A Dance with Darkness

by Jenna Wolfhart

  “The Royals Ball is this weekend, Norah,” Rourke said. “Which you’d know about if you weren’t dashing off to the stables every day.”

  He cut Liam a look, who merely smirked in response. He must have told them then. Great.

  “Each Court sends representatives to attend the Academy’s event. The Lords and Ladies won’t come, of course, but some lesser Royals will attend.” Kael shook his head and grimaced. “That means there will be extra guards roaming the grounds. If any of them spotted a Redcap, they’d kill it in a heartbeat. We can’t risk going for Bree while they’re here.”

  I puffed out a frustrated sigh and sunk back into the chair. I hated waiting. Bree needed my help, and the clock was ticking. And this stupid ball was only going to delay what shouldn’t be delayed any longer.

  “Don’t look so glum, Norah,” Finn said, cocking his head to the side. “I thought you’d be excited about the ball. It’s your first chance to dance in Otherworld, and it’ll be nothing like you’ve ever danced before.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The Royals began to arrive the very next day. The Autumn fae were the first to join the celebration, striding down the hallways in their golden robes with hair the color of the setting sun. Liam found me in my apartment, flipping through the book about the Starlight plant. I was yearning to find some hope within the old, weathered pages. I needed to know this would all turn out okay.

  He didn’t bother to knock on the door, and his body filled the doorway in a way that made it seem as if the entire apartment had been consumed by his fiery presence. And I still had yet to be alone with him since our kiss. To say being near him made me nervous now? Well, that was just putting it lightly.

  “Norah, the Autumn Court has arrived,” he said in a gruff voice that did little to mask his irritation at their presence in these halls.

  I kept my eyes focused on the book. I figured if I didn’t look at him, I wouldn’t feel that overwhelming desire to climb up him again. After his little chat with the Head Instructor, he probably didn’t want me to anyway, and I had approximately zero desire to make an idiot out of myself.

  “I saw them arrive earlier. It was kind of impossible to miss them, you know.”

  A pause. “Why do you always get an attitude when you talk to me?”

  “Maybe because you act like I’m an idiot.”

  “I do no such thing.” Another pause, only after this one, he strode over to my bed and sat without any invitation from me. “You need to be careful around them.”

  At that, I glanced up. My curiosity got the better of me. His orange eyes were swirling with an intensity that always took my breath away, and it was difficult to concentrate on what he’d said before, not when he was looking at me like that. Like...he wanted to eat me up.

  “I thought they were just minor Royals here to have fun at our ball. Why do I need to be careful?”

  He frowned and glanced at my cracked bedroom door. Sophia wasn’t home right now, but she’d return at any moment. Was he really that worried about even my roommate overhearing our conversation?

  He dropped his voice to a whisper, which sounded strange coming from him. Liam never whispered. “Remember what we learned when we visited Esari?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, this ball is to celebrate the anniversary of Marin’s assassination. I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought it was poetic to plan another assassination on this date again.”

  Dread pooled in my stomach at his words. Surely they wouldn’t. Not here. Not now.

  “But this is an Academy. We’re students. Who in the world would they want to assassinate here?”

  Something flickered in his eyes, and he glanced at the cracked door again. “Have you told anyone else about how you were able to heal Kael?”

  Alarmed, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t really know how to explain it without giving away the fact we went to the Winter Court to find some Starlight for Bree.”

  “Good.” He nodded. “What about your roommate? Did you tell her?”

  “I...” I shook my head. It was awful. There had been so many times when I’d wanted to tell her. Keeping the secrets from my closest friend at the Academy felt like the biggest betrayal of them all, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat. Sometimes, it felt like I was living a double life. “I’m not really used to having friends. I was scared if she knew what I’ve been up to, she wouldn’t be too fond of me anymore.”

  “Well, that’s ridiculous,” he said in a low growl. “Anyone who isn’t fond of you is an idiot, especially if they knew how pure your heart is.”

  I blinked at his words. I wouldn’t exactly call my heart pure, especially when it was currently yearning for the affections of four different fae males. But I didn’t dare say that out loud.

  The front door of the apartment creaked open, and Liam cocked his head with a frown. “She’s back. Don’t tell her about your gifts, Norah. Don’t tell anyone.”

  That evening, we all dined together. The Summer Royals had arrived, along with the Spring fae contingent. Only the Winter fae had yet to walk through the Academy’s front doors. Extra tables had been added to the expansive space, and the buzz of conversation made the place feel electric and alive.

  Everyone was excited about the upcoming ball. Recruits had taken it upon themselves to find dates, much to the Head Instructor’s disapproval. Griff and Lila were going together while Sophia had been asked by one of the third-year students. The Instructors—a.k.a. our future mates—were strictly forbidden from participating in any sort of pairing up, so it seemed the changelings were just trying to make the best of the situation.

  “I’m actually glad I’m going with Griff,” Lila whispered into my ear. “I mean, is it horrible that I like him so much more than any of our potential mates? I mean, I figure I’m a Summer, right? Look at me. Flaming red hair. I love the sunshine. But Liam? I don’t know. He just doesn’t do it for me.”

  “He does it for me,” I muttered underneath my breath.

  She cocked her head. “What?”

  My cheeks flamed. Had I just said that out loud?

  “Nothing,” I said quickly.

  “Sam said the same,” she added. “She’s pretty certain she’s Autumn, and she doesn’t have any interest in Rourke. And Sophia has barely looked at Finn. What about you? You’re going to end up mated to Kael, right? I mean, he’s just so cold and distant. I can’t imagine him kissing anyone? It’d be like kissing a wet noodle.”

  “A wet noodle?” An flicker of irritation went through me. “Well, that’s just rude. The other changelings have nothing on any of them. Sure, they can be kind of annoying at times, but they’re the strongest men I’ve ever met in my life. I can’t imagine how you could think anyone was better than them. Hell, I’d mate with all of them if I could.”

  The room had gone strangely silent, and my words echoed off the walls around me. My heart froze in my chest as I slowly turned to find that every single fae in the room was staring right at me. I swallowed hard, and my whole neck went white hot.

  This was...embarrassing, to say the least.

  Gripping the table, I eased my eyes to the table at my left where the instructors were all dining together. Yep, sure enough, all four of them had heard me. They were staring at me, each wearing an expression that ranged from amusement to shock to intrigue. My god. If only the floor would open up and swallow me whole right now.

  I’d clearly let that whole harem nonsense get into my head, and now the entire Academy knew about it.

  The silence seemed to stretch on for ages. Just when I thought I could take no more, the glass window exploded behind me. Shards rained down on the marble floor, and Lila jumped up with a scream. I scrambled back just as another window broke through, the massive claws of a Redcap shooting through the hole left behind.

  With a sharp gasp, I stumbled back. The windows on the other side of the dining hall faced a similar fate, and two more Redcaps jumped through.
They landed on every side of us, their sharp claws glinting off the light of the torches lining the walls. Changelings were screaming and racing toward the tall double doors that would lead to escape. But a Redcap jumped in front of them just in time, trapping every single soul in this place.

  Finn and Rourke were by my side within an instant. One behind me, one in front, forming their arms in a circle to keep me protected from the creatures. I wanted to argue, to tell them to go help anyone else but me, but the terror in my heart had my mouth glued shut.

  There were four Redcaps in the dining hall now, slowly circling the fae and changelings. I glanced around, desperately trying to find Sophia, Lila, and Sam. They were all huddled together, ducking low behind the table where we’d just been sitting. One of the creatures was bearing down on them. Its claws were only inches from their heads.

  “Rourke,” I whispered, my heart beating madly in my chest. “Help them. Please.”

  “I’m not leaving your side,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “Neither am I,” Finn added. “Kael took Liam to get some weapons. He shifted away the second the first window broke.”

  Indeed, he and Liam reappeared within seconds. Both were wielding swords that matched the ones they’d held that day in New York, that night that now felt so very, very long ago. Kael whirled and tossed a second blade into the hands of our Head Instructor while Liam tossed a sword to one of the third year instructors. Together, the four of them converged on the nearest Redcap, their blades swinging through the fear-filled air.

  I found myself clinging tight to Finn’s arm as I watched Kael and Liam battle the creatures. My heart was in my throat, and my blood roared in my ears. They were so strong and so brave. Much braver than I was. Of course they were the two who had taken charge to save the day. They were the kind of fae to risk their lives for the sake of others, and I loved them for it.

  When the first Redcap fell, it ignited a pure, unbridled anger in the others. They began to launch themselves at the cowering changelings. Claws swiped faces. Blood spilled. Rourke stepped in front of me to block my view of the carnage, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me so close that I could hear his frantic heartbeat in his chest.

  The fight raged on. Screams filled the air as well as the gruesome sound of blades slicing into flesh. I wanted to do something. Anything other than stand here helpless, but Rourke kept a tight hold on my body, keeping me firmly out of harm’s way.

  When it was finally over, the sight that met my eyes made me fall to my knees. The Redcaps had been defeated, and their corpses littered the hall. With them, three fae had fallen, blood pouring from gaping wounds.

  “Who is it?” I whispered to Finn, who had wrapped his arm around my waist to hold me steady.

  “I’m so sorry, Norah. Sam didn’t make it.” His lips pressed into a tight line. “We also lost a third-year changeling, along with her mate. He jumped in front of her to protect her from the Redcap, but—”

  He sagged against me, and I supported him as best I could.

  “Alright everyone,” our Head Instructor called out as she moved to the center of the floor. She wiped sweat and dirt and blood from her forehead and dropped her sword to the ground where it clattered, a steely echo in the sudden quiet of the hall. “I think it’s best if everyone returns to their apartments for the rest of the evening. You’ll be escorted there by your instructors who will stand guard, just in case more of the creatures try to attack.”

  Frightened whispered shuddered through the crowd.

  “We’ll have extra guards patrol the grounds tonight, and all nights going forward until we can be sure the threat is gone,” she continued. “They had the element of surprise on their side tonight. They won’t have that again. Unfortunately, I’m afraid this means we won’t be able to go ahead with the ball tomorrow night.”

  “That’s not an option.” One of the Autumn Royals stepped up to our Head Instructor’s side and gave her a sharp, pointed frown. “The Royals Ball is not an optional event. It is not just a celebration. It is a reminder of who our true rulers are. Queen Viola would take it as a major slight if you were to cancel the ball, and I think we’re all very aware that it is never a good idea to slight our Queen.”

  Eyes wide, I glanced at Rourke. He shook his head in disgust, but he kept his thoughts private. I had come to realize that Rourke was no ordinary Autumn fae. He clearly didn’t approve of much of what they did.

  “You cannot possibly expect these students to celebrate after what’s happened here tonight?” Head Instructor Alwyn asked, her mouth slightly parted in surprise. “After what’s happened to their classmates and friends?”

  “We don’t just expect it,” the Autumn fae said with glittering yellow eyes. “We demand it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The dining hall had been transformed, but the ghosts of the attack still lingered behind. At some point during the night, the Autumn fae had cleared the room, disposing of the Redcap bodies in a bonfire on a distant hill. I knew because I’d seen the flames from my bedroom window, the spot I hadn’t been able to vacate all night. I just kept imagining those claws. All that blood painting every surface of the hall.

  And I couldn’t stop thinking about Bree. She was somewhere out there. I had to hope the Redcaps hadn’t come across her first. I had to hope I could get to her while she was still breathing.

  Now, I stood in the hall-turned-ballroom, drinking in the strange eeriness of the celebration. Someone had left a package just outside the apartment door addressed to me. In it, I’d found the most beautiful dress I’d ever laid eyes on. It was midnight black with silver sleeves filled with starlight. With an open back, at first I’d felt a bit shy about wearing it. It revealed more skin than I was accustomed to showing, but when I tried it on, the silky fabric fit me like a glove. Like it had been made specifically for me. Even the bottom of the dress was the perfect length, and it spread out across the floor with more silver specks dotted across the fabric like a glorious painting of a clear night sky.

  Sophia had shouted and exclaimed and clapped her hands, and she’d tried to convince me to wear my hair in an elaborate up-do that didn’t suit me. Instead, I’d let my long locks fall in natural waves down my back. It made me feel free and alive. If it weren’t for the cloud of pain and danger that hung heavily over this event, I might even feel strangely happy.

  But after what had happened, no one seemed particularly comfortable to be here right now. Except for the Autumn Royals who were smugly moving about the room in long golden gowns, their cold, intelligent eyes keeping a close eye on everything we said and did.

  Kael slid up behind me and gently placed his hand on my back. My heart skipped, and I tried not to let my face show just how much of an effect that slight touch had on me.

  “You look very beautiful, Norah.” A pause as his dark eyes searched mine. “Is it safe to say that you like my gift?”

  I widened my eyes. “Your gift? You mean...this dress is from you?”

  “Of course,” he said with a slight smile. “I assumed the color would give it away, as well as the stars. I wanted to give you something that reminded me of that night you saved my life.”

  My knees wobbled. That was pretty much the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me, but Kael took my reaction to mean something else entirely.

  “You okay?” He gently took my arm and furrowed his eyebrows. “Do you need to sit? Is something ailing you?”

  “I’m fine.” I cleared my throat and smiled. “Just a little overwhelmed, I guess.”

  Get ahold of yourself, Norah. One sweet comment, and you’re already swooning onto the floor.

  He scowled and glanced at an Autumn Court fae who slowly passed us by, eyes locked on where Kael’s hand rested on my back. “It’s truly heartless to make all the changelings endure this ridiculous celebration after what happened last night.”

  “Careful, Kael,” the Autumn fae said with a chilly smile. “I wouldn’t want to ha
ve to report you to Viola.”

  “Don’t lie, Redmond. It’s not the Autumn fae way,” Kael shot back. “We both know that you would love to report me to Viola.”

  “You’re right.” Redmond’s smile was full of sharp and pointed teeth. “A monster like you shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near our so-called precious changelings.” He sniffed my way. “Does your friend know about your special issue?”

  “I know all about it. Thanks for asking.” I shot him a sarcastic smile as sweet folksy music filled the hall. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’d like to go do something more interesting than talk to a smug fae. Kael, would you like to join me?”

  Kael pursed his lips and tried to keep his chuckle under his breath, but I heard him. It was a deep, soothing sound. A sound I wished I could hear more of. Kael didn’t laugh nearly enough. Somehow, I needed to rectify that.

  He kept his hand on my back, and I had a feeling it was more in spite of Redmond than because he necessarily wanted it there. But I didn’t mind. I liked the idea of seeing Redmond’s smug smile fall right off his stupid face. So, Kael steered me toward the dance floor. At the moment, it was glaringly empty, but we walked past everyone on the outskirts until we were the only ones there.

  “Care to dance?” He held out a hand and gave me a mock bow.

  With a laugh, I took his outstretched palm into mine and curtsied back. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist, swaying to the beat of the music. Delight and surprise made my stomach begin to flutter. This was unexpected. Of all the fae to ask me to dance, I wouldn’t have guessed it would be Kael. Finn, most likely. Liam, if he was in the mood. Rourke and Kael? Never.

  And yet here we were, the only two fae on the dance floor.

  The upbeat song whirled around us, and I lost myself to the strange, delightful music of the fae. We spun and spun, our arms wrapped tight around each other. Light and sound all mixed together as one, and soon, the world felt as though it dropped away. The music was everything, along with the dance. It was loud and big and wild, and I’d never before felt so alive.