Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) by Kayla Jo

Faker didn’t say anything more.
“Well…what is it?” Willow asked impatiently.
    “Well I’m sorry if I don’t tell you who I am
right away!” The Faker yelled at them, hissing with its teeth. “I
don’t know you! You don’t know me! So what! Stop trying to pry
information from me!” With that, the Faker fluttered to another
tree, then another, getting farther and farther away from them.
Willow followed on the ground keeping her eyes on him so she
wouldn’t lose him. She was totally bewildered, and slightly awed by
the mysterious creature.
    Declan pulled her arm stopping her. “Just
leave him,” he said, “he’s nothing but trouble. He’s just faking
he’s angry. It’s what he does.”
    “He knows I’m a Healer, Dec,” Willow
reasoned, “what if he knows something? He could help!”
    “He won’t,” Declan said. “Let him go,
Willow.”
    “No,” she said tugging her arm from his hold
and looked back to the trees. The Faker was gone. “Now look what
you did, Declan!” Willow snapped at him. “What if he knows where
the river is? What if he could lead us there? Ever think of that?”
Declan stared at her, eyes narrowed dangerously, but she continued
without pausing. “Of course not! We’re just gonna walk around in
circles getting nowhere all because you scared him off!”
    “Hardly,” a voice snorted below her scaring
her so badly she jumped back into Declan’s body. Willow’s heart
raced as she took in the Faker, now several feet below her on the
ground. He looked up at her with his unblinking green eyes.
    “Faker!” Willow said, slightly relieved at
seeing him, but still on edge from the shock, “What are you doing
here?”
    “Funny,” the Faker said cocking his head, “I
was beginning to think you wanted me for some reason.” He sniffed
acting upset and tucked his ears behind his head. “Guess I was
wrong…”
    The Faker’s head was bowed and he turned away
and lifted a paw, getting ready to walk away. “Wait!” Willow
exclaimed. “Don’t go.”
    “Oh, I wasn’t,” the Faker said and gave a sly
smile, “I just wanted to make you think I was leaving.” He
laughed and smiled peculiarly.
    “See?” Declan spoke up pointing at the
creature. “Impossible! We can find the river on our own…”
    “River?” the Faker asked perking up. “You’re
looking for the river?”
    “Yes!” Willow said shooting Declan a knowing
glare, “Do you know of it?”
    “Of course I do,” the Faker sighed, “It’s
just the only and most important source of water available to any
who live in the Everwild. Duh.”
    “Can you take us there?” Willow asked
hopefully.
    “Well…I don’t really want to, but
unfortunately I owe Carmela a debt. So why not? Follow me.”
    The Faker started trotting away. “Hey! Wait!”
Declan stopped him. “You know Carmela?”
    “Am I working with imbeciles here?” The Faker
stopped and turned to them. “Or is there just an echo? Ugh, well, I
guess I have to answer them.” Willow watched the Faker talking to
himself out loud. She wanted to demand answers from him, but
apparently, Fakers didn’t like to be helpful. The Faker flapped its
wings to meet Willow and Declan at eye level. “If you must know,
warlock, I do know Carmela. She came to me a while back requesting
payment for the debt I owed her and she told me about you. That’s
how I know you’re a Healer, girl. How did I find you? Well, that
was easy. I can smell you. You have a unique scent you know.
Anything can smell you if they know what to smell for. Anyway,
Carmela told me to look for you and steer you in the right
direction and our debt is squared. Of course, it was rather
exciting to come across you when Old Man Willow was having his
fun.”
    “Why didn’t you say so before?” Willow
whined.
    “Didn’t seem necessary,” the Faker smiled.
“Now, if we’re done with the explanations, please follow me.”
    Willow looked at Declan. He was brooding with
his arms crossed and a