A Dance with Darkness

by Jenna Wolfhart

  He handed me the bow and arrow without comment, but I couldn’t help but note that he did take ten large steps away from me. This whole thing had been his idea, but he was clearly still worried I might take out his eye.

  With a deep breath, I lifted the bow and stared hard at the target at the other end of the library. Again, every enemy’s face was plastered on the target in my mind’s eye. They had stalked me. They had hurt my friends. They had tried to destroy this Academy. I took a deep breath in through my nose and loosed the arrow.

  It soared across the library in a perfect arc, the sharp end hurtling straight into the center of the target. With wide eyes, I dropped the bow to the floor and stumbled back.

  “Wait a minute,” I mumbled. “That can’t be possible.”

  Rourke moved up behind me and handed me another arrow. His eyes were flickering as he searched my face, and my stomach flipped over a thousand times. Leaning forward, he dropped his gaze to my chest again and breathed deeply through his nose.

  “Do you know what you smell like, Norah?” he asked in a voice that was almost a growl.

  Shivers coursed along my skin as I stood there frozen in place, every single part of me sparking with a delicious need that made it difficult to think about anything else. All I could do was whisper in response, “No.”

  “You smell like fire and rain, but also like frost and starlight.” He leaned in closer, pressing his nose to my hair. “Like wildflowers and crackling leaves and the damp earth after rain. I didn’t notice it until now, but you smell like every season in this realm.”

  “I don’t understand,” I whispered, still frozen to the spot. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’re different. And it means that something has been hiding the truth from all of us.” He held up the necklace and closed his fingers around the pendant. “You won’t be wearing this ever again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “What’s this all supposed to mean?” I asked as I perched on the library study table. After my little demonstration with the bow and arrow, Rourke had rounded up the others. He’d filled them in on what had happened, and every single one of them was now looking at me with expressions of pure awe.

  Which...I didn’t really understand. All I’d done was shoot an arrow into a target, something many of the other recruits had already done.

  “What did your mother say to you when she gave you that necklace?” Kael asked quietly as he rubbed his jaw.

  Frowning, I thought back to that moment. It was difficult to remember her exact words. My emotions has been running high, and my step-dad had just slammed his fist into the wall beside my head. I’d been a lot more focused on getting the hell out of there than my mother’s words about the necklace.

  “She said something about wearing it always,” I said with a shrug. “I assumed she just meant that it would be her way of always being with me, even if not in person. Why? What’s the big deal about my necklace?”

  Kael exchanged a look with Rourke, who dangled the necklace just in front of his squinted eyes.

  “Autumn fae possess a particular set of skills,” Rourke murmured as he spun the necklace this way and that. “One of them is imbuing objects—and even living beings—with our will. If, for example, a fae wished to keep your true power hidden underneath an illusion of incompetence, a necklace that you wore around your neck might be one way to do it.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Incompetence?”

  Finn let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Let’s just say that it could make it seem as though you had trouble with some basic fae skills. Like the ability to dismount a horse without tumbling into a heap.”

  At his words, I shot daggers at Liam with my eyes. “You told him how clumsy I was on the horse.”

  Liam laughed, holding up his hands and shaking his head. “Darling, he didn’t need to be told. Your two left feet are pretty much infamous by now.”

  “Wait a minute.” I frowned. “I don’t have two left feet. Have you ever seen me dance? I’m actually pretty good at it, and my balance has always been spot on. It’s something I’ve worked on my entire life.”

  Finn arched his eyebrows. “We have seen you dance, and you’re more than good at it. So, then isn’t it strange you aren’t able to do anything fae-like without stumbling around everywhere?”

  He had a point, one I’d never considered until now. I’d never been clumsy. In fact, I’d been the opposite. Dancing had given me a strong core and serious flexibility. There was no reason why I should be tripping on my feet every time I tried to take on a fae challenge.

  “So, what are you saying? That necklace made me terrible at being a fae?”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Rourke dropped the necklace onto the table as if it had a disease he might catch if he stood close to it for too long.

  “She was able to heal Kael,” Finn argued. “And don’t forget she shifted off of that cliff.”

  “Both of those things happened when she was terrified,” Rourke replied. “Her strong emotions must have temporarily overcome the power of the illusion.”

  I held up my hands, glancing from Rourke to Finn to Kael and then to Liam. “Okay, guys. It’s a good theory, but my mother gave me this necklace. My very human mother who knows nothing about any of this.”

  “Maybe she knows more than you thought,” Rourke said quietly. “Regardless, the necklace has clearly been masking your true powers. I think everyone will agree that it’s best if one of us keeps ahold of it for now.”

  “But why would anyone want to mask my powers?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s the part I don’t get.”

  Rourke and Kael exchanged a glance again, and a silent conversation passed between them. I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, but we were interrupted by the loudest boom I’d ever heard. Frowning, we all glanced up at the ceiling as the overhead lights began to flicker. Another boom quickly followed, along with the heavy patter of rain, so loud that it sounded like a roar.

  “Sounds like a storm has arrived,” Liam said with a growl. “Summer didn’t get any of this bullshit until the Courts divided, and now it sounds like the whole sky is being torn in half.”

  They strode over to the windows to stare at the dark sky. Thick, angry clouds were rolling over the Academy, and the sharp crackle of lightning split through the night, so bright that it was almost blinding. Rain poured from the pregnant clouds, slanting sideways from the heavy wind that howled through the Academy grounds.

  Shivering, I hugged my arms to my chest and backed away from the windows. Something about the storm felt wrong and unnatural, almost as if it were a prelude to battle.

  “Are you alright?” Rourke asked, his hand whispering against my back before it fell heavily to his side. “I realize this is a lot to take in.”

  “I just don’t understand what any of this means,” I said. “Why would my mom have a necklace to hide my fae abilities?”

  “Maybe she knew what you were all this time,” he said quietly, shifting closer to speak into my ear, his breath soft against my neck. “Maybe she didn’t want you to return to Otherworld.”

  I turned toward him, searching his golden eyes with my own, hoping I could see the truth in his gaze. “Do you really think that’s it?”

  His eyes flickered, and he glanced away. “I’m not sure. There are...other things to take into consideration. Either way, I hope that you will accept my apologies on the behalf of the Autumn fae. We are not all like Redmond.”

  “I know.” I gave him a soft, timid smile. “Because there’s you.”

  I swore his chest puffed up at least a little.

  I continued, “But I’ve met some other Autumn fae who were...well, I wouldn’t call them friendly, but they seemed as if they were actually concerned about my safety. In fact, they warned me not to have run-ins with other Autumn fae.”

  “There are some rebels amongst the Autumns,” he said, his face clouding over. “They do not agree
with Viola’s reign, or her assassination on Marin. They are wanted fugitives, who prowl near the edge of the woods between the Autumn lands and the free territory. No one knows what they’re up to, but I think they’ve been hunting for hope.”

  “Oh.” My eyes widened. “Do you think that’s who I met that day in the woods?”

  “Could be,” he murmured.

  Another boom shook through the sky, and Liam hurried over to my side.

  “There’s something out there,” he said in a low voice. “We need to get the changelings into the gymnasium. It’s the safest place for them.”

  “Something is out there?” I asked, my heart thumping hard against my ribcage. “What is it?”

  His mouth was a grim line. “It looks like more Redcaps. They’re prowling back and forth just beyond the watch towers, which are currently empty. We thought it would be safest for everyone to hole up in the main house, but that means we have no one outside to hold them off.”

  I glanced at the windows, remembering the horror that had taken place in the dining hall. “They’ll just crash through the windows. There’s nothing to stop them from getting inside.”

  “That’s right.” Rourke’s jaw flickered as he clenched his teeth. “Which is why we must get everyone into the gym. Now.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The lights flickered as we all scurried into the ‘safety’ of the gymnasium. The fae were right. It was probably the safest place on campus, but it almost felt as though we were trapping ourselves inside with no hope of an escape. There was just the one set of double doors, now blocked by a growing mound of gym equipment. There were no windows. No escape hatches. One way in, and only one way out.

  The Head Instructor stood at the front of our worried huddled group, a sword dangling by her side. “Listen up. Now, I know you all are scared, but there’s no reason for worry or concern. Some Redcaps have been spotted on the grounds, but they won’t be able to get to you in here. All we have to do is sit tight until morning, and then we can go back to our regularly-scheduled classes.”

  Griff stood from the back of the room, his hands curled into tight fists. “Shouldn’t we be out there fighting them instead of hiding in here like a bunch of cowards?”

  “I agree.” A third-year girl with short dark hair moved to Griff’s side, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know the first-years are just starting to learn how to fight, but us third-years have been practicing for months.”

  “Your safety is paramount,” Alwyn said. “No changeling will engage in fighting these creatures. Our team of guards is just outside this door. Even they won’t be going out into the storm to face these beasts.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Griff said with a scowl. “First, we let the Autumn fae attack us and now this.”

  The Head Instructor’s voice went chilly. “We have reason to believe the Autumn fae are the ones controlling these beasts. They’re using them to attack our Academy.”

  Gasps rang out through the gathered changelings. I whirled toward Rourke, who didn’t look the least bit surprised. He gave me a nod and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I wondered as much. It’s not usual for the Redcaps to be so interested in our Academy. I thought something else might be at play here, and clearly Alwyn believes the same.”

  A heavy thud sounded outside of the barred doors, and the room immediately fell into a tense and uneasy silence. The thudding continued down the hall until it sounded so close that it might as well have been coming from within the gymnasium.

  Steel sang through the silence, and roars rose up in response. My heart began to hammer as all I could do was stand there and listen to the violent sounds of battle. I held my breath and backed up so that I was pressed tightly against Liam’s chest. I didn’t care if Alwyn saw. I didn’t care if she scolded the both of us until the ends of our days. I needed to feel his strength against me. I wanted to feel his warmth when every cell in my body felt brutally cold.

  Screams and shouts and roars and whines sounded over and over and over again. There must have been at least five Redcaps outside the door, and it sounded as though our fae guards were no match for the brutality of the beasts. Liam curled his fingers around my arms, and his soft breath whispered against my neck. If I closed my eyes, I could disappear in his embrace and block out the horror of the night.

  But I didn’t want to block it out. Our fae were out there dying. And we were in here doing nothing to stop it.

  Slowly, timidly, I pulled away from Liam’s comforting embrace and strode to the front of the room where Alwyn was staring at the door with pure horror plastered on her usually stoic face.

  “We should do something,” I said, clearing my throat so that everyone could hear me over the roar of the battle. “They’re dying out there.”

  She turned her chin over her shoulder to frown back at me. “What do you expect to do, Norah? You’re incompetent. Your failed challenges have been evidence enough of that.”

  I fisted my hands. “I’m actually not. I may not have had much formal training yet, but I have raw power. We all do. Not to mention the second and third years who have had some training. All of us together could easily fight these Redcaps.”

  “Like you did in the dining hall?” She shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. “I appreciate your willingness to help your fellow fae, Norah, but the safest place for all of you is in here.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so,” I continued. I wasn’t going to give up that easily. “If the Redcaps kill all of our guards, then they’ll aim all their strength at that door. After seeing them in action, I don’t think it’ll hold them off for very long. They had the element of surprise in the dining hall. We know they’re here now, and we’ve got enough weapons to go around.”

  “I agree with Norah,” Sophia said, striding up to stand by my side. For a moment, all I could do was stare at her in alarm. She hadn’t spoken to me since she’d told Redmond about Bree. A part of me wanted to hate her, but another part of me understood why she did what she did. In her eyes, all Redcaps were murderous creatures who had killed her friends. She didn’t know Bree was different. How could she?

  “Same.” Griff joined us, along with Lila and several of the third-year students. Soon, the entire gymnasium had moved to stand beside me, along with my four instructors who looked torn between giving me a high-five and hiding me away in a corner somewhere.

  Alwyn rolled her eyes and glanced at each of us in turn. “I shouldn’t go along with this, but something tells me I won’t be able to stop you even if I say no. Just...be smart. Don’t do anything stupid. And let us instructors take the lead.”

  As the battle raged on outside, the changelings worked together to move the gym equipment away from the door as quickly as possible. When we’d finally moved the last barrier out of the way, Alwyn unlocked the door and threw it open.

  The first thing I saw was blood, and the sight of it clogged up my throat. A fae guard’s body flew through the air and landed before us all with a heavy thud. We gasped and stumbled back, and a large mangy paw stepped into view. Liam threw himself in front of me as the Redcap slowly strode into the gym. It took one long sniff around the room before opening up its massive jaws and roaring in rage.

  Everyone sprang into action. At least a dozen changelings and instructors launched themselves at the creature, swords and daggers swirling through the air. Many of the blades made contact, and soon enough, the creature had fallen to the floor. Those fierce beady eyes slid shut, and its last breath whooshed from its lungs.

  We all stood staring at the creature. No one was certain what to do next.

  “Is that it?” asked Griff.

  His answer came soon enough. Four more beasts hurtled into the gymnasium, each one storming toward a different cluster of changelings. Everything turned to chaos in that moment. I no longer knew what was up and what was down. Instead, I lost myself in the dance of the fight.

  Liam pressed a sword into my hand, and as soon as my finger curled ar
ound the hilt, it was as if the weapon became an extension of my hand. I whirled through the air, slicing the blade at the creature I fought. There were five of us on one. Me and my four males against the Redcap. Liam’s roar was as loud as the beast’s, and Rourke moved with a speed and grace that matched the most glorious of ballets.

  My sword found its mark several times, and after what felt like hours, the beast finally fell.

  I whirled on my feet to face the next. It rose up before me, its brilliant blue eyes catching onto mine.

  Blue eyes. Not black or red, but blue.

  My heart shook, and I stumbled back.

  No. It couldn’t be. Bree would never do such a thing.

  Alwyn’s words rang in my ears. The Autumn fae were using the Redcaps, controlling them as a way to launch violent attacks on the Academy. Somehow, they’d found my friend, and they’d sent her here to kill me.

  She hesitated, the deafening roar in her throat dying away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Griff charging toward her. Before I could think, I jumped in the way, holding up my hands as his sword swung toward me.

  “No!” I shouted. “Stop!”

  His sword froze in mid-air, only inches from slicing right into my neck. Griff frowned, stumbling back, his eyes locked on Bree’s monstrous form behind me.

  “Get out of the way, Norah,” he said, voice harsh and full of furious emotion. “That’s the last Redcap here. It needs to be killed.”

  “No,” I said, more quietly now. “This isn’t a Redcap. It’s Bree, my oldest friend from home. She doesn’t deserve to die.”

  Griff shook his head, letting out a harsh laugh as he gestured at the carnage in the hallway. “She helped kill all those guards, Norah. I get that you think she’s still the human girl you knew back home, but she isn’t. She’s a monster now, one who attacked us. Now, move out of the way.”

  “No. She didn’t do this.” My heartbeat was so loud in my ears that I could barely hear my own voice. “The Autumn fae are controlling her, just like Alwyn said. She would never attack anyone. Not on her own.”