Daring Hearts: Fearless Fourteen Boxed Set

by Box Set

  “Okay, but if Oliver asked you now, what would you say?”

  Tora opens her mouth but is saved from answering by a hurried knocking on her door. “Come in,” she calls.

  A dwarf marches in with a stack of note-sized pages in his hand. “Urgent memo for all guardians,” he says. He hands one to Tora and another to me. As he leaves, I see another dwarf hurrying down the corridor in the opposite direction.

  “Oh no!” Tora claps a hand to her mouth as her eyes scan the note. “This must have happened after I left last night.”

  I look down at the small piece of reed paper in my hand.

  * * *

  An enchanted fire was started by black-clad faeries outside the London Guild last night. While the internal entrance connected to the faerie paths remained intact, no one could enter or leave through the exterior entrance. After a number of unsuccessful attempts to extinguish the fire, it vanished, seemingly on its own. The black-clad faeries were gone. No Guild members were hurt.

  This is the third attack on a Guild, and the second Guild to be attacked. It is likely that more attacks are on the way. Please be prepared for action at all times.

  * * *

  Stunned, I stare at the message as I realize the note in my pigeon hole wasn’t a joke.

  Somebody warned me this would happen.

  I blink and look up. Tora is tapping her small circular mirror. “Oliver! Is everything okay there?”

  “You’ve heard about the fire?” says a male voice.

  “Yes. Only just.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you earlier. Things have been crazy here this morning, but everyone’s okay.”

  “Oh, thank goodness.”

  I stand up to leave. It would be rude of me to hang around and listen to Tora’s conversation with Oliver. Besides, I feel the need to check my pigeon hole again because something tells me I’m going to find another mysterious note there.

  I head to the corridor lined with pigeon holes. As I reach mine, I see a folded note with my name on one side, written in the same stylus-printed type as before. With my heart pumping faster than normal, I unfold the paper.

  * * *

  VF,

  Now that you know I can be trusted, it is your turn to prove to me that you can be trusted. I will not risk my life to give this information to someone too afraid to come and get it from me. If you can go to Diviniti, an Underground club, and fetch something from the man with the ram’s horns, then I will know you are brave enough for this task.

  D

  * * *

  Diviniti? A man with ram’s horns? This is getting weird. I should either throw this note away or give it to someone like Councilor Starkweather. What I shouldn’t do is follow the instructions D has given me in the hopes that I’ll end up getting important information from him or her. Important information that I can then use to show Councilor Starkweather just how wrong she was to exclude me from the Zell investigation.

  I shouldn’t do that. I really, really shouldn’t. I can almost hear logical me chanting, Don’t do it, Vi, don’t do it.

  Ugh, but I so badly want to prove myself. And what good would it do to take this note to someone else in the Guild? This D person only wants to communicate with me. I’m the one who needs to get the information that could save everyone.

  I insert the note into my pocket as I head back down the corridor. At the very least, I’ll try to find Diviniti and the man with the ram’s horns. Then I’ll decide what to do after that.

  * * *

  Ryn is stuck in his new cubicle at the Guild writing a mile-long report on his Egypt assignment, so I don’t bother him with questions about how to get to Diviniti. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I sift through my clothes at home and try to transform them into something colorful and whacky. I know deep down that my real reason for keeping this from Ryn is that he won’t approve of me going off on my own to follow up on this lead. He hasn’t been above breaking rules in the past—like when we rescued Calla—but something tells me he’ll say I should get the Guild involved for this one.

  And I don’t want that. I want to do this on my own.

  I manage to change my black boots to an acid green color, and my black tank top to something that looks like a child’s painting set threw up on it. Then I attempt to transform a pair of short, black hot pants into a short, black skirt. A little more challenging than just changing color, but I manage it. I’m getting better at this clothes casting thing.

  My hair needs help now. I ask Filigree to shift into the form of a large bird, which he dutifully does. He flaps around until my bedroom floor is covered in feathers. I pick up a few, change their color, and stick them into my hair. Lastly, I add my jacket to the outfit. I don’t need anyone seeing the guardian markings on my wrists.

  Right. Now I look weird enough to party Underground.

  Since I have no idea where Diviniti is, I’ll have to start with the only Underground club I know: Poisyn. I found my way there accidentally after fleeing Angelica’s labyrinth. If I can picture it accurately in my mind, I should be able to get back there through the faerie paths.

  Darkness surrounds me as I step through the doorway on my wall and picture the Underground room with the flashing colored lights and the mass of bodies writhing in time to the music. When a slow, seductive beat reaches my ears, I know I’ve arrived. I open my eyes, and I’m right in the middle of it. Bodies sway and twist, arms in the air, heads thrown back. Some fae are entwined around each other. Others pour brightly colored drinks down their throats—and over their chests and heads—as they dance.

  I try to look like I’m totally comfortable here as I push my way through the sweaty bodies toward the edge of the room. Difficult, when all I want to do is shudder each time someone rubs against me. I stand on tiptoe, search the room for the bar, and make my way toward it. I try to sway my hips as I walk, copying the other girls I see. It feels stupid.

  I lean my elbows on the bar’s luminous green counter and look around. Okay, now I need to find someone I can ask—

  “Hey, do I know you?” A guy with a bald head and eyes that seem to have no irises leans on the bar beside me. His hands are covered in fur, and his fingernails are sharpened to talons.

  “Um, I don’t think so.”

  “Oh, sorry. I must have met you in my dreams.” He gives me a cheesy grin, showing off pointed teeth.

  Wow. Was that a pick-up line? If so, I’m glad I’ve avoided bars and clubs until now. Even though I’d like nothing more than to walk away immediately, I push down the urge to gag and flutter my eyelids at him instead.

  “So, do you want to dance?” He takes a step closer to me.

  “Sure, if we can go somewhere else.”

  “Somewhere else?” His eyes light up, and I’m pretty sure he just read way more into my words than I intended.

  “Yeah, my friend told me about this place called Diviniti. Do you know it?”

  “Oh, yeah.” He looks a little disappointed, probably because the ‘somewhere else’ didn’t turn out to be more private. “I can take you there, if you want.”

  “Oh, can you?” I allow delight to spread across my face. “Thank you so much!”

  We leave Poisyn and head down a tunnel. It’s wide and high, with doorways here and there and all manner of fae creatures loitering around. We turn a corner and pass a troll pulling a cart of dwarves behind him. This place is more like a network of streets than tunnels. We reach a fork and go right. Then take another turn, and another. I’m glad I can leave here via the faerie paths because I’m not sure if I’d know how to get back to Poisyn.

  The distant hum of music reaches my ears. “We’re almost there,” says my bald companion. We’ve barely spoken a word to one another. He’s obviously just as much of a conversationalist as I am. “So, this is it.” He gestures to an archway with white smoke billowing out beneath it. As we move forward, he puts an arm around my shoulders. His furry hand slides down and squeezes my butt.


  I grab the offending hand, spin him around, and pin him against the wall. I twist his arm hard behind his back. “Try that again, and I’ll break your hand.”

  “Okay,” he gasps, his face practically kissing the wall. “Man, that was hot. Can you do that again?”

  Seriously? I drop his arm and step away from him. “You know what? I don’t think this is going to work out. You should go back to Poisyn. That girl behind the bar looked like she was into you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” Actually, she looked like she wanted to scratch the eyes out of anyone who dared ask for a drink, but maybe that’s just because she had a distinctly feline look about her.

  “Awesome.” The bald guy rotates his shoulder a few times before heading back down the tunnel.

  I walk beneath the archway and into Diviniti. There must be some kind of invisible barrier across the entrance because my fingertips tingle for a moment and the music suddenly becomes louder. The smoke clears enough for me to get a look at the room. It’s a lot darker than Poisyn, and there’s a lot less dancing happening. There are couches here and there with fae draped across them, drinking, smoking … and other things that make my face heat up. As I walk toward the bar, I can tell I’m being watched. For the first time this evening, I feel a little unsafe.

  A faerie with a circular piece of metal through his nose reaches me before I get to the bar. “I haven’t seen you around here before,” he says, his tone suggesting his words are a warning rather than another pick-up line.

  I decide to go with the truth. “I was sent here to look for someone. A man with ram’s horns.”

  One side of his mouth turns up. He reaches for the bottom of his T-shirt and peels it off over his head, revealing an impressive set of abs. Not as impressive as the abs belonging to Ryn, but, then, I’m probably biased. I’m about to ask this guy why he’s undressing when he turns and shows me his back. Tattooed across the top half is a pair of large, curling ram horns.

  He pulls his T-shirt back on and says, “So, who are you?”

  “My name is Violet.”

  “Violet.” The corners of his lips turn up ever so slightly as his gaze brushes over the length of my body. “I’ve been expecting you. Wait here.” He goes behind the bar and disappears through a door.

  I slide my hands into my jacket pockets and try not to make eye contact with anyone. When the ram-man returns, he hands me something small wrapped in brown paper. It feels hard. “Um, the person who gave you this,” I say. “Was it a man or a woman?”

  He gives me a curious look. “A woman.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” I back away before he can ask any questions—and find myself hitting a wall of flesh. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I say as I turn. The giant of a man behind me must be half-troll because he is enormous—and really ugly.

  “Leaving so soon?” he asks. His voice is so deep I can almost feel it rumble. “You should stay awhile.” He raises his hand slowly toward my face. “Get to know us a little better.”

  I duck beneath his arm, jump onto the cushion of the nearest couch, leap over the back, and land beside the wall. I hurriedly write a doorway onto it and step inside, leaving the music, smoke and thundering laughter behind me.

  I walk into my bedroom and stare at the package in my hands. It really wasn’t all that difficult to retrieve. If that’s all it takes to prove my bravery to this mysterious woman, then she obviously has no idea what kind of scary situations I’ve got myself into in the past. This was like a third-year assignment in comparison.

  I sit on the edge of my bed and unwrap the brown paper. Inside I find two rectangular pieces of clear glass, about the same size as my amber. Great. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with these. I place them on my bedside table and begin pulling the feathers out of my hair, which now smells like smoke.

  I take a step toward my bathing room, but stop when I hear a buzzing sound on my bedside table. One of the glass pieces is vibrating, moving slowly toward the edge of the table. I lunge and catch it before it falls off. Two dark grey words stare at me from the surface of the glass.

  Hello, Violet.

  I grab my stylus and perch on the edge of the bed. Is this D? I write.

  Yes. Well done for getting to Diviniti.

  Does this glass work like amber?

  Yes. New technology. The manufacturers call them comm-glass.

  Why did you give me two?

  In case you break one.

  Fair enough. I suppose that happens when you make communication devices out of glass. So what happens now?

  You will hear from me in three days’ time as soon as I know when and how Zell plans to make his attack on the Guilds. Goodnight.

  Goodnight? Is that it? After a few minutes, it’s clear that whoever is at the other end of this comm-glass doesn’t plan to send any more messages.

  I soak in my bathing pool for a while, letting the waterfall wash the smoke out of my hair. When I get out, I find a message from Ryn on my amber.

  * * *

  I miss my Sexy Pixie. Mom heard you in my room last night. She’s now using words like ‘inappropriate under my roof’ and ‘please leave your door open’. So … meet me at the gargan tree?

  * * *

  With a smile, I get dressed and head out.

  * * *

  “You’re hiding something from me,” Ryn says. Most of the time, his ability works pretty well for us—I never have to actually tell him what I’m feeling, which is completely fine with me—but right now it sucks that he can figure me out so easily. “Your mood is different, and you definitely got nervous when I asked how your evening was.”

  Okay, time to come clean. I may be able to keep a secret from Ryn, but I definitely can’t lie to him. Especially not when I’m sitting on his lap and he won’t let me look anywhere except into his eyes. “You’re right. I have been hiding something from you.” I place my hands on his shoulders. “But only because I know you’ll get all protective and worry about my safety and try to stop me.”

  Ryn raises both eyebrows. “If that was you attempting to put my mind at ease, you did a terrible job.”

  “It’s not hugely dangerous. It’s just something I want to do on my own so that I can prove myself to Councilor Starkweather.”

  “And this something is?”

  I slide my fingers down his arms and take his hands in mine. “Someone at the Unseelie Court contacted me to say she wants to tell me all Zell’s plans regarding his imminent attack on the Guilds. She saw me at his masquerade and obviously thought I’d be a good person to pass the information to.”

  Ryn’s expression turns wary. “V, that sounds like a trap. Zell still wants you, remember?”

  “Look, this person already gave me information that turned out to be true. She told me there would be a fire at the London Guild. I thought it was a joke, so I ignored it. Then the fire really happened.”

  “So? It could still be someone trying to trick you into handing yourself over.”

  “I know. The thought has occurred to me. But I’ll be careful. I won’t meet her anywhere secluded. And if things do go wrong, well, I’m a guardian. I won’t exactly be helpless.”

  After a long pause, Ryn says, “If you meet her, I want to go with you.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She may not give me any info if she sees I’m not alone. She probably doesn’t want anyone to know who she is in case it gets back to Zell.”

  “She doesn’t have to know I’m there.”

  “Ryn …” I tilt my head to the side and try pleading with my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, V.” He shakes his head. “If you had any idea how much you mean to me, you’d know that I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you.”

  “And nothing is going to happen to me.” I squeeze his hands with mine. “I really appreciate that you want to take care of me, but you don’t need to. I want to do this on my own. You need to trust that I can.”

  Ryn is quiet as his eyes search
my face. He knows how stubborn I am, so he should know I’m not going to give in on this. On the other hand, I know how stubborn he can be, so it’s possible we’re heading into a big argument here.

  “Fine,” he says eventually. He places his hands on either side of my face and makes sure I’m looking at him. “If you won’t let me go with you, then you have to promise me something else.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Promise you what?”

  His hands slip away from my face and settle on my shoulders. “You’ll wear the eternity necklace.”

  “Wait, you still have that thing? I thought you were going to destroy it.”

  “I tried. It wouldn’t break. Now promise me.”

  “Jeez, it’s not like anyone’s going to try and kill me, Ryn. Zell actually wants me alive, remember?”

  “Exactly. And the last time Zell tried to capture you and you made a desperate escape, you were washed out the side of a mountain and almost died. So promise me you’ll wear the necklace.”

  Ryn has a point. I lean forward and kiss him gently on the lips. “I promise,” I whisper into his ear before dragging my lips down the side of his neck.

  Thirty-Two

  Jay, Asami and I receive our next assignment the following morning. An elf walked into a restaurant in the Creepy Hollow Shoppers’ Clearing last night and attacked a young faerie girl. Then he ran off into the forest and disappeared. This morning another attack was reported by someone coming off the Tip-Top Path. Fortunately, her boyfriend was there to save her, but the elf got away once again. Now it’s our job to track him down and make sure he never attacks anyone else.