Page 29 of Taken By the Fae King

“Corduin?” Her eyes widen slightly. “Isn’t that close to the Great Wall?”

“Yes.” I lower my gaze. “I had not planned on us going there, but our scouts have reported another band of Orcs nearby and this is the best route to avoid them.”

When she opens her mouth, I think she means to protest. Instead, she says, “I’ve never been to the Great Wall.”

“The fortress is heavily guarded. It has never been breached,” I add. “If you are worried about your safety, I—”

“I’m not,” she denies.

I’m surprised by this. “You’re… not?”

“No.” Her hazel eyes meet mine and a faint smile crests her lips. “We may have only recently met, but I already know that you would never put me in danger, Kyven.”

Trust. That is the look she is giving me right now and it is humbling beyond measure. I return her smile with one of my own. “You are right.”

I stand and offer her my hand, pulling her up beside me.

When she looks down, I detect the panicked beat of her heart as her fear scent perfumes the air. Grayce holds onto my forearm with a white knuckled grip, her face pale as she tips up her chin trying to appear unafraid. “It’s much higher than I thought.” A nervous grin crests her lips. “I suppose it’s fortunate I could not see how far up we were last night, or I’d probably have been unable to sleep at all. I probably would have kept you up talking all night.”

“I would have liked that.” The words escape unfiltered, and she frowns. So I move quickly to correct myself. “What I mean is that I enjoy talking to you.”

“You do?”

“Very much so.”

Pink blooms across her cheeks. “Good. Because I’d like to practice speakingFaerineshwith you again.”

As I listen to her speak, pride fills me when she finishes the last half of her sentence in the common Fae tongue. I’m sure it will not be long until she has completely mastered our language. Her Florinesh accent is still audible, but not so much so that it takes away from anything she says.

“Very well,” I smile as I reply in kind, and hoist her to my chest. “Let us practice then.”

CHAPTER18

GRAYCE

It is common knowledge that Wolf Shifters are extremely devoted and caring toward their mates, but I never knew the Fae were this way as well. Kyven is so attentive and attuned to my needs.

My stomach made a light rumble earlier, and he immediately ordered his warriors to secure a location for us to take some rest and a midday meal.

As we continue north, cold wind whips through my hair, and I’m thankful for the heavy cloak Kyven gave me when we stopped to eat.

“We are almost there,” he says. “You can already see the Great Wall from here.”

I peer into the distance and notice a glowing ribbon of blue light stretching as far as the eye can see to the east and the west. The magic barrier wall is the only thing keeping these lands from being overrun by Wraith. I’ve never traveled to the Great Wall, but my brothers have.

Raiden is the one that father sent here regularly to check on the Florinesh portion of the Wall. Bitterness fills me. As the second born son and also illegitimate child of his mistress, I remember one of father’s advisors hinting that Raiden was expendable and that’s why it made sense for him to represent our family at the dangerous outpost.

As we draw closer the town of Corduin comes into view. I’ve heard of the wonders of Elvish and Fae architecture, but to see them in person is another thing entirely.

The entire town is a forest of trees connected by beautifully designed wooden bridges and homes that seem to have been carved into the massive trunks of the trees and yet also somehow expanded out from them as well. As if the homes were an extension of the wooden base instead of something attached afterward.

“We use our magic to shape and mold the wood to create our homes, buildings, and bridges,” Kyven answers my unspoken question.

A thin line of orange spreads across the sky as the sun begins to set in the distance. Soft golden light spills out from the windows, casting the entire city in an ethereal glow. And while it appears lovely, it also looks delicate and fragile in a way. An entire city built in the trees seems vulnerable to me. “What about fires?” I ask.

“We use our powers to solidify the wood, making it hard as stone and impervious to such things,” he explains. “And our magic feeds the trees, helping them remain strong.”

On the opposite side of the town is a larger structure that connects several massive trees lined along the Great Wall. Their bridges and walls are almost completely solid, with barely any visible light spilling out through small, slit-like windows. That has to be the fortress that guards the city and the borders of Anlora from the Wraith that roam on the other side of the Great Wall.

---