Rae of Hope

by W.J. May

  Katerina nodded, feeling a bit dazed. “…of course not.

  Only Dylan remained unaffected. But he wasn’t the type to shy away from hard truths. “We’ll tell people in time, but they will be the right people,” he said quietly, almost to himself, planning as he went. “And only at a time when you’re safe.”

  It sounded practical enough. Especially considering Dylan was the one saying it. But it begged the obvious question.

  A question Tanya had no problem pointing out. “And how exactly is she going to get safe?”

  A little shiver rocketed up Katerina’s spine, and she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. Tanya was right. Alone in the middle of the woods, so outnumbered and exposed it seemed almost impossible. How could she fight a war without an army? How could she take the throne with two people? How could she even manage to stay alive, if these were the odds stacked against them?

  It wasn’t like they could hide out in the wilderness forever. And it wasn’t like a princess on the run was an easy secret to keep. Tanya had guessed who she was simply because she recognized her face from royal portraits and decrees. It was only a matter of time before someone else did the same thing. Someone who wasn’t as sympathetic to her cause.

  So the question remained: What the heck were they going to do?

  “I don’t know,” Dylan murmured, staring off into the shadowy trees. “But I know someone who can help…”

  Chapter 11

  The more time Katerina spent in the world outside the castle, the more she realized how inter-connected it really was. Over the next few days of travelling, there wasn’t a town or village that either Dylan or Tanya hadn’t been to personally. There wasn’t a situation or creature they hadn’t dealt with before. There wasn’t a single barman they didn’t know by name.

  By the time they ended up in Lakewood, the town for which they’d been aiming, Katerina had developed a whole new level of respect for her travelling companions. What was more, they’d developed a whole new level of respect for each other.

  “Dylan, if you don’t slow down, I’m going to stab you in the back with a tent peg.”

  Respect. Friendship was still a ways off.

  The ranger cast a long-suffering look behind him, but slowed his pace as they made their way out of the forest and onto a bluff that overlooked the town. It was here that the trio came to a simultaneous stop, looking down with a bit of apprehension as they considered what was to come.

  Dylan had been deliberately vague about the ‘old friend’ they were travelling to meet. The one who would supposedly help them on their journey. Whatever it was he was keeping to himself, the girls didn’t know. But one way or another, they were in no position to be refusing help.

  “How do you know he’ll be here?” Katerina asked curiously. “You guys keep in touch?”

  “Not much,” Dylan replied evasively, shifting his weight as he gazed out over the town. “But Lakewood’s hosting the Festival of Woodland Lights. He’ll be here. And he won’t be hard to find.”

  The girls exchanged a quick look. Won’t be hard to find? What did that mean?

  “Come on.” Dylan seemed eager to end the conversation before it could really get off the ground. “It’s coming up on mid-day. With any luck, he’s still in bed. And mostly sober…”

  Another look. This time it was paired with a grin.

  Katerina’s mind bubbled with a million questions, but she held her tongue. Even Tanya, who had no filter whatsoever, had the sense to keep quiet. Instead, the three of them started heading down the mountain. Bracing for whatever mischief the day had in store…

  * * *

  Magical holidays were never celebrated in the castle. As such, Katerina had never even heard of the Festival of Woodland Lights. But walking through the town, it quickly became clear what Dylan meant when he said his friend would be there. There wasn’t a man in the realm who wasn’t.

  The purpose of the festival was to celebrate the spirits of the forest along with the coming of the new celestial year. To get into the festive mood, the store fronts were strung with garlands of white flowers. Giant vats of nectar and baskets of ambrosia cast a heavenly aroma over the streets. Musicians armed with fiddles and lutes were walking through the crowd, and the festival-goers had painted their faces green in order to honor the spirit of the trees…

  …which meant that all the wood nymphs had come out to play.

  Never before had the princess seen so many beautiful women in one place. And beautiful didn’t begin to cover it. She had long ago read that nymphs were famed for their beauty, but the writing in the castle library hardly did them justice.

  They were like angels. Waif-like, woodsy angels that floated along down the street. Dresses of gauzy silk. Clouds of white hair that fell down to their waists. Eyes so bright, they made everything around them dim in comparison. They moved in little clusters. Pausing every now and then to buy another flowery adornment for their long hair. Casting occasional glances in mirrors and store-front windows to admire their flawless reflections. Shooting bewitching smiles at the gaggles of men that followed in their wake—openly salivating as they tried to remember how to speak.

  Katerina raised her eyebrows as one of them blew a playful kiss at Dylan, shaking back a wave of silky white-blonde hair. Her friends were quick to pick up on the chase—shooting curious glances at the rugged ranger as they giggled quietly and whispered behind their hands.

  Obvious, much?

  He blushed faintly, but did nothing to encourage them. He merely flashed a polite smile as he and the girls walked past. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop the giggling. Nor did it stop Tanya from taking great delight in the entire exchange. Her face lit up with mischief as she ostentatiously elbowed him in the ribs, raising her voice for everyone to hear.

  “What’s that?” She cupped a hand around her ear with a theatric frown. “You just got out of a serious relationship, and you’re looking for someone special to help you rebuild?”

  He looked down with a start, paling to the color of sour milk as he lowered his voice to a frantic hiss. “What the heck are you doing?”

  “Well, I know you’re shy, sweetie, but you’ve just got to get past it.” She patted him sympathetically on the shoulder, staying carefully out of reach of his blade. “Nobody here is going to judge. We all just want what’s best for you.”

  He grabbed the back of her coat and dragged her along at a faster pace, ignoring the chorus of snickering laughter that followed in their wake.

  “Okay, level with me…do you really have a friend here, or did you just want to find a nymph?”

  Even Katerina had to smile at that one, but Dylan shot the shifter a look that promised certain death the second they were out of the public eye. Sensing trouble, the princess intercepted the look and pulled them both to a stop as they reached a fountain in the center of the town square.

  “You, hand over the dagger. You, keep the colorful commentary to yourself unless you want to get killed.” She cast each one a stern look of warning before glancing back at the bustling crowd. “Let’s just find this friend of yours and get the bloody heck out of here.” She cast Dylan a sideways glance. “The less time we spend out in the open, the better.”

  For all our sakes.

  “Fine.” Tanya rolled her eyes, but abandoned her teasing and got down to business. “You said this guy wouldn’t be hard to find. What did you mean?”

  With a quiet sigh, Dylan slipped his knife back into its sheath.

  “That’s easy.” His eyes drifted briefly around the square before zeroing in on a specific target. “Just look for the fanciest hotel…”

  * * *

  Over the course of the last few weeks, Katerina had seen Dylan in a variety of different circumstances. She’d seen him tired, and charming, and defensive, and even adorably upbeat. She’d never once seen him nervous. Not until that very moment.

  “Okay, Dylan, what the heck happened with this guy?? Did you accidentally kil
l his dog? Or purposely?”

  They were standing in front of the door to the best room in the best tavern in the entire town. The proprietor had confirmed the identity of his guest, after a significant bribe, and after locating the correct room all that was left to do was knock on the door.

  Except that Dylan couldn’t seem to raise his hand.

  He shot Katerina a quick glance, as if she wasn’t too far off the mark, before forcing a casual smile onto his face. “No, it’s…it’s going to be fine.” He lifted his hand, then paused again, staring at the door like it had burst into flames. An almost sickly expression swept over him and he muttered the words again, saying them only to himself. “It’s going to be fine.”

  After taking a deep breath, he knocked three times on the door.

  By now, even the girls were a bit nervous as to what was waiting on the other side. Was the man going to be horrifically disfigured? Had Dylan accidentally set the guy on fire? Burned off an arm? They listened breathlessly as the silence gave way to a faint shuffling, then the sound of light footsteps making their way to the door. By the time it pulled open, they had mentally prepared themselves for anything and everything.

  Except for the exquisite nymph who stood in the doorway.

  “Yes?”

  Everything about her was perfect. From her pearly smile, to her sparkling eyes, to the silky hair that billowed in waves down her bare back. Both Katerina and Tanya exchanged a quick look of confusion, but Dylan just rolled his eyes with a quiet sigh.

  “I’m looking for Cass.”

  She vanished without another word, closing the door behind her. When it opened again a moment later, there was another nymph. She was even more beautiful than the first. And if it was possible, she was wearing even less clothing. Just a tiny slip that stopped an inch below her thighs.

  “Good morning.” Her face melted into a welcoming smile as she made a sleepy effort to smooth down her sex-tousled hair. “Are you here with the food?”

  Katerina smothered a grin as Tanya bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. Dylan, however, looked almost physically sick as he forced a tight smile.

  “Nope. Not here with the food. I’m looking for Cass. Is he here?”

  She glanced behind her, gaze resting briefly on the bed, before she turned around with a mischievous giggle. “He’s still sleeping. I’m afraid we’re all a little worn out.”

  Dylan’s smile tightened into a grimace. “I’ll bet. The thing is, I really need to speak with him—”

  The door closed again. Mid-sentence. Right in his face. He stared at it a moment, then took a step back, his hands balling into fists as his teeth ground together.

  “It had to be nymphs…”

  “We should have intercepted their room service.” Tanya stepped forward with a grin, raising her hand to knock on the door. “Why don’t you let me try this time?”

  Dylan took a step back as the air around her seemed to shimmer. By the time her fist came down on the wood she was no longer a young girl, but had taken the shape of a burly village constable. She had the mustache, the badge, everything down to the authoritative scowl.

  A scowl that was only slightly ruined when she gave her friends an impish wink.

  The door was pulled open by yet a third nymph, but this one stepped back in surprise when she saw the officer standing in front of her. Her eyes widened and she hurried to slip on a robe.

  “Can I help you, Constable?”

  Tanya didn’t waste any time. And she didn’t pull any punches. “This is the third time my associates and I have knocked on this door, and let me assure you there will not be a fourth. We’re looking for a man named Cass. Now either you send him out in the next thirty seconds, or I’m going to cite you for obstruction of justice.”

  The girl melted away so fast, Katerina could have sworn she vanished on the spot. The three of them waited in tense silence, wondering if their plan had worked, but only a few seconds later the door pulled open again and a beautiful man walked outside.

  Holy bloomin’ cow!

  Katerina said ‘man’ because she didn’t know what else to call him. And she said ‘beautiful’ even though the word fell utterly short. It was like the guy walked straight out of a fairytale.

  He was pure grace. There was no other way to describe him. An ethereal, radiant sort of grace that seemed to shine a little brighter than everything in the world around it. He was as tall as Dylan, and just as strong. But while one man was all dark—tan skin, chocolate hair—the other was all light. Fair skin. A silver tunic. White-blond hair that fell to his shoulders. The only thing that differed were his eyes. He had dark, rich eyes. Eyes that shone so bright, they leapt right off his face.

  Right now, those enchanting eyes were resting curiously on Constable Tanya.

  “My apologies,” he said courteously. “What seems to be the…”

  He trailed off a second later, staring in absolute shock.

  Katerina felt Dylan stiffen beside her, and sure enough it only took a moment for that lovely face to tighten with unspeakable rage.

  “…you.”

  Dylan held up his hands, trying his very best to project an air of rational calm.

  “Now, just hold on a second. Let’s not do anything we’ll both—”

  A sudden punch caught him right in the face.

  “—regret.”

  A river of blood streamed from his nose as he cupped his face in his hand. The other was still raised in supplication, though he didn’t seem to expect much of a reprieve.

  “Cass, I didn’t come here to—”

  Another punch. This one was even harder than the first.

  “—fight.”

  Dylan staggered back a step, this time blinking away a stream of blood that was pouring from a cut above his eye. His face tightened with pain as he lifted his free hand like a shield.

  “Seven hells, man! Will you just let me—”

  A third punch. This one threatened to finish him completely.

  “—talk?!”

  The nymphs scattered to the four winds, while Katerina and Tanya stood there in absolute shock. They hadn’t exactly been expecting a warm welcome, but they certainly hadn’t been expecting a blow-out either. That being said, it wasn’t like either one of them was particularly inclined to jump in. Not only was it all a bit out of their league, but it sounded like Dylan certainly had it coming. And there wasn’t a force in the world that would get them to stand in the way of those fists.

  There was a savage cry as Cass lifted Dylan straight off his feet and slammed him into the adjacent wall, dangling him a foot above the floor.

  “You dare to come here?!” he cried, smashing his head against the stone. “You dare to look me in the face?! After what you’ve done!”

  Yep, certainly had it coming.

  Cass bashed him into the wall once more, his blonde hair falling to reveal the tips of his pointed ears. It was only then Katerina realized what he was. Realized that he wasn’t a man at all. Realized why he looked like the ancient prince from all of her storybooks come to life.

  He’s a fae.

  She sucked in a gasp of surprise, staring in fascination. Completely ignoring the fact that her new best friend was slowly getting beaten to a pulp against a hotel wall.

  I can’t believe it! Right here in the flesh!

  Dylan was slightly less enchanted. He was making no attempt to defend himself, but that did nothing to temper the fae’s rage. It wasn’t until an actual constable rounded the corner that the four of them slipped inside the hotel room, closing the door with a hasty click.

  The second that he was free Dylan fell to his knees, panting, and bleeding freely onto the floor. Tanya melted quickly back to her actual shape, looking pale, while Katerina stared at Cass with equal parts terror and fascination. A childish part of her hoped he would get past his murderous vendetta quickly. Then maybe he’d let her touch his ears…

  “Well, now that that’s out of the way,” Dylan bega
n as he pushed painfully to his feet, gesturing from one person to the next, “I believe introductions are in order. Cass, this is Tanya and Katerina. Girls, this is my oldest friend, Cassiel.”

  All four of them froze perfectly still, looking from one to the other.

  What the heck are we supposed to do? Shake hands?

  Luckily, though he might have been about two seconds away from committing a daylight homicide, the fae still seemed to have some manners. He tore his murderous eyes away from Dylan, wiped the blood off his knuckles, and offered a polite hand to each of the women in turn. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said softly.

  The girls blinked, then hastened to comply.

  “Pleasure’s all mine.”

  “Yeah, it’s…it’s really nice to meet you.”

  The three of them shook quickly, giving each other a cursory glance before turning back to the fourth member of their party, who was still bleeding a small ocean onto the floor. At this point, exsanguination was an actual risk, but you’d never have known it from his face. Now that the savage beating was over, he seemed to think the little reunion was going brilliantly.

  “There—see?” Dylan flashed them all a beaming smile. “No reason we can’t all get along.”

  The girls stared at him in disbelief, while Cassiel gave him an icy glare.

  “What do you want, Dylan?” he asked coldly.

  A bloody good question. Given the bad blood that was literally staining the ground between them, what could Dylan possibly expect to come of the surprise visit?

  As it turned out, his request was as simple as it was disarming.

  “I want to buy you a drink.”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later the four of them were circled around a booth in a local tavern, sitting in an almost comically uncomfortable silence. The ranger, the fae, the shifter, and the princess. Never was there such an unlikely gathering, and what a priceless picture they made.

  Dylan had yet to stop bleeding, Cassiel was glaring a hole into the table, Tanya was chewing anxiously on her lip, and Katerina was so nervous she was having some kind of heart palpitations.