Page 31 of The Fae Lord

Kayan disappeared when the camp started to wake up.

I both long for him to return, and long for him not to.

Seeing him was glorious, but it was also hard because it forced me to remember how it felt to lose him.

I feel exhausted and the day has only just begun.

When I spot Briony talking with a group of Shadowkind, I wait patiently for her to finish and then wave to her. She heads in my direction, collecting coffee from the ration station on her way. “You look like you need this,” she says. “Are you all right?”

Instead of answering her, I nod in the direction of the Shadowkind, who are still muttering amongst themselves. “What’s going on?”

Since we arrived, the two factions of our camp have been divided, but matters have been getting worse over the past few days.

“They are not happy with Finn. He’s disappeared again, except this time Yarrow has promised he will return with information.”

“Information?”

Briony sips her coffee and shrugs. “Something to help us make a plan.”

I sigh and pinch my nose. I should be more concerned about what Finn is planning, but the visions haunting my dreams have distracted me from reality. “I thought escaping was the plan?” I ask, sitting down on the log by the fire because my legs are starting to ache with tiredness.

“It was.” Briony nods. “But there was always a bigger plan, too.”

I tilt my head. This is the first I’ve heard of there being more to the Shadowkind’s escape. “Bigger?”

Briony sighs a little. “I shouldn’t be telling you this,” she mutters. As she speaks, Kayan’s words filter back into my head. But how could he possibly suggest I shouldn’t trust her? She’s sharing things with me. See? She’s my friend.

Unless she is manipulating me and what she’s about to say is not true.

I try to push the thoughts from my mind. As I do, I’m certain I see Kayan’s shadow flickering in the distance. Beyond the fire.

I ignore it.

“Finn has always talked about overthrowing Eldrion,” she sighs. “Honestly, I thought that it was all bluster. That as soon as we escaped, he’d realise we’re better off running as far away from Luminael as possible. But...” She looks worried now, her eyes wide, her small wings rustling nervously. “Yarrow is a bad influence,” she says, grimacing. “He is reckless. And he hates the Sunborne.”

“As should you,” Finn’s voice interrupts us from behind, making me jump to my feet, wings fluttering, purple light trickling outward and fizzling away into the air.

Briony stands slowly.

Finn tilts his head and folds his arms in front of his chest. “Do you not hate them, Briony? For what they have done to us?” He makes a show of fluttering his tattered wings. The chime of the bells both arouses me, because it reminds me of all those times he was between my legs or inside me, and makes me shudder. Because of what they mean.

“Finn, you know I will always support you. It’s just... we’re free. Shouldn’t we –”

“You call this freedom?” Finn’s voice rises in volume, and a look crosses his face that I haven’t seen before. I want to slip my hand into his and calm him down, but something tells me my involvement won’t be welcome.

With a flourish, Finn strides to the centre of the clearing and claps his hands. “Everyone,” he calls. “Gather around. Leafborne, Shadowkind... everyone.”

Yarrow looks up from where he was sitting whittling an arrowhead out of wood, then stands slowly and is the first to join Finn by the fire.

Slowly, the others join, too.

Gathered with the Leafborne, Maura barely looks at me. Hatred swells around her every time she is near me or Finn or the Shadowkind.

I wish I could find a way to make her remember that moment in the cellar. When I helped them all. You took away their grief. Kayan is beside me. I can feel him. I see it now, Alana, he says. Why didn’t you tell me? It was magnificent. You are...

I shake my head, trying to dislodge his voice from my consciousness so I can listen to what Finn is saying.

Don’t just listen to their words, Kayan mutters. And then he is gone.