Page 31 of WitchBorn

“Handy, but what about you?”

“I’ll be fine. The Stag can outrun just about everything.” Until my mortal half gave out. Which meant I wouldn’t last as long as my full-blooded fae brethren, not that they cared.

“Does it work when you’re human?”

“No.”

“What about that other form you had?”

“Other form?”

“When you scared the wolf away the first time.”

“Oh. That was mostly glamour adding the Stag’s bulk to my human form. I only have three real forms.”

“Three?”

“The Stag, this one, which is my human form, and my fae form.”

“What’s the fae form like?”

“Weak. I never use that form. It’s useless.” I changed into my Stag form, relieved by the easy change. Maybe this realm required me to rest more often to recharge. He stared at me with a frown on his face, but I hoped he understood my fae form wasn’t up for discussion.

Finn gathered up the abandoned clothes, tugged his hoodie back on and held on to mine. Everything needed a wash but his hesitation to go near the water made sense. He wove his fingers through the side of my fur and we headed in toward the fading light of the day. Finn’s grip grounded the churning anxiety in my gut. He was close and safe, and while his heart beat sluggishly in my heightened hearing, I knew I could head off the wolf again in this form if needed.

Twenty-Three

WESLEY

We walked a while. Not in circles, as I identified a few types of trees and plants, but helpful mushrooms or guiding kittens remained elusive. Finn stumbled twice. The first time I had thought maybe I’d missed a root as I led him, but the second time he leaned hard into me, breathing tight, one sleeve pushed up to reveal the mark extended all the way to his wrist.

His touch on my side ached with a growing chill, adding to my worry.

The longer we walked the more frustrated I got. The world around us was changing, but none of the old landmarks reappeared. Finn slowed until he only moved because I did, leaning into me as if I were the only thing keeping him upright. I stopped, fearing he’d fall over. He slid to the ground. The mark stretched up over the left side of his face, blending in with the heavy bags of exhaustion around his eyes.

I shifted to my human form, pulling him into my arms. “Hey,” I said.

He fought to open his eyes, but they only fluttered.

“Fuck,” I cursed.

“Sorry,” Finn slurred. “Tired.”

But with the sky overhead darkening to full night, and the pinprick of stars illuminating the barest of details, resting for the night was a bad idea. With little more than a handful of trees and distant bushes, we were too vulnerable. I needed to get him up and moving and to find something to put to our backs for safety.

“Hey,” I shook him. “I’m going to change, and I’ll need you to crawl up on my back.”

“You’re so pretty.”

“And you’re delusional. I’m not using any glamour right now. This is as ordinary human as I can be.” I tried to lift him, but he sighed and stared at my face, hand lifting as if to reach my hair.

“It’s like spun rose gold.”

“In the dark?” I asked and pressed my fingers to his forehead. “You’re not feverish.”

“Cold,” he said, shivering and pressing himself into my touch. “You’re warm.”

And since the mark sprawled over his skin, I worried.