The Hunt of the Grimalkin (Erresuma Book 1) by Dani Swanson (books to read romance TXT) 📗

have done to cause a witch to be hunting her. She heard a crow cry in the distance, which made her heart jump up into her throat.

Thea and Fig continued to head west, away from her brownie friends and away from her cabin. Now that she had seen a woman turn into a crow, she had no idea what or who she could trust. Eleonore sure seemed keen to be rid of me. I’m sure she was just worried for Flynn… Thea pondered her new ‘friend.’

They walked well past dusk and were stumbling through the underbrush in the darkening woods. Her eyes were heavy. She had had to pick up her sleepy feline and carry him, she knew she could not continue further tonight. She was lost deep in the woods, at least she hoped that the witch wouldn’t be able to find her so far off the path. Thea made a lean-to with some tree branches and one of her blankets. She wished she could start a fire, but didn’t want to bring attention to her location, so she pulled some of the meat she had bought at the market out of her bag and snuggled up with Fig to eat their dinner.

Thea found she was just too unsettled to eat however and set her meat next to Fig instead. Why is this all happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? she sniveled to herself. She wondered if she had actually done something to warrant this. It would be hard to argue, since she still couldn’t remember anything. But who was this witch and who was the ‘they’ she had mentioned?

Where am I going to go now? Who can I trust, who can I talk to? The thoughts were running through her head faster than Willow spoke to her back at the fairy circle.

She pulled out her book of medicine and herbs, as well as the Book of Creatures and started to read by moonlight. Maybe there would be a clue in her books. She was desperately trying to get a grasp on what was going on around her. Every day she seemed to be left with more questions than answers.

“I’m really tired of not sleeping in a bed,” she said to her furry faced friend. Fig looked as if he could not care less. He was curled up on Thea’s lap, ready to go to sleep. They moved into their lean-to and made a bed with leaves and her blanket. Thea was terrified and didn’t want to sleep, but her body was giving out on her. The exhaustion was taking over as she fought the heaviness of her eyelids.  They laid down by the base of the tree, and though her will was fighting for the energy to stay awake, her body drifted off to sleep.

She finally had a dreamless night and woke up feeling rested. Her head was not pounding and the gentle warmth from the sun made her feel comfortable as she shook Fig awake from his slumber. She explored the surrounding area of trees, looking for her way back to a path. She saw a field a little way off through the edge of the forest. The field was covered in large golden faced sun flowers. The bright, cheery, yellow flowers seemed to be turning their faces towards the sun, soaking up the warmth as well. Thea was ecstatic to be leaving the harshness of the underbrush and being back in the sun. The openness of the field looked welcoming, just the amount of cheerfulness she needed. Not being able to remember anything and knowing now that there are witches looking for her, Thea didn’t know what or who to trust and was looking for some comfort. “Let’s go look at the flowers sweet boy,” she said to Fig as she reached under his chin with a scratching finger.

The two got up and made their way to the field. The birds were singing a happy tune and it got warmer the farther out of the trees they went. The grass was longer there and met Thea about calf high. As Thea and Fig walked there was a flurry of blue feathers and squawking beneath their feet. They both jumped into the air with fright. Fig had stirred up a nest of peacocks as he trotted about the grass. Thea laughed at her curious companion when his fur stood up with surprise. She picked up one of the feathers that was drifting down through the air and fixed it in her raven hair. With an extra bounce in their step, the two made it to the field of flowers that were taller than Thea by at least a head’s length. She smiled again, a happy, familiar feeling rushing over her.

She was in a daze as they walked through the flowers. Thea tripped on something, landing hard on her palms and knees.

“Ouch!” Thea yelled.

She rolled over and wiped the dirt from her hands and dusted off her knees. She looked back at her feet to see what she had hit. Thea saw a small house that was no higher than her ankle, with a smashed roof. She saw a little man dressed all in green, with a pointed hat, run deep into the field.

“Oh! Sorry!” Thea called out after him.

Fig started to run towards the little man in hot pursuit.

“Fig! Let him be!” Thea yelled after him. The little orange cat stopped and slowly sulked back to Thea.

She sat up with her knees bent and attempted to put the roof back on the little house. “I hope that helps,” she called out to the little man who had stopped and was watching from the thicket of flowers. She looked around the base of the flowers and saw more small houses with more little faces watching from the windows in dread. “We won’t be bothering you,” Thea said to