The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,102

to raid until tomorrow morning,” he argues at my back.

I don’t hesitate to let my wings unfold. “Whitley’s there. I don’t know how or why, but we have to get her out before something terrible happens.”

If it hasn’t already.

I try not to let myself imagine the worst as I hurl myself toward the sky. Below, Zander and Kirian shout orders at soldiers, and their commands become faint as I fly over the forest. They won’t be far behind me.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure where I’m going. Distilleries are often hidden in plain sight but locating them can be difficult.

Shutting my eyes, I call on the senses I used to rely on. I sniff the air and catch a hint of the charcoal scent. It’s getting stronger.

Then I hear something.

Screaming?

No, it’s a shrill ringing. Whitley’s whistle. And it’s close. The sound suddenly stops, but it tells me what I need to know—my mate is alive and well enough to think to call me.

As I look down, the forest thins out. Beyond the trees, I see a shadow on a hillside. An entrance.

I descend quickly and land hard on my feet. Breaking out into a run as soon as I touch ground, I force a powerful shot of slumber vibes toward the entire facility. Whitley probably won’t be affected by it because of her protection spell, but everyone else inside should be lights-out.

Removing my machete, I hack away at the grassy net covering half of the hole, then I chop through a couple tripwires. It triggers the booby traps, and sharp blades shoot from slits in the wooden frame just inches from my face.

Even though the door is open, I release some anger in the form of a punch. I bloody my knuckles in the process, but the sound of the door splintering and hinges breaking is satisfying.

“Whitley?” I rush into the dark hallway.

“Here.” Her voice wavers. “I’m here.”

Two emotions come at me when I see her lying under the hulking body of a Day Realm man. Relief, because she’s alive. Rage, because he’s touching her.

He’s on top of my mate. He dared to try to take what’s mine.

Whitley struggles, pushing at the man’s shoulder as she tries to remove his dead weight.

With a roar, I close the distance and fling his body away. I throw him so hard I hear bones crack when his back hits a wooden pillar. The earth shakes from the impact, and some loose dirt sprinkles down on us.

As I kneel next to Whitley, she sits up, looking dazed. In the short time we’ve been apart, I can tell she’s been through a lot. Her hair is in total disarray, and there’s mud smudged all over her hands and face. Some is caked under her fingernails, like she tried to claw her way to safety.

“Did he—” I swallow hard, observing the way her dress is bunched up around her thighs. “Did he—?”

“No.” She clings to my arm. “No.”

Closing my eyes, I draw air into my lungs. I probably got here just in time.

How did this happen? I picture the scene—Whitley going for an innocent walk in the woods. The man stalking her like prey. Maybe he’d been following us. Maybe he wanted to ransom her. Or even worse, keep her for himself.

The details don’t matter right now. I can figure everything out later, once Whitley has washed the grime away. Once she’s in our tent. In our bed.

“Let’s get you out of here.” I start to scoop her up, but she shakes her head.

“Wait. Help me get this off.”

When she clutches the skin above her injured ankle, I growl at the bloody mess under the shackle. “What happened?”

“It’s iron.” Grimacing with pain, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and turns her face to the side. “I’m changing already.”

Immediately, I ransack her captor’s pockets. I find the key to the shackle and, as carefully as I can, unlock it. A couple of my fingers get burned, but Whitley’s sweet relief at having the iron removed soothes us both.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were turning?” I grip her chin and study her eyes.

Yep. She’s got the signs of the change. Not only are her ears growing, the blue of her irises is more intense.

“I didn’t know until he shackled me.” She’s shaking from adrenaline and fear. “I had no idea it could happen so fast.”

“You’re a rare case, that’s for sure. Then again, normally the humans who come here don’t have fae blood running through their