The Summer Marked

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  Shit. What’s going on?

  The musicians sat on chairs, while the girls were forced to line up. Most wore the same mystified looks I’d seen in the Bone Yard. But there was one I couldn’t take my eyes off. Her face had lost its color. Even from here, I saw her legs shaking and the fear in her gaze.

  Something bad was about to happen. And I didn’t want to witness it. One of the musicians pulled a harp in front of him. He sat at the edge of his seat. His fingers stroked the strings. At first, beautiful music flowed, and I relaxed some.

  The other instruments joined in. One by one, the girls started to dance. Then the screams came. Horrified, I watched the girl who’d been freaked out grab her arms. Every time the musicians plucked or strummed a string, deep, bloody gashes appeared on the dancers’ bodies. Like an invisible whip lashed out at them. Blood sprayed across the floor, dripping down their dresses and skin. My hands trembled, and I fought to keep hold of the decanter.

  My jaw clenched as the one girl fell to her knees. The others just kept twirling—dancing as if they didn’t feel a thing. The Fae laughed and cheered.

  Without thinking, I rushed to the fallen girl’s side. “Hold on, it’ll be okay.” I tugged at my apron, trying to wrap it around her bloodied wrists.

  “Help me,” she whispered.

  “I’m trying.” But for every wound I attempted to cover up, another one sprung forth.

  The Fae pointed and continued their laughter. What I wouldn’t give to shut them all up. Demetria hurried to my side.

  “You have to leave her be or you’ll get in trouble.” She jerked me to my feet.

  The injured girl clung to my leg. I didn’t want to leave her. At last, she released me. “Go, you cannot do anything for me.” My stomach coiled as I let Demetria lead me away. I pressed myself against the wall, my body trembling beneath me.

  “What the hell are they doing?” I said to my friend.

  “This is their idea of fun.” Her lips pressed into a tight line. “The music won’t stop until one of them dies. You must promise not to do something foolish like this again. If you try to save someone, they will punish you too.”

  “How can I sit back and watch people be killed?”

  “You have to.” Demetria’s voice cracked. “To do good here is to put a nail in your own coffin.”

  I closed my eyes. No way could I watch this sadistic crap. One final yelp sounded. The music stopped. The entire hall erupted with cheers and clapping.

  “They’ve taken her away now.” Demetria touched my arm.

  My lids opened. Tears burned my eyes. “They’re fricken monsters,” I said. “No one deserves to be treated like this.”

  “I know.”

  Servants quickly cleaned up the mess, their once white towels colored crimson now. Moments later the main course was brought into the dining hall like nothing ever happened.

  “Teodor is here tonight.” Demetria nodded to the queen’s table. “He’s sitting at the end.”

  I glanced at him. He was definitely hot—dark hair, dark eyes, golden skin that’d make a sun god jealous—but a monster nonetheless. His arrogance practically slapped me in the face from here, and I frowned as Crazy Chick squirmed in his lap.

  He nuzzled her then his gaze shifted to mine. He smiled before taking a strawberry from his plate and popping it in his mouth. When he finished chewing, he turned away, giving Crazy Chick a shove from his lap.

  The queen glanced at me and beckoned me over. At first, I didn’t move. But Demetria squeezed my arm.

  “You better go to her or she’ll grow angry.”

  I handed Demetria my decanter and moved across the floor. When I stood in front of the queen’s table her lips turned up in a sneer.

  “What’s wrong, human? Do you not enjoy our games?”

  “Of course she does, your highness.” Etienne strolled into the ballroom along with another Fae man. Dark circles painted his eyes as he stared at me. “She’s merely missed her prince. But I’m here—she can have fun now.”

  He pulled me against him. His lips trailed down my neck. I stiffened at the heat of his breath in my ear.

  “Play along,” he whispered.

  I swallowed hard and wrapped my arms around him. A brief sense of safety washed over me, but it didn’t last long when I saw the queen’s forced smile.

  “Etienne—join us and tell me news of Summer.” She shoved the woman sitting to her right out of her seat and gestured for Etienne to take it.

  He released me and sauntered toward the empty chair. “Soldiers from Summer visited the Ruined Court recently. I’m not sure what they were there for, but there were several of them, including the King.”

  “What?” She slammed her fist down. Her plate flew through the air and shattered on the floor.

  “I’m afraid that’s not all, Your Highness. I also found dead trolls in the forest near there.”

  Her eyes narrowed, while her mouth twisted. “I want all the humans out of here. Now!”

  Demetria hurried to my side, and we rushed out into the hall. “Go straight to your room and lock the door.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Whenever she gets bad news, she takes it out on us.”

  Great. And I happened to be one of her least favorite people. Not needing anymore urging than that, I found Rena, who half dragged me toward Etienne’s quarters. Once she had me inside, she locked the door. Then and only then did I sink into a chair near the fireplace. My pulse raced; my body quaked.

  If Etienne hadn’t shown up tonight, I didn’t know what would’ve happened. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to forget the sight of the dancing girls.

  I can’t take any more of this.

  I covered my face with my hands, fighting back tears that threatened to escape. Now I owed the stupid bastard who brought me here my life. If he hadn’t walked in when he had, I was pretty sure Ms. Sadistic Bitch Queen would’ve had me dancing on top of flaming logs. Or worse, given me to Teodor.

  Etienne barged into the room, followed by Rena. “Get your cloak and boots on now,” he said as he went to his armoire and scoured through it.

  “Why? What’s going on?” Panic sliced through me like a machete. Did the queen want to see me again?

  “I’m going to try to get you out of here. The queen’s fury is only going to worsen as Summer grows stronger. The more time you spend here, the more likely you’ll be killed.”

  I stood, dumbfounded. “You’re going to help me escape?”

  His blue eyes met mine. “I’m going to try. I never should’ve let Teodor get in my way at the club. I should’ve forced you to leave. But I’m going to make it right. Now do as I said.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up his hand.

  “Now isn’t the time to argue about me telling you what to do,” he said. “If you don’t start making some hard choices, you’re going to die here—or you can do what I say and help me get you back home. Those are your options.”

  Oh God. Home. A place where I could be safe again. Wasn’t that worth a sacrifice here and there? Wasn’t that worth going against my instincts and making tough decisions?

  My hands trembled as I fastened my cloak around my shoulders. I sat down in the chair and tugged my boots on. Once I finished, Rena handed Etienne some food, which he tucked into a pouch fastened across his chest like a pack.

  “Rena, tell the others to lay low. I will try to come back for the rest of you as soon as possible.” He patted her shoulder.

  “Be safe, milord,” she said.

  “Come along.” He caught my arm. “If we’re going to make our escape, it has to be now. Grisselle normally has fewer guards posted this time of night, so we should be able to make our escape out the front. Just stay close to me.”

  My heart hammered in my chest. Oh God, I was going home. No more nightmares or horrific murders. No more blood and bones. I couldn’t wait to leave this place.

  I gripped tight onto Etienne as we headed out the d
oor. I hated that I had to leave Demetria behind. She’d been such a good friend to me, keeping me safe. If she hadn’t shown me the ropes that first day in the Bone Yard, then one of the crazy girls or trolls might’ve gotten to me. But I knew we didn’t have time to go search for her. Maybe I could find some way to have Etienne come back for her. She didn’t deserve to be here. None of these girls did.

  The hallways were streaked in shadows. Silence reverberated throughout the castle. But the deafening quiet unnerved me, as it made each of our footfalls that much louder. When we rounded the corner near the front door, Etienne pushed me against the wall so he could search for guards.

  “Follow me,” he whispered, catching my hand in his.

  The door let out a low groan as he shoved it open and I braced myself for hordes of creatures to jump out and stop us. But none came. Crisp night air took my breath away when we stepped out into the night. The blackness nearly suffocated me. There were no stars or moon, no light except for a few torches lit along the castle wall.

  Snow crunched beneath our feet as we moved toward the main gate. All at once, Etienne came to a stop. He dragged me behind an ice-covered statue. “Shit.”

  Shaking, I leaned against him. “What’s wrong?”

  “The queen posted more guards. We can’t get out.”

  “But I thought you said—”

  “Listen, we have to go back in. We can’t get out this way, not tonight. She must’ve been threatened by the news of Summer and decided not to take any chances.”

  My heart fell. No. I couldn’t go back in there. “Please, help me get out of here. I’ll do anything you want.”

  He clutched me to his chest and hugged me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you false hope. I thought this way would be safe. But it’s not. I’ll keep trying to free you, just trust me, okay? Now come along, we need to get back inside before someone notices we’re missing.”

  Frigid air snaked along the neck of my cloak, and I shivered. Had the entire thing been a sick game? A way to give me hope and then snatch it away?

  With reluctance, I let Etienne lead me back indoors. But as we made our way down the darkened corridor, someone stepped out in front of us.

  “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Teodor said, his voice thick with menace.

  Etienne went still. “I went out for a breath of fresh air.”

  “And you took your human out after curfew? Wonder what the queen would have to say about that?”

  “Get the hell out of my way or I’ll tell the queen about the five human girls you took from the Bone Yard without her permission—two of which you made disappear.”

  “Didn’t realize you were keeping track of what I do,” Teodor said. “You know, I could just take this one off your hands. She needs to be broken. The sooner she knows her place, the better.”

  “Stay away from me and stay away from my property.” Etienne shoved around him, tugging me after.

  Teodor’s gaze slid over me as if I was a last meal. The more I resisted him and Etienne fought to keep him away, the more he wanted me. And that scared the hell out of me. When we made it back to Etienne’s room, I slumped to the floor in a heap and buried my head in my hands.

  “I just want to get out of here.”

  “I know. And I promise to keep trying. But we need to be more careful. Teodor senses something is going on. You need to avoid him at all cost.” Etienne hefted me up in his arms and carried me over to my makeshift bed on the floor. He slid my boots from my feet then untied my cloak. Once that was done, he laid me down and covered me up.

  His fingers traced my cheek, wiping away the tears that trickled down. “Please forgive me, Kadie.”

  But I only nodded. No words would form. I was a fool to get my hopes up—to believe I might actually get out of here. Etienne sat with me, and my lids drifted shut as he stroked my face. I didn’t want to be comforted by him. He was the enemy. But this enemy had tried to help me, so maybe he wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.

  Chapter Twelve

  Salome

  Adaba stuck close to Gareth’s horse as we weaved through the greenery. The sun beat down on us, and sweat trickled down my forehead. Everything spoke of summer: the flowers, the warm breeze, butterflies flitting overhead.

  Adaba whinnied beneath me, and I scratched his neck. I glanced over my shoulder then frowned. To the southwest, the skies darkened as if a winter storm moved in. I shivered, glad we were headed away from it.

  The horses in front of us came to a stop as we approached a large clearing. “Here we are, the border of Summer,” Nevin said as he and the others dismounted.

  He walked back to me, clutched my waist, and helped me down. He offered me his arm, then led me toward a white oak gate that stood at least twenty foot tall. Carved into the wood were trees, suns, birds, and flowers.

  Holy fairytale setting.

  This was even greater than the summer estate that butted up against my grandma’s property, where Nevin had invited me when I chose Gareth to be mine. Speaking of which, my gaze shifted as I tried to find Gareth. He fell in behind us.

  “You can walk with me, you know.” My eyes met his as I glanced at him over my shoulder.

  He smiled, but it seemed forced. “You are Nevin’s guest here. He wants everyone to know it.”

  “But I’m your girlfriend. I’d rather be with you.”

  “It’s tradition, Salome, as his guest and—might I add—his savior, he must be the one to lead you in,” he responded as the large gate swung open.

  I gasped when I saw inside. Great white oaks reached to the sky. Stairs wound around them, leading to houses in the trees. Waterfalls cascaded down mountainsides, splashing into streams that carried boats with Fae in them.

  Pink petals blew across the marble roadway. Fae gathered along the roadside to watch us pass through. They bowed and cheered. Nevin waved with one hand, while he placed the other at the small of my back.

  The sound of wind chimes carried on the breeze, bringing back memories of Grandma’s house. Trees billowed back and forth. My gaze took in the sweeping gardens, full of wildflowers of every shade imaginable. Gardens opened into courtyards filled with statues and water fountains.

  It was like I’d stepped into a Tolkien novel. We made our way under a stone archway, which had two ornate oaks carved into it. On the other side we approached white marble stairs inlaid with gold.

  “Holy crap,” I said.

  My mouth hung open as I gawked at the palace, built right into the trees that surrounded it. It had archways that seemed to touch the sky and balconies overlooking pools of splashing water. Tiny fairies flew by my head, chittering as they darted into the trees above. Beautiful, tall Fae moved with grace, making way for Nevin.

  He leaned over, his breath fanning out against my face. “So, what do you think?”

  “It—it’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it…”

  “Nor will you ever again.” He chuckled, ushering me up into the palace.

  Everything was light, pristine, and open. At the center of the foyer was a fountain that sprayed water several feet into the air. Four staircases went off the main level—one in each direction—leading to a balcony that wrapped around the room above. My head tilted back, and I caught sight of the ceiling. Scenes of Summer and entwined lovers were etched into the gleaming wood tiles.

  “I can’t believe you live here.” I spun to take everything in.

  Nevin stood, watching me. “Now you know why I was so eager to get back home. My kingdom is everything to me. Not just the palace, but the people—the warmth.” He caught my hand, tugging me toward one of the staircases. “Come along, I’ll show you to your room.”

  One of the guards approached him and handed him an envelope. “Your Highness, a message came in this morning while you were gone.”

  My gaze flitted over the familiar handwriting. “Is that from my grandmother?”

  Nevin tucked it away. “Yes, but I’ll read it later.�
�

  “Why are you corresponding with her?” Alarm bells went off.

  “She’s likely just asking how you’re doing.” His posture went rigid as he caught Gareth’s eye but said no more.

  “What the hell is that about?”

  Gareth glanced at me and gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head. “Not here.”

  Nevin’s guards dispersed, leaving only me, Gareth, and him. When we reached the balcony area, two halls branched off in different directions.

  “I’ll see you later.” Gareth kissed my cheek. “I promise, we’ll speak later.”

  “Wait, where are you going?”

  “My room is in a different wing than yours.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze.

  “You’re not serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I thought we’d be together, or at least near one another.”

  “Here, we don’t share rooms unless we’re wed. Besides, we had separate quarters in my estate.”

  “I know. It’s just I’m nervous being here. You’ll still be able to come see me, won’t you?”

  “Of course. Don’t worry so much. I promise, you’ll grow to love it here as much as we do.”

  “We’ll meet up with him for dinner,” Nevin said beside me. “Now, let’s get you to your room so you can freshen up.”

  We walked down the narrow corridor. Wind sneaked in through the opened windows above, bringing with it the scent of roses.

  At last we stopped in front of a blue door with a golden crown and flowers painted on it. Nevin twisted the handle and it swung open. “Here you are. If you need anything, my room is right next to yours. The maids have already prepared a basin of water and a clean dress for you.”

  “Thank you,” I said, stepping around him.

  He stood, staring at me for a moment before he closed the door behind me.

  Holy shit.

  My eyes widened as I took in the ginormous canopied bed. The light blue curtains billowed back and forth as air blew in from doors that led to a private balcony. An ornate white marble fireplace sat against the back wall, with two plush, wine-colored chairs placed in front of it.