The next thing I knew, a shock of electricity zinged up my arm. Heat pooled in my pelvis, and every hair on my body stood on end. My head jerked up to see Alex’s reaction.
All the annoyance of having to touch me had vanished. His eyes were wide, and his lips parted, then slowly, he looked up and met my gaze.
Warmth pulsed through us, and my breath hitched.
“Let’s advance,” Amethyst said, breaking our connection.
What the hell was that? My hormones? Had he felt it too?I gulped down my many questions, knowing that it wasn’t the time.
Later, though. I would ask later.
The leaves crunching beneath my feet, the scurrying of a squirrel, and the breathing of my classmates all echoed in my ears as we walked, amplifying with the tension running through us. Still, my eyes never left the clearing.
We were only a few feet away when I spotted it.
“Look.” I took the hand attached to Alex’s and gestured to a point fifteen feet up, nearly hidden in a mess of branches on a robust tree.
An oval pattern glowed white on the tree’s trunk.
“It’s active,” Alex whispered, and on my other side, Amethyst nodded, her eyes growing impossibly wide.
An active faerie ring. Holy shitballs!
We approached the tree one careful step at a time, our hands still clenched. The electrical hum that had shocked me when Alex and I first linked was still there, but less noticeable in the face of danger. On the other side of me, Amethyst’s arm trembled violently. Even though I didn’t feel strong, I realized that I had to be. Alex couldn’t be the only one carrying our group.
And we had to find Mina.
With every step, twigs cracked beneath our feet, until finally, we were standing at the base of the tree, looking up at the glowing swirl.
“I’m confused. I thought they were closer to the ground,” I said, just to break the overwhelming silence.
“They are,” Amethyst replied, her voice stuttering. “Which means whoever created this one, did so purposefully. It’s high up so that most people wouldn’t see it, especially not Ms. Seeley.”
My breath hitched as her words sank in. She was right. Ms. Seeley was only five feet tall. She might not notice a circle that far above her head if she was looking closer to the ground.
“What do we do?” I asked.
“Nothing, witch,” a sharp voice rang behind us, and we turned, breaking our chain in the process.
Twenty feet away, a fae stood, his black wings shining behind him, a dirty cap on his head, and a dagger pressed to Mina’s throat. Tears rolled down my classmate’s cheeks, and whimpers escaped her lips.
“It’s okay, Mina,” I said. “It’s all gonna be okay.”
The fae chuckled, and my attention shifted.
“Isit going to beokay, witchling? Or am I about to enter Faerie with four new slaves for my court? That would please my queen oh so much.”
“You can’t bring all of us through.” Alex crossed his arms over his chest, and even though I was freaking terrified, my heart rate still kicked up at the sight of him being all assertive and hot.
“Unless,” the fae allowed the “s” sound to trill out in a hiss, “I’m not the only one here.”
My eyes darted around. I didn’t see anyone else, but fae could glamour themselves and hide. For all I knew, there could be dozens of others surrounding us.
Amethyst shook her head, and despite the chin wobble, she looked rather brave. “Impossible. Only one fae can come through faerie rings during the sun cycle. One per day. You’re alone.”
“Well, pooey. I see they’re teaching the baby first years more than usual,” the fae scowled as he pressed the blade deeper into Mina’s skin. “Fine. We’ll do this the old way. If you want your classmate back, what will you give me?”
“What do you want?” Alex asked.
