Page 2 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

With my survival instincts outweighing my distaste for the rancid smell, I take a slow step back away from the man closest to me when my foot hits something that clangs.

He whips around, his dark eyes widening when he spots me and the only thing visible in his head-to-toe black attire.

“Fae,”he whispers.

How did he…

I sense no magic or power coming from him. His entire being is as blank as a human and as far as I’m aware, humans can’t sense other beings. And to look at me, you would see nothingbuthuman. My long blond hair, sea-green eyes, petite nose and full lips make me look like any other female human.So,how he knows what I am, doesn’t make any sense.

There are no pointed ears, no allure or great beauty that the high Fae hold. Nothing. A dud Fae is what any other magical being or supernatural would assume if they saw me. Nothing more.

I’m quickly snapped out of my stunned state when he abandons his fight with the others to pursue me.

Scrambling backward, my back hits the cold metal. I glance around for a weapon, for anything that will help me protect myself when I feel it begin to slowly rise inside me.

Power.Mypower.

It slithers beneath my skin, begging to be brought forth and released. And right now, it looks like it’s the only weapon I truly have to protect myself.

But just as I always have, I shove it down.

I can’t use that power. For it brings nothing but destruction and pain.

Nothing is worth using it.Nothing.

The man reaches out to grab me when a small flying object shoots between us, forcing him back. It twirls around, glinting off the moonlight before heading back toward him. This time slashing across his arms and legs.

He snarls in pain, narrowing his eyes at me as if I’m the one causing it. I open my mouth to tell him otherwise, but the menacing look he gives me stops me in my tracks.

The flying blade continues to torture him, stopping him from moving any closer to me. I don’t question my good fortune and inch away from him. With him distracted, I quickly get out of his path. Only for another black armored man to block me, his scowl just as menacing.

“You’re coming with us.” He grabs my arm with a bruising tightness, making me wince.

“There must be some mistake. I don’t know who any of you are.” Or evenwhereI am.

But my confusion is only met with a glare as he yanks me forward. I try to pull away from him when his eyes widen, and he quickly drops my arm before flying backward into the wall.

I wince as he hits it hard before dropping to the ground with a thud.

How…

Whipping around, I look over at the fight, only to find the man in the long coat has turned in this direction. But he’s still too far away, his face still hidden within the shadows to get a proper look at his face.

Before I get to question why he just saved me, he turns back to the four remaining men wearing black in front of him.

The man with the black wavy hair stands on the opposite side of them. He catches a glint of something silver in his hand before slinging it at one of the black-clothed men.

It’s moving too quickly to make out. But from the grunts and gasps I hear of pain; I’m guessing it’s something sharp. And the same thing used to take out the man now out cold and bleeding behind me.

Glancing over at him, I realize I’m wasting an opportunity to escape.

Looking for some form of exit, I soon spot a small alley that leads out of this open area. But unfortunately, the only way to get to it is through whatever brawl I’ve stumbled upon.

A flurry of action ensues as the four men in black quickly become three. The man in the long coat and his ally easily work in tandem and gain an advantage over them.

Weighing my options, I watch as the last three of the black clothed men put up a fight against the other two. None of them look my way, all too preoccupied by each other.

I contemplate my options as I look toward the small alleyway.Maybe I can edge around them and get out of here unnoticed?

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