Night Fae (Dark Fae Kings #3) - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,59

before my Turning, they’d had to let me walk on this perilous path and take the responsibility and the role I’d been born into.

My ears pricked as I listened to subtle noises from the environment. Even without magic, my senses were much more fine-tuned than a human’s.

“Let’s head west,” I said. “I hear the sound of water in that direction. Hopefully we can find a shelter nearby. Now, guys, let’s get you geared up.”

I emptied the contents of my backpack onto the ground. “Anyone know how to handle a firearm?” I asked.

“I’ll take the .308 Winchester,” said Richie.

Good. He wasn’t completely useless. If he recognized that rifle, he’d know how to use it. I handed him the Winchester. Drake had helped saw the handle short enough to make it fit into my backpack.

“I’ll take the Black Smith,” Megan said and picked the handgun out from amid the other weapons.

“May I have the Glock 19?” Jill eyed the lighter pistol.

I was a bit surprised that the bespectacled girl could handle a handgun, but she gave me a shy smile. “I’m not as useless as I look.”

“I’m exactly as useless as I look.” Charlie gazed at me, puppy-eyed, and my heart softened as he made me think of my oldest teen brother. “I’m not good with weapons, but I’ll do whatever you ask me to do.”

I offered him a smile. “You aren’t useless, Charlie. Don’t let anyone tell you so. You’ll learn.”

He beamed.

I opened my jacket and revealed an array of daggers, handguns, a variety of throwing stars, and a few grenades.

“Be my guest and take an extra weapon,” I told my team.

Megan whistled in devilish delight and Jill laughed. Megan dove for the throwing stars and Jill went for the grenades.

I regarded Jill. “You know how to pull a grenade?”

“Of course,” she said. “I’m a military kid.”

“Have two of them, then,” I said. “Only use them when necessary.”

“Of course,” she said and snatched two grenades, adding them to her collection. “I no longer think this is the worst day ever.”

Megan also begged for a grenade, so I had one left for myself. She then greedily eyed the Legend Heavy that jutted over my shoulder.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said. “That elephant gun is my dad’s favorite. No one else touches it.”

Richie took an extra dagger from me, weighing it in his hands.

Charlie only wanted the spear he’d carried with him into the game. “At least this is a weapon that I won’t stab myself with by accident.”

He then started helping me put the rest of the gear back into the backpack.

“I can help you carry it, Miss Evie,” he said.

I turned down his offer. There was food and medical supplies in the backpack as well, and I’d trust no one with it. My companions might have promised to watch my back, but I didn’t really know them that well. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two turned on me at a convenient moment. They weren’t my kings or knights, after all.

Trust and respect had to be earned.

Now that I had handed out some of my weapons to my team, my load was lightened.

“Let’s get going,” I urged.

We ran again, my companions’ untrained feet thudding on the thick layer of pine needles as I led them toward the brink of the forest.

The trees thinned as we sped along, and I spotted a small figure sprinting in our direction. He wasn’t exactly looking where he was going as he ran blindly. It looked like the boy was frantically trying to escape an unseen nightmare right behind him. He ran into a tree, cried out in pain, struggled up, and scampered forward on weak legs.

The wind ruffled his dirty blond hair, blowing dirt from it. Pine needles drifted down, and the boy looked up.

His face was filthy and covered with bruises, and his eyes brimmed with terror.

My heart clenched, and a sob choked the back of my throat.

“Look,” Megan called. “There’s a kid ahead. Is he a real boy? You said nothing is as it seems in this realm. He could be a demon child. Should we take him down?”

I stopped in front of my companions and spread my hands wide to prevent any harm from reaching Nox.

“Anyone who touches my brother dies,” I said icily.

“Your brother?” Richie asked. “How did he even get here?”

“That’s so fucked up,” Charlie murmured.

Jill also said something sympathetic, but I ignored everyone and focused on my brother.

Brigantia had promised to release my brother if I answered