Tales of an Outcast Faerie by Rose Allison

Author:Rose, Allison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2022-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

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Kelty faced Rowan outside her home tree after an explanation of her encounter with Fable—and how she had been so focused she forgot they agreed to see him together.

Rowan’s expression grew stonier with every word. A muscle in his jaw twitched as she finished. Anxiety churned within Kelty.

Then he spread his wings and took off, landing in the trees above and disappearing into the foliage.

Tears pricked at Kelty’s eyes. She rushed into the solace of her home tree.

I should have been thinking about him. How do I fix this? Maybe this is why we are not partners. I am the problem.

Hours later, after Kelty laid down and doused the light from her Telk stones, Rowan returned.

Kelty’s hopes rose, another apology on her lips, but he merely lay beside her with his back turned. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to sleep and failed.

When dawn came, they readied for the day without speaking. By his stiff movements, Kelty could tell he was still mad. She feared anything she said could never make up for it, so she kept her lips sealed.

But they ruled a court together. After Kelty refreshed herself and ate some of the berries Dane had improved—which gave her an energy burst she desperately needed, but couldn’t fix her current problems—Kelty steeled herself and broke the silence.

“Can you keep an eye on the outcasts today?”

“What will you be doing?”

“I need answers. And Fable has them.”

“And if he breaks you in the process?”

Kelty lifted wide eyes to Rowan’s face. Is he trying to order me around because he cares? Why won’t he say it?

“Then I will have tried at least.” Kelty turned from him. I have no time for this.

She pushed out of the door to her tree. Lark was waiting as she did every dawn now.

“There are reports of a human who glows like a faerie around the school,” Kelty addressed her immediately. “Watch the youths as they enter and leave the building. Report back.”

Lark pouted. “All day?”

Kelty nodded sternly. “All day.”

She turned away from Lark to give Rowan a glance. His expression was unreadable. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lark giving him a pleading look, like a youth asking the other parent to overturn an order. Kelty threw her adviser another stern look. Then, not knowing what else to do, she opened her wings and vaulted up through the branches, flying in the direction of the Throne Wood.

An eerie feeling settled over her as she landed. The trees, bushes, plants of all kinds were uneasy. She felt it through the soles of her feet. Carefully, she sent her magic into the ground to prod, searching among the root network for the source of the disturbance. She was reminded of a similar encounter with Derek, the first she had had with a human in this world. A human who was destroying trees with dark magic and fire—a deadly combination.

Before she got very far, she sensed Fable’s presence behind her. Reluctantly, she pulled her magic from the land to focus on her spirit shield.

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