Page 59 of Kingdom of Faewood

I could have sworn that he smirked beneath his mask. “No, Little Lorafin, I do not.”

“But...howis that possible? How did you recover from a stab wound to your abdomen? I saw the blow. The blade sank into your body to the hilt, right by your heart.” I shuddered, remembering the blood and what had come next. If Jax hadn’t recovered, I would now belong to Lordling Neeble, at his mercy—forever.

“It’s because I’m a stag shifter.”

I bumped him mischievously with my elbow. “Now you admit it.”

Chuckling, he caught my arm before I could bump him again, and wrapped my forearm around my middle, holding it with his. I was entirely held within his embrace, and...Goddess, my heart began to pound.

I was barely able to breathe through the sensations spiraling through me, and my head spun when he whispered in my ear, “Yes, I’m a shifter, and brommel stag shifters in particular have extraordinary healing abilities. It’s part of our magic. We can move like the wind, heal almost any ailment, and...”

“And what?”

He cleared his throat. “Nothing. I think I’ve revealed enough. We don’t usually talk about our kind.”

“Then why tell me at all?”

His gaze shifted. “I suppose because you asked.”

Phillen abruptly slowed beneath us, and the blurry realm came into focus.

My attention drifted away from my captor to the small town waiting down the sandy road. The quaint village was the only city for miles, and I had a feeling it wasn’t the brightly lit one I’d seen last night. We likely already passed that one, given how far we’d traveled.

Dry, sandy soil still stretched for miles around us, though, and I wondered how big the Shadow Valley was, especially considering the Ustilly Mountains were now tiny peaks so far away I could barely see them.

“Is most of Stonewild a desert?” I asked just as Jax swung off Phillen.

His booted feet hit the ground. “No, this is the only desert in our kingdom, but it’s a big one.”

Our kingdom.He just saidourkingdom, confirming he was from Stonewild. I wondered if he was even aware of his slip or if he no longer felt concerned that I knew details of his life.

My stomach fluttered at that thought, so I quickly shifted my attention to the desert that I could at last see clearly. Flat ground stretched forever. The Wood was long gone, but desert plants bloomed and grew throughout the barren land.Dry air filled my lungs, and a pleasant scent carried on the breeze.

“What’s that smell? It almost smells like an herb.”

Jax cocked his head, then hunched down. He snapped off a small branch from a low-lying shrub. Prickly leaves coated it, but they didn’t seem to bite his skin. “Is this what you’re smelling?”

I took the outstretched plant and brought it to my nose. The tiny spikes on the plant’s leaves were more fuzzy than sharp, and when its rich aroma filled my senses, I inhaled deeply.

Grinning, I nodded. “What is it? I’ve never smelled it before.”

“Saggerwire. It’s a common shrub throughout the drier areas of Stonewild. Many animals eat it. At the leaf’s center is thick water that can sustain one for days.” He snapped off another branch from the ground and cracked a leaf. Blue drops formed on its broken surface, and he brought it to his lips before sucking it out. “Try it.”

I did as he said, and when I snapped my leaf, even more of that herby scent rose in the air. Tentatively, I brought the leaf to my mouth, and the second a drop of the blue moisture hit my tongue, my entire mouth flooded with water. Startled, I nearly dropped it, but I recovered and swallowed the mouthful of cool liquid in one gulp. “How?”

His eyes crinkled. “Magic. This shrub is particularly magical.”

“It must be to survive out here.” I waved to the area beyond the town. So many miles of empty land surrounded us that I wondered how anyone could walk them, but then I remembered that I was in the land of shifters. Who knew what kind of animals or creatures fae here could turn into. It was possible fae could fly that distance or easily run it as Jax and his friends had.

But the distance to the north did promise more mountains, another range appearing on the horizon. To the west, though, there were only distant hills. Pale green with a smattering of pink and blue wispy clouds spanned the entire domed sky above us.

“It’s so dry here,” I added.

“The sea’s that way.” Jax jerked his chin to the east.

I cocked my head since he was sharing information so freely. “And what about Fosterton?” I nodded toward the small town ahead. “Is this our final destination? Will I be performing your calling here?”

“No, you won’t, and it isn’t.” I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.

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