Ember: Echoes of Ashes - Book 1 by Jessica Schmidt

Author:Jessica Schmidt [Schmidt, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Owl Griffin Press
Published: 2018-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

The travelers passed by the westward, glittering path to Charandall the next day. An unnatural archway of vines and flowers framed the entrance to the fae city, a work of art sculpted each season by the residing fairies. This archway was still the one that the springtime fae had created.

Emery waved sheepishly at the two fae guards posted outside the entrance as they passed, making sure to avoid eye contact with them. They stared at her, conflicted on whether or not they should stop her and ask why a summertime wasn’t on her way to the city this late in the season. But they let her go, remaining silent at their post.

For Emery, passing by Charandall without turning left had been a thrill in itself. She was immensely proud of herself for making that decision. It had been so long since she had made a choice for herself instead of for what everyone else wanted from her. It was rejuvenating, and the buzzing electricity of life shocked her old bones. She felt like a new fairy.

They reached the split to Strita the following morning, taking a turn toward the east. A tense air settled over them as they headed deeper into the woods.

They had only been off The Walk for less than half a day when the weather began to turn wild. The skies were quickly darkening, and what had started as a few clouds and a breeze was now compounding into a vicious storm. Occasionally, the wind would gust, and a few ominous raindrops would sprinkle on their heads—raindrops which had been blown astray from the downpour marching toward them.

They picked up their pace to a swift jog. Emery was flying quite fast, and Midiga was just behind her, baring her teeth with displeasure each time a raindrop plopped onto her fur. The droplets felt like icicles, occasionally pelting her in the shoulder or on her ears—which twitched each time this happened, though they were flattened against her skull.

“It’s this way!” shouted Emery behind her so Laderic, Alleria, and Reia could hear. They were lagging behind, but not by much, as they hustled their way down the dirt path. Reia ran beside Alleria, who was gripping her hood tightly to keep it from blowing off her pointed ears, on the off chance they were spotted by someone—or something.

They had left The Walk only hours after waking up that morning, carefully making their way through this new section of woods, a persistent paranoia suffocating them. This new road to Strita had no name and was significantly narrower, and perilous more so. The spidery branches of the thin trees loomed, and the thickets were wild with thorns and vines. All sorts of nasty creatures lay in wait in these woods. However, that was the least of their worries now. The forest was silent, as even the most terrible of monsters had taken shelter from the looming storm.

“Come on!” called Emery again. “We are almost there!” The fae knew the Brushdeep Forest like the back of her hand, even in these most dangerous of parts.

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