Page 33 of The Wind and the Wild (The Keepers of Faerie #1)

C rying out, I yank my hand away, tumbling against Aidyn’s side. His arm is woven about my shoulders, so I do not fall far.

His whispered voice tells me, “’Tis all right, you will not be harmed.”

A moment later, I recognize that it is not the shadow of the hunt hounds and their dark green fur, their massive teeth.

It is, though, a great monster in its own right.

And appears not to be breathing.

Now my hand is gone from it, the body flickers in and out of sight, as if the grasses blowing gently about it could obscure it completely.

Aidyn’s free hand remains on the creature’s massive paw—it is the size of a donkey from head to short tail, perhaps larger.

I’ve heard of wildcats in other kingdoms but did not suspect them here on the edge of Faerie.

Looking closer, I find it maintains that uncanny nature Aidyn is steeped in, as if the library and the feeling that washes over me each time I lose myself across the border has spread this far.

A wildcat.

Blue fur stretches across it, with very similar markings to—

“ Is it . . . ? ”

“ Yes,” he murmurs, and over my calming heart, I can now hear the weight to his voice. His arm remains across my shoulders, long hand wrapped gently about my arm. The rings rub through my thin sleeve. “ I’ve seen only one grown before. They are much rarer than your hounds.”

The kittens’ mother , I think, then ask the question aloud.

“ Very likely, yes. The markings match. Here, see?” His finger wavers above its blotchy fur. The pattern of the darker blue does indeed appear familiar. Aidyn’s eyes likely see it better.

Even with the magic obscuring the body, I catch bloody marks along its torso.

My stomach turns up, and suddenly my throat is tight, eyes burning.

My hand flies to cover my mouth. A dead faerie.

If the hounds and their wild, intelligent eyes are anything to go by, these are just as wise. .. and it is dead.

“ Appalling, isn’t it?” Aidyn murmurs, his tone much worse than his words. He sounds very well as if he may cry himself as his hold about me tightens. Again, he murmurs, “ They are quite rare.”

A moment later, my mind catches up to the implications. “ Does that mean there are more hounds here since the other day?”

Uncertain, he shakes his head. “ It may be from before. I... do not rightly know. I shall call for the others again—I do not know why they have not arrived. This may be beyond your little village if these two beasts have taken to fighting.”

Finally, I tear my eyes away to glance up at him. “ It is not because of one of us?”

Another head shake. “ We are often at war with one another—we Gentry and Unblessed. If this is not an isolated incident, as I assumed, it may simply be our war spilling out the edges of Faerie.”

At my stricken expression, he says, “ It has been happening since before you humans walked your own kingdoms. Generally, it is not something for you to worry over.”

I turn back to the wildcat, unable to keep my eyes off it. Aidyn’s hand drifts over the bloody sections of fur, his brow furrowing further. Mumbling something I do not catch, he glances back at the path with a long sigh.

“ Is someone coming?”

“ No, I—” He draws in another breath, and I wonder if there is something he very much does not wish to tell me. “ Some of these wounds are too small to be from a hound’s teeth or claws.”

Squinting at the body, I cannot discern what he is speaking of, not even when I touch the paw and find it a little clearer to my eyes.

“ Are there other creatures that would fight them?”

“ I—” Another long pause, as if he is picking out his words around a lie. “ Possibly. But I am not positive what could have made all these wounds.”

Not positive does not mean he doesn’t have theories. He winces when he catches my eye, but this could be from anything, from simply the animal lying here.

“ What is it, Aidyn?” I ask, voice so soft I barely hear myself.

Another small shake of the head. “ I am not certain.” Again, he says, “ I will call for the others. This is more serious than the last incident—they should come.”

I’m not sure I believe him—many things can be covered up with I don’t know as the answer, but if I asked and he is still not telling me, I doubt that pushing will do me any good.

“ Hopefully they’ll come,” I agree.

“ No more hunting for faerie circles,” Aidyn murmurs. “ Not that you would, but again, do not come into Faerie too early or late. I do not believe they are here, but it would be better to be safe.”

“ What about the other day?” I finally ask. “ It went from day to night so fast—”

“ Some little pockets are like that, where time does not move the same. We will not go back under the waterfall. I had only been there once, for a few moments. Even we are susceptible to it all.” He lets out a long sigh. “ Let us return, I want you home early—”

“ What do we do with it?” I ask, brushing my fingers against the same paw. Soft fur tickles my palm. “ We must leave it here?”

It does not feel as if such a creature should be left for the earth to rot, though it may have been here weeks. The body is not decayed, but I know little of the workings of Faerie.

Aidyn’s expression twists, and he avoids my eyes. “ The others will take it away. You can cause it no change, and I cannot do anything in my... state. They are quite heavier than they appear.”

Even now, kneeling beside me, some of his weight is pressed against me, taking the pressure from his injured side.

I can imagine it took him a great deal to admit such a thing, so I do not push.

Alone, I do not believe I could do anything to the creature, not even bury it.

And as much as I wish to, I cannot bring Una and Niall here to aid us—I am doubly glad I did not bring them along or mention the last encounter with the creatures.

I’m uncertain I should be witnessing this at all.

“ Come, let us go,” he says again, rising slowly, his hand on the nearest trunk. “ Nothing else will find it.”

His fingertips linger on my shoulder until I, too, climb unsteadily to my feet, eyes burning. “ Who are the others you speak of?”

He opens his mouth and closes it, and for a moment I believe he will not answer, but haltingly, he tells me, “ Others in my bloodline. Our kin are the closest settlement to your kingdom in this side of Faerie. We protect your borders.”

“ So, they are your family?”

His mouth twitches, but his expression remains stone, impassive. “ To varying degrees.”

And they did not come to his call? Perhaps I should let the topic drop, for he is still regarding the wildcat with grief in his eyes and I am still attempting not to cry, but this is the closest I’ve gotten to any true answers and can’t allow the opportunity to slip through my fingers. “ Why are you hiding from them?”

Finally, he blinks, eyes snapping to mine. Momentarily, I think I’ve angered him, but all I can read is exhaustion. “ Because I must.”

He will not answer. I nod. Tempted as I am to step forward and hug him, I keep myself still.

His arm was around my shoulders only moments ago, but it seems almost an accident—I fell back against him, and he steadied me.

It seems so much different than looking directly up into the face of a creature much more frightening than I am and putting my arms about him as if he is Una or Niall or Mam or Da.

Instead, I touch my fingertips to the backs of his knuckles where his fingers are gripped too tight around his walking stick.

He does not attempt so much as a smile, and I wonder again if they cannot lie with their expressions as they cannot with their words.

“ Come, ” he whispers finally, “ I know an easier way back.”

Taking my hand, he leads us carefully around the body already fading into the grasses the moment I step away.

“ Close your eyes,” he instructs, and I realize he means to take us into Faerie on this side of the woods.

I did not realize such a thing was possible, but I do as instructed, tightening my hand around his, realizing how foolish I am being, heading into the woods with this man, my eyes closed. Threads of panic weave up my chest.

Perhaps I should not—

Honeysuckle wraps about us, the air turning to the familiar thick perfume I’ve come to associate with the library. Cracking my eyes, I find us alongside the wall of flowering vines, a ways down from the place where I usually step out, and my fear eases.

“ How did you... ? ” I trail off, still feeling strange to speak.

“ I can go anywhere I wish here. Your rules do not apply.”

Numbly, I nod, and without his prompting, I take up my skirts and trot back into the side door of the old building, up the stairs and into his room.

Sitting beside the basket, I take the kittens out carefully, setting them in my lap and looking over each one.

I expect to find nothing but wish to reassure myself that they are well and still growing.

Crawling out onto my knees, they blink and mewl and gnaw a little painfully on my fingers.

The faint blue markings are more pronounced, matching the body of the creature we found in the woods.

We found your parent , I think, throat burning, and kiss the nearest fuzzy head.

Hopefully the Gentry will take it away. I hate the thought of it sitting there until the ground reclaims it.

Tears are finally hot on my cheeks. Eventually, Aidyn’s cane taps along the floor, and he appears in the doorway, watching sidelong, his shoulders not as straight as before.

“ You walked too much,” I tell him bluntly, voice rough.

Sighing, he seats himself on the pillows closest to the edge of his bed, his boots nearly touching my shoes. His sword he sets carefully along the floorboards beside the old mattress. I try not to look at it, more for concern of his discomfort than my own.

“ Yes, ma’am,” he says dryly.