Page 51 of A Fate of Ice and Lies (Fated #1)

Chapter

Twenty-One

ELIAS

For weeks, I split my days hunting thunderbirds to subdue them and hunting livestock the hydras hadn’t yet killed.

It was exhausting and bore little result.

The thunderbirds traveled in flocks; to subdue one, we had to fight the rest. So far, we’d only been able to get four more, each with my friends’ help.

Once the birds were subdued, Nalari was able to break into their minds.

She’d sift through the magic we believed Leanora had infected them with and free them from the bleak fog.

With their help, we’d managed to kill more of the stealthy hydras, but they hid in the deepest parts of the forest, where it was harder to track them by air.

At least there hadn’t been any more lirio or nyxx sightings or attacks.

From reading Teddy’s journals and getting a glimpse into Leanora’s thoughts on revenge, we were certain she was the one who controlled the thunderbirds as well as the other creatures and had sent them to this realm.

While we still hadn’t gotten permission to return to Niev, one of the Guardians Nalari knew had promised to look through our borders and get back to us with her findings.

While it wasn’t what I wanted, it was something. Better than the nothing we’d accomplished in the past few weeks.

As we broke Leanora’s control with the birds, I tried to familiarize myself with her magic. Tried to locate where she was. Her magic was different from mine, though. Stronger in a way I didn’t recognize.

History told us that in most cases, mages were stronger than fae, but this felt like more than that, and I was certain her strength came from not only killing Blaise but also continually absorbing Alastor’s magic and soul as well as the fae she’d stolen away.

While the hydras remained in the forest and hadn’t attacked anyone, they were killing any live animal they crossed paths with. Killing without reason as they left their carcasses for us to find.

I’d had to use my magic to speed up our dams’ pregnancies to keep the people and fae of my region fed.

So fast that some of the females started becoming ill from pregnancy after pregnancy, without much rest. Some young had been born with abnormalities because I’d had to speed up their fetal growth quicker than they were ready.

But it kept the people alive, especially with the vegetation flourishing throughout my region.

In the town’s square, I stood off to the side as Donnie approached the audience we’d asked to come.

While George and Nalari believed I should address the people, I thought it wiser to let Donnie do it.

I knew I was right when people shied away from me, some throwing hateful glances as they rushed by, careful not to get too close to me.

George growled at one man who lifted his shirt high enough to show us his gun. The idiot went as far as standing in front of us and glaring at me. I held his stare while Everly hissed at him.

“My man,” Brenton said, tone amused, and although I didn’t break my attention away from the man, I knew Brenton’s smile was wide, if not a little menacing. “I was hoping you’d come sooner for our tickle fight, but now works too.”

Brenton skipped toward him, holding his hands out and wiggling his fingers toward the man, who hurried off after shooting Brenton a perplexed look.

My lips twitched, but I didn’t say anything. Couldn’t say anything with the way my stomach turned.

“That was. . .” I whirled around to find Ryenne grinning wide just behind us with Nate at her side.

“You just scared Gabe away with the threat of a tickle fight.” She snorted.

“I’d try the same technique next time his dumb ass gets drunk and all handsy with me, but he’d probably want me to tickle him. ” She shuddered.

Nate wound his arm over her stomach and tugged her to his chest. The sight of that, of their open affection ripped another gash in my already battered heart.

“How come you’re talking to us?” Everly asked, more curious than upset.

“Just because shithead over here”—she pointed at me—“broke my best friend’s heart doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with y’all, does it?”

At my sides, I tightened my hands into fists and willed myself not to balk at Ryenne’s words. But Teddy. . . I’d broken her heart?

“Your best friend broke my best friend’s heart,” Everly countered .

“Everly,” George warned.

I huffed out a humorless laugh. It wasn’t like Everly revealed some grand secret when everyone knew how hard and fast I’d fallen for Teddy. How much I still pined for her.

“You know what breaks my heart?” Brenton dropped a hand to my shoulder and squeezed.

“Gabe didn’t take you up on your tickle fight offer?” Ryenne asked.

She ran a finger over Nate’s arms, and when he leaned down to nuzzle the crook of her neck, I turned. I would’ve taken off, but there wasn’t a single place in all the realms I could run to escape what I felt for Teddy. Vith, I missed holding her, talking to her, just being around her.

She called to me like a siren, and I found her easily in the crowd. Javier stood beside her while his sisters and Victoria played in the open field near them. While Javier kept his attention on the girls, Teddy’s eyes were on me, and she seemed to be searching my face.

I kept my expression open to let her see how I felt.

When her lips parted, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my pants.

She rubbed her gloved hands together, and I wondered if the material I used to make her gloves didn’t keep her warm enough.

If I should make her a different pair. Maybe a few long-sleeved shirts so she wouldn’t have to wear so many layers.

I could do that for her, Victoria, Javier, and his sisters.

Could give it to Brenton to take to her since she’d asked me to stay out of her life but welcomed his friendship.

Guardians help me, I wasn’t sure that I could stay away, but I could be a bystander.

Someone who was there for her without actually being around.

Donnie cleared his throat and thanked everyone for coming out. My gut twisted again. Already, these people hated me. After today, that feeling would be solidified.

And while I continued to pay more and more attention to our lack of food, Leanora was preparing for a war we weren’t ready for.

I didn’t know how to find her, though. Didn’t know how to keep Teddy safe from her when Leanora had infiltrated her mind so well, she could come and go as she pleased.

At least she kept up her daily training with Everly and Brenton.

“All right then,” Donnie said. “Elias”—he nodded toward me, and I dipped my head in reply—“and I don’t have great news. Before I get into that, I want to remind you that since the fae’s arrival, Elias, Brenton, Everly, and George have been working hard to help us.”

Someone scoffed out Everly’s name, and Teddy narrowed her eyes in their direction.

“Unlike many other regions, we’ve had. . .”

“What regions?” a woman shouted. “I live in Colina Verde, in the state of Texas. There are no regions.”

“Right, thank you for that, Margie,” Donnie said dryly without bothering to look at her.

“I don’t think it matters much where we live, but how we live.

Right?” He paused, and many people around me nodded their heads.

“We’ve been more fortunate than most, not just in the US, but worldwide.

We have fae who have looked out for us, supplied us with food, and made sure our roads are accessible at least by foot or horseback.

They’ve used their magic to warm our homes and melt snowdrifts.

We even have a coffee shop my sister’s running if you want to pass by after this.

My point is, Elias and the others have helped us in ways fae in other re.

. . areas haven’t. Unfortunately, creatures from their realm have invaded our land, and Elias hasn’t been able to secure much livestock since. ”

Murmurs built around me, and I could feel the way the air tensed like a band ready to snap.

Donnie held up his hand, and a few people stopped to listen. “We still have the livestock on his property as well as the farms and trades he’s been working on with other regions.”

Margie barked her discontent about Donnie’s use of the word region. As if we didn’t have more pressing matters to worry about.

I rubbed at the throb in my chest that grew and grew with each heated glance in my direction. But I’d failed them in the most spectacular way.

“Why can’t we tend to our own livestock?” the man from earlier, Gabe, asked.

I tensed when Donnie didn’t reply.

“Do you have magic, Gabe?” Teddy asked, her arms crossed over her chest. “Can you keep your livestock from dying in this weather? Or speed up a pregnancy or make the young grow fast enough to feed thousands of people?”

Gabe muttered something about magic, but I kept my focus on Teddy, who looked around nervously at anyone but me.

“So we should trust him because he’s got magic?” a man from the back of the crowd asked. “Who’s to say he won’t hurt us like he did the night of the barbecue?”

I held my breath, wanting to roar at everyone. At no one but myself for putting that fear back in their hearts.

“How did he hurt you?” Teddy asked, peering back to see who had spoken. She turned around and met the gazes of those around her. “How did he hurt anyone aside from the fae who went after Javier? Elias defended one of our own. Like Donnie said, he’s looked out for us. ”

“Fae whore,” a woman spit out.

I whirled around to find the woman who’d dare offend my mate, heat raging through my blood. No, not my mate. A few people across from me shrank back, but it was Teddy’s small smile I focused on.

“Your insults were far more creative in high school, Steph,” Teddy replied. “You can do better than that.”

From beside me, Ryenne snorted out a laugh. “That’s my girl,” she whispered.

It did little to settle my rage, but I let it go. Let Donnie continue.