The Faerie Guardian

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

“She’s still alive, right?” says Ryn the moment I open my eyes.

“Yes. She’s alone in a bedroom. I could sense that the house is really large, and I think it’s a human one. I couldn’t feel a glamour concealing it.” I leave out the part about the icy feeling of dark magic that pervaded my senses while looking through the girl’s eyes.

He leans further forward. “And where is it?”

“I’m . . . not sure exactly. I guess I’ll have to show you. Just let me change into my own clothes.” I stand up as Ryn flops back against the couch with a frustrated sigh. I put my hands on my hips. “What? You know it’s not always as simple as knowing the exact address.”

“I know, I know. Just hurry up, would you?” I roll my eyes as I head for the stairs. It’s obviously too much to hope for a ‘thank you’.

A few minutes later, feeling far more comfortable in my own clothes, I’m back downstairs holding the blanket once more. I send my mind out again, just to be certain I can sense where she is. I open a doorway on the wall while Ryn stuffs the blanket into his bag. “What’s her name?” I ask, sticking my foot through the doorway to keep it open.

“Calla. She’s six years old and probably completely terrified.” He slings the bag over his shoulder and holds out his hand. “Let’s go.”

Reluctantly, I wrap my fingers around his. I can’t help thinking that the last hand I held was Nate’s. The dull ache in my chest intensifies, and I have to bite my lip as I struggle to push it away. Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think.

Ryn’s hand tightens. “Come on, what are you waiting for?” The urge to kick him overwhelms the pain in my chest. I dig my fingernails into his skin as I pull him into the faerie paths after me.

It could be that I’m distracted by my anger, but when we emerge from the paths, there isn’t a house in sight. We’re in a forest, but it’s nothing like Creepy Hollow. It feels dead somehow. Boring. No magic. Ryn looks around. “Large human house that isn’t concealed, huh? You sure your little talent still works properly?”

“Shut it,” I snap. “I’m perfectly happy for you to find the house on your own if you’ve decided you don’t need my help anymore.”

He holds his hands up, indicating surrender. “You need the blanket again?”

“Uh . . . give me something smaller that I can hold onto.”

He digs around in his bag and produces a simple silver bracelet. “She wears this quite often.”

Moonlight glints off the silver as he drops it into my hand. I close my eyes, and it only takes a moment to sense the direction she’s in. I point through the trees. “That way.”

“And she’s still okay? There’s no one else with her?”

“I think she’s asleep. I can’t see anything through her eyes.” I push the bracelet into my pocket. “I’ll leave once we’ve found the house.”

Ryn lets me lead the way. I can tell that my pace isn’t fast enough for him, but, miraculously, he doesn’t say anything. “Do you know why somebody would want to kidnap your sister?” I think of the young girl Tora asked me to find earlier this week and wonder if that incident is related to this one.

“No,” says Ryn. “I have no idea. She’s just a normal child.”

“Okay. And . . . how did you find me? On Tuesday night, I mean. I didn’t even know where I was.”