A Clash Of Light And Thunder (War Of The Forgotten Lovers Book 1)

Awaken

Aria awoke, feeling like a dozen horses had run her over. Every bone ached like it had been broken. Each muscle pulled on itself, protesting at any movement. Ignoring the need to stay still, Aria forced her upper body from the ground. Something brushed against her breast as it fell. But, the need to hurl her insides stopped her from investigating.

A pained moan escaped her lips when she finally opened her eyes. Blinding light blended with the color around and invaded her sight. The way her stomach twisted onto itself made her snap her eyes shut.

'What had happened?' Her head felt like it had been crushed and reassembled. Its pieces fragilely glued together. As if any sudden movement, any sudden breeze, would send the parts tumbling down.

She tried again, this time, opening her eyes slowly. Letting the light in— little by little. Aria thanked the deities that she did not vomit when the world came into focus. Dark muddy walls led to a curtain of leaves. 'What in the high lord am I doing in a cave?'

She tried to rub her eyes, in hopes that it would break this hallucination, but her hands stopped at the sight of the dirt that covered her skin. Rusted colored eyes followed the trail of mud up to her shoulder, trying to see where the soil would end.

Fear crept on her skin, like a wooden centipede, at the sight of her naked body. Aria grasped the blanket that pooled at her waist and clung to it frantically, trying to protect whatever of her modesty still remained. She looked around once more, attempting to piece back together what had happened to her. Last she remembered, she was on the road to marry Lord Lathik. 'Why am I naked in a cave? Had taken a bath in the mud like a pig?'

Her dress laid torn in half, not too far off to the side. A trail of fabric led her eyes to the outlines of a man —hidden by the shadow. The edge of his body was traced by the light. She could not see much, but what met her eyes was terrifying.

'Those pointed ears.' Aria looked around frantically for anything she could use as a weapon. The stories of the savage male faes were common knowledge in the kingdom. Every father knew to keep their daughters away from the edge of fae territories, nay they wanted them savagely raped. There were even stories, how they would steal babies and replace them with sick ones. 'What kind of twisted barbarians would steal children?'

'A dagger!' Aria noticed. She immediately began to reach for it, careful not to make a sound.

"Do you intend to gut your savior?" A deep baritone voice vibrated through the walls of the cave as the figure leaned into the light. Aria's eyes widened in recognition. He wore dark, earth-colored leather pants. It was accompanied by a shirt of similar material, which, unlike most gentlemen in the kingdom, had no sleeves. They left his large tattooed and muscular arms open to be explored. The lines that decorated his skin were woven into intricate patterns, almost resembling an ancient language. Aria wondered how far those marks extended.

Yet his most striking features were his eyes. A mirage of grey and blue. Like when a storm met the sea. Aria looked into them, and the sequence of events that had transpired began replaying in her head like a poorly screened play. The road, the river, and finally, the face of the man that saved her.

'No, not a man. An elf,' she reminded herself. Elves were the smartest breed of the Fae. Of course, that also meant that they were also the deadliest. Their longer lifespan, tougher bodies, and magical abilities meant they had many advantages over humans. Aria knew not to underestimate them if she was to make it out of this cave alive.