Those Who Make the Rain

Standing on the sloping cliff of Avalanche Cove was the last thing I thought getting education involved.

The wind was sharp enough to split skin, cold enough to make my bones ache and unlike my other novices, I didn’t have the finely tuned hearing of the Fae.

Which made it extremely difficult to hear what the five formidable trainers standing front and centre.

The tallest stood out on the far left, everyone avoided eye contact as his moss-coloured eyes scanned us. Unwavering and silent. Far right stood the one speaking, known as The Second and he matched the silent scanner with height and threat. This one had shorter hair and darker eyes, which held contact to every single one of us.

Whatever presence the others had, it didn’t compare to the king-like aura of the man in the middle. Commander Larkin. His pointed ears outlined with the orange of sun as it set behind them, powerful arms crossed across his chest and face unmoving.

Full Fae all looked like gods. Acted like Kings and Queens. Top of the food chain and boy did they flaunt it.

One thing I knew for certain about myself was that like my mother, I was born to the sea.

The story, reluctantly told by my father, water-faeries needed to give birth in salt water. I am half of my mother and half of my resentful father, I was half-fae and half-hateful human. The Fae believe that because our blood has human in it, we are below them, we don’t have any powers, and we don’t deserve a second thought.

Humans were worse off. The full Fae used them as servants in their households, carers of their offspring or slaves for agriculture and infrastructure. All unpaid work. All mandatory labour.

However, because I contained whatever slice of Fae my mother gave me, I didn’t receive the treatment my father did. I was good enough for the next step up of mistreatment.

Humans were seen as property, while I was at least seen as an intelligent creature. However, the Half-fae can’t own homes, obtain paid full-time work (part-time allowed with permission), marry the full Fae or have offspring with the full Fae. But thanks to the most generous work of the Faerie Queen Sera, we can attend higher education with their full Fae offspring. Only to ensure there is no Half-fae with full Fae abilities. All Half-far had something, just not enough for the full Fae to care.

Thank the fucking graciousness of our Queen.

As if my thoughts were too loud, I met the eyes of the one on the far left.

And I held them with my half salt, half disgusting human soul.

I was older than most of the first years. Once you turned maturation age, you had to join the League, and my father told me that we couldn’t wait around any longer and find out what would happen if I didn’t.

They called it The Muster. A day that always caught up with us.

He watched me for second longer before his gaze flickered over to the Commander who opened his palm to the earth. The Second’s voice popped into my ears as the wind died, “.5s, with Councillor Aengus.”

One of the men standing on the right hand of the Commander raised a single arm up. The Councillor’s demeanour a lot less intimidating than those who flanked him.

With the Fae Queen winning the war, her ever Graciousness allowed the mistreatment of us lesser Fae. .5 and Half-blood is what they normally called us. They didn’t give us the respect to use the term Half-fae. They saw us more human than Fae.

I followed the other Half-fae and compared to the size of the crowd we left, we were sparse in numbers. Another result of the war. It was the humans and Half-fae in the front lines, our numbers took a brutal hit.

I entered the crowd, pushing forward to try and hear over the overbearing wind, “Due to low numbers this year, some of you will be bunking with the Fae,” Councillor Aengus made no effort to speak louder over the wind that now returned. His lack of effort to accommodate told me he drew the short straw for groups.

The wind whined in my ears as I watched the other group be addressed by their own Councillor. I hadn’t experienced so much wind before. I felt out of my depth, my body echoing outside itself as I stood watching the Fae not struggle against the roaring gale. Their eyes glued to whatever their Councillor said.

My father had built our cottage deep within the thin wood of Lawson’s Glade. No matter the season the cottage was freezing down in the gully. The air still and land cold. The high walls of the hills blocked whatever sun could reach it. The bricks of the standalone cottage remained cold and dewy. My father wouldn’t dare speak against where he decided to build the small house, choosing the furthest spot inland and yet, in a spot that collected the most rain during monsoon season.

He barely looked at me as I left this morning, he gave me his best boots and a harder than normal clap on the shoulder. He made a single half-heartily comment about cutting my hair as I braided it behind me the night before. We shared the same deep-sea eyes, his accompanied by the deep lines of his work to his Fae master and the thought of him alone at night made my stomach queasy.

I hadn’t realised how hard I was searching the faces of the Fae when my gaze slid over to the three leaders. My body jolted as the Commander’s were already on me, his dark eyes glaring as his taller companion spoke into his ear.

His palm coming out again, opened and facing the dancing blades of grass, I watched as the wind died immediately.

Nature-bender.

“Aabel Marramere,” my ears pricked up and I broke the contact as I approached the Councillor.

I could feel the Commander’s heavy gaze on me the entire way and I didn’t dare turn to confirm my suspicions. Councillor Aengus nodded at my presence, “Pair up with Llora Soland for first year, full-blood, Fire-fae.”

In the distance stood where I’d be living for next 3 years at least, one of the several homes our Queen owns, and she graciously started lending it to the League. The proud building stood higher than I’ve ever seen a structure, even from down here I could see its large rough bricks jutting out of the thick ivy infecting it.

I didn’t bother speaking to the other Half-fae. Most of them believe the full Fae as gods, the rest will stab you in the back to get a full-bloodied Fae best friend, and I didn’t have enough patience for either.

Llora was already in our room when I finally arrived at the bunks, her blonde hair braided singularly down her back, and she gasped as I passed the threshold. Her eyes flicker over my round ears, but they didn’t glisten with disgust like the others, “They didn’t tell me you were stilling growing into your ears,” her voice soft and lifting.

Another beautiful reminder of how human I was. Not all Half-fae have the glorious, pointed ears, depending on breeding of course, some were gifted the rounded tips.

I forced a smile, “Too human I suppose.”

Her eyes were the colour of the sky before it hailed, she actually laughed at my poor excuse of a joke, “Llora Soland,” she held out her slim hand.

My forced smile becoming less so as I slid my hand into hers, “Aabel Marramere.”

“Let me guess,” she pretended to look me over, “Water-faerie?”

“Didn’t they tell you at the brief?” I asked confused.

Llora frowned, “No?” she shrugged, “I stopped listening after they said we had to wear ugly first-year uniforms.”

“I didn’t even hear that,” I said truthfully, an honest laugh escaping my lips, “I couldn’t hear anything over that wind.”

“Oh, I know, like bless the Queen but Lark, get your shit together,” she huffed.

Lark. Commander Larkin.

I tried to seem uninterested as I asked, “Commander Larkin?” putting my bag on my plastic covered mattress.

“Yeah, he’s normally so good at controlling the wind on that troublesome hill,” I watched Llora lay back on her bed, sitting up on her elbows.

“You’ve been up there before?”

A shrug, “Farrowvale is only just down the hill from Avalanche Cove, I’ve been on that hill so many times I’ve lost count.”

Farrowvale, full Fae town. I held in my resentment for the town’s inability to let others take space there.

My fingers found the cool metal of my scissors deep in my bag and I laughed at the absurdity of my next question, “Any good at cutting hair?”

She was a full-blooded Fire-fae, close enough with the Commander to use a nickname and already has an advantage of being beautiful and kind. I shouldn’t trust her.

“You want to cut your hair?” her green eyes glistened with the invitation, “But your hair is so beautiful.”

My shoulders lifted in a shrug, “Do you want to help me or not?”

Her lips stretched into a wide smile, sitting up fully, she rose her hand and wiggled her slime fingers to come closer. An awkward shuffle of feet and I was crouching in front of her, my father’s height making me too tall. We were silent for a moment as my back faced her, her fingers worked gently and confidently, “I overheard the conversation about the first Half-fae trial,” I didn’t realise how important it was to me that she called me Half-fae until I heard it, “You probably don’t need the warning, but all I will say is that you’ll want to ditch your jacket.”

I shouldn’t trust her.

Standing in the crowd of Half-fae, I felt exposed with my new haircut, the ends of my dark ash hair tickled the skin of my shoulders and suddenly I felt like a different being. I felt lighter in my tank top, and I eyed the rest of the group in their full-bodied outfits.

Councillor Aengus stood at the front of the lines, and with him the Commander Larkin. Aengus spoke to the large presence that was the Commander, both watching us like cattle.

Outside again, but just outside the citadel. The sun almost fully set, casting a muted blue haze over everything I could see. Tall walls stretched around the main structure and further across the fields surrounding, only the sky visible from the inside. It was a suffocating feeling being blanketed by brick. Torches freckled the yard, flickering in the low wind and even more so in the low light, the Commander’s presence put a weight in the twilight air.

“The aim of the first trial is to see if the .5s can keep up with the agility of the Fae,” Aengus turned away from the Commander to address his group. I could hear the full Fae being addressed in a similar manner a few yards over.

“It’s unfair that we get tested against them,” I heard a dark head of curls mutter in front of me.

I almost rolled my eyes before Councillor Aengus’ eyes burned into mine, “Do you want to repeat that Half-blood?”

The snarl was not missed in his tone and the automatic reaction to point the blame immediately died when Aengus parted the crowd with a swipe of his hand, “Come.”

Like a fucking dog.

This why my father was angry. This is why I am angry. They force us the opportunity to learn and train among them but still treat us like the dirt on their self-righteous shoes.

I held my chin up as I pasted the curly haired female who didn’t speak up, and I stood in front of Aengus and the Commander.The shadow of the Commander put the tension in my shoulders, his presence consuming next to the irate Councillor, “Name?” Aengus demanded. I could feel the Commander’s dark eyes searching for familiarity in my face and I realised it was my haircut that probably confused their all-powerful full-blooded Fae minds.

“Marramere,” refusing to be easy as my eyes refused to move to the Commander.

“Do you think we’re being unfair, .5?” I clenched my fist at his condescending tone. My lungs struggling to breathe steadily.

My father’s strong patient words echoed in my head.

“Come on, little one,” my father hushed as he tried to soothe me, “Take a breath and say one good thing.”

I breathed deeply, my father loves me, “Who me?” Aengus lifted the corner of his lip as he snarled when I added with a shrug, “I don’t have an opinion in the matter.”

There was a swell of air moving my hair and only then did I look at the Commander through my peripherals. His gaze was upon the crowd behind us, unbothered of the scene next to him.

I hadn’t realised how hard it was to breathe now; my eyes moved to Councillor Aengus and his lifted hand. Watched as it was slow to clasp in a fist. The second the fingers closed, my airways became too narrow and suddenly I couldn’t breathe.

I gasped, reaching for my throat, trying to claw it open and my knees smacked the soft dirt as they buckled. Wind whipped my hair as I kept my gaze on Aengus, who looked down at me disinterested, as if my performance were boring him.

My father gave me his best boots.

I stopped clawing my throat raw and just held the Councillor’s gaze. My vision swirled and spots appeared to dance around the blonde Fae.

I was named after the second son of my father’s people.

“Novice Councillor Aengus,” the Commander’s voice floated with the wind rubbing at my face, “The trial hasn’t even begun yet.”

I doubled over as Aengus released my lungs, gasping as my head swelled. “You’re right,” I heard the Councillor sing, “I should let the others have their chance.”

As the last word left the Councillor’s mouth, the east wall of the field rumbled and still on my knees, I looked behind me as the rest of the crowd followed the sound of the wall moving.

Sharp pain in my hand made my head turn back to the Commander’s foot crushing my fingers under his boot, his eyes feral with disgust or something quite like that, “It would do you good to remember your place, Half-Fae, is that understood?” my retort of the tip of my tongue, but he broke the contact to watch the crowd gathering by the lake, “Words, Marramere.”

“Yes,” I gritted before adding, “Commander.”

“Get off your knees,” he grunted, “Join the others.”

I watched the large span of his back as he walked away. My own anger had me gripping the grass from the ground. The field had a single body of water; the sound of rushing water was muffled by the crowd of Fae prattling to each other.

Where the south-facing wall of brick stood, was nothing but kilometres of dense forest. The basin spilled out of a large hole in the wall, and out into a larger body of water off the cliff. I didn’t know if it was the Fae magic tingling my skin, or the dread settling in stomach as Councillor Aengus struggled to hide his smirk, “.5s, in the water.”

The Commander returned to see us waist-deep in the water, the current trying to pull us over the edge and he looked as if he could revel in it, “Trial one, as night settles you are to make it to Base Bravo by sun rise. Get lost, you cannot come back.”

Black sacks started hitting the water around us, instinctively I grabbed one and the rough rattan fabric scratched my hand as I dug into it, “Why do we need weapons?” I asked without thinking.

My fingers clasped around the cool metal of a handgun, and I met the cool eyes of the Commander as his voice bounced across the basin, “It would be unfair if we didn’t.”

Fucking arsehole.

“How will we know where Base Bravo in the dark?” a small voice asked further in the water.

I stopped listening as I turned, heading to the edge of the cascade, looking down at the long drop to the large lake below and I wondered if it was even deep enough to dive into. They want us to drop into the lake. They want us dive down, come out of the water in the dark and find our way back to Base Bravo. The gun still clasped in my hands, I eyed it. They wouldn’t give us a weapon unless we needed to fight, my best guess, the Fae would be sent to interfere with our trial. Dread swelled in my gut. We didn’t stand a chance against the Fae’s heightened senses.

Unfair didn’t even cover it.

Whether it was a proper trial or just a fast way to kill us off. Dead ahead was the compressed forest named after our beloved Faerie Queen and beyond that was a slight hill holding up the structure of Base Bravo, it looked almost identical to this base except a large tower sat upon it, and a warm yellow beacon disappeared into the sky.

Several gasps freckled around the pool, “We have to what?” The same small voice wobbled as they heard what we had to do.

I didn’t have to turn to know it was Councillor Aengus’s voice who sneered, “You don’t jump, you fail.”

Only then did I turn back, finding the owner of the small voice. A female with short mousy hair that hugged her head stood and watched the rest of the crowd head toward the start of the waterfall. Her eyes framed by golden glasses and her ears delicately pointed, she was frozen in place, with her rattan bag clutched to her chest.

“You fail, you go home .5s,” the Councillor continued to project, “You will not be allowed to come back.”

I knew this Half-fae wouldn’t jump and something in me surged, and I felt myself moving toward her with a deep breath. My father never let me feel hunger.

Her eyes warm brown and glazed as I grabbed her arm without saying a word and started pulling her to the edge. Only then did she speak, her voice too soft, “I can’t swim.”

I didn’t let the panic show on my face, instead I found the Commander’s eyes and he was watching us, his brows furrowed as if was he trying to contemplate my next move.

Another deep breath, this is my element, I am Water-fae.

I turned back to the shivering Half-Fae, “It’s okay,” I whispered to her, “I will help you, but we have to jump now or we will fail.”

“Time’s ticking Half-bloods!” Aengus shouted from his soft spot at the bank.

It felt like a century passed before she nodded her head, plucking her glasses off her face and shoving them in the rattan bag. Clutching the bag with white knuckles, she let me pull her back to the edge of the cascade.

I didn’t let her second guess her decision as I plunged, pulling her down with me.

The second my body hit the water, time slowed down, I internally gasped at the coolness of the water, and I could barely make out the shape of the Half-Fae. My legs kicked as I reached out for her, my hands finding her frantic arm instantly. She was panicking, grabbing me and I sank under the surface the second the Half-Fae clung to me. I kicked and kicked to hold her above the water, her breathes coming out in gasps and limbs flinging about clumsily.

“Stop stop stop,” my own voice skipping across the water, “You need to calm down.”

A sound that was neither my own nor anyone I knew spoke, a voice deep in my conscious whispered through the water – Breathe.

The Half-Fae couldn’t hear me over the panic rushing in her blood, her nails gripping my skin, and I felt my own distress building, “We’re both going to drown if you don’t calm down,” I could hear the desperation hiding in my voice.

Breathe.

I trying to hold her up, “Kick your legs!” I was shouting, water splattering from my mouth. A new fear started to emerge, at the idea of her dying because I dragged her down here.

Breathe.

Finally, I took a deep breath, the saltwater burning my nose. I am a strong swimmer and my father made sure of that. I let the fear wash over me and I decided I wouldn’t let this Half-Fae drown the both of us, and I would have to leave her if she didn’t calm down.

“Calm down, breathe!” I spat once more before submerging myself under the surface as held her above the water, holding my breath and praying to the fucking Queen she would relax.

Breathe.

It took until my lungs burned for the Half-Fae to still, and I rushed to surface, “Don’t worry, I’ll get us to the beach,” I gasped.

I let the Half-Fae cling to my back as I swam towards the bank, my legs arching and lungs anchoring me down. My skin frigid from the water but I could feel the heat from the scratches the Half-Fae gave me in her panic. I wanted to cry out of relief as when my feet hit soil, I greedily guzzled the air and I gasped, “We did it,” over and over again.

My legs on the verge of buckling, I walked through the remaining water, and the familiar taste of salt water on my tongue. The harshness burned the back of my throat, my stomach queasy as we finally reached the beach, and my knees hit the ground as the contents of my stomach flew out of my mouth.

“About time, Soft-Ears,” another Half-Fae muttered his amusement as he approached us.

I eyed him with a glare, before finding the curly haired female who called this unfair early on, she was standing further back, gun in her hand, and shocked look on her face, “How did you do that and not drown?”

“Yellow-Belly wouldn’t have made it without her,” the male laughed, patting the Half-Fae still clinging to me on the back.

Glaring at the male, he of course had the pointed ears and looked the part of full Fae, and I immediately disliked him, “Where’s everyone else?” I stood, looking around at an empty bank.

“No one said it was a team effort,” the male snickered as the female watching us from the tree line mumbled, “They thought you wouldn’t make it,” her eyes flashed with annoyance, “We tried to tell them that we might need to team up, but they said it’d be easier if everyone went off alone.”

The male crossed his arms, “I just stayed around to see if you were gonna make it,” he was a large male, wore a cheeky grin and his hair long. He and I both knew he waited because he didn’t want to go alone, and the rest of the Half-Fae should’ve done the same thing. I know the full Fae are going to intercept us and stop us from making to the base. There’s no way we could fight them off alone.

Finding my drenched sack, I dumped the entire contents on the wet soil, and I eyed the single foil wrapped bar and single handgun. No water, no ammo and I laughed. A full guttural laugh, “Fuck I hate them,” the others were silent as they watched my mental breakdown, “I want you all to leave your sack, take your gun, and eat whatever the fuck this is now before we leave.”

I had serious doubts the gun would work now after the bath it had, but I wasn’t going to go against the full Fae without a weapon. The female across the bank frowned at the instructions, before doing exactly what I said.

“You think they got trackers in it?” The male asked, following the command as well.

I hadn’t thought of that, but it was possible, “I don’t know, but we’ll be much quieter without them,” I watched them all dump their sacks in a pile, and we sat in silence as we bit into the underwhelming food bar.

“How dead are we?” The Half-Fae asked as she cleaned her glasses.

“We’ll cross that bridge when it comes,” I stood, gesturing for everyone to follow, “The entire time we do not talk, we do not make unnecessary noise, and we have each other’s back. Keep an eye on the moon,” I pointed to its current position directly above us, “It is our clock, and our compass.”

They’re eyes glistening with the reflection of the water, I met each pair, “My name is Aabel, Water-fae and I will get us through this trial,” my oath circling around us.

I went to turn around, but the curly-haired female spoke, “Orla, Light-fae, and I will get us through this trial.”

“Ferrin, Fire-fae, and I will get us through this trial,” the male declared next.

Something swelling in my chest as our vows swept into the night, and we all turned to the remaining Half-Fae, her glasses slightly foggy as she whispered, “Nerys, Night-fae, and I will get us through this trial.”

“Bless the Queen Nerys, this is your element,” Ferrin visibly relieved, “We might actually make it.”

I didn’t comment as reached up and put my new short hair in two small low buns on either side of my head and I headed into the forest named after the same Queen, relieved when all three Half-Fae followed.

The trees were humid.

The air had gotten so warm that my wet hair never dried, the loose hairs on my forehead stuck to my face with sweat, and my lungs felt heavy from the almost drowning. Moonlight creaked through the gaps of the canopy, showering lowlight around us, and the surrounding bugs sung loudly, unbothered by our presence. The only sound was our boots on the wet leaves, and our guns had no chance of drying out in this humidity.

This forest was nothing like the trees at home, but the atmosphere is the same, the same root system, same bugs, same animals.

My father’s voice in my head, “Eyes up, little one.”

My eyes finding the moon had moved to our right, but before I could reposition everyone, Nerys pointed, “We need to move this way,” her voice softer than the crickets singing.

“When do you think the Fae will intercept?” Ferrin spoke at the same volume, coming up beside me as I noticed new sounds coming from a clearing up ahead.

Shrugging, I eyed the opening in front of us, “They probably can already hear us,” crouching, “Now, shut the fuck up and get down.”

The sound was Fae, full-bloodied Fae on the other side of the clearing, and I watched as one lifted their nose to the air and click their fingers to get the attention of the others. Fear tingled my skin, my eyes frantically looking for anything and landing on the wet soil clenched in my fingers.

I took a steadying breath, trying to calm the thundering in my chest, “Hurry, coat yourselves in this,” I barely got out before smearing the warm mud onto my face. The rich smell burning my nostrils as I avoided my mouth and eyes, quickly checking to see if everyone was following my lead.

Orla had braided her hair early in the hike, she eyed me cautiously as she coated the braid in the wet mud, “We have to get the water,” she whispered, she started painting her face and her eyes glowing in the dark, “Permission to go steal it?”

I almost laughed, before it died fast in my throat at the arrival of more footsteps, sinking further into the mud, my breath held as I watched the Commander join the Fae group across the way. He held something in his hand as he approached the group, flinging the objects into the middle, and my blood chilled as I realised, they were our sacks from the lake.

The Commander looked both furious and extremely annoyed, and even more so when The Second laughed at the soaked sacks. I could see his jaw clenching for here; I held my hand to gesture for the others to get lower in the mud, waiting for Fae group to move.

Gun shots sounded from further to the east, I felt the spike in my pulse, but I forced myself not to react. My face was touching the wet mud in the ground as I continued to watch the Commander and his unit gather their stuff to follow the noise.

I turned to see Orla’s mud-covered face, her eyes already on me as I smiled, “Permission granted.”

I watched the Commander’s retreating back as Orla slithered her way to their camp, my heart pounding harder the closer she got, and I watched her wide eyes as she reached their water pouches. I signalled for Ferrin and Nerys to sneak across, watching the way the Fae went, and without a sound I joined them.

Beads of sweat freckled her face as Orla let out a large breath as if she were holding it the entire time, “Fae are so stupid,” she held out the water pouch for first serving.

We didn’t stay long, moving with the moon just above us and we stopped for the first time by a large fallen over tree, taking more turns of sharing the water.

I took comfort that the sounds of the bugs returned.

“You know, you didn’t actually tell us to cover ourselves in mud,” Nerys said, keeping her voice lower than the noise of insects, barely audible.

Frowning, “What?”

“Yeah, you didn’t even open your mouth,” Ferrin added, taking another swig of water, “Freaky.”

“Your voice was in our heads,” Orla said carefully.

My face must have shown the disbelief that coated my skin, because Nerys softly continued, “I read Water-fae can sometimes have that ability, flowing into other’s minds.”

My pulse quickened, “I—I didn’t know—I never—done that before,” I earnestly replied, “I’m sorry—”

“I don’t know if it causes pain,” Nerys insisted, “But we didn’t feel anything.”

The others nodded and the panic ease in my gut, and Nerys gestured to the moon, “We have probably an hour before the first signs of sunrise.”

I nodded, standing up but froze when there was a moment of commotion behind us. Ferrin turned to watch the way we came, “What—”

I held my hand up to silent him, watching where the noise continued to come from. Heart pounding faster by the second, water-logged gun raised and a blur of blonde hair came charging after us.

My hand shook as I held up the handgun, Llora haltered at the sight of us, at the sight of my raised weapon and her lips turning upward, eyes wild, “You’re alive,” she rushed out the words as fast as she could, “You have to move, they’re coming.”

No one moved, Orla spoke first, “Who?”

“A Fae group, they’re—”

“I don’t believe you,” Ferrin growled, his eyes flicking to me, “Do you trust her, Soft-ears?”

I had the right mind to swing the gun to him out of spite, “That’s not my name,” I growled.

Nerys eyed me, “Should we trust her?” her question softer.

Llora didn’t move from where my gun froze her in place, “You don’t have time to debate this.”

“Is the Commander with them?” I confused myself by asking.

A shake of the head, “These Fae are worse.”

A pregnant pause and I kept my eyes on her as I grunted at the others, “Get ready to run.”

“You can’t be ser—” Ferrin started.

I cut him off with a growl, “I trust her,” my eyes finally leaving the blonde Fae and glaring at the male Fire-fae, “Or feel free to stay and be killed.”

He answered with his own glare, “What if it’s a trap?”

“Like this whole thing wasn’t a trap,” Orla muttered with a low laugh.

Llora didn’t wait for our next move, disappearing into the woods as fast as she arrived.

My father would have laughed in my face if I told me a full-blooded Fae gave me a warning.

And I’ve never seen that man do more than smile.

Llora’s heads-up had us moving fast, I wasn’t worried about being heard with the threat at our heels and the humidity added to the exhaustion as we sprinted through the thick wood. The mud washing off with my sweat, stinging my eyes as Nerys leaded us south.

I could barely see the others in front of me as we stumbled over freakishly large roots and sharp rocks, “Aabel, I can’t see in front of my face,” muttered Ferrin from somewhere behind me.

“I think we can stop now,” Orla gasped, “We should be almost there now.”

“We can’t stop,” I pleaded, they’re Fae, I almost added.

“Just a little stop, then we can keep running,” Orla said still trying to get her breath back.

I didn’t like it, but I let us stop and that was my first mistake. My second was not playing attention to the bugs who stopped singing.

“Clever Half-blood,” a voice danced through the sudden chill in the air.

That chill washed over me as a Fae male stalked through the trees, stepping over roots with superior grace and a feline grin as he took in our muddy appearance.

“We almost couldn’t find you,” he laughed, “Your disgusting scent was masked, but we could still hear your nauseating breath.”

It was too dark to see his features fully, but he towered over even Ferrin, but I didn’t hesitate to raise my wet handgun. Making the Fae male laugh, the air vibrating with the promise violence.

“We can take him,” Ferrin boasted, he’s own voice uncertain.

The Fae’s head tilted in a deadly fury, “You think a dirty Half-blood could shoot me?”

The insult sparking my own fury, but without giving me the chance to answer his rhetorical question, he charged us and my stomach dropped as my finger clenched the trigger of my gun, the sound of it choking filled the space between us and the Fae.

I instinctively threw the gun at his dark head as I shouted, “Run!”

My feet were swept from behind me, my head crashing down on the leafy moist ground and I felt the male Fae’s hot grip on my ankle, “You filthy fucking Mortal-marked Half-ear,” the rocks and sharp roots scratched my back as the Fae dragged me to him.

“Did you get her?” another voice sounded to my left.

I prayed the others made it out.

A scream building in my chest as my fingers dug into the soil, arms shaking at the intensity of the male’s strength. My body instinctively fighting back, but the Fae male didn’t budge.

Thunder rumbled above us as I felt myself losing my nerve, no breath work would suffice, and the low light of moon made the fear expand in my chest.

“You’re an embarrassment to the Fae kind,” he hissed as his body loomed over me.

“I’m sure they say the same thing about you,” I spat.

A choked laugh and my head knocked back from the blow of his hand, instant pain in my head as my cheek burned and fingers clasped around my neck, “You’re nothing but a feeble infested rat.”

“This forest belonged to the humans, their spirit is in the soil and trees and rocks and no matter how hard you try, you can’t get rid of them,” my voice sliced through the night in my own ghastly rage, “I am half them and half you.”

“Hurry up and kill her!” this voice was female.

Rain started softly tapping my face as the Fae’s grip hardened. I wanted scream and snarl but the only thing I could control was my hands as they thrashed out, trying to grab at the Fae’s face and my legs flailing. Panic settling in as my airways tightened. I wouldn’t die like this. I couldn’t die like this.

Take a breath and say one good thing.

The rain hardened, drowning out my own grunts. The male flung my arms away from his face and my hand met the cool metal of the pistol I threw earlier. My fingers sluggishly wrapped around the gun, and slowly without enough light, I pulled the trigger.

My father taught me to shoot a gun.

The sound was deafening as the shot echoed through the now heavy rain, and the hands around my neck were released with a roaring groan.

I didn’t wait for a replacement set of hands as I stood on wobbly legs and ran. Into the night, with the no longer water-logged pistol glued to my hand.

The moon was far to the west as I ran through the dense wood, my neck burning and my heart pounding so hard it ached. Base Bravo had a single beacon, a warm yellow as it gleamed in the dark vault of the sky and now, I could see it.

I slowed to a walk when the rain eased, there was a shift in the leaves ahead of me and the leftover adrenaline shot back through my system like lightening. Raising my gun, I squinted through the low light and waited.

More movement and a heavy breath, “I don’t think she’s coming Nerys.”

The sound of Ferrin’s irritating voice gave me such a relief that I almost cried. Heading towards the sound, I gasped out a, “Sorry I took so long.”

Flinching as hands grabbed me, “We thought they killed you,” Orla whispered.

It hurt to speak, hurt even more to laugh, “He definitely tried.”

“Are you hurt?” Nerys asked warily.

I nodded in the dark, too much of a coward to speak the truth, “Barely touched me.”

There was a weighty second before Nerys sighed, “Okay then, let’s keep going, we’re close. I can see the beacon.”