Page 34 of Elora and the Crow

“The fae took him about eight months ago.” His ordinarily cheerful face took on a pinched look.

“Oh shit,” she breathed. “Come sit down.”

He followed her to the couch, sinking onto the lumpy and battered piece of furniture.

Her stomach twisting, Elora gave Jonah a worried look. “Eight months is a long time. Usually, they only…”

“Keep humans for a couple of weeks, I know,” he said.

She told herself not to take his hand, then took it anyway. He linked their fingers, staring solemnly at her as she said, “Why did they take him?”

“He’s a musician,” Jonah said.

“Ah,” she said. “Fucking fae and their obsession with music.”

“Yeah.”

“Is he with the northern or the southern fae?” she asked.

“Northern.”

She didn’t want Jonah to see how her worry immediately intensified, but she must have done a poor job of hiding it because he squeezed her hand and said, “Caleb is tough in his own way. I’m sure he’s okay.”

“Did you go to the police?”

“His friends did about a month after he was taken. They basically said that if he’d been gone that long, he was probably now there of his own free will.”

“What?” Anger washed over Elora. “That’s such bullshit.”

“It is,” Jonah said.

“So, now what? Will you talk to the police again?”

“No,” Jonah said. “I’m going to their compound tonight and getting him.”

“You’re what?” Alarm stiffened her body, and her hands glowed with blue light as her magic reacted to the fear.

“Shh, little witch,” Jonah said soothingly. “Control your magic.”

“You can’t go to their compound, Jonah,” Elora said. “The fae are dangerous and can’t be trusted.”

“I can handle the fae,” Jonah said.

“No, you can’t.” Elora yanked her hands free and stood to pace the small living room. “Their magic is powerful, and theywilluse it on you. If you go there, you could be seriously injured.”

“I have a plan,” he said.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face,” Elora said.

Jonah grinned. “Okay, Mike Tyson. Look, I promise it’ll be fine. I’ll get Caleb back without any problems.”

“What about the poisonous thorns?” she said and shuddered all over. She didn’t know if this was true of the southern fae, but the northern fae had the ability to sprout poisonous thorns on their bodies that were toxic to other creatures.

“It isn’t a lethal toxin,” he said. “At the most, it makes you sick to your stomach and gives you a mild infection.”

“You’re being stupidly naive,” she snapped.

“No, I’m being realistic. Yes, the fae have powerful magic, but are you forgetting that I’m a shapeshifter?”

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