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  “We are nearly there, Faedra.” Faen said a while later. When he got no response he looked down at the young woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her head resting against his chest. He noticed her breathing had evened out sometime before and suspected that she had finally fallen asleep. Now her face was a picture of serenity, the wrinkle between her eyebrows, that had been a constant fixture on her features since her dad’s disappearance, was smooth and her forehead resembled porcelain, her milky-white skin was so smooth. He almost didn’t want to drag her from the tranquility of wherever she may be in her dreams but they had to get ready to act.

  He spoke a little louder, not wanting to startle her out of her slumber. “Faedra, we are almost there.”

  She stirred, opening her eyes. A smile crept across her lips at the sight of him being the first thing she saw upon waking.

  “Huh?” she murmured.

  “The mountains, they are just up ahead.” He looked up and focused his gaze ahead of him.

  Faedra turned her head following his gaze, then brought her hand up to scrub the last remnants of sleep and tranquility from her face.

  The sun was starting to dip in the sky and up ahead in the distance loomed the majestic Alovison Mountain range.

  “How long have I been sleeping?”

  Faen could hear the chagrin in her voice.

  “Not long… no apologies now, I am glad you were able to get some restful sleep. You will need your energy,” he said when he could sense she was going to chastise herself for falling asleep on him. Truth was, she admitted to herself, when he was close to her, it seemed to be the only time she could get a good peaceful sleep.

  Faen spied a thicket just before the mountain range and decided it would be as safe a place as any to leave the Custodian while he went and did a sweep over the redcap’s encampment. As he got closer, he made his way lower to the ground, finding an opening through the trees. The sun was now dipping behind the mountains and when they got down to the ground, it was almost dark because the angle of the mountains was now hiding the sun, leaving twilight colors painting the sky.

  The thicket of trees was dense and Faen lowered his charge’s legs to the ground with care. He expected the weakness she would feel when her feet made contact with the earth. His arm under hers, Faen steadied her for a few moments until she regained her equilibrium.

  “My legs go like jelly after flying with you. Why is that?”

  Faen shrugged, then a mischievous smile curved his lips.

  “I guess it must be the affect I have on you.” His smile widened to show a row of immaculate white teeth. It stole Faedra’s heart, he so rarely gave up a carefree smile like that and it lit up his face. She wished he would let down his guard more often.

  She returned his smile with a broadening one of her own.

  “I guess so.”

  A moment later her legs were back to normal and Faen stood in front of her and rested a hand on each of her shoulders, his features having resumed their no nonsense aura of seriousness.

  “You will be safe here while I go and scout the area.”

  Faedra nodded.

  Faen turned to leave, his wings starting to beat as he did so.

  “Faen.” Her voice sounded strangled, although, that was not her intention.

  Still on the ground, he stopped beating his wings and turned to look at her. A worried expression was scrunching her eyebrows together.

  “Be careful,” Faedra whispered.

  He took a step to stand in front of her and cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. He leaned down, brushing his lips over hers. The softness of them making his eyes close. He lingered there for a moment, the kiss soft but full of meaning, before drawing back and opening his eyes. Faedra opened hers a second later and met his intense gaze.

  “I will be quite safe. I will return shortly. Stay right here.”

  Faen brushed his thumb over her cheek before turning. He beat his wings and took off straight up through the trees.

  Faedra slumped her body back against the big gnarly tree behind her, thankful for its support. After a few moments she lowered herself to the ground and sat cross-legged in the soft moss surrounding the tree. She kept her eyes and ears alert for any unusual sounds, and waited with bated breath for her Guardian to return.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Faedra had been sitting for what seemed like eternity. The light was gradually fading, and, as it did, the thicket became alive with the noise of nighttime creatures. Her eyes were doing a pretty good job of adjusting as the light dimmed but she was now becoming acutely aware that it was so dark she could hardly see her hand in front of her face; the moon was not high enough in the sky to make a difference just yet. There was a rustle in the trees, and an uneasy feeling washed over the young Custodian. She stood up, senses on full alert. A light breeze was ruffling the leaves in the surrounding trees of the dense woodland copse. Her ears had grown somewhat attuned to the sounds of the thicket but the noise she just heard was something different.

  Her heart quickened and she spun around, obeying what her instincts were telling her to do. Her eyes were straining to focus in the intense blackness that now felt like it was threatening to strangle her where she stood. Ever since being attacked by a redcap behind the hotel on her birthday, she hated the dark. Before that fateful day, she would never have dreamed she’d be standing, scared to death in a dark forest in another realm, waiting somewhat impatiently for a fairy to come and get her so she could tackle more evil creatures in the pursuit of trying to rescue her kidnapped father.

  A little sigh of resignation escaped through pouted lips. At times like this she longed to be seventeen again and blissfully unaware of anything more scary than a hamster.

  There was another rustle and her heart threatened to hammer its way out of her chest. She allowed herself to take a shallow breath, hardly daring to breathe, lest she give herself away. But she had a feeling whoever was near, knew all too well she was there. Now she knew what a rabbit felt like when being stalked by a fox.

  Her mind scrambled to make a sensible decision out of the myriad ideas flashing through her brain.

  She thought for one fleeting moment it could be Faen. Maybe he just got turned around when it got dark. Maybe she should be calling out to him so he would know where she was. Who was she kidding? If she called out, she’d be leading whomever it was straight to her, and she had a very good feeling it wasn’t her Guardian.

  She could light the area with an energy orb, but again that would be tantamount to having a flashing neon arrow pointing at her head saying ‘Here I am, come and get me.’ She extinguished that idea, too. Maybe she should have an energy ball at the ready, just in case. If it were just an animal shuffling about in the undergrowth, it might bring attention to her if someone was nearby and not yet aware that she was there. So far, she hadn’t seen any glowing yellow eyes, so that was a bonus.

  She could feel her palms getting clammy with the stress of her indecision, and the icy prickle of fear snaked down her back.

  Where are you, Faen?

  The rustle in the bushes got louder as the perpetrator got closer. Faedra held her breath, her pulse pounding like timpani in her ears.

  “Allo, my lovely. To what do I owe the pleasure of your sweet little arse in my forest?”

  Faedra spun around upon hearing the heavily accented voice. Was that a Cockney accent? What was someone with a Cockney accent doing in the middle of a forest in Azran? The thought distracted her for a split second before instinct kicked in and she summoned a couple of energy balls that were now bobbing above her palms lighting the area around her.

  “Don’t come any closer,” she demanded, in what she hoped was an authoritative tone, but she had a feeling it probably sounded more of a pathetic squeak than the sound of someone to be reckoned with. She gulped when she saw to whom the voice belonged.

  The man was easily taller than Faen and built like a house. A long dark coat hung
from broad square shoulders and his muscular build could be determined even under the dark clothing he wore. His features were rugged and there was a definitive angle to his jaw that was set rigid. A stubbly overgrowth shadowed the lower half of his face but, even underneath all that, Faedra could tell this man was rakishly handsome. For some reason, that fact made her even more nervous. The light from her energy balls reflected in his bright green eyes adding an eerie glow to his already foreboding features. His alert stance was held steady by heavy leather boots that were planted firm in the dirt. There was nothing soft and rounded about this man, everything about him screamed proficient predator. Faedra’s throat dried up, but she stood her ground even though the more sane part of her brain was yelling at her to run.

  She could feel the blood drain from her face as the man’s gaze raked her up, down, then up again. The corner of his mouth upturned in a calculating smile, eyeing Faedra as if she was his favorite dessert and he was about to take his first bite.

  “An energy manipulator, eh? Now that’s very interesting. Bin a while since I sin one ‘o your kind.”

  “What’s interesting?” Faedra asked, trying to keep the man talking until she could think of a way out of the situation.

  He took a step forward, ignoring her question. “Well, then, lil’ lady, you gonna tell me what you doin’ in my forest or am I gonna have to squeeze if from yer?”

  “I’m warning you, don’t come any closer.” Faedra’s voice quavered a little as she held her palms up in what she hoped was a threatening manner.

  “Or you’ll do what exactly?” The man taunted widening his calculating smile to reveal a row of immaculate white teeth. He took another menacing step closer, stalking towards her with the finesse of a big cat.

  “This.” She threw her balls of energy at the man and let her jaw drop when he disappeared a split second before they would have hit him. Carrying on their journey until they exploded into the nearest tree. Splinters of bark went flying every which way.

  She spun around but he was nowhere to be seen. She stood in silence for a moment listening for any sound that might betray the stranger. When she didn’t hear any, she relaxed her shoulders, let her orbs fizzle, and puffed out a sigh of relief. Then something struck her as odd. She looked down at her ring, it hadn’t given her any warning that she was in danger. She frowned at it and gave it a tap as if it were faulty.

  “Now that weren’t very friendly was it?”

  The menacing voice that was smooth as silk whispered in her ear, so close she could feel his warm breath on her neck. She froze. How had he managed to get so close to her without her seeing him or hearing him even move? Before she came to her senses and could react, the man had taken hold of her hands. He put them palms facing together and held them above her head with one of his massive hands. He knew what he was doing; she couldn’t use her powers with her hands bound in that position. He had his other hand in the small of her back, pushing her against his body then he kicked her feet apart and stood between her legs so she couldn’t knee him in the groin either.

  Faedra struggled hard, she couldn’t even use her head to butt him because it only came to his chest and that was rock solid, it would do her more harm than him. The more she struggled, the harder he pressed her body to his. Her heart sank, she felt completely powerless against this strapping goliath of a man. Standing head-to-chest, leg-to-leg, he was forcing every part of her body against his.

  “It’s interestin’ coz you are a very rare breed. Not many inherit that power, so just who are you lil’ lady and what are you doin’ out here on your own?”

  “Let me go,” Faedra demanded, “I’m not alone, and if you don’t let me go you’ll be sorry.”

  The man chuckled at her empty words, and she could feel his chest move against her forehead.

  “Funny, coz I don’t see no one comin’ to yer aid right now. I’d say it’s just you an’ me, all nice an’ cozy like.”

  His mocking tone sent chills down Faedra’s spine.

  Faedra was losing her resolve, she couldn’t think of a way out of the situation. He seemed to have successfully stopped her from being able to defend herself and that thought terrified her.

  “Are- Are you going to kill me?” She asked into his chest, not daring to look up at him. Her voice was shaky now.

  “Kill yer?” he sounded surprised at her question. “Now, whadda I wanna be killing yer for?” His voice softened just a fraction but it was enough for Faedra to notice and allow her some hope.

  The frightened Custodian looked up at her captor. The moon high enough in the sky now, it bathed the forest in an eerie silver glow. Her captor’s face was shrouded with shadow but she could still make out his angular features in the silver light.

  “What are you going to do to me, then?” she plucked up the courage to ask.

  “Well, once yer paid the toll, I’ll let yer pass.”

  “But…” she bit her lip not sure if she should finish the sentence or not. “I, err, don’t have any money.”

  “S’not money I’m after. So that’s just as well then, innit?”

  “What are you after?” Faedra knew she shouldn’t have said it as soon as the words passed her lips because her captor’s smile turned roguish once again, like the cat that got the cream.

  “This,” responded the man as he planted his lips very self assuredly on Faedra’s. She protested as best she could but the harder she tried to pull away the more intense he became. As scared as she was, she was also angered at his intrusion which gave her renewed strength. She tried to pull her hands free hoping the kiss would distract him, but he just squeezed his hands even tighter, probably bruising the skin around her wrists with the force. His grip around the small of her back tightened, also, and he continued to push her into him with his other hand.

  She was starting to panic now. Was this man intending to attack her? If he was, she didn’t think she would stand a chance against him. She was just about to do the only thing she could think of and bite him through the lip when she heard a sound that made her heart sing.

  “Let her go!”

  Faedra’s heart soared when she recognized the voice of her Guardian.

  Her captor’s body went rigid at the command, his lips pausing on hers but holding his position steady.

  “I said. Let. Her. Go!”

  The man pulled his lips from Faedra’s and, in that second, she could see there was recognition in his eyes just before he spoke.

  “I’d know that voice anywhere. Faen?” He turned, not letting go of Faedra’s hands but bringing them down from where he was holding them above her head.

  Faedra gave the man an incredulous look.

  “Faen, my man, is that you?”

  She looked to Faen who took a hesitant step forward, sword still held out in front of him, ready to attack. He adjusted his focus to take in the features of the man who was holding his Custodian captive. Then recognition sparked in his eyes, too.

  “Etyran?”

  “Yeah, mate. It’s me, in the flesh.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Etyran, my friend.” Faen thrust his sword back into its sheath as he strode towards Faedra and her captor. Etyran dropped Faedra’s hands and stalked over to meet his friend. Faedra rubbed her wrists and flexed her fingers as she watched wide-eyed with disbelief as the two men threw their arms around each other in a backbreaking hug and patted each other on the back with forceful slaps.

  “It’s been a long time, mate,” Etyran said as he released his iron grip from Faen.

  “It certainly has, my friend.” Faen gave his old friend a broad smile.

  “You know this… this idiot?” Faedra questioned Faen with an incredulous glare.

  Faen opened his mouth to respond but his friend beat him to it.

  “Steady on, girlie. A rogue I might be, an idiot I ain’t. I’ll ���ave you know I had the highest intelligence of all trainee Guardians at the Academy.”

  Faen nodded his head
as a sign of reiteration when Faedra shifted her bemused gaze from Etyran to him.

  “You’re a Guardian?” Faedra asked in disbelief.

  “Err, no, I ain’t.”

  “Why is he talking like that?” Faedra directed her question to her Guardian as if the other man weren’t even present. She could still feel the tingle of his lips on hers and wanted nothing more than to ignore him right now. Something she was horrified to admit she was finding hard to do.

  “With all of his intelligence, it was a pity he could not think with his brains instead of what was in his breeches. Silly fool got himself exiled to the East End of London.” Faen explained with what Faedra perceived to be a measure of glee in his voice.

  Faedra’s eyebrows shot up at the revelation.

  “What did you do to deserve that?” Her curiosity got the better of her and she acknowledged the man with her question.

  “Pissed off the king just a tad, that’s what.”

  “He tried to seduce Vivianna.” Faen finished the explanation for his friend who seemed reluctant to be forthcoming with the information.

  Faedra spluttered a laugh and her lips curled in a smug grin. “Well, that was pretty stupid,” she said with condescension. “But that still doesn’t explain why you’re talking like a Cockney. Faen didn’t pick up an accent in all the time he’s been in Norfolk.”

  “Well, it’s like this, missy. The East End ain’t the easiest place to fit in with a posh accent y’know. If I wanted to blend in I had to adapt a bit, seeings as I was gonna be spendin’ a bit ‘o time there an’ all.”

  He looked at his friend, then back at Faedra, eyes widening as if some big revelation had just sprouted in his mind.

  “Hold up. You must be a bloody Custodian.”

  “Oh, give the man a prize.” Faedra said, her voice laced with sarcasm. She couldn’t bring herself to be civil to the man after what he had just done to her.

  Etyran ignored her retort and turned to his friend.

  “Faen, you jammy sod. You got the Custodian? How’d you get that gig?”