Blade and Crystal Thorns by Kay L. Moody

Author:Kay L. Moody
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marten Press

TWENTY-TWO

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PRESSING HER LIPS TOGETHER, CHLOE tried to find some courage from deep inside her. The consequences of locking out the fae had already started to weigh on her, but she did her best to think positively.

“We need to join the other mortals, band with them to defeat Portia and Julian, and then we can…” She bit her bottom lip. “Then we can just live. The mortals will finally have peace.”

Mishti raised a single eyebrow. “You’re assuming all the other mortals want Portia and Julian defeated.”

“You think they don’t?” Fear wriggled into Chloe’s belly.

Shrugging, Mishti dug her toe in the dirt. “I have no idea what the others want. We never had much chance to befriend each other while living with Ansel. And after we were freed, everyone feared me because of how Portia used me. I was an enforcer, not a friend. The only person I ever really connected with was…” She gulped and looked down at her walking feet. “Mila.”

An ache stung through Chloe’s throat. Mila had been killed by Portia not so long ago. Mishti had Chloe now, but maybe she feared getting to close to someone since the last person she got close to died.

Swallowing hard, Chloe hooked her arm around Mishti’s. She attempted a smile, but recent events made it impossible. “We’ll figure this out. I know it’s going to be hard, but freedom is so close. Without any fae to worry about, we only have to focus on one thing. Getting rid of Portia and Julian. For now, let’s go back to the castle and gather our things. Then we can start making a plan.”

Only a few steps down the path, a new problem bloomed. Chloe’s stomach growled with hunger. It hadn’t been too loud, but Mishti walked close enough to hear it. The young woman glanced at Chloe’s stomach and then she looked up at Chloe’s face.

The same thought must have occurred to her that also occurred to Chloe. How were they supposed to get food? Ludo had been conjuring all their meals, but they obviously didn’t have that option anymore.

Crystalfall’s food magic worked as well for mortals as it did for fae, but it still required that they have one of those tables. But Chloe and Mishti couldn’t enter the mortals’ camp without glamours. And no magic meant no glamours.

The wound in her chest itched at that exact moment. Her leather bag filled with apothecary supplies still sat back at the castle. She gritted her teeth against the pain, doing her best to ignore it. Traveling would take much longer now that they couldn’t use doors. And what if she didn’t have enough supplies in her bag anyway? She hadn’t been paying attention to supply levels since she’d been using magic to heal everything. But now she had no magic.

Her gaze swept across the landscape ahead of them. The glittering jewels looked as lovely and sparkling as they always did. They were also completely useless. Jade grass strands couldn’t fight infection. Rose quartz berries couldn’t help to form a poultice.

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