Hunted by a Night Fae

Chapter 12

He stood motionless, partially grasped by the shadows. His hair was wet, curling around his finely pointed ears. A spark ran through me, trails of flames running through my veins and urging my limbs to move.

But I had nowhere to run.

"I have already claimed this one, Fire Bastard. Leave, get another. I'm sure there's still plenty for you to pick from that will suit... whatever needs it is you have."

Eirian's expression sharpened, watching as Ronan started to prowl towards him. The Night Fae's blood-lusting eyes fixed on his newest opponent. I might have mistaken it, but I saw something that resembled fear flit across Eirian's face.

I turned my gaze back to the Ronan. He rose his sword to point it at Eirian. Ronan did not speak, and I wondered vaguely if he was even capable of it. A slow, blood-curdling grin lifted his lips, revealing small, pointed incisors. My eyes widened in alarm.

Fangs.

He was a monster. A real-life monster. There was no escaping this. He was right there only a few paces from me, and he could kill me. He would kill me.

Around me, the trees walled us in. I needed to keep Eirian as a barrier between Ronan and me. If Ronan got through him, I was on my own.

The prince in question turned to look at me, his face turning stony and unreadable. He held his two weapons at his sides.

'Come on, fight!' I screamed in my head.

Ronan watched him, a hungry glint in his eyes. He knew that Eirian was hesitating, and I felt my few threads of hope slipping from my fingers.

No, no, no, no!

Ronan stood motionless under the violet-toned moonlight, the darkness cutting across his chiseled, angular features, painting him a brutal image. He was waiting with a lazy kind of patience. Like he was drawing out the moment, letting it sink in. It reminded me of the way someone soaked in rays of warm sunshine after a long winter, only much more sadistic. He found pleasure in the other faerie's fear.

He started a slow pace back and forth along some imaginary line between him and Eirian, prowling like a cat about to pounce.

Like he could eat him alive.

I saw Eirian's jaw tense as he shot me another look over his shoulder. He frowned, the desire in his gaze long gone.

"If you are just after a pretty face, there's plenty others. Sure, hers is particularly striking, but most of the prizes were. You would not know what to do with such a gift, Fae. Stand down. This is not a fight you want to have."

Ronan remained silent, his expression unwavering.

There was something more nefarious at play. Maybe Ronan was there to steal me from Eirian, or maybe there was something else going on that I wasn't able to understand. Either way, killing Eirian, who was a Prince of Faerie, had to have consequences.

Ronan was eerily silent for a long moment. Then he raised his sword, a silent threat. Eirian swore.

Ronan was going to strike at any moment.

Eirian lowered his weapons, throwing one last furtive glance my way.

"It seems I have no choice. Your time in Faerie will not be the one I had promised. I cannot be blamed, love. I had no idea things would turn out this way," Eirian said, this time addressing me. 

He slipped a glance to Ronan, his golden eyes narrowed in consideration. "You aren't as much of a fool as you lead people to believe."

Everything went still. My heart stopped beating for one second, two. I felt like I was suspended in time, my blood halting inside my veins.