Nirrin (Forestfolk, Book 3)

Chapter 16

That night, I lay in my tent, hands folded behind my head, eyes staring up to where the tent pole disappeared into the darkness. I listened to the shuffle of feet outside as stragglers got ready for a night’s rest. When all was quiet, I would wait a little longer, and then sneak out to gather my supplies.

My feet began tapping against each other with impatience. Maybe I could go out right now and—No. I had to wait. I couldn’t risk someone seeing me.

With a sigh, I resumed the foot-tapping.

I startled when the tent flap parted, and someone ducked inside. My breath stuck in my throat. They knew. They had discovered my plans, and now they were here to deal with me.

Take me with you.

“Tessia?” I wanted to slap my forehead. Of course it was her. Who else could speak directly into my brain?

I heard her breathy, silent laughter. Yes, it’s me.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered.

She settled onto the ground by my feet. I want to go with you when you leave.

I didn’t answer. She wasn’t supposed to know my plan.

I didn’t snoop on purpose. I just . . . She fidgeted with the hem of her dress. I wanted to know what you were thinking. About me. If you were maybe being polite earlier with your reason for leaving me out. Maybe you don’t want me with you.

I sat up. “Why would you think that?”

She shrugged and continued fidgeting. I make it hard to have private thoughts.

“Tessia, I like you. You know that. But what I’m going to do is”—I dropped my voice even lower—“going to make Niralessa mad. Like, really mad. I can’t endanger you like that by getting you involved.”

She wouldn’t hurt me.

“How do you know? She seemed pretty unstable today.”

She protects her people. She always has. Her methods may be questionable, but I always thought she had a noble heart.

“Then why go against her now?”

I think she’s losing her way. Corin was her voice of reason. Now he’s gone. She sniffled. I don’t want to be part of something terrible.

She had a point. I wouldn’t want to stick around for a m******e either. “Okay,” I finally agreed. “You can come. The first thing we need to do is—”

I already took care of it.

“Huh?” I was thinking we would need food, water, something to sleep on, and a ridiculous amount of luck. What did she mean she already took care of it?

You don’t have to worry about any of that.

I pursed my lips. “I still don’t know what that means.”

She hesitated.

“Tessia, what did you do?”

It’s okay. The things are all in one place in the woods. I can show you.

“You . . . really?”

I overheard your plans earlier today. So I started getting ready. No one pays attention to me, so it wasn’t hard.

“Wow, okay.” The girl certainly had initiative.

You’re not mad?

I smiled. “No, you’re pretty brilliant.”

For a moment she didn’t reply, and I wished I could see her face.

Thank you.

“Anyone who tells you different is a nearsighted muskrat.”

You’re so nice to me.

I shrugged. “I only speak the truth. Is it safe for us to come out yet?”

I think so.

I stuck my head through the flap.

All was quiet.

This way. Tessia squeezed past me and scurried to a tight cluster of trees.

I followed close behind, heart racing, convinced someone was going to hear our steps and confront us.

I whispered, “We need to—”

You don’t have to talk. Just think it, and I’ll hear you. We want to keep quiet.

Oh. That’s right. This felt so strange. An entire conversation being conducted in my head. We need to find Kibi.

Let me show you where the supplies are first.

I followed her deeper into the trees, anxious that I was trusting a girl who may or may not have known what to pack for the trek ahead of us.

Tessia stopped short, and my eyes widened at what blocked our path.

Fen stepped out from the shadows, into the dim moonlight. I’d recognize his massive outline anywhere.

My heart hammered as a hundred possible excuses flitted through my head to explain what I was doing in the woods at night. “Um.”

Not a single one of them materialized on my tongue.

Tessia remained rooted, staring at him.

I resisted the impulse to run, and reminded myself I was lucky it was Fen, and not one of the others. I stood a chance with him, even if he wasn’t supposed to speak to me anymore.

“Are you ready?” His voice was a low whisper.

I blinked at him, not sure what he was talking about. “Uh, ready for what?” I whispered back, feigning innocence.

He turned to Tessia, and they stared at each other for several strange moments. I finally realized they were probably talking in his head.

“What’s going on here?” I said, infusing annoyance into my whisper.

I thought you might change your mind about taking me if you knew I told Fenrook.

My mouth fell open. “You told him?”

Fen lunged forward and clapped a hand over my mouth. “Keep it quiet,” he growled.

I nodded, and he dropped his hand.

“I’m not here to stop you,” he said close to my ear. “I’m making sure the path is clear.”

A warmth washed through me at the thought that he might actually care what happened to me.

“Tessia is special. I’m keeping her safe.”

That warmth evaporated. It was ridiculous of me to think he might have actually cared about me. Still, it was sweet that he cared about her.

Tessia elbowed him, and he cleared his throat. “I, uh, also want to keep you safe.”

“You do?” The glee I felt was irrationally huge, making my voice squeaky. I had to force myself to focus on the task at hand. “First, we need food and—” I stopped when he reached behind a tree and pulled out an enormous pack, laden with supplies. “Oh. All right. Good. Then we need to get Kibi. Do you know where—”

Fen turned his head and emitted a series of clicking noises, similar to that of a night insect. My eyebrows rose even higher when Kibi emerged from a cluster of bushes, the antennae on her head twitching with excitement.

This was turning out to be much easier than I had anticipated.

Before I could make a single suggestion, Fen shouldered the giant pack and led the way.

I caught up with him. “Do you know where you’re going?”

“When Niralessa and Corin appeared with Kibi, it was from this direction. It’s probably the best place to start.” He and Tessia drooped noticeably at the mention of Corin’s name, and the sadness of the day fell on us like a corpse.

I followed Fen as we plodded onward, lost in our own thoughts. Tessia trailed behind us, with Kibi gripping the hem of Tessia’s dress.

When we were a safe distance away, I finally unshackled my tongue. “Fen, are you going to get in trouble?”

He didn’t look at me. “I don’t know.”

“You’re going back after this?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “They’re my family.”

“But do you agree with what she’s doing?”

His eyes dropped to the barely visible ground. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Your opinion does matter, Fen. She might listen to you.”

He shook his head. “She still sees me as the ugly little child, abandoned and helpless.”

“They don’t see you as ugly. You should know that. And helpless? How is that even possible?” I shoved at him for emphasis. He didn’t sway the slightest bit. “See? You’re a walking boulder.”

A low sound rumbled in his chest that could have been a laugh.

When it became evident he wasn’t going to reply, I said, “And for the record, I highly doubt you were ever ugly.”

He glanced at me. “Most people don’t think as you do.”

“Well, most people can go suck a toad.”

He smiled. “I can see why Tessia likes you.”

A gasp, followed by the sounds of stumbling feet caused both of us to whirl around, arms outstretched.

I reached Kibi first, catching her by the arm before her hands touched the ground. Tessia had jumped aside, startled.

“You’re pretty fast,” Fen said as he straightened.

“Years of looking after kids.” I made sure the girl was steady on her feet before letting go. “I have finely tuned babysitter reflexes.”

He chuckled. “Most admirable.”

“You seem to be a caretaker yourself,” I observed. “During the attack, you never left the kids alone.”

He shrugged. “This one got away from me.” He inclined his head toward Kibi.

I turned and found her wide eyes fixed on him, alarmed. Then her attention diverted to Tessia. A moment later her face relaxed.

It made me wonder what Tessia had just told her.

I said Fenrook has always been a protector. Kind. That I’ve never seen him be mean to anyone.

I glanced back to Fen’s profile. Yes, I could definitely believe that. My gentle giant.

I tore my eyes away and berated myself. He wasn’t my anything. He was here to keep us safe, and once that was done, he was going back to his family.

Which was technically my family too?

I blew out a sardonic breath and almost laughed.

I’d wished for my life to be different, and now look at it.