by Dyan Chick
"So maybe it doesn't have anything to do with me?" I asked, hopeful.
"I wish that were true, but these creatures don't typically track individuals. Usually their attacks are random. The fact that you’ve been attacked three times now, tells us something is different this time."
I sighed, wishing there wasn't something connecting me to a bunch of bat monsters. Ethan's hand covered mine, which I had unconsciously clasped protectively over the places where I had already sustained injuries from these monsters.
Gently, Ethan moved my hand to the side and slowly lifted the fabric up from my tunic revealing my midsection and bare legs. Thankfully, whoever had changed my clothes had left my undergarments on. My breath hitched and I considered slapping him, but his concerned expression held me back.
Brow furrowed, Ethan's fingers brushed across my skin, tracing over the red marks that showed as the only remains of my injuries. His touch sent a shiver through me. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from gasping at the intensity.
"These are healing nicely," he said, dropping the tunic and lowering his hand from my waist.
I was sure my face was red in response to his touch. I was unfamiliar with any man's touch and never thought it would be something I would long for. Yet at the absence of his fingers against my skin, I found I was craving more. I wanted his bare skin against my bare skin again. Surprised to notice that my breathing had grown shallow, I turned away from Ethan to collect myself. So this was what attraction felt like.
"I'm glad you healed quickly," Ethan said. "It's not a gift that every Fae has."
Grateful that he either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge my behavior, I turned back to him. "It's not?"
I had credited my quick healing with the fact that I wasn't human. If it wasn't something that every Fae had, I suppose I was incredibly lucky given my current circumstance. "Is it true then, all faeries have magic?"
"Yes, that's true. That's an easy question." Ethan chuckled.
"So what does that mean? If I have healing magic?"
"Each of us is born into a different realm. I'm Spring. One of the things that usually come with being a Spring Fae is a gift for healing. We also have a gift for life. We excel at helping things grow and heal."
"Does that mean whoever abandoned me was a Spring Fae?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Perhaps they were from the Spring Court. But I don't think they abandoned you. It's not easy to arrange for a baby to be swapped like you were. There was planning and time invested in your placement along with money."
I straightened as I recalled the secret conversation my father was having before I escaped. "My father said someone was paying him and the family I was supposed to marry into to keep me hidden. Do you think whoever was paying them might be the one who sent me away?"
"Maybe," he said. "If someone wanted to harm you or keep you away from Faerie for good, they could have killed you. Instead, they were doing whatever they could to keep you trapped in the mortal world."
"But that doesn't explain the monster attacks," I said.
"No, I don't think the two things are related. It's rare, but there are a few other times a creature from the Under has found its way to the mortal realm. It just hasn’t happened in hundreds of years. Honestly, you're just lucky it was a Sodalis and not something worse."
"What could possibly be worse?" I shivered as I recalled the dripping saliva and sharp claws of the beast.
"Trust me," he said. "You don't want to know."
Chapter Twelve
Cormac appeared in the doorway. "Are you ready?"
I stared at him and tried to think of something witty to say. I didn't get the sense that Cormac enjoyed my presence, I felt like an inconvenience.
"She's ready for changing into riding clothes, your grace," the maid said.
"I'll leave you to it then," Cormac said before he walked away.
"Is he always like that?" I asked Ethan.
"Don't worry about him," Ethan said. "Pretty sure he wouldn't know what fun was if it jumped up and bit him."
"Right this way, Miss. We'll help you prepare," Sari said, waving me back into the room.
I was ushered away by the maids before I got to say goodbye to Ethan. As I stood there, the two females stripped my clothing and helped me into leather trousers and a thick wool tunic. As they laced, tied, and fastened me, I couldn't help but think about Ethan. "Can you tell me more about the Spring prince?" I asked.
"I don't know much about him, Miss," Sari said. "We see him around from time to time, but he stays fairly private. I don't think he's found a mate, if that's what you are asking."
"Sari!" the other maid said.
I wanted to ask her name, but she didn't seem like she wanted to get to know me. I wasn't sure why that was and I wondered if it had anything to do with her master. "What about Cormac?"
"He's fair, and wise, and kind. Nothing like his father," Sari said.
"That is quite enough," the second maid said. She shoved me down onto a chair and went to work on my hair, brushing out the tangles and working the knots of the last few days free.
Given that I was about to go on a journey for who knew how long, I would have liked for nothing more than to have a proper bath one last time before hitting a dusty road. One that wasn't in a freezing stream. I had a feeling if I asked for that now, Cormac might just haul me out naked and throw me on a horse without waiting.
He seemed to be in a rush, and I couldn't blame him. I wasn't particularly keen to have the monsters reappear at his doorstep.
"So are there kings?" I asked. "Is Cormac's father the king?"
"Of course there are kings," Sari said. "There just aren't kings of the individual courts. Cormac's father is the Autumn Minister. He's the queen's right hand and oversees this court for her."
"So there are three courts? Autumn, Spring, and Summer? What about Winter?" I asked.
"We do not speak of Winter," Sari said, voice serious for the first time. "There are three courts, ruled and governed by a fair queen. She has consorts, known as Kings. She rules above all the courts and the Ministers and princes oversee their individual courts at her behest."
After several minutes of yanking and tugging, I had to assume that my hair was in some sort of satisfactory state. But the grumpy maid continued to work her way through my blonde curls. I wondered what she was doing.
I looked up toward the doorway to see Dane leaning against the doorframe. His head was cocked to the side and he wore a smirk. Maybe, I thought, he finds the entire situation funny. My hair was probably in a wild mane after all the brushing. Dry curls and a hairbrush didn't mix but I wasn't about to tell that to the grumpy maid.
"How long have you been watching me?" I asked. "It is typical for you? Lurking in doorways and staring at women?"
"I can't say I've had the pleasure of lurking before," he said. He dropped his folded arms to his side and strolled over to me. "I'm not sure what it is with you, but you sure seem to find a way to anger not only the monsters but also Cormac. I've never seen him quite so undone by a female. It's possible he might like you," he said.
"If the behavior he's been showing me is what he does when he likes someone, he must not have many friends."
"You have much to learn," Dane said. "Jehle, you almost done with her hair? She's going to be traveling by horseback, not going to a ball."
The maid I now knew was called Jehle, lifted her hands from my head immediately. "I'm sorry, sir, she's finished."
"Always so serious, Jehle." Dane winked at Jehle. "That must be why you're Cormac's favorite."
I thought I actually saw a smile on Jehle's lips, but it was so fleeting it was difficult to tell. She curtsied and turned away from Dane, then returned with a bag in her hand. "This is all we could find. His grace didn't have much that's suitable for a lady anymore."
"I'm sure it's sufficient," Dane took the bag then inclined his head, "thank you, Jehle."
Dane offered his hand to me. "Cormac's w
aiting, you ready?"
"I don't even know what we're doing, but if the maid says I'm ready, I suppose I am," I said.
"You look beautiful. I'd say you're ready," Dane said.
"Thanks," I said, taking the offered hand.
"We're riding to see an old friend of Cormac's," Dane said as we walked toward the staircase. "After that, we'll see what happens. And don't worry, one way or another, we'll make sure you learn about being Fae."
"Thank you." That was the most reassuring thing I'd heard since I arrived. I didn't want to be an inconvenience, but the amount of things I didn't know was staggering.
Before I could stop myself, I reached up to feel my ear, noting the pointed end that had appeared after the monster attacked. It was strange having a part of your body one way your whole life and then suddenly find that it was never meant to be that way.
I wondered if that was how it would feel about everything here. Would it feel more natural than the human realm eventually? Or would I always feel like a stranger here?
In some ways, I always felt like a stranger while growing up. I wanted such different things than my sister. My mother and I never quite understood why. I thought I just had an adventurous spirit, it turned out I was never human.
"You'll get used to things," Dane said. "And we'll help you until you figure it out."
"That's not what it sounds like according to Cormac," I said. "Honestly, I'm not sure I could handle being left somewhere. I'm just starting to figure all of this out. Apparently I have magic and nothing is what I thought it was."
"I think that's why they outlawed changelings in the first place. Most changelings would eventually find their way back here and it's a difficult period of adjustment to go from the human world to our world."
"What happened to them?" I asked. "The other changelings?"
Dane didn't answer. Instead, he descended the stairs as if he had never heard me. I hurried to catch him and grabbed his tunic when we reached the bottom of the steps, pulling him closer to me.
"What happened to the other changelings?" I stared into his blue eyes and tried not to get sucked into his good looks and charm. Despite his easy personality, there was something dangerous about those eyes. Something that threatened to pull me in and never let me go.
All of these princes came across as males who weren't challenged often, which I supposed made sense since they were royalty. I wasn't sure what made me so willing to challenge them. Perhaps I didn't know any better or perhaps confusion and fear of this place were greater than the fear of these males.
Dane's expression was stern, his jaw tight. I didn't break the gaze and kept my eyes focused on him. "What's the real reason it's illegal? What happened to the other changelings?"
Dane sighed, his jaw softened. For a moment his expression looked like pity before returning to his usual easy smile. "Changelings aren't allowed. Many of the great houses use to try to hide some of their children and bring them back here as bargaining chips or late entries into the Queen's Trial. It was always a gamble and sometimes had short-term gain, but none of those hidden children ever survived."
"None? No changeling has ever survived after coming back here? What happens to them?" Ignoring all of the other implications of this statement, the court drama that seemed to be no different than that of the human world and some event called ‘Queen’s Trial’, I focused on the lack of surviving changelings.
"Time to go," Cormac’s voice carried up the stairs.
"Later," Dane said. "Now it's time to go."
Chapter Thirteen
The sky was painted in orange and pink and the sun peeked out from the horizon as we walked from the house to the stables. I'd slept through the night, but not as long as I imagined I had. Thankfully, I was finally starting to feel like my energy had returned.
"You think Angela is going to be happy to see you?" Ethan asked.
"How long has it been? Twenty years? Fifty?" Dane asked.
"Not long enough," Ethan mumbled under his breath.
I was surprised to hear him say something negative about someone. Ethan seemed to like everyone. Whoever Angela was, she must have done something terrible.
"I still don't understand why we have to go see her," Dane said.
"She's neutral," Cormac said. "And she might be able to explain why the creatures are after Cassia."
"So you admit it!" Dane said triumphantly.
Cormac glared at him.
"So who is this Angela, anyway?" I asked.
"Cormac's former mate," Ethan said.
"Angela is not really something that can be described," Dane said. "She is something you have to experience."
"That's enough," Cormac said.
"You know one of these days, I'd like to start understanding the things that are happening around me," I said.
"That's probably how Cormac feels about you," Dane said.
Cormac ignored the jest as he helped me onto my horse. "Do you know how to ride?"
I grabbed a hold of the reins and positioned myself better in the saddle. "I bet I can ride circles around you."
Cormac smirked. The first time I honestly saw any flicker of positive emotion from him. It was a bit startling. "Well, this isn't a race. But if we were racing, I doubt you could keep up with me."
"That sounds like a challenge," I said.
Cormac mounted his own horse and turned back to look at me. "Maybe one day we'll test that out. But for now, just try to keep up." He clicked his tongue and pulled on the reins, starting off down the dirt road faster than necessary.
I smiled and pulled back on the reins letting the gray and white mare know that it was time to follow.
The rush of the wind in my hair and the bite of the chill on my cheeks made me feel more alive than I had in days. This was my happy place. I was comfortable here. I knew how to do this. Riding was safe and familiar.
I liked horses more than I liked most people. I'd always felt an easy affinity with animals and they seemed to feel the same toward me. I'd yet to meet an animal I couldn't charm. This horse was no exception. The two of us got into an easy rhythm, instantly finding comfort in the other. She didn't feel like a new horse to me, she felt as familiar to me as my horse at home, the one that I had raised from a pony.
I kept my eyes on Cormac as we traveled in a cloud of dust along the dirt road. I knew Ethan and Dane were right behind us, but it was hard to focus on anything other than the feeling of freedom that speeding down this road gave me. For the first time since weeks before my wedding, I felt the pressure in my chest lift and I felt peace and wholeness roll through me.
I took a deep breath, filling my nose with the scent of wood smoke and pine. Buried in there, was also the scent of fresh, damp earth. A rainbow of red and gold and deep purple passed by us as we rode. With each passing moment, my discomfort seemed to ease. When I'd first arrived, everything felt so foreign. As I felt the rush of the wind in my hair and felt the freedom of riding through the country, I let the fear wash away from me.
There might be bat beasts trying to catch me, but there was a peace in this place that I hadn't noticed before. It was different than the human world. There was something more pure about this place. Suddenly, I felt like I belonged here, I belonged with the other Fae in this realm.
The human world was a place of constant anxiety and fear. I worried all the time about every little thing. I had always thought it was just because I was so different from my family and then I thought all of my anxiety stemmed from my upcoming marriage. The only place I had ever felt comfortable and free, was when I was riding my horse. But I had never felt the way I felt now. Was this what life was supposed to be?
Cormac slowed and I rode up alongside him, slowing my horse to match his pace. He turned and looked at me, another smile on his face. My heart fluttered in response. He was a very handsome male, especially when he smiled. All of the grumpiness and seriousness had prevented me from seeing just how attractive he really was.
"Y
ou are a good rider," he said, sounding surprised.
"Was that a compliment?" I asked.
"I can give compliments," he said.
"You also know how to smile," I said.
He laughed. It was a deep, rich sound and it sent a thrill all the way to my toes. Did he know how handsome he was? For a moment, I had a strange flicker of jealousy as I realized we were going to see his old girlfriend. That didn't make any sense so I pushed the thought away and smiled back at Cormac. It seemed horseback riding was his happy place too.
"You like animals." It wasn't a question, for some reason I could tell it wasn't just horses that made Cormac happy. He seemed like he was more at peace when he was outdoors like maybe he needed to be around nature. Perhaps he was like me in that sense, more comfortable around animals than other people. Or in his case, more comfortable around animals than other Fae.
"We understand each other," he said. "A lot of us in the Autumn Court have a unique affinity with animals. We connect with them on a deeper level."
"Is that part of your magic then?" I asked.
"I suppose it is. We have this sense with creatures where it's easier to know how they're feeling, what they’re thinking, or what they might do. It's part of why I'm tasked with finding monsters when they break through. Those with this gift have an affinity for tracking. I can better anticipate what an animal might do."
"I've always felt more comfortable around animals than people," I said.
"Perhaps you hail from the Autumn Court," he said.
Before I could comment or ask questions further, Cormac halted his horse's progress and my horse followed suit.
I tore my eyes off of him to look ahead of us and found that we were outside a small cottage.
"We're here." Cormac dismounted and led his horse over to a small fence post that stood in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't a continuing fence, so it looked like it had been built just for this purpose. I dismounted, and followed Cormac over to the post to tie my own horse.
"What happened to not racing?" Ethan asked.