She waved her free hand. “Pish. I’ve finished my shift. Go ahead. Open it.”
I stared back at the bundle she held and took it, unfolding the fabric to reveal…a black stone?Flecks of glittering blue shone on the surface, making the stone sparkle in the golden light.
When I stared at her quizzically, she explained, “Some say the pebbles at the very bottom of the lake are supposed to bring good luck, and others say they grant wishes.” She shrugged. “I had Reno find one for me. It’s pretty, right?”
I struggled to keep a smile on my face, even though I was so grateful she was thinking of me. I wondered what she’d traded Reno, the young water fae, for it. “Wishes?” I asked quietly.
Her expression softened, and her smile fell as she studied my face. “Oh, Cara, I hadn’t thought it would make you sad. I wanted to give you something special. If I’d realized—”
“It doesn’t make me sad,” I said hastily, cutting her off and sniffling as my hands wrapped tighter around the stone. “Thank you, Ode. Really.”
She still looked concerned, but I reached over with my free hand and squeezed hers. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay here, it’s just, it’s been four years and I thought…”
“That Xander would have found a way to send you home by now,” she finished, her shoulders drooping.
I nodded, blinking a few times to stop my eyes from tearing. “I need to get back to my sister. It’s not that I don’t like it here. I do. But she needs me.” I thought of all that had happened since my time in Zalei. At first, I’d been reluctant to share details about my island, but as the days turned to weeks, I’d eventually begun to tell them everything I could in the hopes it would help. But nothing I said ever did. Xander, Nathaniel, and Ellis had made countless portals for me, but none of them had ended up leading to my home. Talking about my island, which could be located literally anywhere, wasn’t enough for them to go by.
Sighing, I traced my finger along the curved tip of my right ear. The glamor Samson had placed on me was still in place, and according to him, it would last indefinitely unless it was altered. For four years, I’d kept the fact that I was human a secret, and no one knew besides Xander, Ellis, Nathaniel, Samson, Corak, and Ode. The fae accepted me as their own, and I knew I should have been grateful. Being in Zalei had to be better than wherever the monsters had been planning to take me, but it was now only six years until the next choosing, and Raine would be of selection age by then. I had to get back there before the Night of the Offering.
“Xander will find a way,” Ode said solemnly. “He always does. It might not be tomorrow, but he will.”
It was the same thing she’d been telling me for years, and as much as I believed Xander was trying his best, I was starting to wonder whether I’d ever see Raine, my father, or my island again. I tried to remind myself that the odds were good that Raine wouldn’t be selected during the next offering to the monsters. There would be dozens of girls on the island of selection age, and only twelve were chosen every decade. But today was the anniversary of when I arrived in Zalei, and every worry rose in me, my fears squeezing my chest and making me feel as though I was choking.
I was back to staring at the sunset when Ode whipped her head to the side. “Xander?”
“What is it?” I asked, my heart leaping to my throat at the concern in her voice.
Ode tilted her head, listening carefully, and then her round eyes shot to mine. “They’ve returned. We need to get down there.”
As we walked into the camp, I knew something was wrong. Usually, when Xander went with the fae warriors to run missions in Zalei the casualties were minimal. When they’d return, we’d honor the fallen before celebrating the return of the party. But as we moved between the glass houses, fae were rushing about in a panic. Some were shouting orders, and others were slumping to the ground, crying and consoling one another. Ode chewed her bottom lip, and I tried to calm my racing heart.What has happened?
“I thought they’d gone on a peaceful mission?” Ode murmured to me.
“Th-they did,” I stuttered. “Xander told me they were going to aid a community in the mountains that has been terrorized by three Sares lions. He said they were just going to help set up some barriers to protect the village. Even Corak insisted on going as she was the most experienced with the beasts.”
But as I took in the commotion around me, I knew that somehow the fae king had to be involved in whatever had transpired. Xander had explained to me why the Forgotten Fae fought against the fae monarch, King Chalir. He’d told me of the human king who had murdered the late King Jazrec, and how the former fae princess, Izla, had cursed the humans and turned them into monsters. It had been King Chalir who’d forced the fae army to mobilize and go to Katakin to fight the monsters, even though there had been an outcry from the fae that many wished not to fight the unknown threat and for the portals to Katakin to be closed instead. Corak and the members of the Forgotten fae fought for those who had been forgotten by the kingdom, which now included many of the smaller communities around Zalei who received no help from the royals when they were in need.
A fire fae went to pass us, his armor splattered with grime and blood, and Ode grabbed his arm. “Horax? What’s going on?” she squeaked.
The male fae’s eyes were vacant when he answered. “We never made it to the village. He was waiting for us.”
“He?” Ode pressed. “Are you talking about the king?”
The male’s gaze kept shifting like he wasn’t sure where to focus, but he nodded. “There was an ambush waiting for us the moment we exited the forest. Seems the king’s getting tired of our influence in the kingdom. And Corak.” He paused, his face scrunching as he fought against the emotion that was gripping him.
“What about Corak?” I asked.
Horror widened the male’s eyes like he was replaying a memory in his head. “They showed no mercy. Sucked her soul away before we could react. Sh-she’s gone.”
“Gone?” Ode squeaked.
No.I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my ears. “What about Xander?” When the fae didn’t answer right away, I grabbed his shoulders and shook him lightly. “Where are Xander, Ellis, and Nathaniel?”
“The healer,” he managed, and it was all we needed to hear. Ode and I released him, and I started running toward the heart of the camp. Rushing to the only house with white panels of glass.
Ellis and Nathaniel were waiting outside, looking as beaten up as the fire fae had. Ode rushed to Ellis, and he grabbed her around the waist, burying his head into her pink hair. The two of them had finally admitted their feelings for one another a year ago, and Ellis held Ode now like he’d been afraid he’d never see her again.
“Xander?” I breathed.
