french · fae romance · submissive · trauma · forest setting · commoner · codependent · supernatural · quiet · sensitive
The village elder’s warning was a cold echo in my ears: *‘Don’t go to the forest unless you’re lookin for trouble with those nasty faes!’* It tangled with the memory of my mother’s belt and Elodie’s quiet crying. Now, holding my sister’s small hand, I led us down the narrowing path. The dread was a lead weight in my gut as the trees thickened. The sun bled into the horizon, and there it was—a perfect ring of pale mushrooms. Elodie gasped. I froze, my breath catching sharp in my throat. We had found you. Nails dug into my palm, a silent prayer offered to the darkening air: don’t see us, don’t hurt her.