Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“An intruder!” the tall one—Captain Seldarin—exclaimed. “There is a spy amongst us—find them!”
I wanted to run, but it was too late—the Fae were pouring into the forest to search. Instead of running, I tried scrambling under the table, hoping the shadows would hide me.
No such luck.
It was Captain Seldarin who found me. He ducked his head to look under the table and our eyes met. I knew he had seen me and I scrambled to get away, trying to scurry into the forest like a wild animal. But he was too quick for me.
“Not so fast!” he growled and one long, muscular arm shot out and grabbed me.
“No! No!” I gasped, kicking and fighting as he dragged me out into the light of the blue and gold fire. My heart was pounding like a drum and my breath was coming short. I was terrified—wishing I could remember even a little of the single self-defense course I’d taken years ago.
I tried to twist away from him but it was no use—his grip on my arm was like iron. He didn’t pinch or squeeze me but he didn’t let go either—not even when one of my kicks landed squarely in his midsection.
“Feisty little thing, aren’t you?” he growled. “Come on—let’s see you!”
Before I knew it, he had pulled me to my feet and was dragging me forward into the middle of the circle. The search was called off as the Dark Fae realized that the intruder—me—had been caught. They gathered again in a circle and I could feel hundreds of glowing eyes boring into me from all sides.
I felt sick. I was trapped and there was no getting away from these beautiful, otherworldly beings. What were they going to do to me?
Something told me whatever it was, I wasn’t going to like it.
2
Lily
“It’s nothing but a Mortal woman,” the one with bluish-purple eyes—Regent Mordren—remarked, his lip curling. “Put a dagger in her heart and throw her body into the forest.”
“Wait—no, please!” I begged. “Please, I didn’t mean to spy on you—I just saw the lights and heard the music and smelled the food. And I’ve just been so hungry—that’s the only reason I came here, honestly!”
“Wait—you heard our music and smelled our food?” Captain Seldarin, who was still holding my arm in an iron grip, demanded. He frowned down at me. “How is that possible? Mortals are insensible to our presence while we are here in the Fae Realm—everyone knows that.”
He was even taller up close, I thought, my heart pounding. He must be seven feet at least because he loomed over me, making me feel tiny and helpless. My knees felt so weak I wasn’t sure they would continue to support me.
“Look at me, Mortal!” he demanded and lifted my chin with one huge hand.
I really didn’t have a choice—I looked up at him, his glowing bronze eyes glaring down into mine. He frowned at me at first, but then those bronze eyes widened as he seemed to see something strange.
“By Queen Lolth!” he exclaimed, leaning down to get a better look at me. “The Mark! She has The Mark!”
“What? You lie!” Mordren exclaimed, sitting forward in his chair, which I now saw was an exact replica of the larger, empty throne that stood behind him.
Seldarin’s eyes flashed.
“I never lie,” he growled, his deep voice rumbling through me. “She has the Mark! Let the Keeper of Records examine her—Krynn, come here!” he added.
The Fae in the flowing green robes with the golden streaks in his long white hair came forward. He was the one who had the face of an angel—the one I had thought was so beautiful before, I realized.
“Look at her,” Seldarin insisted as he finally released my face. “Krynn, look at her Mark!”
I wasn’t sure what they were talking about—maybe my birthmark? It was burning again as Krynn took my face between his long, slender hands and looked down at me. Though he wasn’t as tall as Seldarin, he was still much taller than I was. He had to be in the six foot six range, I thought numbly.
He was definitely staring at my forehead and my birthmark was burning and itching like crazy. I wished that I dared to rub it but I felt frozen to the spot as his glowing green eyes studied me.
“You see what I mean?” Seldarin demanded. “It’s The Mark—it has to be!”
“I think you’re right.” Krynn nodded. “But I still can’t believe…after all these years of searching for her with no result…”
“It doesn’t matter how long it’s been—she’s here now! It must be her,” Seldarin muttered. “The Markings I took are burning—aren’t yours?” He touched the sides of his neck where the strange silver tattoos seemed to be glowing almost as brightly as his eyes. They were indeed a spider web with a tiny spider right in the center, just as I had thought earlier.