Page 30 of A Bargain with the Fae King

“They’ve set up a makeshift camp for now,” Ambrose says. “Don’t know how long they’ll stay there, but I have a scout watching their position in case they move on.”

“And my sister?” I ask.

“Safe from what we can tell. They appear to have put her into a magical slumber.” He lays a hand on my arm as if to offer comfort.

Riven’s mouth draws into a line. Possessive much?

Ambrose whistles, and a black mare with a white, diamond-shaped patch on her forehead trots over, escorted by another fae.

I nearly sigh in relief at the familiar face. “Galen.”

Galen gives a shy smile in return. “Good morning.”

His horse is stunning—bright coat, clear eyes, strong—a piece of home in this strange land.

“Can I touch her?” I ask.

“Go ahead,” he says.

I tentatively reach out a hand toward her nose, praying she won’t try to bite me. Warm. Coarse yet soft. She even smells right.

“She’s just like the horses back home,” I say while stroking her nose.

“She is,” Riven replies. “Some creatures from your world made it into ours long ago and have thrived here ever since.”

The horse enjoys Riven’s attention, letting out a soft whinny of appreciation. A big checkmark in his favor.

Galen hands Riven the reins. My chest constricts as he walks off toward another group of fae.

“Some of our creatures thrived here but not the opposite?” I ask.

A grim cast colors Riven’s features before he speaks. “No. Separated from the magic of our world, we…fade.”

Well... I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Whatever fading entails, it can’t be anything good, at least not for them. No wonder you don’t see fae running amok in the human world.

“Do you know how to ride?” Riven asks, pulling me away from my thoughts.

“It’s been a while, but I can figure it out.” I went through a horse phase when I was twelve. Dad took me riding several times that summer at a nearby ranch. I’m not an expert, not by any means, but I at least know the basics. “But why don’t we just teleport there?”

His head cocks to the side. “Teleport?”

Oh hell. Though these fae know my language, some things don’t translate. “You know, we were in your room, and now we’re here?”

“Ah, shifting.”

“Sure, whatever. Why don’t we do that?”

“The longer the distance, the more magic it requires. So many of us over such a distance would be felt by the Unseelie.”

“Felt?”

He nods. “We all feel it, the use of magic.”

Well that’s weird and inconvenient.

“We can’t risk them feeling our approach. They could flee, be on alert, or…”

A chill races down my spine even as he takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. They could hurt May. “I get it.”

---