He glanced over at me, his eyebrows raised high. “You thought I was going to rub two sticks together?”

I winced. “Kind of. I mean, the way you were going about it—” I waved to the fire. “It seemed like two sticks was the next logical step.”

He chuckled. “No. I abandoned that method a long time ago. This is much faster.” When he was done, he went back to his pack. “I didn’t bring anything to cook for dinner, but I did manage this.” He tossed a small plastic bag.

I somehow managed to catch it. “Marshmallows?”

“I heard Americans really love them for camping.”

“Not that I’ve done much camping, but you heard right.” I set the bag down. “So, a healthy dinner of beef jerky and marshmallows. Is that enough for you?”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry about me. I can go wolf and hunt my own food.”

My mouth dropped open. “You’d eat it raw? Something furry?”

“Yup. My wolf doesn’t mind too much.”

I shuddered. “Yuck.”

“You might like a furry, newly killed animal.”

I full on gagged. “Nope. Not going to happen.”

“Don’t knock it til—”

Suddenly Lucas and the campfire disappeared.

All I saw instead was the darkening forest. A massive tree stood in front of me, with a large knot in its center.

“Luc—” Before I could get out the words, hands with thin, cold fingers wrapped around my throat.

“Careful little one,” a deep voice said as the hands tightened just enough to terrify me. “Mustn’t move. Mustn’t speak. Or Gobble will take care of you.”

I froze as I realized what had happened.

This was a fey.

I’d been kidnapped by the fey.

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

A wolf howled in the distance, and I hoped that meant that Lucas would be here soon. If that was Lucas at all…

Please be Lucas.

The hands released me and I collapsed to the ground. I whirled to face the thing as I tried to catch my breath.

In the fading light, I could see the creature’s face—long and narrow with a pointy chin and thin lips. It stared with big, round eyes the lightest shade of blue I’d ever seen. The silver hair that fell in curls to its chin was tucked behind slightly pointed ears. His tall blue and green wings rippled behind him.

His aura was like a sapphire, glittering with silver speckles. Not quite as pretty as Cosette’s, but still beautiful.

“Little you looks tasty,” he said, flashing sharp fangs.

I scrabbled backward on the leaves, trying to put some distance between us.

Please don’t let him mean that literally. Maybe he meant tasty in that I was nice.

That was a possibility, wasn’t it?

The wolf howled again, this time closer, but I didn’t dare turn toward the sound.