by Nissa Leder
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, and when he answered, he was surprised to see Raith waiting.
After he’d invited him in, Raith said, “So, Scarlett’s throwing a ball, I hear. Did you remember to pack your dancing shoes?”
“Guess those just missed the cut,” Cade said. “Perhaps, I can borrow some from Kaelem. I imagine his closet is full of them.”
Raith walked over to the dresser and lifted a book set atop it. “His taste in clothing is too mortal for my liking.”
Cade nodded. “I suppose I will improvise. Did you come here to help me pick out my outfit or is there a more pressing issue?”
It was strange to be talking to his brother so normally, bantering as they used to do. It almost felt the same way it had before the Battle of Heirs. They hadn’t been the best of friends then, but the distance between them had doubled after Cade had left Raith for dead in the forest. Looking back, that decision shamed him more than almost anything. The only thing worse had been involving Scarlett in any of it. He hadn’t cared about mortals much until his time with her, but using her as he had wasn’t the type of king he yearned to be.
“I’m here to offer my help with something a bit more important—regaining your crown.” Raith opened the book and flipped through the pages.
“You are going to help me get it back after everything I did to you?” Cade couldn’t hide the shock in his tone.
“I know you’ve always thought I was careless when it came to our home, but I care for our court as much as you do. And, unlike you, I’ve always seen Kassandra’s selfish nature. She will ruin the Summer Court if she isn’t stopped.”
“But why would you help me? Why not come up with a plan to earn the crown for yourself?”
Raith set the book back down. “I never wanted to be king. I only wanted to stop you because of how much influence your mother had on you. But believe it or not, I’ve actually grown to respect you, little brother.”
Cade’s chest tingled. As a child, he’d tried so hard to impress his older brother, but he’d always felt like Raith never respected him. He started to reply something sarcastic, but instead said, “Thank you.”
Raith walked toward the window. “After the ball, we should return to Faerie to find out what Kassandra’s plans are.”
“But if anyone catches us, we’ll be killed.”
Raith shrugged. “They can try to kill us, but you are the rightful king. Your power is stronger than ever now.”
Cade didn’t feel powerful anymore. Sometimes, he wondered if he’d let his people down by fleeing the Summer Court as he had. But as much as he believed the crown belonged to him, he hadn’t been prepared to kill his own mother to get it back. But if they were caught, would he be able to do whatever it took to protect himself and Raith, and his kingdom? Even if it meant ending his own mother’s life?
“We need to be careful,” Cade said. “The situation is more delicate than ever.”
“Of course. We can evanesce into the Faerie Forest and hide out in my tree house. It’s outside the grounds but close enough we can conceal ourselves until we come up with a plan to infiltrate the castle.”
The voice of caution inside Cade’s head was screaming that this was a bad idea, a risky idea. Which wasn’t surprising, coming from Raith. He was always the less careful of the two. But, maybe for the first time ever, Cade agreed with him.
He couldn’t regain the Summer Court and protect his people if he hid in the Otherworld like a coward.
“Very well. After the ball, we leave.”
A grin slid onto Raith’s face. “Perfect.”
With the plan in motion, Cade left his room to find Poppy. He wouldn’t tell her about his plan right now. He didn’t need the gift of sight to know she wouldn’t be happy that he would to return to Faerie without her, and worse, with his brother. He’d have to tell her eventually, but he would wait until after the ball.
Lately, he’d found himself thinking of her at night, alone in his bed. It wasn’t the same way he used to think of other women. Poppy was different. She was pretty, sure, but it was more than that. She wore her fierceness like a mask, keeping the focus away from her beauty and on her strength. Every once in a while, when she let her guard down, she revealed a side to herself Cade rarely saw.
Sometimes, he thought he caught her staring at him when they’d take short breaks from their training sessions. He couldn’t be sure, and a part of him wondered if he imagined it simply because he wanted her to watch him.
She wasn’t in her room. Next, he checked the dining room in case she was eating a late breakfast, but she wasn’t there either. On his third try, he headed to the library and found her sitting in a chair facing the window.
Books filled the shelves lining the large room from floor to high ceiling. Candle-filled chandeliers hung from above, lighting the desks below. It reminded him of the library at the Summer Court, where, while other kids his age were outside playing in the sunshine and warmth, he spent years studying the history of his court just as his mother had instructed him to do.
“Hello,” he said, not wanting to startle Poppy.
She stood from the chair and turned to face him. Her gaze began at his face and moved down the length of his body.
He tensed, wondering what she thought of what she saw.
“Everything okay?” Poppy walked over and placed both of her hands on her hips.
As usual, she was dressed in black fighting leathers, but her hair was styled differently today. A long braid was pulled in front of her chest and, as he looked closer, he saw a shade of lavender on her eyelids. “Are you wearing makeup?”
“So, what if I am?” Her mouth snapped shut as she lifted an eyebrow.
“It looks nice,” Cade said, hoping he hadn’t somehow offended her. “It’s just different than normal.”
Poppy’s face relaxed. “Scarlett’s sister Ashleigh begged me to let her use me as her practice doll.” She sighed. “I felt bad for her, so weak and helpless as mortals are, and I gave her five minutes.”
“Well, she did a good job,” Cade said as his hands started to sweat.
“I take it you didn’t come here just to gawk at my painted eyelids.”
“No…I…” Guilt filled his stomach. Hiding his and Raith’s plan from her felt wrong. But he wanted to take her to the ball as a date, and if she was mad at him, that probably wouldn’t turn out too well. “I wanted to ask you to accompany me to the ball Scarlett is hosting. As a real date, this time.”
At the sound of Scarlett’s name, Poppy tensed. She’d never hidden her distaste for the now Otherworld Queen. Cade would never forget when Poppy had challenged Scarlett at the Winter Court. Although it was a ludicrous thought, he thought she’d done so out of jealousy.
After Poppy swallowed, she said, “Sure.”
Cade had been hoping for a little more enthusiasm. “Great.”
“Wonderful.”
Their gazes latched onto one another. Poppy was his most trusted ally. His fiercest protector. And his only true friend. He should be careful not to mess any of it up.
But he couldn’t help but hope that maybe, after the ball, she could be something more.
Sage and Jade had hurried back to Faerie as quickly as they could. They needed as much time as possible if Sage wanted the chance to say goodbye to Vienna.
The thought of seeing her body made her gulp.
She’d just been there. Just seen the sparkle in Vienna’s eyes. Just tasted the flavor of her lips.
And now she was gone, killed by her own tribe sister.
How could Tamara do that? Sage had never liked her, but Vienna had. She’d loved all of her sisters. And everyone loved her, or at least Sage had thought they had. Had Tamara always wanted the crown for herself and finally saw the opportunity to challenge Vienna and seized it? Or was she really so horrifically offended at the thought of Vienna caring for Sage in a romantic way that it created a new, more intense envy in her?
&nb
sp; Did it even matter?
Yes. It did. Sage needed to know, and soon, she would find out.
The familiar buzz of the Autumn Forest filled her. It always enlivened her spirit to feel its energy comfort her like a blanket. This was her home. But being here now also brought dread.
Something in her gut caused Sage to pause. She scanned the area around her. Was something out there watching them?
“Look out,” Jade yelled as she pointed behind Sage.
As Sage turned around, she unsheathed the dagger from her side, ready to strike at whatever was heading their way.
At first, she didn’t recognize the large creature flying at her, but she prepared to slash at it anyway. But as it slowed, she met its gaze. It was Garnet, her father’s owl. It had found her again, just like last time she made the same trek to the Woodland camp.
Garnet leaned back and flapped her wings to halt her descent, then perched herself on Sage’s shoulder.
As Sage reached across her body to pet the bird’s head, she noticed Jade’s wide-eyed look. “It’s okay. This is Garnet. She’s a friend.”
Jade eyed Garnet, but kept her distance. “You know it?”
“She belonged to my father, the Autumn King. Now, I’m not sure whose she is.” The feathers felt cool against Sage’s skin.
Had the bird returned to the Autumn Castle after Sage last saw her? Had she perched herself on Ajax’s shoulder? Or did she now wander the forest alone, with no allegiance to the Autumn crown?
Suddenly, Garnet pulled herself away from Sage’s touch. The bird straightened her posture and rotated her head to look behind her. Then, after exhaling a long screech, she pushed off of Sage’s shoulder and flew into the sky.
“What’s wrong?” Jade asked as she frantically scanned the area, raising the staff she’d gotten from the Unseelie Court.
“I don’t know.” Sage lifted the dagger still in her hand as she removed another from inside her boot.
A voice in the energy around her screamed, warning Sage that something was coming. Something that wasn’t safe.
She heard the snarl before she saw it; an edimmu burst through the trees with bared teeth and drool dripping from its gums. Two more followed behind, all walking awkwardly on four legs.
Just as they had been in the Otherworld, their hairless bodies looked more human than canine, but the bones of their faces were angled like that of a wolf’s. And if that wasn’t enough, their pointed teeth alone were nightmare worthy.
It was only three against two. Sage and Jade should have no problem defeating them. But a chorus of growls behind them caused her entire body to tense. She turned to see four more pairs of eyes fixated on her and Jade.
Now they were clearly outnumbered. Seven against two, not the worst odds. But not the best, either.
In her rush to get away from the Unseelie Court where time moved faster than in Faerie, the only weapons Sage grabbed were the two daggers now in her hands. They were one of the quicker weapons, but didn’t have the same reach and would require getting much closer to the edimmu than with a sword or, even better, her bow.
But she had her magic, and that was stronger than any physical weapons.
Next to her, Jade gripped her staff with both hands and held it out, readying for an attack. “Any strategy?”
“Their power is in numbers. They aren’t very smart.” Sage glanced at the tree behind the group of four edimmu. Garnet waited on its large branch, her eyes on the Otherworld creatures. She must have known they didn’t belong there. When she rotated her head and her gaze met Sage’s, Sage yelled, “Watch out, Garnet.”
Garnet leaped from the branch and Sage sent it swinging down at the edimmu, knocking them twenty feet backward. Then she and Jade turned and attacked the three behind them.
The one in the center leaped at Jade, who spun her staff around then sent it swinging into the side of the edimmu’s head. The creature yelped.
As another lunged for Jade, Sage threw one of her daggers into the side of its neck, piercing it through its hairless flesh. It yelped and grabbed for the dagger, giving Sage the distraction she needed.
With her Autumn magic, she lifted a tree root from the ground and wrapped it around the ankle of the other edimmu ahead of her. Her branch trick wouldn’t keep the others away much longer, so she needed to be quick. Once the branch had hold, she lifted it into the air, taking the edimmu with it, and dangled the creature upside down.
Sage ran at it and, in one smooth motion, sliced its throat. A swift end, one she wasn’t sure it deserved. Did the creatures know right from wrong? Or were they simply submissive beings made only to bend to the will of their master? Either way, she could ponder their morality later.
With only one edimmu out of the way, she had more pressing matters.
Jade twirled her staff above her head and, as the edimmu she fought snapped at her, she swung it down onto the creature’s head. For a moment, the edimmu seemed dazed, but once it regained its focus, it dove for Jade’s throat and pummeled her to the ground.
“No!” Sage yelled as she brought a tree branch soaring through the air. Before the branch hit the creature, an arrow shot through its back, straight through its heart. It slumped on top of Jade, and for a moment, Sage feared the arrow had come too late.
But as Jade pushed the edimmu off of herself, relief swam through Sage.
She scanned the area around her as the sisters of the Woodland Tribe dropped from the trees on ropes and attacked the remaining creatures. Now, the edimmu were vastly outnumbered, and within minutes, all had been killed.
The sisters cheered until, from the cover of the trees, Tamara stepped out, Vienna’s large headdress resting on her head.
“I must say, I’m surprised to see you,” she said as her stare found Sage. “You’re either incredibly brave or ridiculously stupid. Maybe both.”
Sage had a million things to say to Tamara, none of which were pleasant, but she swallowed her anger, and instead said, “I need to see her body.”
She could express her rage later, but right then, she would do what she could to keep the situation peaceful. She didn’t doubt for a single breath that Tamara would light Vienna’s body on fire early simply to watch the pain on her face.
Tamara lifted her chin as her back straightened. “I’ll consider your request. After your trial.” She nodded toward Sage and Jade. “Tie them up and escort them back to camp.”
All the Woodland Sisters froze, glancing back and forth in confusion.
“Now,” Tamara said.
Her tone and her glare gave two of them reason enough to obey.
With a glossy, wide-eyed stare, Jade watched her sister approach her with a rope in her hand. She swallowed and raised her hands to be tied.
Sage contemplated her options. She could flee. Although she couldn’t take on all of the tribe around her, she could get through their perimeter far enough to evanesce away. She might even be able to evanesce from where she was, but rushing the process could end poorly.
Above, Garnet let out a long hoot, the bird’s big eyes finding hers.
If she ran away now, her chance to see Vienna would be forever gone and Tamara would get away with it all. Sage still wasn’t sure what to do, or how to make her pay for what she’d done, but letting them take her now would buy her time and keep her hope—seeing her first love one last time—alive.
With a sigh, Sage pressed her wrists together and presented them to the sister approaching her with a rope. When she glanced at Jade, she nodded.
She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
That much she was sure of.
Chapter Six
Scarlett followed Ailani as she weaved in and out of the tables outside the ballroom. All of them were covered in elegant white linens and dressed with rose gold dinnerware. Crystal glasses were ready for the Sidhe version of wine, which Ailani assured Scarlett would be of the finest quality.
“This table will be for you and the fae rulers who have allied w
ith us,” Ailani said as she stepped up three stairs to a table resting on a stage. Three chandeliers hovered above the table, creating the perfect ambiance.
“It all looks amazing,” Scarlett said. And although she meant it—it did look fabulous—she kept thinking of Kaelem and the fact that she’d nearly killed him.
When she’d felt his presence in her mind, she’d meant to seal up the crack in her mental shield, but something else inside her sensed the attack and it had other plans.
It was as if a demon possessed her, its rage and revenge swirling inside, desperate for retaliation. It had pushed Kaelem out of her mind but didn’t stop. Kill. The word played on repeat in her mind as her body took over. She heard his plea to stop, but she couldn’t. Whatever darkness had haunted her held her too tightly until finally, she pushed it away and pulled out of his mind.
Somehow, she’d stopped in time. He was fine now. It didn’t take long for his flirty quips to return. But the worry in his face was apparent. Did he fear her now?
“Is that okay?” Ailani asked, pulling Scarlett from her thoughts.
“Um…” She hadn’t heard a thing she’d said.
“Your sister will sit next to you on the left and the Unseelie King on your right.” Ailani gestured to the seats.
“Yes, that’s perfect.” Scarlett nodded, hoping she hadn’t offended Ailani, who’d gone to a lot of effort to put this event together so quickly. “Thank you for doing all of this. I wouldn’t have known where to begin and, well, wouldn’t have done even close to as an amazing job as you have.”
Ailani dipped her head and smiled. “It’s my honor. I know some people think my job is silly compared to the rest. But I believe that people who can find celebration in the small things are much happier. In the darkest times, who doesn’t need a little sunshine?”
Scarlett had been one of the people who thought a party at a time like now seemed a bit ridiculous, but seeing how hard Ailani had worked, and how beautiful it had all turned out, an evening of fun didn’t sound so ludicrous after all.