Timin had been following Kaye for half a moon, trying to figure out where she was going on the days that she disappeared. At first, he was too nervous to follow her all the way to the mountain, but he’d been there three times now and couldn’t figure out where she was. Her trail ended at a cliff, and there was never any sign of her after that. He would stay until noon before he gave up, and she would return later that day with herbs for his mother. Considering that she’d already been spooked by a mountain spirit, he thought it ridiculous to come this far inland for herbs.

Today, Timin was determined to stay as long as it took. He picked a hidden spot a short way from the cliffside to sit and watch for her. Noon came and went, and still he sat and waited, wondering when she would return.

He was about to give up and go when someone fell from the cliff. No, not someone, two someone's. A man, large and fair-haired, with Kaye in his arms. He set her on the ground and said something to her. She smiled at him, brighter than any smile she’d ever given Timin.

He didn’t stop to wonder how they had fallen from the cliff without being hurt. He walked over, feet snapping angrily on anything that got in his way. The couple turned, and Kaye gasped.

“Timin! What are you doing here?”

“I’d like to know the same thing,” he said as he walked towards them, anger and jealousy filling him. “Who is this?”

Kaye looked at the man who was standing still and piercing Timin with a glare so hate-filled it almost made Timin step back.

“This is Bryant,” she said. She put her hand on his wrist as if that would keep him from attacking, and took a step towards Timin. “We should go home. Now.”

“I’m not going home until I find out what’s going on here. Have you been sneaking out to see this man?”

“Not really.” Kaye bit her lip and looked at Bryant. He turned his dark glare on her and she looked away, obviously trying to come up with some lie to hide her affair.

“I cannot believe you, Kaye!” Timin jammed his spear into the ground. “My family has shared our home and our food, kept you safe—and all you can do is run off with this man whenever you can get away from the hut?”

“I’m bringing back herbs—"

“I don’t care about the herbs!” Why wouldn’t Bryant say anything? He wasn’t willing to explain, or fight. What could she possibly see in him?

Timin stared at them both, willing them to say something, but Kaye kept her head down and Bryant stared back at Timin without flinching.

“Fine,” Timin grabbed his spear up. “Stay here with him. Don’t bother bringing your herbs back tonight.” He turned to walk away, and the man finally spoke.

“You cannot go.”

Timin spun around. “I can, but she can’t follow.”

Kaye’s eyes were full of fear, and she turned to Bryant. “Let him go. Please. He doesn’t know.”

“It is too dangerous.” Bryant didn’t even look at her.

That didn’t sound good. Timin’s grip on the spear tightened. Who was this man? What was he going to do to keep Timin from leaving?

Kaye grabbed Bryant’s arm. “Listen. He won’t tell anyone. I’ll make sure he doesn’t tell anyone. And we can trust his parents—they already know about me.”

Know about her? What was Kaye talking about?

Bryant took a step forward, and Timin pointed his spear at the larger man. “Kaye’s right. I won’t tell anyone anything. I’m not even sure what I’m not supposed to tell them. No one else cares if she’s coming to see you.”

Kaye stepped between them. “Bryant, please. He could hurt you.”

Bryant growled deep in his throat and Timin got the idea that this was about more than Kaye. “I will feed you to Mountain!” Bryant said and Timin jumped back as a pair of huge wings appeared on either side of his back.

“Kaye, get away from him!” Timin tried to pull her back, but she had her hands on the Faye’s chest, trying to stop him from moving any closer.

“Stop it!” She screamed at Bryant.

And then Faye poured over the cliff, surrounding them. All men, all of them as huge as Bryant. Bile rose in Timin’s throat. They were going to feed him to Mountain. Kaye too.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back from the Faye. He was too scared to chide her now.

“Timin, let go of me.” She beat at his arm, but he didn’t release her. Maybe he could stab one and they could run. But wings were probably faster than feet—there was no way they could outrun them all the way to the coast.

A single woman flew down from the cliff and landed between Bryant and Timin. She radiated power and looked him straight in the eye. “Put down your spear, Timin Breen of Gaerlom.”

How did she know his name? What had Kaye gotten him into?

“Oh, for Trina’s sake. Put your spear down and let go of me.” Kaye pounded on his arm again and he looked at her in surprise.

“You aren’t scared?”

“Not of them, no.” She managed to get away from him and untied her cloak, ripping it from her back. Protruding from two slits on the back of her shirt were a pair of wings, not as large as the other Fayes’, but definitely wings.

Timin took a step back. “You’re one of them.” She had led him into a trap.

Kaye looked to the powerful woman, who nodded. When she turned back to him, she deflated a bit, and spoke softly. “So are you.”

The world tilted and he gripped his spear for support. “No. I’m Gaerlom.” But as he looked at Bryant, Timin recognized the look of his father. The eyes, the hair, the broad shoulders. Even the shape of his face was similar.

Kaye stepped closer. “I’m sorry, Timin. Your parents didn’t want me to tell you. The scars on your father’s back aren’t from the reef—your mother cut his wings off.”

That’s why his father wouldn’t tell him what tribe he came from. Because he was Faye. Timin dropped his spear and eased himself to the ground. “But I don’t believe in the Faye.”

Kaye knelt next to him and smiled sadly. “Neither did I until a moon ago.”