Page 9 of Blooms of Darkness

My attacker gagged on his own blood, falling forward, spattering red onto my cloak as he fell to the ground.

My arms were yanked once again, this time by the cloaked stranger. His firm grasp, surprisingly comforting, as my back slammed into his chest with the sudden movement I made to stand. I trembled at the closeness, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he held me from behind a moment longer, until I had my feet firmly beneath me.

“You’re welcome,” he said haughtily, already rushing back to where Storm still fought.

“Thank you,” I whispered, trying to catch my breath. He fled before he’d heard it. I wobbled once, before regaining my balance.

Storm’s laugh echoed around us as he yelled, stretching his arms out to his side. Fire flickered at his hands, and from his palms, he threw the glowing orbs toward two assailants.

My jaw dropped as I watched them flee, bodies wrapping in flames. A fire completely generated by one Fae. The smell of smoke hit me and burnt my nostrils.

Storm had downed two of the attackers with his fire power.Fire. The magical ability to wield an element existed in myths and legends. Nothing more. The idea of it seemed impossible. Yet, Storm used the power effortlessly.

Exactly whowerethese Fae?

I ran toward Ian, wanting to help him any way I could. As I approached, he dove forward, but before he could reach the last attacker, the man turned and fled, escaping to the safety of the woods beyond.

Storm’s arrogant, far-too-powerful-looking companion bolted after the fleeing man, but only for a moment before Storm shouted, “Kade! You can’t.”

Kade.

The mystery Fae had a name now.

He halted at his friend’s warning, shoulders tensing. I noticed his chest heaving, even from where I stood yards away, the effort it took to contain himself visible. He jerked his hood over his head, composing himself once more before pivoting and stalking back toward us. Slowly, panting quietly, trying to catch his breath, he turned to Storm, their gazes boring into each other in what appeared to be a silent standoff. The air returned to its sweet scent, the charge of electricity gone as quickly as it came.

“Tits and daggers,” I cursed, earning an eye roll from Ian. “Why did they look—” I paused, unsure of the word to use. “Cursed?”

“Because theyarecursed,” Kade muttered to himself, stepping over one of the slain bodies toward his associate. “We call them dark ones.”

As Ian approached closer, I scanned his body from top to bottom for any injuries. He moved rigidly, standing tall as he gave me a small shake of his head. “I’m okay.”

With my body now stationary, the wound on my arm throbbed and stole my attention. Blood dripped down my hand to my fingertips, and a sliver of white peeked through the skin. The bastard had cut through to the bone. I had forgotten about the injury during the heat of the battle, but the pain slowly returned now that my adrenaline waned.

The sound of a blade moving through the air came from behind us, followed by athud.

Kade ripped the shirt from one of the dead Fae at his feet and crouched beside him, inspecting something on the body, looking for something. But what?

Despite the pain, my wound would have to wait, because right now, all my focus centered on Storm and Kade.

My gaze sharpened, and while my arm had dropped, I kept my knife still, and readily available. From the tip of my blade, asingle drop of blood splattered to the ground. “What village did you say you were from again?”

Details be damned, we had to figure out who these men were. If Kade had powers as unique as Storm’s, we would need to know. Who were they really? I couldn’t stop the barrage of questions coursing through my mind.

Storm rose, standing straighter, visibly pressing his shoulder’s back. “We didn’t?—”

“Everywhere and nowhere, Hidden Henchman,” Kade jumped in, cutting off Storm. He drew his blade across the dirt-stained tunic of one of the dead men, cleaning off the blood. A small smile shadowed his face from beneath his hood.

Kade’s vague answer did nothing to ease my worries and left me with more questions than when I arrived. I held Storm's stare, ignoring his companion. “From now on, if you require something, go through the proper channels. This will be the last time we accommodate any request sent to me directly.”

Storm’s jaw ticked once but he nodded in agreement.

“I saved your life, and you treat us suspiciously?” Kade snorted.

Storm shoved his companion, who tsked but turned, bowing with a mocking flourish of his hand. “As you wish.”

Ian’s entire body tensed at the same time mine did—I could feel it.

He didn’t know.ThisFae couldn’t ever know my secret. He was just being an ass. He hadn’t a clue he currently spoke to royalty, and his bow didn’t contain any sort of true reverence.

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