I See Faeries

~chapter thirteen~

Bad Omen

~

"Did the woman recognize you?" Lukas asked Roman, once we'd put some distance between ourselves and the settlement.

"I don't think so," he said. His forehead was furrowed in a frown, clearly bothered by what had happened.

"Look on the bright side," I said. "At least we got everything we needed."

He merely grunted, and spurred his horse ahead. I watched him go, annoyed. He used to be a lot more fun to be around. What happened to the nicknames? The flirty, charismatic attitude? I sighed. Something was obviously nagging him.

"So, what happened to pony boy?" Lukas asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked down at my horse's neck, avoiding his eyes. "I don't know. He's still in Hannroc."

We rode in silence after that. The forest was thick and deep, but thankfully bare of undergrowth for the most part. There was room enough between the massive trees for a whole carriage, which left plenty of room for our horses. Roman seemed to know where he was going, and we trailed after him. I rode in the middle, with Lukas bringing up the rear a short distance behind. I felt exposed though, despite my position. The faerie was far enough ahead that I sometimes struggled to keep him in sight between the trees, and it only got worse as we rode on and night crept nearer. The thick canopy of leaves allowed little light to penetrate even during the day, and it grew rapidly darker the later it got. Soon, I could barely see the ears on my horse's head.

I pulled the gelding to a halt. "Roman," I said in a low voice. Something kept me from shouting, although I had no idea how far ahead he might be - or if he could hear me at all. I sensed that we weren't alone in these woods, and I didn't want to draw any undesirable attention. "Roman," I said again when he didn't respond.

"What is it, Phoenix?" Lukas's voice floated from the darkness to my left, startling me. I squinted in his direction, and could just barely discern the outline of a man. A darker silhouette in a sea of black.

"I can't see anything," I said, trying my best to keep the anxiety from my voice. "I could start going in circles, and I wouldn't know it. I might lead my horse into a pit or something." To be afraid of the dark after everything I'd recently been through seemed silly . . . but I was. "I hate not knowing," I found myself telling the vampire. "I don't know who - or what - might be out there, watching me. Hunting me. I don't know where I'm going, where I've been, or where I am. It's terrifying," I admitted. To my shame, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. For a moment I was almost grateful for the darkness, because it hid my weakness.

I heard fabric rustle, and felt a cool touch on my cheek. I flinched, but it was just Lukas's finger, brushing away my tear. Of course - vampires could see in the dark.

"Hush," he said softly. "It's okay to be scared." He paused, then asked, "Do you trust me?"

I thought about it for a moment, remembering the dream woman's words; 'Trust sparingly those you do not already. Listen to your heart, and nothing else.'

Yes, Lukas was a demon. Yes, he drank human blood. Yes, he'd probably killed people. But he'd also saved my life, and Dean's as well. He'd followed us through the portal at his own risk, and accompanied us now through Elodin - home to the hostile fae, enemies of his kind. I wasn't sure why he was here or what his angle was, but so far his intentions seemed to have been nothing but good.

I listened, and my heart said "Trust him."

"Yes," I whispered.

I heard a hint of a smile in his voice as he said, "Good. I'm going to guide your horse now, so that you don't step in any holes or walk in circles. We'll catch up to Roman, and then see about stopping for the night."