Page 38 of The Forbidden Fae King

Tree trunks whip past at an impossible speed and the woods are a blur of deep green and brown. Branches narrowly miss my arms, and every so often the insane kelpie makes a massive leap over depressions in the landscape, flying over the air and scrambling for purchase on the opposite side, but never slowing its galloping pace.

I cannot breathe for fear. My throat is so tight that dragging in each gulp is a struggle.

I lost Caitlin.

We hardly made it two steps into the Otherworld and I lost her. Our greatest enemy surrounds us, has us each captured, andI don’t know how to find my way back to her. I don’t care what these fae have planned for me, I will not be their slave or consort.

The kelpie skids to a stop in a large clearing between immense trees. The high fae crash through the woods and join us.

Those restricting vines fall from me and I slide from the kelpie’s body, landing on my feet then staggering on the spongy grass. I take three wobbly steps away from it and throw up bile in the bushes. My stomach keeps heaving and heaving until there is nothing left and my throat burns with acid.

“By the gods, Kai! Did you have to make the poor girl sick? You were galloping like you had the wild hunt on your tail,” a female yells out.

“The spirits had overtaken me. I could not resist their call,” a low, lisping voice replies, one that sounds like it's not meant for this language.

“Kelpie spirits,” the woman curses.

“I am not surprised she is throwing up.” A man cuts in. “Considering how much magic she used. I would have thought our magic lost from the human realm after all these years of separation between our races.”

I heave again, despite how every inch of my soul screams at me to run. To get away from these high fae who bound me and could kill me with hardly a look over their shoulder.

My arms shake as they support me on hands and knees. A bone-deep fatigue washes over me. Twigs crunch as footsteps approach from behind and I swing rapidly around, landing on my bottom.

That huge fae man approaches me, the one I was enchanted by as I came through the portal. He is as terrifying as he is beautiful, as though every hard plane of his face was sculpted by an artist. High cheekbones, sharp jaw, perfectly straight nose and amber eyes with a simmering intensity.

His russet armor is splattered with gore and a deep wound in his shoulder has a stream of dried blood soaking his leather. He is tall, so impossibly tall and his shoulders are made even broader by the spikesat the tips of his plate armor. At least the horns and war paint seem to be gone.

A deep frown occupies his face, pinching his dark eyebrows, but that gaze softens as it meets mine.

A wave of intense fear ripples through me at the sight of my hunkering captor. I scurry in the dirt, kicking my feet out and finding purchase to push myself backward, away from him. The blood freezes in my veins as my eyes dart across all the swords and daggers strapped to the different parts of his body.

He holds up his large hands. I bet he could crush my windpipe with a single one. “No one is going to hurt you.” He crouches a few strides away.

“Let me go!” I gasp. “I have to find my sister.”

“No one is holding you against your will.” He sighs. “And I apologize for Kai’s treatment of you. Kelpies are not known for politeness…or great intelligence.”

“I heard that.” The strange, gravelly voice snickers. “I got her away from the battle, did I not?”

I stare at the high fae before me. There is even blood in his dark brown hair, tied in a knot but with loose strands escaping to hang over his face. Through the gaping neckline of his undershirt, defined pectorals are visible and the muscles of his arms bulge.

I saw him throw multiple fae in the air with a flick of the wrist.

Everything about him screams death and slaughter and power.

I’m too scared senseless to move, to run from this enemy.

“What are you doing here? In this realm?” He doesn’t take that intense gaze from me.

“I - we just wandered in. We were picking wild berries growing around a gate, and when we reached through and—were transported.” I stumble over my thoughts.

“Liar,” he says simply. “It takes great magic to open a portal. Not every fae has enough power to do it. I suspect a dozen human druids at least would be needed. I will ask again. How did you get here?”

I glare at him. He is insane if he thinks I’m going to give him anyinformation on my realm. That I would betray my people to the enemy.

“Why are you here? Who sent you?” His tone has become more urgent.

“Why do you care?” I bite off the words.

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