Page 9 of Once the Skies Fade

Hailee rolled her eyes, exaggerating her sigh as she straightened and pulled her hair free from my fingers. “If you say so, general. WhatcanI do for you then?”

I downed the whiskey in one gulp and set the glass back down on the bar before answering her. “Word is you’ve had a human in here recently.”

Her expression froze as if I’d just accused her of murder, but she quickly recovered, raising her chin slightly. “When did that become a crime?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “It hasn’t, but this woman might be of particular interest to the crown.”

“What did she do?” When I didn’t respond, she huffed out an annoyed breath. “What does the king want with her?”

“Not your concern,” I said.

Hailee crossed her arms. “Then her whereabouts are none of yours either,” she said coldly.

Rubbing my hands together slowly, I pretended to be searching for my next word. Finally, I let my shoulders slump in defeat. I gestured for her to come closer, thankful when she obliged, until she hovered so close to me that I nearly forgot why I was really here. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to focus. “Thank you for confirming she’s been here. That’s all I needed.”

At this, Hailee pulled away and angled her head as she scrutinized me for a brief moment.

“We both know that’s notallyou need,” she said bitterly.

“Perhaps, but duty calls.”

Hailee’s gaze briefly softened with pity, but she then pressed her lips together and shook her head at me. “If you aren’t careful, general, you’re going to put your work before your heart for so long you’ll eventually forget you even have one.”

I nodded slowly, letting my eyes drift closed as if I were seriously considering her warning. When I looked at her again, I pushed my lips into my favorite nonchalant frown and said, “That happened a long time ago.”

“Get what you needed?” Tanner asked, holding my mare’s reins to me.

“Nearly,” I said, and he gave a short, quiet laugh. “But she was here,” I clarified, as I mounted.

“Did Hailee say where she went? And are we sure it was this Raven woman?”

I shook my head with a sigh. My conscience snagged as I wheeled Storm’s head down the road that led south out of town, the opposite direction of the palace.

“So where are we going then?” Tanner asked as he trotted up beside me.

“I know someone in the area who might have heard something. It’s a long shot, but worth a try. At this point, I’ll try just about anything.”

In silence we traveled down the road for nearly an hour before reaching the blackened tree that marked the hidden path we needed. Without a word, I turned Storm into the forest and started down the barely visible trail, ducking to avoid the low-hanging branches. Tanner followed silently.

The air around us grew colder as the thick canopy overhead blocked out the afternoon sunlight. After another hour of navigating the dense woods, the small house came into view up ahead. It was a stout little building covered in moss and ivy, helping it blend in with its surroundings. A small veranda ran along the front of it with two rocking chairs sitting beside the door.

No sooner had I dismounted than the door opened, and a slender woman stepped out. She planted her hands firmly on her hips as she glared at me. Her eyes darted to Tanner, still atop his mount, before landing squarely back on me.

“Must be serious if you take this risk, brother,” she said, tossing her head toward him. When I didn’t respond, she addressed Tanner directly in a stern, yet teasing, voice. “You can come down. I’m not going to bite you, you know.”

Tanner made no move to comply, so I turned to him, shrugging. “Sera does actually bite, but only if you make her mad.”

Sera scoffed. “That wasonetime, and you deserved it.”

“She’s your sister?” Tanner asked quietly, still refusing to dismount.

“Half-sister, actually,” she explained before I could answer, tucking her long brown hair behind her rounded ears.“Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit the outward fae traits from our father.”

“Hence why she lives out here away from town,” I further explained to Tanner, but it still wasn’t until I gave him a quick nod that he actually stepped down, sliding the reins over his gelding’s head.

Sera laughed once before spinning around and waving us to follow her inside while speaking over her shoulder, “Tie the horses to the rail and come on.”

The house was simple with one large main room containing the kitchen and a living area. Four doorways at the back led to two small bedrooms, a privy, and out back to the garden. The room was sparsely furnished, but cozy and inviting as it had always been since she and her husband had settled here before the war.

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