Page 17 of Monsters of Air

“Da! Shut up.” The rustling was everywhere now. Not just the one, but many. All around, but also mostly in the tree line.

“Rayna! You don’t get to–”

“It’s here.” I cut him off, or I thought I did. All I could hear was that sound. All I could feel was my heart screaming and pounding against my chest in panic.

I twisted around in my saddle, expecting some monster to burst through the dark. But Da was right, there was nothing there.

Da pulled his horse to a stop, frowning as he looked in the same direction as I did. “No more games, Ray–”

He stopped as a spear whizzed through the air and slammed into the sweat soaked chest of Da’s horse.

The horse screamed with a low bellow that sliced through the dark as Da yelled out, yanking on the reins, but the horse went down as its scream faded into an echo.

“Da!” I tried to urge my horse toward him, holding my hand out to pull him up and run. Da managed to get off the horse before getting pinned, but before I could reach him, a dozen tall, wispy figures surged out of the forest at an inhuman speed. I picked out long pale hair, the capes, the angular features on their faces.

“Fae.” The word burned my throat.

“Rayna, run!”

I fought with my horse to edge toward Da, but she was having none of it, she wanted out of here. She jumped and howled, prancing back, until she reared. I lost my grip and fell hard on the ground, pain flaring up from my tailbone, through my spine. My horse took off as Da came running to my side, wrapping his arms around me.

We were so fucked. Any weapons we had were on my horse and she was just a blur in the blue light that was flooding the clearing. Now it was just us against the Fae that were coming closer.

Close enough I saw the monsters for the first time. They were beautiful, even with their haunted, empty expressions as they held spears, bows, and long swords at us. At least twice my height, their long hair twisted into braids and curls that flowed behind them. Their tabards and cloaks were elegant and covered in gold stitching.

They didn’t look like the enemy, they looked like gods.

Or they did, until the one in the front smiled, revealing wickedly sharp teeth.

“Give us the girl. The Divine is ours.”

Chapter Seven

“Run!” Da half yelled in my ear, his voice broken as the Fae stalked closer.

I knew I should run, but I couldn’t make my body move. I was trapped under the weight of the Fae’s lavender eyes, the color faint and terrifying in the dawn.

“Where?” I hissed as I glanced around, my heart exploding against my chest. “There’s nowhere to run.”

“You’re right. Which is why you should surrender.” The voice was music as a Fae stepped forward, a long stave at his side. He was ageless, just like all the others, with long sharp features, his cheekbones high, lips thin, eyes narrowed. They were all predatorily beautiful, and this one was hunting me. “Shall we make this as painless as possible? Hand over the Divine, and you can walk away unscathed.”

“Divine?” I stuttered in confusion.

“Rider,” The Fae clarified, his eyes growing a darker shade or purple as he narrowed them at me. “You. You are going to come with us.”

The long stave swung forward with a high whistle, the sharp edge faced us like the open mouth of a dragon as he pointed it right at my father.

“No,” Da snarled, ignoring the sharp edge that was inches from his face and staring the Fae down. “I would rather die than give her to you. I will protect her with everything.”

Da’s grip on me tightened. I grabbed his forearms, my nails digging into his flesh.

I couldn’t let this happen. I wouldn’t. I had no interest in being eaten by the Fae, but I wouldn’t let them take my father. He needed to get back to Ma, to Elodie.

“Da–” I didn’t know what I was going to say, but the Fae cut me off.

“Are you sure about that?” The Fae tilted his head to the side, his purple eyes scanning the two of us. I could have sworn I saw a smile there, the twist of his lips making him more wicked. “You will not win, mortal. We will take her either way, so you might as well save yourself.”

“I will not surrender my daughter to you.” Da shifted more, trying to block more of my body from the talking Fae.

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