gaelic. I was also certain that was not the language he had spoken with the Priestess of Mab.

"But—she's real pretty too, and you won't be—"

"Uimh."

Trahern visibly pouted, his ears falling to lay flat on his head. I had never picked up on Gaelic, my father and grandmother never speaking it around me outside of a few phrases. I was lost as they carried on a conversation, Ronan's responses cutting and short. Finally, Trahern must have concluded that Ronan was unmovable, and gave up. Ronan then pointed to me and asked a question which had Trahern turning to look me up and down with a critical eye.

"My sister's things might fit you," he said then, approaching me and poking my arm. I jerked away, putting my hand over it protectively. Trahern grinned a wide, toothy smile at me.

"I'll be right back!"

I watched as the energetic youth ran away. I turned to Ronan, questions on my tongue, but then I closed my mouth, realizing it was pointless. He had already turned back to his horse, checking to see that it had some fresh water and food, and then he stepped outside of the stall, closing the door behind him.

He stood there for a moment, looking down at me. Without his cap on—or the look of blood lust in his eyes—I could almost forget the monster he was.

Almost.

He walked by me, speaking for the first time since the night before.

"Come."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to make sense of Ronan. Trying to understand who he was and what his intentions were.

But then I remembered he had gone through with the wedding ceremony with me, the male's end of the bargain being to protect their mortal wife. I had to hope that he planned to carry that through, whatever his reasons were.

So I moved forward, following him.