by Dyan Chick
I crept down the stone hall, the cold floor seeping into my bare feet. Wishing I had thought to grab my boots before I left the upper room where I'd stripped for the bath, I wiggled my toes to keep the blood flowing and contained. I wasn't exactly sure where I was going or what I was looking for. All I knew was that something didn't feel right. I wanted answers. Especially about the Fae female who climbed into a brothel.
At first, I thought I had to be the target, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder if her knife had been meant for a visiting dignitary. Who usually used the room they'd placed me in? Was it empty and that's why it was chosen? Or was there a specific person she was targeting. If that was the case, was it meant to be me or someone else? If it was me, how did she know I was there?
Voices sounded from behind one of the closed doors in the dark hallway. Each of the doors had a celestial symbol on them and from what I could tell, the sound was coming from the room with a full moon on the door.
I crept toward the door and pressed my ear against the painted wood. Two male voices carried through the door. They were muffled and difficult to make out. None of the words were clear but after a minute or two of listening, I was almost sure it was Cormac and Tristan. Why were the two of them in the room together? Was Dane in there with them?
Something slammed on the other side of the door and one of the voices raised to a yell. Whatever the wood was made out of, it prevented me from hearing the details, but I could tell there was an argument going on. My heart raced and I wondered if I should intervene. From what I'd seen of the two of them, they should never be alone together. They could very nearly kill one another. Another slam. Another round of yelling.
Silencing the little voice in my head that told me it was a bad idea, I turned the handle and opened the door.
Inside the room, there were two Fae males staring at me that I didn't recognize. I was so sure it was Tristan and Cormac's voices I'd heard. How had I been so wrong? "Sorry," I mumbled, tugging the door closed behind me.
One of the males crossed the room in a heartbeat and set his hand on top of mine. "Please, stay a while. We were just discussing you."
The hair on the back of my neck stood and I knew I was in danger. This had been a very bad idea. Why hadn't I listened to the little voice? My jaw tensed as I realized it was that hunter intuition I'd laughed about. I should have listened better to Cormac. "No, thank you. I must be going. I'm expected."
"No you're not," the second Fae said. "They're all asleep. It's just us. Come on in for chat."
I pulled my hand away and turned to run, but someone grabbed hold of my arm and yanked me into the room. I heard the door slam behind me as one of the males pushed me into a chair.
He was tall and scruffy looking. With wild brown hair and bushy eyebrows. I wouldn't have even guessed he was Fae if not for the pointed ears. He was stockier in his build than the princes, shorter, and thicker, but he looked strong. "We need to know everything you have planned for Queen's Trial. You leave anything out, we'll kill you."
I sat on the chair, grabbing the edges of the seat, trying to figure out what was happening. Despite the haggard appearance of the one Fae, both males wore expensive looking clothing. I was grateful they were wearing clothing at all after the Orc situation. "Who are you?"
One of the males slapped me across the face. I gasped and pressed my open palm against the stinging on my cheek.
"Answer the question," he growled.
I narrowed my eyes at my assailant. He was tall, with long dark hair and nearly black eyes. His nose was crooked, as if it had been broken and healed incorrectly. I wanted to memorize his face because I knew my princes would ask me for every detail. "I can't answer your question."
He lifted his hand and I flinched. He held it above me. "Answer."
"I don't have any plans for Queen’s Trial so you can hit me all you want, but you're not going to get any answers from me."
The dark haired male hesitated, as if unsure of how to respond to me. Then, just when I thought I might have reasoned with him, he slapped me again.
This time, I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth and I reached up to check on the wound. Sure enough, when I pulled my hand away from my lips, crimson blood coated my fingertips. "You're going to regret that."
"Your escorts aren't here to save you now," the scruffy one said.
"I just watched one of those escorts you mention break the neck of an orc with his bare hands." I let the words sink in for a moment. "I can't imagine what they'll do to you when they find out you hurt me."
"We're not trying to hurt you," the dark haired Fae said.
I gently touched my sore cheek in response.
"Look, we know you're going to be a contender at the Trials, we need to know what you are planning," he said.
I narrowed my eyes. "You sent the assassin, didn't you? All of this is about some stupid competition."
"Assassin?" the scruffy one scratched his head.
Just then, the door flew open, sending shards of wood flying. I covered my face and turned away from the flying debris. When I looked back at the doorway, I saw Ethan, Cormac, Dane, and Tristan staring back at me.
I didn't wait for instructions. Seizing my opportunity, I bolted from the chair and ran to the door, dashing between Dane and Tristan until I was standing behind all four of my princes.
"Your Grace," scruffy said, getting on his knees. "We didn't realize she was your champion."
Cormac took a step toward the cowering male. "Dwane. I should have known. How did you even gain entry into the Winter Court?"
Dwane still had his head down. "My mother was Winter, father Autumn."
"So he's yours to punish, Cormac," Tristan said. "Unless you'd like me to assume the responsibility."
"He committed acts of violence against another Fae in your court, Tristan. He's yours if the punishment is severe enough."
I was surprised to hear the venom in Cormac's voice. What were they going to do to these two?
Tristan stepped forward, leaving me standing right behind Dane. I moved closer to him until my shoulder was touching him.
"For attempted murder?" Tristan asked. "The punishment is death."
"We weren't going to murder anyone," Dwane said. "Honest, we just wanted to hear her strategy. Your Grace, our family has been struggling ever since the war and this year, we have our Isla. She has a chance to win the Trials. We wanted to give her every advantage. It's no different than what any other house is doing right now. Even your girl was illegally raised in the human world."
"What was that?" Cormac said.
"I didn't mean any disrespect, Your Grace," Dwane said. "You have every right to hide her in the human realm. It's not my business."
"You certainly made it your business when you trapped her in here," Ethan said, stepping forward to join Cormac and Tristan.
"They didn't send the assassin," Tristan said, turning to Cormac. "They aren't skilled enough to even know that Cassia's not in the Trials."
"She's not?" Dwane said. "But everyone has been saying she's the one to beat."
"Who says this?" Cormac said.
"It's all over the Autumn Court. The fact that you and the other two princes were championing a single entry instead of one per house," Dwane said.
"Now we know why someone tried to kill you," Dane said quietly.
"Guards," Tristan called. "Take them away."
Dane grabbed me and moved me away from the doorway just as four guards walked into the room. They must have been waiting just outside the door for Tristan's orders.
Dwane and his friend were silent, heads hanging in defeat as they were escorted from the room. I had never felt like my life was in danger while I was in the room, but I wasn't sorry to see them go.
"Does this mean I have to worry about monsters and Fae trying to kill me now?" I asked.
"We're not going to let anyone or anything kill you, Cassia," Cormac said. Then he turned to Ethan. "Keep he
r with you tonight. The rest of us are going to follow up on that lead."
"What lead?" I asked.
"We'll talk about it in the morning," Cormac said.
My shoulders sank. Back to the secrets with Cormac.
He walked out of the room followed by Dane and Tristan. My heart ached as I watched them all leave. Especially since Tristan never even acknowledged me once.
Ethan's warm hand took a hold of mine. "You weren't in the room so I summoned the others."
"Thank you," I said. "Am I ever going to get to know what's going on here?"
"You will," he said. "Give them more time. I don't think they want to tell you until they know the truth."
"Do you know what they found?" I asked, then frowned. It was clear from Ethan's expression he was in the loop. "Of course you do."
Ethan sighed. "Please, Cassia. Just this once, let someone else take care of you for a change."
Chapter Fourteen
There were worse places to be than snuggled in Ethan's arms. Far worse. His warm, firm chest pressed against my side as his arm that was embracing me rose and fell with my breathing. I adjusted, burrowing as close to him as I could. Even though I felt safe with Ethan, it was difficult to sleep knowing that there were Fae out there looking for me. Why did they all think I was part of the Queen's Trial nonsense? I had no interest in competing for a title. I didn't like the rules and pretentious nature of the court. I was sure the Fae Court wasn't much different than the human Royal Court. All I wanted was to get some help figuring this magic out and start finding out where I fit in to this place. I wanted a home and the ability to take care of myself. And if I was being honest with myself, I wanted my princes. All of them. Maybe even Tristan.
The problem was I wasn't sure I was good for them. I knew how Ethan felt about me and I knew how I felt about him, but there were people trying to kill me and monsters breaking free of the Under for me. Was I bringing them down with me? What if someone tried to break in again? What if they hurt Ethan instead of me?
Ethan kissed the top of my head and I turned to look at him. In the dim light of the dying fire, I could see his green eyes staring down at me. "You need to rest."
"How can I?" I asked. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
Ethan chuckled softly. "Oh, Cassia." He pulled me tighter. "How do you think I feel about you?"
"It's not you they're after, though," I said. "I'm risking all of you by staying with you."
"Cassia," Ethan said. "How do you think I knew you were in trouble tonight when the Orc threatened you? Or when you went missing from the bed?"
"You told me you could sense where I was," I said.
"It's so much more than that now, Cassia."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I knew you were in danger. I could feel it as if you were calling to me," he said.
My heart pounded against my ribs and my memories spun back to the night at the wedding. When Ethan had told me about how Fae mate. "Are you saying?" I couldn't finish the thought. My chest tightened and I held my breath, afraid to hope that he felt as strongly about me as I did about him. Even if I thought he'd be safer without me, I couldn't imagine being away from him.
"I told you I love you, Cassia. But it's so much deeper than that," he slid a stray curl away from my face, "tell me you feel it too."
"I do," I said. "I feel it."
"So you know I'm not going anywhere. And you know I'm going to keep you safe, no matter what." He kissed my forehead again. "Now go to sleep."
My whole body felt warm as a relieved satisfaction settled around me. What Ethan and I had was simple and pure. I knew I could count on him the same way he could count on me. I'd never felt as comfortable or safe as I did in his arms. Finally, I settled into a dreamless sleep.
When I woke the next morning, Ethan was already awake, sitting in a chair near the large fireplace. I tossed the blankets aside and stepped onto the freezing stone floor.
He looked up at me as I padded over to him. "Good morning."
The only light in the room came from the healthy fire crackling away in the hearth. "What time is it?"
"After breakfast," he said.
I sat down on the arm of the chair. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," he said.
After everything that had happened last night, I wasn't sure where to begin this morning. I sat quietly next to Ethan, enjoying the warmth from the fire and his closeness to me. "It's quiet here."
"Most of the people who visit here sleep late," he said.
"That makes sense." My stomach growled and my cheeks heated in embarrassment. "Sorry."
Ethan smiled. "I'm sure we can find something in the kitchens. Plus, Cormac is probably waiting for us."
Part of me didn't want to leave the little sanctuary of the basement room. There were no windows and only one way in - through a locked door. Once we left, I was exposed. "That lead, from last night, you think they figured anything out?"
"Don't worry," he said. "If they haven't yet, they will soon."
Quickly, I pulled on the dress Lainey lent me. Then, I followed Ethan out of the door into the dark basement hallway. The stone floor was cold under my feet and I hoped I'd be able to hunt down a pair of boots soon. As we walked toward the stairs, I had the odd sense that Ethan and I were alone. The hallway was silent but it didn't feel like the type of quiet that came from sleeping. It was more than that. Suddenly, I was happy we were leaving the dark basement behind. There was a stifled feeling down there and it didn't sit well with me.
The light on the main floor was bright when we emerged from the basement stairwell. Weak sunlight poured in through the windows, but there was no warmth from the light. Everything about the heart of the Winter Court was cold.
I expected to see servants or other Fae, but just as the basement had been, it felt abandoned. "Where is everyone?"
Ethan walked ahead of me, peeking into the sitting room and the kitchen.
"We're up here," Dane's voice came from behind me.
I turned to see him on the stairway, walking down to us.
"I had a feeling you were up," he said, stopping in front of me. He kissed my cheek. "Were you able to get any rest?" His question was laced with genuine concern.
"I did, thank you."
"We're upstairs," Dane said to Ethan. "Fourth floor. We have news."
"What is it?" I asked. "What did you find out?"
"I can't possibly tell you," Dane said. "It would ruin all of Cormac's fun."
We walked into a large, nearly empty room at the top of the stairs. In the center of the room was a massive table littered with small objects and rolled up parchment. A wood stove in the corner heated the room so it was warmer than the basement had been despite an entire wall of glass windows that looked out over the city.
Cormac was standing next to the window, staring out at the street below.
He turned at the sound of us walking into the room. "I wondered when you'd join us."
"You could have woken me," I said. "I thought we were in a hurry to get to the Queen's palace."
"There are some complications," Cormac said.
"Complications?" I asked, peering around him to get a view of the window. "What were you looking at?"
"Guards," Cormac said, gesturing behind him.
I padded over to the large glass pained window and looked down. We were in one of the taller buildings in the bustling city. In the street below, I saw people walking back and forth along with carts and horses. Everyone seemed to be fighting for the ability to move through the crowded street. Part of the congestion was the fact that there was a large group of guards blocking half of the street directly in front of the building we were in. "Is that really necessary?"
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you've drawn a lot of attention to yourself," Tristan's voice carried into the room from behind me.
I turned away from the window and bit down the comment I wanted to make about him
finally speaking to me again. "Is this all about Queen's Trial?"
"It started off that way," Tristan said. "But now, it's about your Queen."
My brow furrowed. "I don't understand."
"You've created quite the sensation. A highborn Fae nobody ever heard of before who has been placed under the protection of the Autumn Prince. You ride with a prince of each of the four courts. It's made a lot of people nervous, including my own nobles," Tristan said.
"Is that why I was attacked?" I asked. "But I thought that was someone from the Summer Court."
"The first assassin was from the Summer Court, the males who questioned you last night were from the Autumn Court."
"How did they even get in?" I asked. "I thought they needed Winter Fae blood."
"We're still working on that part," Tristan said, his jaw tightening.
I looked at Cormac, hoping he'd clarify some of this for me. "What now?"
"Now, we wait," he said. "For the Queen's sister."
"Wait?" I asked, my stomach churning with unease.
"She's on her way here," Dane said. "News of you reached the Queen and she's requested we meet with her sister before we travel to her palace."
"Alright," I said. "I suppose that's good, right? We let her know what's going on and she helps relay our message. But that doesn't explain everything else. What about the nobles who called in their soldiers?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You know about that?"
My eyes widened and I looked to Cormac, wondering if I'd said something wrong. He'd trusted me with that information.
"We talked about it," Cormac said. "Tristan is aware of the issue. It has nothing to do with you."
"But that sounds bad," I said.
"Don't worry about that," Tristan said.
A gentle knock on the open door caused all of us to turn to see the newcomer. Lainey and another female were standing at the door. They both curtseyed low, avoiding eye contact with Tristan. "Your Grace, we were told you wanted to see us."