Whims of Fae - The Complete Series

by Nissa Leder

  When she stepped back, she saw Kaelem’s solemn expression. They’d grown close. Closer than she’d ever expected. But the game between them was all in good fun. Wasn’t it?

  She glanced back at Raith, jealousy booming from the bond between them.

  “Did you find the woman who knew your mom?” Scarlett asked.

  Raith nodded, his lips curving into a small smile. “Yes.”

  “I’m sure Scarlett is excited to hear what you’ve learned,” Kaelem said. “Why don’t you both settle into your rooms again? I need just a moment with Scarlett.”

  Raith looked at Scarlett, who nodded.

  “I’ll find you in a minute,” she said.

  After they’d left the room, Kaelem approached Scarlett. He wrapped his hands around her waist and teased her neck with his lips. “I know you feel what I do.”

  “I…” Scarlett tried to focus on anything else. He was only doing this because Raith had returned. A tingle spread from where his lips met her skin.

  “Don’t worry, darling.” Kaelem stepped back. “We have other things to worry about. For now.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I know what happened in the library. Nevina grows bolder all the time.”

  “How?” Scarlett started, but then she stopped. He’d seen inside her head. Of course. He’d warned her to keep him out. She’d improved, but still let her shields slip now and again. “Do you think I should have told the Seelie Queen?”

  “You wanted to protect Cade, and telling her would have been the quickest way to get him killed. You care for people more than most fae. More than most humans, actually.”

  “And that doesn’t make me weak?”

  “I used to think it did, but you’ve proven me wrong.” Kaelem smirked. “I’m not so stubborn I can’t admit a mistake.”

  Scarlett laughed. “The Unseelie King wrong about something? Amazing.”

  “Caring for people doesn’t make you weak. But being weak makes it hard to care for people.”

  Scarlett thought of her sister. She wanted to protect her from anyone who would harm her, but she still hadn’t mastered her power. And even when she did, she could only do as much as her magic would allow. “What are you saying?”

  “We want the same thing—to keep the people we care about safe. If we join forces, we stand a much better chance of finding the power Laik spoke of than if we attempt it solo.”

  They’d done well to save Aria from the Winter Queen. What if Nevina found this prophesied power? Or worse, Kassandra? Scarlett would never be safe again.

  “And what, if we find it first, I only have to fight you?”

  “We can share it. Or maybe I’ll let you have it. If we are allies, I have nothing to fear from you, do I?”

  “No, you don’t.”

  Would he actually let her take it? Scarlett doubted it. But Kaelem getting the power wouldn’t be the worst option.

  “The more people we have, the better our chance,” Scarlett said. “I’ll go with you if Raith can come, too.”

  Kaelem paused before answering, “Fine.”

  Once again, they were allies. But they needed to find the entrance to this mysterious realm to be able to search for the power it held.

  Raith waited impatiently in the room he'd been assigned when he first visited the Unseelie Court after losing the Battle of Heirs.

  Now that he was so close to Scarlett, the bond between them blazed strong again. He could sense her proximity. And the level of comfort she had with Kaelem. Raith didn't like it—not one bit.

  What had he expected? She'd sit alone in a room, anxiously awaiting his return? No, that wasn't practical. They shared a bond still, but neither was committed to the other, as it should be. But that didn’t make the thought of her with him pleasant.

  The door cracked open.

  “Can I come in?” Scarlett peeked her head through the opening.

  “Of course.”

  She told him what had happened to her when she visited the Seelie Court.

  “You went there? That’s dangerous. What if the Seelie Queen sensed your Seelie gifts?”

  Scarlett’s eyes widened, and Raith sensed her guilt. What had she done?

  “I fed off of Kaelem’s emotion to mask my Seelie aura.” Her eyes avoided his.

  He wanted to ask how she’d fed, but he didn’t. He already knew the answer.

  She continued and explained the prophecy the Seelie advisor had shared.

  “And you believe him?” Raith asked.

  “Yes. I’m not sure why, but I sensed the truth in his words. And if he isn’t telling the truth, then there won’t be another realm to find.”

  “What if that part is true, but the part about the power is a lie?” Raith hated to be an ass who questioned everything, but after learning about his mother and Kassandra’s likely involvement in her death, his suspicious nature grew.

  Scarlett hesitated before responding. “Then I guess he’ll have played us as fools, but if there’s a chance I can better protect everyone I care about, I have to take it.”

  Raith saw the change in Scarlett. No longer was she a weak human lost to the whims of the fae. She was fae now, and a strong one. The determination in her eyes told him she would be going with or without him.

  He’d already left her twice. This time, he’d help her. But he didn’t trust Kaelem, and he knew that Scarlett wouldn’t see the Unseelie King clearly anymore.

  “I’ll go with you, but I want Sage to come, too,” Raith said. “She’s the strongest fighter I’ve ever seen and we have no clue what we’ll have to face.”

  Jealousy flickered in the bond. Was Scarlett jealous of Raith’s closeness to Sage? She was nothing more than a friend to him. There was no reason for envy.

  And she had no room for any such feelings.

  “Okay.”

  If Raith could gain some of the power for himself, he’d be stronger when he faced Kassandra. She would die for what she’d done to his mother, or he would die trying to kill her.

  Cade considered telling his mother what he was about to do, but decided against it. Not only did he not want her trying to talk him out of it, but he also didn’t want her or Nevina following him and taking the power for themselves.

  He wanted to believe his mother would never attempt to take something he desired, but deep down, he knew she might.

  But, he’d kept his plan to himself, only sharing it with Poppy, and now they would search for the door the Fates spoke of.

  At first, Cade thought finding it would be impossible. The first part of their mysterious directions made sense: moon covering the sun equaled eclipse. And, in the mortal realm, today there would be one. But could it be anywhere? The three stars clue was vague at best.

  “So, they told you some obscure location and not only do we have to find it, but we have to find it before the eclipse occurs?” Poppy groaned. “Lovely.”

  Cade and Poppy sat in his room in the castle, a door in front of them, ready to lead him wherever he’d like to go. It couldn’t be that complicated. Why would the Fates bother giving him a hint if he had no real chance of finding it? They were known for their mystique, not for giving useless information.

  Three stars? Cade hadn’t been many places in the mortal realm, so his knowledge was limited. He always found himself drawn to Silver Lake where he first saw Scarlett, full of fear, while he hovered above the graveyard.

  And then it hit him. “Of course!”

  Poppy lifted her arms, palms up. “Of course, what?”

  Relief formed on Cade’s face. “There’s a reason I always found myself going to the same little, seemingly unimportant mortal town.”

  Poppy circled her right wrist. “And that is…”

  “Silver Lake has this unexplainable energy swimming through it. And right in the middle of the forest where the door leading me there will appear is a tree with three stars carved into its bark.”

  Cade flung the small door in his hand to the ground and it grew into a full-siz
ed door. They walked through it and into the Silver Lake Forest.

  Trees towered above them, blocking their view of the sky. Cade scanned the area. Were others waiting for this portal to appear?

  Poppy wore her fighting leather with daggers strapped to her back. She pulled out one of the daggers and held it in her hand. Cade’s sword remained in its scabbard, but he was ready to draw it if needed.

  They were the only ones there. Strange.

  The birds chirping throughout the forest grew silent. The temperature dropped, and, though Cade couldn’t see the sun above, he knew the eclipse was happening. The world around him darkened.

  He approached the tree, running his fingers over the stars all perfectly vertically lined. Light snuck through the etched stars, illuminating the tree from inside.

  Cade stepped back as the inside of the trunk opened, shifting into an archway. When Cade peered through, he didn’t see the other side of the dark Silver Lake forest. Instead, a bright world full of vivid colors appeared through the passage.

  “Ready?” Cade asked Poppy as they stared through the door into the green area on the other side. Who knew how long it would remain open?

  “Here goes nothing.” Poppy stepped through first and turned back toward Cade. “Coming?”

  With a deep breath, he crossed the barrier.

  The temperature was even cooler there, and when he shut the door behind himself, it disappeared. A fine mist drizzled in the air around them. Unlike the dry forest they’d come from, the trees now around them were coated in moss. Thick fog permeated ahead.

  “Guess there’s no turning back.” Poppy scanned the area around them, slipping the dagger back into its holder.

  According to the Fates, the power resided in the middle of the island. It was helpful information, except for the fact that Cade had no idea how big or small the island was.

  Behind them, the trees weaved together to create an impenetrable wall.

  “Let’s hope it’s not that way.” Poppy gestured to the wall.

  She moved in the opposite direction, pushing branches aside as she moved through the thick jungle. Cade kept close behind, careful not to get hit with the branches snapping behind her.

  Although the realm was cooler, the humidity in the air caused sweat to pool on Cade’s skin. The height and density of the trees closed in around him, sending a jolt of claustrophobia through him.

  Even Poppy’s speed slowed as they pressed on.

  Suddenly, Poppy froze.

  “What’s going on?” Cade asked. But he didn’t need an answer.

  Ahead, a tribe of people—fae-like in stature and beauty—blocked their path, spears pointed at them.

  Poppy reached for her daggers as Cade drew his sword.

  He started to step backward, but when he glanced behind him, he saw that they were trapped.

  The pinks and purples and blues of the people’s brightly-colored outfits stood out against the green jungle.

  Cade tried to pull the Summer magic from inside himself. They were sorely outnumbered and needed all the help they could get. He had no idea if these people had magic and if so, what type of power they possessed.

  But when he searched for the magic inside himself, nothing was there.

  Poppy must have realized it, too, because panic covered her face.

  “Drop your weapons and we’ll let you live,” a woman said behind them.

  Relief spread through Cade. At least they spoke the same language.

  As much as he wanted to fight, he knew they stood no chance.

  He tossed his sword to the ground.

  Poppy chucked her daggers at the feet of the woman who spoke.

  Anger radiated through Cade as the tribe tied their hands in front of their bodies and pulled them along with ropes.

  The Fates hadn’t warned them about any inhabitants of the realm. Or—the bigger issue—that their magic wouldn’t work here.

  The idea of earning some unknown power for himself had made Cade rash in his decision.

  Now he wondered if the power even existed, or if the Fates were playing him in some twisted game.

  Poppy, jaw clenched, glanced back at Cade.

  Cade took Poppy’s hand into his and squeezed. They’d figure a way out.

  They had no choice.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Scarlett breathed in the thick air as she took in the glistening trees around her. The mist in the air made the bright green of their leaves even more vibrant.

  Their unlikely group of four was now in another realm, with no allies except for each other. They’d found the door and entered the new land, but they weren’t the first ones.

  As they’d crossed the invisible line between the realms, Sage had noticed the footprints. Two others had beaten them through the door.

  The question was who?

  Could Laik have changed his mind? Maybe he wanted the power for himself or his queen after all.

  Or maybe it was Nevina and Kassandra, a team once again.

  Scarlett hoped it was only two others. She, Kaelem, Raith, and Sage together could defeat a pair, right?

  It hadn’t taken long for Scarlett to solve the puzzle of the realm’s entrance. As a little girl, when her mother wasn’t plagued with voices, she would take Scarlett and Ashleigh on walks through the forest to the lake that gave their town its name.

  Their mother would teach them tree and plant names as needles crunched beneath their feet on the popular trail to the lake. As Ashleigh was trying her best to name everything, Scarlett wandered off of the trail and away from her family. Something called to her. It wasn’t a voice, but a feeling. As she continued away from her mother and sister, the pull tugged harder, until she found herself approaching an unusual tree. Unlike the other trees in the forest whose trunks were thin and lean, this one was thick. Its branches curved out, making the tree much wider than any of the others.

  Scarlett slowed as she approached the tree, noticing three stars in a perfect vertical line carved into the textured bark. As she reached out and traced the carved shapes with her finger, something inside her flickered.

  Her mother’s yell interrupted her trance and Scarlett turned and sprinted back to the path. She was scolded for giving her such a scare, but Scarlett never forgot the tree and found herself pulled there many times.

  Somehow it being the entrance to the realm she now found herself in hadn’t surprised her.

  Ahead, Sage held out a hand, signaling they all stop.

  Scarlett couldn't deny she'd been resistant to bring Sage along, but she was smart and strong and Scarlett couldn't have asked for someone more useful to join them.

  Sage corralled them all close and whispered, “We’re approaching a camp.” She gestured to the footprints on the ground then pointed to her nose. “I smell a fire close by.”

  Scarlett inhaled. A faint scent of burned wood tickled her nose.

  “We have a problem,” Kaelem said.

  Everyone looked at him.

  He continued, “There's no magic.”

  Scarlett searched for a flicker of power but found nothing. She reached out her mind, but it didn't go anywhere. Even the bond she shared with Raith had disappeared.

  He must have realized it, too. His gaze met hers, softness in his eyes.

  Scarlett had wondered how much of her affection toward Raith came from the bond. And now, with it gone, even if only temporarily, she knew she still cared for him.

  The circumstances that had drawn them together created their bond just as much as the Summer Court ceremony had. But she couldn’t deny the bond strengthened the connection.

  “Well, fuck.” Raith laughed. “Four strong fae all powerless.”

  Sage grabbed the daggers at her sides. “Not completely.”

  Sage, Raith, and Kaelem had all been trained to fight and had been smart enough to bring weapons. Scarlett, on the other hand, was mediocre with a staff, at best, and it never occurred to her she might need one.

  Sage
led them slowly through the jungle, but instead of going straight, they circled the camp they'd stumbled upon.

  “You three wait here. I'm going to sneak closer,” Sage said.

  “I'm no genius—well, maybe I am—but shouldn't we avoid the people?” Kaelem asked.

  “We don't often agree, but I’m with Kaelem on this one,” Raith said.

  “Well, we agree on some things.” Kaelem winked at Scarlett.

  Scarlett tensed as Raith looked between her and Kaelem.

  Sage rolled her eyes. “We need to see what inhabits this place. Going blindly ahead won't keep us safe.”

  “Fair enough,” Kaelem said.

  After Sage left, Kaelem set the bag he'd packed on the ground and pulled out a large flask.

  He took a sip. “Ah, delicious. Anyone else? It’s strong.” He held out the flask and wiggled it with a grin.

  Scarlett shook her head but Raith reached out a hand.

  He took a gulp. “Not bad.” Raith handed the flask back to Kaelem.

  “No magic is bad enough. No alcohol and I'd just give up.” Kaelem took another swig before putting it back in his bag.

  The three waited silently until Sage returned a few minutes later. “I know who beat us through the door.”

  “Who?” They all asked in unison.

  “Cade and Poppy,” Sage said. “The camp is full of fae-like people and they have Cade and Poppy tied up to a tree.”

  “I should have known my little brother would try for more power. Ruling the Summer Court isn't enough for the over achiever,” Raith said.

  Scarlett told him about Cade’s alliance with Nevina. “But he seemed to regret that decision. Maybe he figured this was a better way to get stronger.”

  Raith chuckled. “And now he's tied up. Serves him right.”

  Did it, though? Scarlett had seen into Cade’s mind and he didn't seem greedy to her. But she didn't want Raith to know. She was embarrassed by her invasiveness. And by her sympathy. Cade had left them both for dead. Raith’s anger was well earned.

  “Do we leave them?” Scarlett asked.

  “Uh, yes,” Raith answered first.

  “Saving them would be risky,” Kaelem added. “If we’re captured too, who will save us?”