Darian didn’t answer.
Locke came up on my other side, and his expression hardened as he peered at the feminine face that was protruding from the tree trunk, formed of the same wood as the tree. The eyes were closed as if the female was sleeping, and delicate, pointed ears were only just visible on the sides of her head.
Asher scrunched his face at the sight of it. “Well, that’s fuckin’ creepy.”
Darian inspected the face more closely, clearly not as bothered as the rest of us. “Look at the detail,” he mused.
I stepped back, not wanting to stare at the face any longer. In fact, I was quite happy if we moved away from it as quickly as possible.
“There are more over here,” Kade called out from a few paces ahead, and I spotted the two other faces on different tree trunks. Like the first face, they all had feminine features, and their eyes were closed like they were sleeping.Or like they’re dead.A chill went through me at the thought.
I tried to tell myself the faces were only carvings. That a forest fae merely had a sick sense of humor. If we ever met the artist, I would be sure to tell them it was not, in fact, funny. I already felt like the trees were watching us as we passed. The last thing I needed was to see actual faces on them.
Locke nudged my arm, and I followed him as he began walking again. “We should keep moving. Whether those faces are carvings or remnants of beings who have been trapped in the trees, the one who created them might live around here. I can’t imagine they’ll be too happy to find us.”
At the mention of a new threat, all four males moved into position around me protectively as we walked. I pulled out one of my daggers and gripped it tightly. Being turned into a tree wasn’t exactly the future I’d envisioned for myself.
The air grew thicker, and an uneasy feeling made my stomach churn, but we didn’t see any more faces as we continued forward, nor did we see any tracks or signs of fae living in the forest. By the time sunlight washed over us, I was about to ask if we could stop for a rest when a breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves of the trees and making the hairs rise on the back of my neck. Faint whispers carried on the wind, and I tried to make out the words.
Asher lifted his axes, and his muscles flexed. “You hear that?” he asked us.
“It’s like the forest is talking,” Darian responded with a nod.
My face blanched. “But the trees can’t be alive, can they?”
The crackle of a leaf sounded on my right, and I whipped my head in that direction, but there was nothing there.
“We’re being watched,” Locke said from beside me as the whispers became louder and my head grew light.What now?I was starting to hate this forest. Locke and the others swayed, their eyes fluttering closed, and then darkness took me as well.
CHAPTER 9
~ Raine ~
Iwaswokenfromsleep by the sound of excited feminine whispering. For the briefest moment, I thought I was back on my island, listening to the girls gush about the upcoming moon festival, but then I registered the hard press of the ground against my back and the scents of vegetation and earth. No, I wasn’t on the island; I was in the fae realm with Locke and the others, and we weren’t alone.
Adrenaline spiked through me, but I was careful to remain still. Slowly, I cracked an eye open just enough that I could make out the three slender figures hovering over me and my monsters. Dressed in gowns of apple green, the figures, who appeared to be female, bent over Locke and the others. The males were still unconscious, and the fae tugged at their clothes and openly admired their bodies.
I stayed silent, hoping the fae would give away some information. I had no idea what powers the fae had, whereas I, on the other hand, had none thanks to the dazra’s venom still in my veins.
“Holy sugar plums! Geralda, look at this one’s biceps!” squeaked the smallest female, who was pointing at Asher. Her bright-green hair trailed behind her head in soft curls and a tinge of pink stained her cheeks. “They’re almost as thick as my head,” she added with a giggle.
“Forget about that,” drawled a female with sharper features and green hair that was cut into a bob. She was crouched and leaning uncomfortably close to Darian, and I had a sudden possessive urge to tell her to back the fuck up. “Check out this one’s massive —“ she began.
“Would you both stop perving on the brutes!” snapped the third female. “All your squealing and ogling is going to wake them up.” From the hard expression on this fae’s face, and her deep, reprimanding tone, I guessed that out of the three, she was the one who usually made the decisions.
The female with the green bob whom the other fae had called Geralda rose to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. “They won’t wake for at least another hour when our magic wears off. You worry too much, Katia.”
“And you don’t worry enough,” chastised the female, who I now knew was named Katia.
The smallest female canted her head as she stared at Locke’s sleeping face. With his long black lashes, pale skin, and sleek raven-colored hair, he almost looked like a masculine doll while he slept rather than the predator I knew he was. “I’d hardly say they’re brutes. They’re so handsome,” she said dreamily, and just the idea that she was lusting over Locke had me clenching my fist at my side.
At least I now knew the magic would wear off before too long. The fae would get a rude awakening when Locke and the others came to their senses.
Katia jabbed the smallest female’s side with her finger. “What did I say, Frey?”
“Ouch!” the female named Frey complained, rubbing at her assaulted ribs. “What? Evenyoucan’t deny they’re sexy. It’s been so long since we’ve had decent company. What if they’re nice?”
Katia rubbed at her temples in frustration. “Can’t you see what they are?” She pointed accusingly at Locke’s exposed ears. “They’re not nice. They’rehumans.”
