Page 89 of Stolen Threadwitch Bride
Chitters and howls, gasps and cackling laughter erupted around me.
Each sound turned the blood in my veins to ice.
“I thought so. Seize her.”
A Tremble in the Web
The roaring in my ears drowned out all thought. Those fae on the edge of my vision closed in. Some were like Ly,almosthuman, but the others…
Claws, teeth, and horns, all in that glossy blood red I’d glimpsed earlier. The creature loomed over me, great wings splaying.
Chest spasming so I couldn’t draw breath, I backed away.
A blond fae that could’ve been Goren’s brother circled, eyes cold and fixed beyond me, on Ly. His scabbard was empty but he wielded no sword.
The air hazed with heat, searing my lungs and eyes, and a figure closed in from the right. Instead of skin, this was a man of cracked, black flesh like burnt wood. Beneath his wide-brimmed hat, instead of eyes, two embers smouldered, and a line of red appeared—a burning smile.
The acrid stink of singed hair filled my nose. The hem of my dress smoked. Shit. Whatwashe? Fingers pressed to my lips, I jerked away. I almost screamed when I backed into something solid, but there was no air in my lungs to make a sound.
But that something was warm, and through the stink of my burnt hair came the sweet-sharp scent of fresh rhubarb. I sagged. Ly.
“Ari.” His hand closed on my shoulder, pulling me against him. “Keep close.” Steel thrust past me, glinting in the too-bright fae light as he warded off the red fae, then the burning one.
He must’ve grabbed the blond fae’s sword. Even without magic, he was fast. Thank the godsandthe Stars above.
Within the protection of his stolen blade, I could breathe at last.
We turned left and right and every time, another of Goren’s retinue was too close. Ly’s speed with that wicked, curved sword kept them wary, testing, hanging back as they sought an opening.
But I slowed him down and there were too many of them. At some point he would turn too late.
A grunt rumbled from him into my back, and as he whirled us around, he let out a hiss of pain. Blood sizzled on the burning fae’s sword and his red smile appeared again like a pit of fire.
Pain lanced through my chest like I was the one he’d cut, but…
“Ly.” My voice came out broken. I squeezed the hand he had around my waist. Over my shoulder, I glimpsed a slash in his jacket and a thin red line beneath.
Another grunt and his grip on me twitched as we turned. The blond fae had a blade now and it glistened red.
They were going to cut him down, slice-by-slice. Even without me slowing him, there were too many of them, and he’d bound his magic with his word. Although it wasn’t my fault he’d been caught, that stupid vow absolutelywas.
Beyond the circling fae, Goren remained on his throne, biting his lip, eyes sparkling with something that looked horribly like pleasure.
A sharp hiss in my ear from Ly tore my chest open. They were going to kill him.
“Please.” I whimpered, throat thick and burning. “Stop.” The word tasted of raspberries.
The air rippled. The nearest fae, the red one, hesitated mid-step.
Something tugged on me.
A tremble in the web.
I let my focus shift beyond the fae, beyond Goren’s throne, beyond the blue and gold walls…
The silver strands stretched in all directions, linking me to every life nearby, including the fae’s. Their presence, their movements jangled along the lines straight back to the centre—back tome.
My True Name tingled on my tongue and against my leg where I’d embroidered it in my gown. I’d thought it was just that brief moment, that flare of light spreading through the web.
