Page 95 of Crown of Slumber

She was capable and strong. I knew she could handle herself.

But she had never encountered creatures like these. Of that, I was certain. And an intense dread filled me at the thought of her falling prey to the unseelie. If they captured her… If they harmed her…

My heart seized at the thought. My chest tightened with a mixture of fury and panic.

I couldn’t let her get hurt. I refused to let it happen.

Even so, I inched closer to her until our arms were touching. She shot me a sharp glance but said nothing.

A deadly silence surrounded us. Not even the creatures of the forest moved. Not a twig snapped, nor a leaf crunched.

The stillness was the most unsettling of all. It spoke of dangers lurking nearby, of silent demons watching from the shadows. My skin prickled, the goose flesh rising along my arms and the back of my neck.

This was a mistake. Why did I think we could creep through these woods undetected? Of course they knew we were here.

I stopped, turning to Aurelia. “On the horse,” I whispered. “Now.”

Her eyes flared wide. “Why? What is it?” Her head whipped around as if she would be able to see a threat looming.

“You promised you wouldn’t hesitate,” I growled, placing my hands on her hips. She uttered an alarmed yip as I lifted her and set her atop the horse. I raised a leg, prepared to climb up behind her, when a twig snapped a few yards away.

I stiffened, then froze, my blood chilling.

The forest did not make noise unless someone wanted to be heard.

I swallowed hard, then lowered my leg and drew my sword.

“Fenn!” Aurelia hissed. “Get on!”

My eyes narrowed as several shapes emerged from the darkness.

We were too late.

“They’ll catch us,” I said in a low voice, not bothering to whisper. The creatures were already here. They lumbered forward, their long arms dragging along the ground. In the moonlight, I caught a glimpse of their fangs flashing. I kept my gaze fixed on the dark figures before me as I said, “When I say go, you go. Do you hear me?”

“Are you insane? I’m not leaving you.”

“Aurelia,” I warned. One of the creatures stepped into the light of the moon, and I caught a glimpse of his green and leatheryflesh. His inky black eyes stared at nothing and everything all at once.

“I can fight with you,” she said. Shifting leather told me she was trying to climb down from the horse.

Swearing, I stepped forward and slapped the horse on the rear. With a whinny, he bolted, and Aurelia cried out in surprise. His hoofbeats echoed in the distance, along with Aurelia’s shrieks of anger.

She could turn the horse around eventually. But, if she was smart, she would keep going.

I clasped the pommel of my sword with both hands, angling it toward the approaching creatures. Several more passed under the moonlight, confirming my suspicions.

Ogres.

Most people assumed ogres were large, slow, and stupid. But not these. Perhaps it was the magic of the Night Fae, or perhaps these beasts had evolved into something more deadly. I had seen them move so fast they were only a blur to my keen eyes. If they were inching forward like this, it was a choice, meant to intimidate me.

I glared at them, keeping my sword steady. It would not work. I refused to be cowed.

When the closest ogre was only a few feet away, I lunged. My strike was wide and intentional, but the feint worked. The first ogre roared, diving for me, but at the last second, I ducked, ramming my head into its stomach. We crashed to the forest floor, tumbling in a tangle of limbs. Its long arms wrapped around me, and clawed fingers reached for my throat. I nicked it with my sword, and hot black blood soaked my tunic.

The creature hissed in pain, and the hesitation was all I needed. With another swipe of my sword, I opened its throat, barely rolling away before its blood splattered my face.

The remaining ogres screeched in rage before converging. They seemed to blend in with the forest, their movements so swift they were merely shadows streaking forward. My fae sight would not help me here, but I knew what to do.

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