Summoned to the Wilds (Villains and Virtues Book 2) by A. K. Caggiano

Author:A. K. Caggiano [Caggiano, A. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

ON FINDING AND BEING FOUND

A mma had known it was a mistake the moment it left her mouth, but Damien had asked, and it felt worse to not tell him the truth when he had seemed so desperate for her thoughts about his father. She hadn’t gone after him despite wanting to, but she’d sat up, waiting, staring into the dark, afraid he’d never come back. When he finally did, even the shadows couldn’t hide the exhaustion on his face, and without a word he’d fallen into sleep. She’d only dozed off herself when she could hear his heavy breathing, assured he wouldn’t traipse into the woods again and disappear.

The next day, though, Damien acted as if the conversation about his mother and father had not happened and seemed happy enough to answer her questions about the Innomina Wildwood instead. Of course, Damien didn’t know the names of most of the plants, but he did his best to describe them. After he’d told her about a flower as large as a man that could cloak itself to match its surroundings, and she asked why the region was so different than Eiren despite being so close, he dropped his voice lower. “The Innomina Wildwood is untouched in a way your realm or even places like Aszath Koth aren’t. Arcana has been left here on its own for far longer, and that sometimes manifests in gateways to other planes, the magic there leaking out. This is the only place I’ve ever been able to access The Everdarque.”

Dread knocked on the back of her spine at that. “The Everdark?”

“No, the Everdarque,” he repeated, slowly.

“Yeah, that’s what I said. You’ve been there?”

“Unfortunately. To collect components to make that thing you’ve got inside you.”

Amma touched her chest, shivering. “There are fae components inside me?”

“Yes, and it’s a bloody nightmare getting them back to this plane without disintegrating.” He seemed quite annoyed with the idea. “Turns out, you have to intend to take the thing back with you, not just assume it will come.”

“Damien, you stole from the fae?”

“It was just a bit of sand.” He shrugged. “It’s not as if they count every grain, trust me, they’re quite busy with other, equally pointless things. But you know, you’re the baroness of a place called Faebarrow, after all.”

“Well, it’s not like we have any fae there, it’s just named that because there were all these little mounds spread out over the place that’s the liathau orchard now, and long ago the people used to think fae lived inside them who blessed the earth and helped the trees flourish.”

“I thought the trees were a gift from your goddess?”

“Well?” Amma tapped her chin in thought. “Yes, Sestoth gave them to us, but the stories are kind of convoluted. Something like, she had good fae working for her, you know?”

“Good fae?” He scoffed quietly. “That doesn’t sound like a thing fae would do, not without a cost anyway.”

Amma swallowed, not wanting to ask what he thought the price might be.

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