Page 142 of Fate and Flame
The human turned red. His hands shook, but he remained quiet.
Wren stepped forward. She got down on her knees before the human. “We will not hurt you. We really are trying to help. What is your name?”
“Dustin.” He balled his fists at his side.
Weird name.
“My name is Wren.” She kept her voice light and her smile sweet. “Do you remember anything that happened after you were captured?”
“They took us to a place that was so cold, many of us died that first night. They hadn’t thought to keep us warm. They didn’t feed us. Nothing. They had two big fuckers with wings guarding the gates they kept us behind. Then they took us to the castle and lined us up outside.”
He looked to the ground for several minutes.
“I was holding my wife close to me. Then, the leader came out and began to talk to us, and I don’t remember anything after that. I don’t know where my wife is.” His voice broke.
“I’m very sorry,” Wren said. “I don’t know where she is either. Are you hungry? Can I find you something to eat?”
He shook his head.
Fen stepped forward.“The king who stole you from your world is our enemy. He is amassing an army of your kind to fight against us. Most of them will die unless we find a way to save you all before the battle begins.”
Gaea and Rhogan appeared in the room, and the moment we turned to see their stricken faces, we knew.
“How many?” Fen asked, his voice low.
“Sixty to seventy thousand,” Rhogan answered, the words trapped in his throat.
No one moved. No one breathed. The ringing of silence flooded the tent. I pushed and pushed and willed the magic that threatened to pour forward behind that wall. Of all the times, now was not it. I couldn’t fight myself and Autus. I just couldn’t.
“Aibell,” I whispered.
She did not answer. So, I tilted my head back and screamed her name. It ripped from me. From the deepest crevice of my soul. There was a thunderclap outside, the tent flap blew open, and she stormed in like a god.
“Not alone,” she said, an odd smile on her face. “You must call on her too.”
“Who?” Fen asked, stepping between us.
She raised her staff and pushed him aside.
“Nealla,” I breathed.
“Absolutely fucking not. Whatever you’re thinking, unthink it,” he demanded.
“We have to do it, Fen,” I said, trying to convince myself as well.
“Do what?”
“We have to destroy the magic that allows The Hunt to collect humans.” I pointed to the foreigner. “There will be two times as many of them if we don’t. Autus could set up court in Coro’s castle and just build and build his army. That’s his plan, don’t you see? He knows the humans will be wiped out like bugs against our fae army. But at what point are there so many we don’t stand a chance?”
“We’re there.” Greeve moved to step beside me. “She’s right and you know it.”
Rhogan stepped forward, his wings scraping the top of the canvas tent.“He’s got the giants, he’s got more trolls than I’ve ever seen, he’s called in the centaurs, he has three grendels, and he has a manticore. He has an army of over forty thousand humans. He has the high fae from the Wind Court. He’s got more sea fae than we thought. There were lutins and brownies ravaging the city when I flew over. It’s a mess.”
“So, he hasn’t killed all of the lesser fae, then,” I spat. “Only the ones he couldn’t control with bribery or enchantment.”
“Basically,” Gaea answered.
“Do it,” Fen said. Though I could feel the regret wash over him the moment the words left his mouth. “Not here though. Keep her away from the soldiers. I need them to sleep tonight.”
