Free Lord of the Hunt by Shona Husk

spread and multiplied and taken over. Would there be any old doorways left in another couple hundred years?
    “Is there somewhere to sit without getting blown away?”
    He laughed. “This way.” He led her around the giant gum tree that had been struck by lightning many years ago. Half dead, half alive, Annwyn had claimed it and now it would live for as long as Annwyn stood.
    She lifted up the skirt of her dress and followed.
    It wasn’t far until they reached a sheltered rock face, but it was far enough that should someone come through after them, it would be unlikely that they found the space he’d made. There was a boulder to sit on and a bottle of wine hidden behind rubble. He tried to keep everything looking as natural as possible. There was no point in coming to enjoy the wildness and then taming it to make it comfortable. When they left, the cloaks would fall apart and compost on the floor of the wilds.
    “So, do you come here often?” she said with a smile.
    It was hard to judge time when he didn’t spend much of it in the mortal world. Fairies judged by festivals, of which there were eight in a year. “Maybe twice a year.” More frequently of late, simply to avoid talking to people. Lately, Court had lost its luster.
    Taryn sat on the rock and he joined her, perching on the edge. Their hips barely touched, yet he was aware of her every move.
    “You aren’t too disappointed?”
    “Yes and no.” She inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Here I can think and breathe, and I don’t have to watch what I say and who I look at, who I smile at.” She glanced at him. “Or do I?”
    He returned her smile in response. She was here for the same reason as him—to escape and be free for a short while. When had he come to feel as though Court was trapping him? Once it had been all he longed for, all he lived for. He glanced at her and hoped she never became like him.
    Taryn let her gaze skim over him. Even draped in his leafy cloak, he managed to look good, as if he belonged anywhere he sat. However, she knew there had to be a reason he was being nice to her that went beyond attraction. It was never this simple at Court. She knew that much. Maybe it was an order and he was just too polite to say—more likely he’d lied about the bet.
    Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. Yet staying at dinner had held no appeal, and Verden was right that she needed to learn how to play cards so at least the King wouldn’t tire of her. She needed to get in and get out just as fast, before the King’s interested gaze turned to something else. The bet already suggested she’d sleep with the King or the Prince.
    Ugh. While pretty like all fairies, the King unnerved her and Felan was just as scary—maybe more so, as when she spoke to him, she couldn’t work him out. All she was seeing was the tip of the iceberg; the rest was so well hidden.
    Like Verden. He only showed her the bits he wanted her to see.
    She needed to work on that and get to know him better. “Okay, show me the cards again, and let’s see if I can get a handle on this game.” Here she could play without worrying how many were watching.
    He pulled the cards out and shuffled them like a pro before dealing. “Do you need me to go through the rules again?”
    She shook her head. “I have them. It’s the cards that throw me. I’m used to four suits, no majors unless you count the royals.”
    He was frowning. “But you play card games in the mortal world.”
    “We have all kinds of games.”
    “If I were to get a set of mortal cards while hunting, would you be able to show me some of the games?”
    She placed a card and hoped she was doing the right thing. “Sure…why?”
    “The only thing better than a new face at Court is a new game.” He put down a card, forcing her to pick up several. It was a good thing they weren’t playing for coins.
    A new game. Maybe she could show the King one of her games. She took her turn, wondering if she should risk asking