“And then the Light Fae releases the new Redcaps back into the human realm, and…every time a new human gets infected, the Dark Fae gets more energy?”
I gave a nod. “Exactly.”
“So, they basically have to feed off humans to survive, though they can’t do it directly themselves.”
“And now you see my dilemma. How am I supposed to come up with an alternative? It seems impossible.”
“Well, you basically need a different way for them to feed on humans.”
I made a face. “That’s not really ideal, is it? They would still be feeding on innocent people.”
Bree’s face suddenly lit up, and she jumped from the bed in one fluid motion. Pacing from one end of the floor to the other, she whispered animatedly to herself before taking my hands in hers and practically jumping up and down.
“Bree?” I cocked my head, letting out a light laugh. “You’ve got that evil genius look in your eyes.”
“I’m not the evil genius. You are.” She grinned.
A horn sounded in the distance. Long and low and wrong. Bree dropped my hands and twisted toward the sound. Frowning, I jumped to my feet and rushed to the window, peering through the frosted glass. In the distance, the horn sounded once again, sending a wave of shivers through my body.
“Maybe it’s just the Rebels returning from the Autumn lands,” Bree whispered as she stepped up behind me. She leaned forward and pressed her hand to the cold glass, her breath forming a circular fog on the frosted panes.
“Yeah. Maybe.”
The door of the room flew open, and all four of my mates stormed inside. They were each armed, swords slung across their backs and daggers strapped to their sides. At the look on Kael’s face, my heartbeat ramped up speed. He looked like he was ready to rip the Dark Fae King’s head off.
Mouth dry, I arched my eyebrows in a silent question.
“Are you certain the Dark Fae said they would give us three days?” Liam asked in a low growl.
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “That’s what the son of the King said. In three days, they would invade, but it was less of a ‘giving us three days’ and more of a warning.”
Rourke and Kael exchanged grim looks. “Then, for whatever reason, they’ve decided to invade early. That was the horn of the Dark Fae. They will be here by midday.”
I clenched my hands into tight fists. “By midday? That soon? Have any of our fighters arrived?”
“The Spring fae won’t be here until the end of the day. The Summers and the Autumns might arrive by noon, but we can’t be certain we have that kind of time,” Kael said. “Unless they’re traveling faster than expected, it will be us and the Winter Hunters against what I imagine will be an entire army of Dark Fae.”
“We need to send a scout,” Finn said quickly. “I can go.”
“No.” My voice was harsh as I turned on my Spring mate. “Absolutely not.”
“I can move quickly, Norah,” he said. “We need to get a look at their army before they arrive at the castle.”
“If something happened to you, Finn…” Tears filled my eyes at the thought, and I took a deep breath in through my nose to steady my nerves. “Someone else can scout ahead. A Winter fae. Someone who knows these lands and is more comfortable with the cold. And no, Kael. I don’t mean you. Please. I need you all by my side.”
Kael gave a nod. “I’ll go speak with Desmond and get a scout sent ahead.”
After he disappeared through the door, I turned to Liam. “You were a former Hunter. Can you take charge of our army? Gather the forces and come up with some sort of formation?”
He gave me a slight bow. “I’d be more than happy to, darling.”
My throat went tight as I watched him stride out of the room.
“I’m so sorry,” I called out after him. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know what I’m doing. Hell, I don’t even know if I should be the one doing it. Just because I’m someone’s daughter, what gives me the right to take charge?”
“You deserve to take charge because you’re trying, my love. And as far as I can see, you’re doing a pretty good job.”
That left me with Finn, Rourke, and Bree.
Finn slid a hand around my was it and pulled me close. “Shall we find somewhere safe for you and Bree? I’m certain they will have a room in this castle especially for people of importance. Somewhere that no one can get to, even if the Dark Fae succeed.”
“Absolutely not,” I said in a firm voice. “I’m going to fight.”
A ghost of a smile. “I assumed as much.”
With shaky hands, I changed from my flowing nightgown to the fighting leathers I’d found in the wardrobe. As I added each layer, I found that the cut was a perfect fit. I stepped back and observed myself in the floor-length mirror, winding my hair into a tight braid. The girl staring back at me was nothing like the girl I’d left behind in Manhattan. Her eyes were fierce, the bright green gleaming against the dawning light of a new winter dray. Her shoulders were thrown back; her chin was held high. That girl looked strong and powerful. Far stronger than I actually felt inside.
With a sigh, I slipped my hand into the front pocket of the leather vest. My fingers hit a sharp object. Head cocked, I pulled the object from the pocket and found a single golden key. My heart began to pound, though I didn’t know why. This was just a key.
But it was a key that had belonged to my mother, hidden amongst the folds of her clothes. I held the key up to my eye and examined the glittering surface. What could this be for? Perhaps just a drawer? Spinning on my feet, I glanced around the room, remembering the tiny circular door I’d spotted upon our arrival in the castle. It was partially hidden behind the thick black curtains. The perfect hiding space for a Queen.
With a deep breath, I strode across the room and knelt before the small door. I pushed the key inside and twisted. The lock tumbled with a click. My palms went slick with sweat as I slowly pushed the door open. It disappeared into darkness. Frowning, I took a candle from the table and held it inside of the small space. It was tunnel. One that led down into nothing but more darkness.
Heart pounding, I stood and paced from one end of the room to the next. What was this space? It had something to do with my mother, no doubt. But where did it lead? And did I have the time to waste on it now?
I did, I decided. This key had been hidden in Marin’s fighting leathers. If this tunnel wasn’t important, the key would have been kept some other place. Not in the pocket closest to her chest.
With a deep breath, I grabbed a dagger from the bedside table and dropped to my knees. I swiped my dagger across the cobwebs and began the slow crawl down the tunnel. The darkness felt almost endless, sloping down and down until I came upon another door. This one was unlocked, and when I pushed it open, a large cavern rose up before me.
What was this place?
I shifted out of the tunnel and grunted as my feet splashed into a thin layer of water on the cavern floor. Holding my candle aloft, I swept my gaze around the massive space. The top of the cavern was far above me, at least a hundred feet tall. Dozens of stalactites shot down in hues of red, orange, and yellow, creating a colorful maze of rock. I whirled to the left, gasping when I saw a stone pillar erected at the far end of the cavern. On top of it, a long thin sword stood tall on a golden dais, seemingly held up by nothing but air.
My feet carried me toward it without me even realizing, almost as if my body were drawn to the sword. It radiated pure power, light and darkness flickering off the blade, even though there was no light in the cavern but the candle I held tight between my fingers.
I reached out and pressed my hand to the stone dais.
“Norah.” A powerful female voice echoed through the cavern. My heart lurched into my throat and I stumbled back, whirling to face whoever had joined me in this strange cave.
But no one was there.
The voice continued. “If you have found this place, then you have made your way back
into Otherworld, despite my every hope that you could remain safe within the human realm. For only you could unlock this message and only you could hear my voice.”
I blinked, hand pressed tight to my throat. Tears filled my eyes, and my breath became ragged. I stared at the dais, a strange understanding passing through me. This was Marin’s voice. And she’d left behind a message just for me.
“This sword is called Silverclaw, and it was my weapon. I have left it here for you and you alone. It holds the power of all four courts. With this sword, you can defeat even the mightiest of enemies. I pray to the forest that you never have to confront the Dark Fae, but they will come for you one day. Take this sword, and use it to kill the King. And keep the realm safe from the horror of their rule.”
“And one last thing,” the voice said, the power in her voice dropping away to reveal something much softer, something much more scared. “I love you, my daughter. And I truly wish I could have seen you grow into the powerful fae I know you’ve become.”
And then the voice cut off, leaving me alone with the flickering candle and the glowing sword on the dais. My heart roared in my ears, and my entire body felt as though my nerves had been rubbed raw. A tear slipped down my cheek, dropping onto the stone floor.
My mother had sacrificed so much for this realm, and now the Dark Fae were coming for it anyway. With a deep breath, I stepped forward and wrapped my hand around the silver hilt of my mother’s sword, a newfound determination forming in my gut. I would do whatever it took to save the creatures of this realm. I would stop the Dark Fae from taking control and turning them all into slaves.
And then I would do what I should have done the moment I’d discovered the truth about my heritage.
I would rule.
Chapter Twenty
Liam blinked, and then outright stared, when I strode into the throne room with Silverclaw swinging from my hip. I had my shoulders thrown back and my head held high. Finding Marin’s message for me had given me a burst of confidence that I’d sorely needed.
“You look so much like Marin.” Liam’s eyes dropped to the weapon. “Where did you get that sword? And those clothes?”
“All of this was my mother’s. She left it for me.”
I didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t need to. The moment in the cavern had been for me and me alone. It was something I would take with me forever, the knowledge of how far my mother had gone to protect me from the horror of this realm. In the end, she’d known she couldn’t protect me forever, but still she’d tried.
“Any word from the scout?” I asked Kael as I strode down the red strip of carpet to the step just below the dais that held the silver throne higher than the rest of the expansive room. For a moment, I bowed my head and closed my eyes, sending a silent thought to the former Queen. And then I ascended the stairs, twisting to perch on the edge of the seat.
Kael’s eyebrows were at the top of his head as he slowly paced down the carpet. Liam, Finn, and Rourke were just behind him, their expressions as shocked as his. But they didn’t argue with my choice to take the throne. No one did, not even the cluster of Winter Hunters who stood toward the back of the room.
“My Queen.” Kael bowed his head, and then met my gaze with his glittering black eyes. “The scout hasn’t returned.”
I frowned. It had been at least an hour.
“Liam?” I turned to my Summer mate. “How do you think we should proceed?”
“I’ve spoken with the Hunters here. We plan to form a defensive position along the battlements. There are two flanking towers with arrow slits near the front gates. We should be able to hold back the Dark Fae with this approach until the Rebels return from the Autumn lands.
Should be able to, but there was no guarantee. Still, I gave a nod. It was the only option we had for now.
“Okay, everyone get into their positions.” I stood from the throne and began to descend the stairs, but Liam stepped in front of me as I did.
“You should stay here, my love. Out of sight and behind the safety of these stone walls,” he said in a whisper. “The King of the Dark Fae will be looking for you. He wants to see you dead.”
“And that’s precisely why I’ll be on the battlements will everyone else.” I lifted my chin to meet his fiery gaze. “The King is coming here for me. I won’t hide while everyone else fights for me. I won’t hide when these fae might die for me.”
I stepped sideways and strode past Liam. This time, he didn’t try to stop me. Probably because he realized I wasn’t going to back down. With a deep breath, I made my way down the thin carpet, so red that it felt as though it was a trail of blood leading to the wintry evening outside those thick wooden doors.
When I pushed out into the cold, I shivered against the wind, shielding my eyes at the thick fog of snow pelting down from the slate gray sky. One thing was certain. As powerful and as intimidating as these Dark Fae were, they’d made a serious error in judgement attacking the Winter Court in the middle of a snowstorm. We had the advantage. They weren’t from these lands. How would they cope against the cold?
We’d soon find out.
There were maybe a hundred of us, if that, but we took up our stations on the battlements nonetheless. To the left of the front gates, there was a covered battlement where the best rangers would aim their arrows. I took up space on the other side of the gate, on a long stretch of battlements with crenels. Liam and Rourke tried to talk me out of this, of course. If the Dark Fae decided to use ladders to scale the tall stone wall, they would focus their efforts on this section of the castle. But I insisted on being where I was needed the most, and that was here. On either side of us were the flanking towers with more rangers hidden inside, the tips of the arrows pointed through the thin slits.
We were ready for the Dark Fae. Or as ready as we would ever be without the back-up of the Autumn, Spring, and Summer Courts.
Even though there were a hundred of us, the battlements were tensely silent as we waited for the arrival of the Dark Fae. Our scout still hadn’t returned from his mission, a sure sign that he’d been caught spying on our enemies.
In my mind’s eyes, images began to flash before me. A field full of blood. Bodies piled high on every side of me. Dark fae cresting a distant hill. Smoke filling the sky. I blinked and stepped back from the wall, trying to make sense of what I’d just seen.
They were the images from my dream, and yet...I stared at the hill in the distance. It was the very same one from my dream. There were no bodies. No blood had been spilled.
And yet...that definitely was the hill.
The massacre happened here.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered, pushing away from the wall to rush down the stone stairs. I wasn’t certain where I was going, but something inside of me urged me forward. I needed to get to the back gates of the castle. Something was there. Something wrong.
Deep down in my gut, I knew we’d been tricked.
And when I threw open the back gates, I soon found out why.
The Dark Fae who had stalked me on the mountainside stood on the other side of the gate, aiming an arrow right at my throat. Three others had joined him. They’d surrounded me in an instant, swords held high.
Slowly, I raised my hands and swallowed hard, my mind tripping over itself.
How had this happened? What had I done? If I screamed, would anyone hear me?
“Those images you saw in your mind?” the fae asked with a cruel smile. “Those will all come true if you do not come with me now. Put your hands behind your back and walk out of these gates. Do this or we will kill them all.”
Chapter Twenty-One
My arms and wrists were bound, and only a thin rope kept me tied to the horse that galloped across the snow-drenched lands. I squeezed my eyes tight and tried to use my powers to communicate with the animal. But nothing happened. In the past, I’d always felt as if a warmth had surrounded my mind when I attempted to communicate. Now, I felt nothing but a pure sheet of ice.
I narrowed my eyes, wishing I could spit at the Prince who had tricked me. The Prince who had lied to me. Unfortunately, the stupid cloth in my mouth kept me from doing anything of the sort.
We came to a sudden stop at the bottom of the hill. We’d entered a circular formation. It reminded me of the Faerie Ring that I’d first used when travelling from the human realm to Otherworld. But this time, instead of brilliant blooming flowers, the ring was made of jagged black rocks.
The Prince steered my horse into the circle. Suddenly, the snowy world blinked away. In its place was a land like I’d never seen before. A buzz of insects rose up around us like a chorus of the night. A big bulbous moon hung low in the sky, ten times larger than any moon I’d seen in my life. It filled the sky with its brilliance, casting an eerie glow on the silvery land.
The grass was incandescent, and the trees were twisting branches that curled overhead. Silver insects shot through the night, as if dancing to the tune of the crickets. As much as I wanted to hate everything about this place, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the beauty of it.
Once again, the Prince caught my expression. “Don’t look so surprised. I know you’ve grown to believe that everything about us is wrong and evil, but we love our beautiful realm just as you love yours. Though ours is, of course, objectively better.”
I had to roll my eyes at that.
One of the Prince’s guards trotted up beside him and flicked his reins. “We need to get a move on, Prince Taveon. The King eagerly awaits the arrival of the girl.”
The Prince frowned but gave a nod. I wished I could understand what he was playing at here. First, he’d spent months spying on me. And then, he’d come to warn me about his father. Now, he’d captured me after battling the Winter Court. Why would he warn me if he never meant to help?
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