by Nissa Leder
She’d wanted to say no when Kaelem offered to show her more of the Unseelie Court. She’d come for business—to learn how to be fae—not for pleasure. But there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t have fun while she was here. She had too much energy to just sit in her room all night anyway, so she agreed to go out with Kaelem if he’d take her somewhere she could check in with Ashleigh. Earlier, he had evanesced her out of the Unseelie Court long enough for her to call her sister and give yet another lie. Scarlett said she was going camping with a friend from high school. Ashleigh was hanging out with her maybe-boyfriend so she didn’t press for more information. It would buy Scarlett at least a week, which would hopefully be enough time to learn what she needed.
She already felt more in control of her power after one lesson. Maybe being fae wouldn’t be so bad after all, though she wasn’t holding her breath.
“Sexy,” Kaelem said as he walked into Scarlett’s suite.
“I could have been naked,” she said with mock outrage.
“I heard your approving thoughts of the dress you’re wearing before I came in.” He eyed her up and down. “I agree, you look fabulous. Besides, if I had walked in on you naked, at least we’d be even.”
“I’ll lock the door next time.”
“As if that would keep me out.” Kaelem smirked. “Are you ready?”
Scarlett ran her hands through her long waves. “Yep.”
Kaelem took her hand and she felt herself moving swiftly through the air. When they landed, tall buildings surrounded them.
“Where are we?” Scarlett asked.
“Starlight, the Unseelie City.”
Bright lights shone all around. Fae walked up and down the streets, most with brightly colored hair and bold outfits. There were humans with them, too. Scarlett could sense the difference in their auras. She inhaled the human emotion around her. Curiosity mixed with lust and gluttony. Delectable.
Though the setting replicated a downtown New York street, it was noticeably void of cars or vehicles of any kind.
“There’s a subway underground, but it’s the only form of transportation allowed in the city.” Kaelem twined his arm with Scarlett’s. “Let’s go.” He led her down the street.
The fae around them murmured as they passed by. They must have known who Kaelem was. He paid them no attention. He guided Scarlett to the front of a long line. A short creature with wrinkly skin and a large nose stood at the entrance to one of the buildings. He didn’t look like a bouncer.
“Never underestimate a goblin. They’re small but deadly.”
The goblin glanced at Kaelem and bowed. It looked at Scarlett, its black eyes hypnotizing her. All her thoughts vanished.
Kaelem tugged Scarlett past the goblin. Within seconds, her thoughts returned. What had happened?
“Today’s bonus lesson: don’t make eye contact with goblins.”
“Did it read my mind?”
“They can’t see inside your mind, but they can empty it. Temporarily, usually. But with enough time they can erase it completely.”
Scarlett gulped. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. There were so many new creatures with different abilities. Would she ever learn everything about his new world?
Loud music boomed from inside the building. It grew louder when they stepped inside. Strobe lights shined everywhere as people danced in the middle of the huge room. Booths surrounded the dance floor, all filled with fae and humans chatting and laughing.
And drinking.
Scarlett had never been to a club. Her hometown was a small town, and she’d only been to a city a few times. Having a mom who could go off the railing at any moment didn’t incite a desire to stray far from home. Scarlett had dreams of leaving her small town for the city life, but they’d never seemed a true possibility. She’d have never left her mother.
But here she was, and this place was everything she’d imagined a downtown city club might be and more.
When she scanned the room more closely, she realized there were more than just fae and humans. Well, at least different than the mortal-like fae she knew. Was the bouncer also considered fae?
“Any creature from Faerie is considered fae,” Kaelem answered her thoughts. “The fae that look nearly human are high fae. All the others are a different species and low fae, like the brownies.”
Scarlett didn’t appreciate him reading her mind, but at least she’d learned something new.
Because she was now fae, and surviving in a world so different than the mortal one would take as much knowledge as she could absorb.
A goblin walked past Scarlett, its height only reaching her hip. This one was clearly female, dressed in a red flapper dress. Like the bouncer, she had no hair, but a small nose and long eyelashes gave her features a decidedly feminine cast.
When the goblin turned her head, Scarlett made sure to look away. She preferred to keep her thoughts right where they were, thank you very much.
Scarlett closely followed Kaelem as he walked past the dance floor and to a set of stairs. When they reached the top, Scarlett saw more booths. The one in the center sat on a pedestal. It was empty.
Kaelem led her to it. “After you, darling.”
This must have been reserved for the Unseelie King.
Scarlett scooted into the back of the booth, her already short dress riding up further. She looked out onto the dance floor below. The song changed to something with an electric beat. The crowd jumped in unison like a sea of waves moving as one.
A waitress with a long silver braid pulled to one side approached the table. “What can I get for you?” Her eyes, bright like rubies, stared impatiently at Scarlett. So beautiful. So inhuman. Yet, human-like—as humanesque as any fae could be, that was. She must have been high fae.
“She’ll have a Twisted Pixie,” Kaelem said.
“Your usual?” Her tone was flat.
“Yes.” Kaelem’s response was equally dull.
Scarlett couldn’t sense any animosity between the two, though. The waitress turned and strutted away, hips swaying back in forth as she walked in four-inch stilettos. Damn.
“You come here often?” Scarlett asked, crossing her legs under the table. She regretted wearing such a short dress. Although if she’d worn anything much longer, she’d have been out of place. All the girls around wore skimpy outfits. Scarlett’s dress looked modest by comparison. The male outfits varied from suits like the one Kaelem wore—silver, as if he’d planned to match Scarlett—to ripped skinny jeans, to nothing but boxers and bow ties. Women danced with men, women with other women, and men with men. High fae danced with other high fae and humans, but never with any of the low fae.
“It’s the hottest club in Starlight.” Kaelem scooted closer to Scarlett. “But I go to others sometimes, too. There are a few with more specific interests.”
Scarlett wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was pretty sure she didn’t want to know.
The waitress came back with two drinks. One was metallic and steaming. The other, in a glass with hourglass curves, faded from a deep blue in the bottom to a bright pink at top. She set the colorful one in front of Scarlett. A plastic sword with what looked like a blue piece of pineapple stuck through it sat on top of the drink.
Scarlett took a sip from the neon yellow straw. Holy heaven, it was divine—sweet, with just a touch of sour at the end. She took another drink, this time gulping twice as much.
“I’ll be a gentleman and warn you to take it a little slow.”
She’d learned in the Summer Court fae alcohol was stronger to mortals, but she was fae now. Shouldn’t she have a higher tolerance to it?
“Yes, but there’s more than just alcohol in that drink.”
Scarlett glanced at the cup, almost half gone now. “What else is in here?”
“Pixie dust—it’s the fae version of cocaine.”
Wait, what? Scarlett’s nerves tingled. A new song played. She could hear the piano in its background—upbeat and cheerful. She knew
she shouldn’t have any more of the drink, but it was so delicious. It would be rude not to finish it.
She had another sip.
Kaelem wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s waist. “Delightful.”
Had he meant the drink or her? She giggled. It didn’t matter.
Her shoulders wavered to the bass. The colors of the strobe light sprinkled through the room like rain, their brilliance hypnotizing Scarlett as she lost herself in the music.
Oh, how marvelous she felt. Scarlett finished her drink.
“Where’s the ladies’ room?”
Kaelem pointed.
Scarlett’s legs shook as she stood. The twirling of the lights added to her dizziness.
“Would you like help?” Kaelem asked.
“I can manage.” Scarlett pulled down her skirt. She wasn’t a twelve-year-old. She was perfectly capable of going to the restroom alone.
She concentrated on each step as she walked. Her skin tingled. She’d been drunk as a mortal, but whatever she’d just drank had her cares high in the clouds. As she entered the restroom, she bumped into a short fae in a plaid skirt.
“Watch it,” the fae said.
“Sorry.” Scarlett giggled as she hurried inside.
After she relieved herself, she washed her hands.
Next to her, a slender fae woman with lavender hair ran her hand down Scarlett’s arm.
“Mmmm. You’re exquisite. Have we met?”
A thrill slid through Scarlett’s veins. “I don’t think so.”
The fae’s icy eyes pierced Scarlett.
Scarlett sensed the lust pouring from her, which both flattered and intrigued her.
“Here, let’s walk together,” the fae said as she locked her elbow around Scarlett’s. “I’m Kira.”
Kaelem’s eyebrow rose as he saw Scarlett and her new friend. “Who do we have here?”
Kira tensed as she realized who Kaelem was. “You’re with him?”
Scarlett didn’t see what the big deal was. Sure, Kaelem was attractive, but everyone regarded him as a god. He wasn’t that special.
“I’m sorry, my king.” Kira released Scarlett’s arm and stepped away. “I didn’t know.”
“Please, join us,” Kaelem purred.
The lust radiating through Kira shifted to terror. “A kind offer, but my friends are expecting me.”
“Very well.”
Scarlett slipped back into the booth, another drink waiting for her. She sipped it, just as delicious as before. “You sure scared her away.”
Kaelem placed his hand on Scarlett’s thigh. “She realized she’d tried to claim something she thought was mine.”
Not that again. Scarlett belonged to no one but herself. She was going to tell Kaelem exactly what she thought about being his, but as the drink swam through her and his fingers grazed her bare skin, it seemed unimportant.
A new song began, its bass line booming throughout the room. Scarlett’s shoulders swayed to the beat. What had she been thinking about? Suddenly, any cares she might have had vanished, and as she finished her second drink, nothing but that moment mattered.
A few minutes later, the waitress returned. “Refill?”
“I think we’re good for now.” Kaelem grabbed Scarlett’s hand. “We’re going to dance.”
Dancing sounded spectacular.
Kaelem rested his hand on Scarlett’s back as they walked to the dance floor. She stepped carefully down the stairs, afraid she’d fall over in the wedges she was wearing.
They danced and danced, then danced some more as the DJ transitioned from one song to the next. Bodies pressed into Scarlett as more people entered the club, pushing her hips against Kaelem’s. She didn’t care. She drank in the energy around her as she gyrated to the beat.
Kaelem’s hands moved lower with each song. Scarlett slung her arms around his neck, his warm breath on her face. She inhaled the lust emanating from him as his hands explored her body.
As a dubstep beat took over, the bass shook the whole room. Everyone on the dance floor jumped. Energy pumped through Scarlett. She’d never felt so carefree.
A slow song played next. Kaelem tugged Scarlett’s body into his, their pelvises pressed against one another. The effects of the Twisted Pixie were wearing off, but her body so close to his gave her a new high. He was sending his lust to her. She felt herself subconsciously absorbing it.
With no mental shields in place, her mind fell prey to his ganacanagh gift.
He watched her as she stared at him, his mouth parted. If she stretched onto her tiptoes, her lips could reach his. A slight twitch in her bond with Raith stopped her.
“You belong here,” Kaelem said to her, his face inches from hers.
Scarlett had always felt out of place in the mortal world. Growing up, she could never explain why she always seemed an outsider, a square in a world of circles. Making friends was always easy, and guys flocked to her like dogs to a bone, yet her soul sang a different song. She thought it was because she hadn’t had much of a childhood. Her mother’s illness forced her to grow up too fast. But now she wondered if it wasn’t because she saw the world for what it really was: complicated and messy.
She’d always wished to be normal, but now she knew she would have never felt ordinary in the human world because she wasn’t simply mortal. Even before she knew of her fae nature, she experienced it, so attuned to the emotions of those around her.
Here, as she inhaled the array of emotion around her, she felt whole.
Scarlett ignored the voice in her head screaming Kaelem was dangerous. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let him lead her to the music. When the song ended, she stepped back. “We should go.”
She wanted to stay and to dance, but a new desire had taken hold, and she didn’t know if she should embrace it or run as fast as she could. The Twisted Pixie had slowly left her system, but a new buzz replaced the one the alcohol had left behind.
“Very well.” Kaelem’s aura burned as red as a garnet.
Neither spoke as they left the club. As they walked side by side, a shriek echoed through the street.
Kaelem stepped in front of Scarlett. A fae with a purple mohawk and no shirt stepped from the shadows, hand clenching his stomach as blood oozed from him. Kaelem evanesced himself and Scarlett closer to the man.
“What happened?” Kaelem demanded.
“Someone followed me,” he mumbled, face filled with pain. “I turned to confront him, and he stabbed me.” He coughed up blood, but instead of red, it was black.
Was that normal?
A crowd surrounded them, their confusion attacking Scarlett. Kaelem spoke calmly. “Scatter.”
He didn’t have to ask twice; everyone fled.
“He’s been poisoned,” Kaelem whispered to Scarlett.
The man’s eyes widened in fear. “I’m going to die.”
For a brief moment, Scarlett felt sadness. Not the man’s, but Kaelem’s. As quickly as she felt it, it disappeared.
“Maybe I can help.” Scarlett’s power was overflowing. She’d saved Raith. She had to at least try to save this man.
Kaelem raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t stop her when she lifted her hands over the wound, now leaking thick, black liquid.
Using the energy inside her, she closed her eyes and mentally reached into the wound. As more tar-like liquid gushed out, color returned to the man’s face. When Scarlett couldn’t sense any more poison, she imagined the wound sealing itself. It did.
Kaelem watched her. Then he took the fae’s face between his hands. The fae’s pupils doubled in size as Kaelem said, “You got in a fight in the alley. Someone cut you, but you’ll be all right.”
When Kaelem let go, the man blinked and reached to the wound. “The asshole almost got me good.”
Kaelem nodded. “Close call.”
Then he took Scarlett’s hand and they were flying through the air once again.
Kaelem still held Scarlett’s hand when they appeared in front of t
he Unseelie Palace. He followed her as she walked inside, watching her hips move with each step. He wondered what might have happened if they’d returned to the palace uninterrupted, but the lust he’d felt in the club had diminished. Nothing like seeing one of his people almost bleed to death of a poisonous stab wound to sober him up.
His court was known for its violence. With high and low fae mixed together combined with drugs, alcohol, and lust, it was expected. But this was something else. When emotions ran high, fighting was bound to happen. But poison? That had to be a personal attack.
Not only had the man been poisoned, but whatever had been used was strong. With the fae being so durable, something lethal enough to kill was rare, and Kaelem was certain if Scarlett hadn’t intervened, the man would have died.
When they waited for the elevator, Scarlett said. “You changed his memory.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” Kaelem said. “It’s best no one find out about your healing gift.”
“Why?”
“It’s a Seelie power, and you’d best keep that part of your heritage to yourself.”
Scarlett didn’t respond to his advice, and Kaelem didn’t dig into her thoughts to see how she took it.
He’d tasted her Unseelie power the first time he’d drank her emotion. He hadn’t even considered it might only be a part of her fae nature. She was a mix of lifelong fae enemies.
Which made her more powerful than Kaelem had ever imagined.
Kaelem had begun calculating a plan when he’d learned of the power Scarlett possessed, and he now found himself standing outside Scarlett’s mortal home, holding a bronze mirror in his hand.
She was back at the Unseelie Palace, unaware of Kaelem’s location. She’d find out soon enough.
He’d brought Scarlett to his court to earn her trust. If she was crucial to saving his kingdom, he wanted her on his side. Teaching her to control her power and showing her the benefits of the Unseelie Court seemed the best method. But when the Winter Queen showed up, his priorities had changed. Nevina had something of his, and he was determined to get it back, once and for all. He’d tried before, but the situation was delicate. One more wrong move and he could permanently lose what was so precious to him.