Cara stumbled through the farm, not used to trekking through it at night. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, her pulse pounding in her neck as her heart raced. She'd never had to sneak out before, she'd never had a reason to.

A low fence caught her foot and she fell forward, laughing at herself. She should've had her mother healed after the full moon, so she wouldn't have to sneak out. Any other night, her mother would've been fine with her going to a party, especially if it were with the townsfolk. A faerie party still would've been out of the question, she was sure, but she had lied well enough earlier. Her mother would be none the wiser.

Brushing off her hands, she cursed. Walking along Betsy's pasture, she wondered how she would find the Fair Folk. She tried to remember the tales she heard growing up. Surely, they had to be somewhere. Kailan had hidden himself until he wanted to be seen. And that other faerie had just shown up on the fence.

The forest loomed in front of her, the shadows seeming impossibly dark against the land bathed in moonlight. The moon couldn't light the shade of the trees, the foliage too thick to allow light to penetrate into the darkness. A breeze blew from the depths, shifting her hair. It all seemed rather odious. There was something in the air, she admitted. Something dark.

Cara took a shuddering breath and stepped into the woods. The only sound was her feet crunching against fallen leaves and broken twigs. No wildlife was out, no bird called to its friends in the sky. Nothing shifted. Only the trees swayed in the gentle wind, their trunks creaking. The air began to thicken, the energy shifting the further in she went.

Within the forest, she felt vulnerable, something she didn't feel often. Her heart raced and she wiped her sweaty palms over the skirt of her dress. All of her mother's warnings rushed back to her at once.

Never say thank you.

Take care of your wording, and listen carefully.

They're tricksters, and their demands are ruthless.

They appear beautiful, but that is a lie. They are soulless creatures who take beauty.

Never drink their drink or eat their food. It's magicked and most often not what it appears.

The full moon is the most active time, when a tithe is expected.

A tithe. She had nothing to offer. Her steps faltered. In her haste to distract her mother, she forgot to pack something to offer the Fae when she found them. That one Fae had demanded two dozen eggs just to pass along a message. "Ah, hell."

A giggle erupted to her left. She startled, stumbling away from the noise, tripping over a fallen tree. She hissed as her palms scraped against twigs, breaking the skin.

The giggle sounded again. "Poor, defenseless human. What are you running from?"

Cara looked around, trying to find the culprit, but all she saw was a dark shadow. Large, feline-like eyes opened, glowing in the darkness. Teeth flashed, appearing sharp. "Hehe, you found me. Would you like some help?"

Taking the opportunity the Fae was giving her, she pretended to be lost in the woods. "I'm running away from home. But I don't know where I'm going."

The Fae stepped closer, his figure becoming visible. Cat ears stuck up from his head, his body lean, naked except for shorts, and covered in fur. Behind him, she saw a tail twitching. "I know of a place you can go. There's a party going on tonight too."

Her heart skipped. To be safe, she played dumb. "Okay. But I don't have a costume, especially not one as good as yours."

He grinned to reveal fangs. Everything about him reminded her of a cat, save his humanoid figure. "You're perfect the way you are."

***Is it a stroke of luck, or a bad coincidence a Fae found her wandering in the woods?***