“I told you I wanted the changeling, but all you’ve given me is Rourke. The Queen will not be pleased.”
Raine sniffed and lifted her chin. “He’s a good find on his own. I can’t help it if you didn’t get here fast enough to catch her.”
The two of them were only inches from where I stood, my feet still frozen to the wood floor. My hands itched to do something. If only I had my weapons. I could take my sword and chase after those Hunters who had Rourke.
My sword, I realized. No one could see me right now. I could go after my sword and get Rourke to safety. No one would see it coming. They’d never even know I was there until it was too late.
But first, I had to get out of the shop without tipping this Hunter off to the fact that I was here and invisible to anyone but myself.
“‘Course, I’m not greedy. Just give me half of what I’m owed,” Raine said, crossing her arms over her chest.
The Hunter let out a low, eerie chuckle, the kind of laugh that sent a tremor of unease down my spine. “You let the changeling get away, and you want what you’re owed? Alright. I think I can manage that for you.”
The shopkeeper’s lips twisted into a smirk, and she held out her hands, palm up. The Hunter reached down to his belt, his fingers closing around the hilt of his sword. I realized what was happening almost a second too late. I had just enough time to stumble out of the way when he yanked his sword from his scabbard, sliced it through the air, and landed his blow right at the base of the shopkeeper’s neck.
Steel sliced through skin, and a river of blood streamed through the gaping wound. With one hand still wrapped tightly around the stone, I stumbled back, pressing the other against my open mouth. Nausea tumbled through my stomach at the sight, at the wet skin, at the oozing gore, at the way her eyes rolled back in her head.
Her body fell to the ground with a smack.
And then the Hunter strode out of there with a satisfied smile, leaving behind a trail of red.
By the time I’d gathered my wits and made it out of Grim, the Hunters had left the village. The gate was shut, and the streets were rowdy, and my heart felt raw from a terrible kind of ache I’d only felt once before. It was the same feeling I’d had when I’d thought Bree was dead. A heavy loss, a permanent hole, a guilt I couldn’t shake.
Once again, this was my fault. The Hunters had come here because of me. And I hadn’t done a thing to stop them. Not that I could have, even if I’d wanted to. I feared that Alastar and Phelan were right about me.
There was only one thing I could do. I had the stone now to protect me from the magic of the shadows. Rourke was a captive of the very same people I needed to spy on. Time to go to Esari and make things right.
Getting my sword was easy. Getting through the gates was another thing entirely. I had to sit and wait for what felt like hours, perched uncomfortably beside the only exit in the village. After several long hours, a gang of green-haired fae asked to go out into the night. The guard complied, giving me my only chance of an escape.
Once I was back in the small clearing where Rourke and I had stashed our horses, I pocketed two daggers and fastened my sword to my back. I would have to leave the animals here, as much as I hated to do it. They could not come with me into Esari. So, I gathered all of the supplies I could, and then I let them go.
Dipping across the border and into the Autumn woods was much easier than I’d expected. There were no archways to find, no optical allusions hiding the way. I merely shadowed myself and stepped across, hoping the power of the spell would see me through. We weren’t far from where Liam and I had entered the forest all those months ago. With the familiar surroundings, I was able to retrace our steps, following the path toward Esari.
It was a long journey, especially without the help of a horse. Many times I had to stop and rest my feet. I didn’t dare attempt to shift. There was no telling where I might end up or who would see me. Instead, I kept the shadows pulled in tight and plodded my way toward Rourke.
When I finally found my feet on the well-worn path of the red-and-golden city, I didn’t even pause to breathe a sigh of relief. There was no time to waste, and there was still so much to do. Rourke had been alive when the Hunters had taken him, but that didn’t mean they would spare him for long. So, I kept my gaze locked on the glistening castle in the clouds.
My entire body ached. The road had been long, and my shoes were rubbing blisters on my feet. The sword weighed heavy on my back, sending sharp bursts of shooting pain through my core. And my eyes, they were so heavy. The sun was peeking over the horizon, which meant I hadn’t slept a wink all night. I’d been travelling for ages. For how long? I couldn’t say. Eight hours or ten. Perhaps longer.
But I’d made it. The castle before me rose high into the sky, jagged peaks piercing holes into the gray clouds. There were statues dotted around the courtyard, visions of monsters and wolves and terrible bears. The Autumn fae had connections with animals, I remembered, though not in the same way I felt. They liked to possess them, to control them, to train them to be their army of fur, fangs, and claws.
A cluster of ornately-dressed female fae caught my attention. They were standing near a lion fountain, reddish water shooting out of an open mouth. They were whispering amongst themselves, giggling. Their long, golden gowns were pristine. Their hair was twisted up into braided crowns.
These must be some of the Royals, I thought.
With my breath held tight in my throat, I inched closer to their little group, the sound of my movements drowned out by the fountain’s rushing water.
“Mother said they believe they’ve found my mate.” Another giggle. “Can you believe it? I think they’re trying to make it up to me, not allowing me to go to the Feast of the Fae so I could have my chance to get that ring.”
“I still can’t believe they’re saying some first-year changeling found it.” She rolled her golden eyes. “Clearly, there was a mistake. Some changeling isn’t going to be wed before us, not some unknown first-year anyway.”
“The ring was obviously confused,” the third girl said. “We weren’t there. So, it must have been meant to go to one of us. I think that means you’ll be wed, Cecily. Maybe your mother really has found your mate.”
The three of them started giggling again, and I fought the urge to drop the shadows just so I could roll my eyes right into their faces. But I had more important things to worry about, so much so that I couldn’t believe I’d ever been worried about the Barmbrack Ring. Whatever it meant didn’t matter, not when Rourke had been captured, and not when the entire realm was on the brink of a terrible war.
So, I merely gave them an invisible eye-roll and waited for them to head inside the castle. I followed close behind, keeping my feet in time with theirs. The floors of the castle were pure stone, and the high-vaulted ceilings rivalled those of the Summer Court. There was no doubt in my mind that the tiniest whisper of a noise would echo in this expansive space.
I had to keep myself silent.
The girls trailed off down a hallway on the left, but I stayed behind in the hall. It was impossible to know where to go next. There were no signs pointing the way. No flashing neon lights that said, “Dungeons this way” or “We’re keeping Rourke trapped here!”
So, I was going to have to find Rourke some other way.
The sound of distant voices drifted toward me from the hall opposite to one I’d just seen the Royals disappear into. These voices were deeper and louder. Several males were talking over each other, almost to the point where they were shouting. I took a deep breath, focused on the shadows I still kept tight around me, and ducked behind the nearest statue. Even though I knew I was invisible, I felt the inexplicable urge to hide.
When they walked into the room, I understood why. The voices belonged to three Hunters—two of whom had been in the Wilde Fae village that night—and a female. A female whose face had been burned into my brain. It was Queen Viola, of course, with her face full of sharp lines. She seem
ed distracted from whatever her underlings were arguing about, flicking her eyes around the room as if in search of something.
Heart lurching, I eased away from the edge of the statue and stayed as silent and as still as I could. My heart was roaring so loud that it was deafening, but surely she couldn’t hear the blood rushing through my veins like I could.
“Enough,” she said in an icy, yet lyrical voice. The kind of voice that sounded like an axe, one that could sink into flesh and bone. “This is my home. I will not have you acting like vexing Summer fae, shouting over each other like that. We are Autumns. We do not have outbursts. Do you understand?”
“Apologies, my Queen.” The Hunter nodded, the only one of them I hadn’t seen in the village. “I am just…annoyed. We had a firm fix on the changeling, and they let her get away from them. We do not know where she is now. She could have returned to the Summer Court, which ruins our plans completely. I am also not entirely thrilled about the death of the shopkeeper. She was a good ear on the ground for us.”
“An utterly replaceable ear,” the Queen said dismissively as she sniffed at the air. “And I have alternative plans for the changeling, ones I cannot share with the entirety of my Hunters. You understand, of course. We must keep secrets secret.”
“Yes, of course, my Queen.”
“Good. Now, return to your posts. I need to speak to Tavin alone.” As I leaned forward, I saw the Queen flick her fingers at two of her Hunters, dismissing them without another word. They scurried off, leaving the Queen alone with the male fae I’d watched slice the shopkeeper’s neck.
The very sight of him brought back vivid memories I wanted nothing more than to forget. All that blood. All the gore. That strange smile that had been fixed on his face. Finn had once told me that Autumn fae were obsessed with death. Now, I understood what he meant.
“It seems that everything is in place,” the Queen said, weaving her hands behind her back as she eased across the hall in her golden gown, the trailing bottom edges whooshing against the stone floor.
The Hunter’s eyes flicked this way and that, as if he were confirming that no other listeners were around. “Yes, my Queen. I believe so.”
“Good, good.” She stopped, reached out, and caressed a painting on the wall. One that depicted a battle of sorts, one that was very much over. Bodies littered the ground, and one sole living being stood amongst them. A beautiful but deadly female fae, one that looked strikingly like the Queen.
The Hunter cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Would you like the report on the Spring Court’s movements, my Queen?”
“Yes, Tavin.” She gave a curt nod. “Do go on.”
“The Spring Court has been gathering their forces this past week. According to my spy, their army plans to attack the Winter Court in three days’ time. At dawn, I believe. We’ll have no need to attack either Court ourselves. We can wait until they’ve taken each other out, and then swoop in to pick up the pieces.”
What? It took everything in my power not to make a sound in reaction to that. The Spring Court had plans to attack the Winter fae? But why? And on what basis? Sure, those two Courts weren’t great fans of each other, but the same could be said about all the seasons. Still, it shouldn’t matter. The Winter Court wasn’t the enemy right now. Autumn was.
Something must have provoked this. There could be no other explanation.
“Thank you, Tavin. That will be all.” The Queen gave a curt nod and pressed her hands down the front of her glistening dress. “Oh, and could you check in to see how our prisoner is doing? He’s a tricky one. We wouldn’t want him to find the keys when we weren’t looking, now would we?”
The Hunter gave a nod and scurried off down the hall in the direction they’d come. The Queen kept her gaze locked on the painting, an image I hoped I could forget soon enough. A part of me knew the more information I could get, the better, but I was pretty sure I’d heard enough to give the Summer fae something to do. And Rourke needed me. I was the only hope he had of getting out of here, and this moment right now might be my only chance.
With one last glance at the Queen, I hurried after the Hunter down a hallway lined with flickering sconces. Shadows danced on the walls, clusters of darkness I used to keep myself hidden from Autumn fae eyes. At the end of the hallway, we made a sharp right into a thick steel door that led to a curving staircase.
I slowed my footsteps as the Hunter ducked into the dungeon, afraid the sound of my feet on the steps would give my presence away. I waited, breath held tight in my throat as he descended further, and then I followed shortly behind.
Finally, we reached the bottom. A long row of cells stretched out before us, disappearing into nothing but a darkness thicker than night. The Hunter grabbed a torch from the wall, along with a set of keys, and then he strode to a cell five down from where we stood.
I watched and waited, taking stock of every move he made.
There was a flash of golden hair in the darkness of the cell, and the flickering fire highlighted Rourke’s perfectly-chiseled cheekbones.
“Do you know why all these other cells are so empty?” the Hunter asked, his voice as cold as steel. “It’s because the Queen has no need for prisoners. She does not understand why it is ever to her advantage to spare those who have gone against her.”
“No, of course she wouldn’t. Your Queen doesn’t understand anything other than what matters most for her own gain. She cares for no one, including you.”
“Consider yourself lucky,” the Hunter said as he stepped back from the cell. “But one day, the Queen will add your spine to her collection. And you’ll wish you were dead a long, long time before then.”
My heart throttled in my chest, and fear poured off my body in waves. I was certain the Hunter was going to hurt Rourke. Not kill him—yet. That much was clear. Harm him? Yes. Perhaps through torture, as a way to get answers about the Summer fae? Maybe.
But the Hunter merely spit on the floor of Rourke’s cell and strode back toward the entrance of the dungeons. He threw the keys on the wall and vanished back up the stairwell, leaving me alone with no one to stand in my way. Immediately, I dropped the shadows and grabbed the keys off the wall, my feet pattering against the stone passageway.
“Norah.” Rourke was across his cell in an instant, twisting his hands through the bars and into mine. Shock was written all over his face, as well as a hint of fear. “What are you doing here? How in the name of the forest did you get down to this cell?”
“I used the stone, you idiot.” But I didn’t mean my words, of course. I was too excited to see him, so overwhelmingly relieved that I’d managed to get here in time.
“Are you telling me that you got all the way here using your shadow powers?”
“That’s right. And I’m going to have to use them a hell of a lot more to get us out of here.” I shoved the key into the lock and turned. When I opened up the cell, Rourke strode forward and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Oomph,” I said, like an idiot, my eyes going as wide as saucers. Rourke…was hugging me. He actually had his arms wrapped around me, and his chest was pressed tight against mine. The scent of burning leaves drifted up my nose, and my eyes slid shut, my entire body yearning to bask in the feel of him. This was unexpected, to say the least. But very much welcome.
Very much welcome.
“This world has a strange way of moving its pieces around the board,” he murmured into my ear, sending sparks of electricity down my neck. “It wasn’t so long ago that things were the other way around. Me, coming to get you out of a cell. Remember?”
“How could I forget?”
Rourke pulled back, and his mask of calm indifference shuttered across his features once again. I supposed he couldn’t help himself. That was how he’d always been. I just wished he could see that he didn’t have to hide emotions, not from me.
“We won’t have time to complete the plan.” Rourke jumped right back into mission-mode. “Once they realize I
’m not in my cell, they will send out patrols searching every inch of this city. We need to be as far away as we can by then, I’m afraid.”
“That’s no problem. I already heard enough from the Queen on my way down here. And to be honest, Rourke…you won’t believe it when I tell you. It’s…not great.”
His eyes flickered, and he frowned. “You can fill me in as soon as we’re safe. Do you think you’ll be able to cast your shadow net around us both?”
With a deep breath, I held out my palm and swallowed hard. “Maybe. I think it’s probably best if we’re in constant contact though…”
His warm fingers weaved through mine while his gold-flecked eyes stayed locked on my face. The vein in my neck flickered, reflecting the pattering of my heart. And then together, as one, we crept right past the Queen and all her guards, disappearing into the hazy Autumn city of Esari.
Chapter Eleven
The storm didn’t hit until we’d made it out of the city. The trees rose up high as we left civilization behind, ducking beneath the twisting branches of the Autumn woods. Thunder rumbled overhead as bulbous clouds beat down hail the size of oranges. Rourke pulled me to the ground and launched himself on top of me, shielding my head from the onslaught of the brutal ice.
My heart hammered hard in my chest as I clung to the ground, fingers digging into the soaked earth. The storms were growing worse. The hail was violent and unrelenting. Lightning shot through the sky, and a cry of fear ripped from my throat. I couldn’t help but remember what had happened to the Summer guard. This storm could grow worse, and it could grow worse very fast. And we had nothing but the trees to keep us safe.
“We need to get out of this storm,” Rourke murmured into my ear. “Do you trust me?”
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