Whims of Fae - The Complete Series

by Nissa Leder

  He headed back through the crowd. She was alone. At first, she stood awkwardly next to the refreshment tables like a loner at prom. She watched the couples glide across the room, smiles on their faces. Almost everyone was dancing now, at least from what Scarlett could see. Except for a tall, brown haired fae in the corner of the room who watched Scarlett. He wore a maroon jacket similar to Cade’s. Scarlett had never seen him before. Why did he seem so interested in her? Probably because she was some lowly human here to please a prince. She turned back toward the refreshment table.

  Her stomach grumbled. The fruit looked delicious. The strawberries’ bright red color made Scarlett’s mouth water.

  “Fae food makes human food seem bland. Once you taste it, there’s no going back,” an unfamiliar male voice said from behind Scarlett. She didn’t see anyone approach her. How did he get so close without her noticing?

  She turned to see a tall fae, with wavy, chin length navy hair peering at her with steel eyes. His suit was more modern than the other fae here—like some Armani model.

  “I’ve eaten fae food before.”

  “Then how are you resisting these delectable strawberries?” The fae took one from the silver platter and bit into it slowly, eyes locked with hers.

  “If you’re trying to be sexy you’re utterly failing.” A total lie. God, what made fae so attractive? She could see herself on top of him, riding him like a…

  Stop it! Focus, Scarlett. Head out of the gutter. What had gotten into her?

  He smirked as he chewed the strawberry. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

  “Shouldn’t you be out there dancing?” She broke eye contact with him and looked out into the crowd. Where did Raith and Natalie go? Should Scarlett try to find them?

  “Worried about your friend?” The fae tossed another strawberry into his mouth.

  “Excuse me?” How did he know who Natalie was?

  “Your mind is an open book, darling.”

  Shit. Could he read her mind?

  He nodded.

  “Stop it!” What an asshole, peering into her thoughts without permission.

  “I’ve been called worse.”

  Scarlett searched for Natalie again, wanting to look anywhere but into this fae’s eyes. Something about him brought out the dirty side of her imagination. Almost as if it was out of her control.

  Cade weaved through the dancing couples toward Scarlett. She sighed with relief. For once, spending time with him seemed the safest option.

  “Well, hello there, Prince Cade,” the fae said. He popped a grape into his mouth. “How rude you are to leave poor Scarlett here all by her lonesome.”

  “Kaelem,” Cade said in vicious tone. “Who do I blame for your presence?”

  “Your mother,” Kaelem said. “She invited all the courts’ monarchs, as tradition dictates.”

  “I’m surprised you fit us into your busy schedule.” Cade pulled Scarlett close to his side, his arm lingering around her waist.

  “And miss a brotherly duel? This time, I’ll get to be a spectator. A pleasant change.”

  “Well, thank you for the interest, but Scarlett and I will be going back to the dance floor now.”

  “Ahh, yes, enjoy some dancing before the feeding.”

  Cade stiffened next to her.

  “Does poor Scarlett not know what she signed up for? And you Summer fae think you’re nice to the mortals.” Kaelem shook his head side to side.

  “What feeding?” Scarlett asked. He hadn’t mentioned she’d be attending the ball with him until today and he definitely didn’t say anything about a feeding.

  “It’s a ritual to open the challenge ceremony,” Kaelem said. “The two brothers must feed off of the energy of the same sacrifice while she relives her darkest memory. But don’t worry, dear Scarlett. It’s only one of the dates. Some courts have the girls fight and loser is stuck with the honor. Others roll a die.”

  Why wouldn’t Cade have warned her? Then again, what did she expect? She was his after all, or so he’d said over and over again. A mere hen led into a world of foxes, now wondering why they fought over her for breakfast.

  “Oh, how rude of me,” Kaelem said. “Sometimes it’s a princess battling, not a prince, and she brings a male mortal as her date. Unless she’s a lesbian, of course. Love is love.”

  “Come on, Scarlett.” Cade looped their arms. “Let’s dance.” He pulled her away.

  She looked back at Kaelem, both annoyed and thankful he’d warned her. He winked before Scarlett disappeared into the crowd.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Neither Scarlett or Cade spoke as he led her in a dance. The piano music was nothing more than a muffle in Scarlett’s ear as she thought about the mess she’d gotten herself into. All because she was too weak to face her pain. Life with her mom hadn’t raised her to be so delicate, but even the thought of her mother brought a clench to her stomach. She felt the tenseness disappear.

  “I want you to be happy,” Cade said.

  Of course he was feeding from her emotion. That’s why he brought her here, after all. She didn’t respond.

  “Don’t let Kaelem get to you. He’s an ass.” Cade’s hand kept Scarlett’s body close to his. “I didn’t tell you about the ritual because I didn’t want you to worry. It isn’t so bad.”

  She saw the lie in his eyes and swore she felt guilt under his surface. “Who is he?”

  “Kaelem? The newest king of the Unseelie Court. The power has gone to his head.”

  “You two have a history?”

  Cade shrugged. “He’s a year older than Raith, so we saw each other at occasional cross-court functions growing up. He’s always been a cocky bastard, the Unseelie crown is just the icing on the cake.”

  The fae who announced everyone walked back up the stairs to a balcony overlooking the ballroom. “Attention everyone. It is now time for the opening ritual to begin.”

  Scarlett searched the room for Natalie and found her and Raith near the stairs. Natalie was laughing about something. Cade directed Scarlett toward them as each couple walked up the stairs to the announcer.

  “We begin the opening ritual of the Battle of Heirs. One human will be used, and as the oldest participant, Raith decides how to select the human.”

  “Rock paper scissors?” he replied.

  “I’ll do it,” Scarlett blurted. She’d already known it should be her, and the words slipped out of her mouth before she could talk herself out of it. If it weren’t for her, Natalie wouldn’t be here. She was sure of it. If one of them had to face a past pain, it should be her.

  The announcer looked to Raith, who quickly said, “Or that.”

  Scarlett pulled her arm away from Cade’s. He glanced at her, eyebrows creased. If that was worry on his face, she didn’t see the point. He knew she could be the one chosen for whatever this ritual was.

  “Very well.” The announcer pulled a small vial of black liquid from his pocket. He popped off the lid. “Drink this.”

  Scarlett gripped the vial with her thumb and index finger and lifted it in front of her face. Energy buzzed from it. Who knew what it would do to her? But if she wouldn’t drink it, then Natalie would have to. Before she could change her mind, she poured it down her throat.

  The liquid was thick like tar but tasted like grape juice with a hint of mint. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. As it slid down her esophagus, it grew warmer.

  The announcer took the vial from her.

  Cade and Raith each grabbed one of her hands.

  The warmth grew hotter until Scarlett’s insides burned. Her vision blurred. The world around her blackened. There was no sound or smell or feeling of any sort. Just darkness.

  Then everything changed.

  She was walking up to her house, alcohol on her breath. The party had been fun, and, to her relief, Teddy wasn’t there. She’d missed him like crazy, but if she had to see him at a party with another girl again, she’d lose it.

  Wait, Scarlett knew t
his moment. No, no, no. She tried to pull away from Cade and Raith—to make it stop. She couldn’t relive this. Not like this. This felt too real. She’d had nightmares of it nearly every night, but they were different. This was as if her life was a movie and she was replaying the scene. The remote wasn’t hers to control.

  The night was dark, cloud cover blanketing the moon above. Scarlett fumbled for her keys in her purse, but her front door was cracked. Sweet. She pushed the door open quietly, careful not to wake her mom.

  She didn’t want to see this again.

  Something smelled off—metallic. Scarlett switched the living room light on and her world shattered. Her mom was sprawled out in the middle of the room, long slits crawling up her wrists like snakes, lying in a pool of blood.

  No. No, no, no.

  Scarlett dropped her purse and rushed to her mom. She dropped to the ground, blood seeping into her clothes. Her fingers touched her mom’s neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Nothing.

  No.

  Her mom’s eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Scarlett crawled to her purse, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She searched frantically for her phone and dialed 9-1-1.

  When the paramedic told Scarlett her mom was gone, her legs buckled as she fell to her knees.

  The bomb inside her exploded. She couldn’t feel her body anymore. The following hours blurred together. She didn’t know anything except that her mom wasn’t here anymore.

  And, for a brief moment, a small part of Scarlett felt relieved.

  She’d been avoiding that feeling since the moment it had hit her, desperate to forget she could have ever thought something so abhorrent. She was a horrible, horrible person. The worst. What kind of daughter feels alleviation when her mother kills herself?

  The memory, if that was what it was, faded away and the ballroom appeared again. The pain inside Scarlett pulsated through her. She couldn’t handle it. The nausea inside her grew.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Raith felt the misery inside Scarlett vibrate through her and into him through their latched hands. He knew Cade would be feeling it, too.

  Something inside Raith changed. His power buzzed inside, threatening to burst right there. He continued to absorb the emotion she spewed. He had seen the vision that played through her mind—her darkest memory. He could feel her love for her mother and her heartbreak with her mother’s last breath—and her guilt. He, too, knew the anguish of being motherless. But the feeling of betrayal that hit Scarlett when relief struck her was foreign to Raith. He’d missed his mother with every fiber of his being since the moment she’d died.

  The power continued pouring into Raith until Scarlett collapsed. Both he and Cade kept their grip on her hands and gently lowered her to the ground.

  The announcer spoke. “And so begins the Summer Court Battle of Heir.”

  The crowd cheered.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Raith asked the announcer.

  “She’s been drained. She’ll recover.” Could he sound any more apathetic? Scarlett’s skin was nearly as pale as snow. The announcer could at least pretend to feel bad for the mortal.

  “Don’t worry about her,” Cade said. “You have your own date.”

  Raith found Natalie a few feet away, gaping at her friend on the floor. He glanced back at Scarlett. Cade was right, she was his. For now. And Raith needed to keep her friend calm.

  “What did you do?” Natalie asked him as he approached her.

  “The liquid she drank caused her to relive her worst memory,” Raith told her. “And then when she felt the pain, we took the pain from her like I’ve done for you.”

  She bit her lip. “Is she going to be all right?”

  Raith nodded. “Cade will take care of her. She’s too valuable for him to do otherwise. Come now, let’s get out of here.”

  They would go back to his room, he’d give her some fae wine, and she’d fall asleep. Then he would see if Scarlett cared enough to save her.

  Blackness enveloped Scarlett. She jerked her eyes open and took in her surroundings. The familiar silk sheets sent relief through her. She wasn’t in the nightmare world. Thank god.

  But something felt wrong. That place was horrible, but she didn’t feel agony inside anymore. She felt like all her cares had been pumped from her, leaving her weightless.

  She was no longer in the dress she wore to the ball. Someone must have taken it off of her, leaving her in just her slip. Scarlett turned on her side. Moonlight poured through the window, dimly lighting the room. Something gold and shiny caught her attention—a pocket watch. It meant something, but what?

  Her eyes grew heavy. She was tired, so tired. They blinked, threatening to shut, but then the darkness would return. Scarlett stared at the watch, trying desperately to remember what it was for.

  Someone had given it to her earlier—at the ball, maybe? Why was everything so fuzzy? Her arms tingled at her side. She was supposed to go somewhere at a certain time. That was it. Raith had given Scarlett the watch as they danced. She wanted something from him.

  Think, Scarlett, think, she told herself.

  The vision of her mother, cold on the ground, eyes blank, surfaced. No. Focus. She was supposed to meet Raith to make a bargain.

  Why even bother to remember? Thinking felt too difficult—like moving hands through wet cement. It would be so much easier to fall back asleep.

  No, her subconscious screamed at her. Whatever she was struggling to remember was important.

  It was about the ball. Someone at the ball. Scarlett remembered meeting the Unseelie King—Kaelem—and his cocky, gorgeous face. A smile threatened to surface on her face, but the thought alone stole all of her energy.

  Kaelem, not Cade, warned her about the ritual. And he could read her thoughts. He knew who Natalie was.

  Natalie. She was here in this realm. And Raith said he’d make a bargain with Scarlett to send Natalie back if Scarlett met him at three in the morning.

  She pushed herself up, her body stiff. What if she was too late? How long had she been asleep? The questions weren’t going to help so she reached for the pocket watch and opened it. Two-fifty-seven. She would have to hurry, but she could make it.

  She glanced down at her slip. There was no time to change. It covered her, mostly. Enough, at least. If she had to run down there naked to save Natalie she would—whatever it took. She may have been a crappy daughter, but Scarlett refused to be a bad friend.

  With no shoes, she hurried down the hallway. No one else was in sight, the whole castle likely asleep after the ball. How long had they celebrated after she’d been drained?

  She kept her feet light on the floor, careful not to wake anyone. She didn’t need Cade finding out about her late-night rendezvous. Her meeting Raith would not go over well, especially in so little clothing.

  Then again, as much as Cade would like to believe otherwise, Scarlett was not his.

  The ballroom seemed so huge from the top of the stairs now that it was empty. She looked to the balcony where she drank that vile liquid.

  But wait, the ballroom was empty, no Raith to be found. She checked the watch. Three o’clock sharp. She was here right on time. If that ass lied to her…

  “I can feel the wrath radiating off of you like heat from a fire.” Raith stepped out of the back-corner shadows.

  “I figured you were an ass who stood me up.”

  “I could never stand you up, love.”

  She didn’t have time for his fake flattery. Somehow, he knew Natalie was her friend so he preyed on her weakness to lure her here. Scarlett wouldn’t be surprised if tricking her into a bargain was his plan all along.

  “So, let’s bargain.” She walked down the stairs and met him in the middle of the room, which was lit by the moonlight shining through a huge skylight above. Scarlett hadn’t noticed it during the ball. It was too busy then—too full of fae staring at her.

  Now, Raith’s eyes were the only ones watching her. “I’m glad you dres
sed comfortably. Wouldn’t want to be overdressed for a bargain.”

  “Thanks to that stupid ritual, I was blacked out until a few minutes ago. You’re lucky I woke up in time and showed up at all.”

  “No, you’re lucky,” Raith said. “You are the one who wants to save your friend.”

  “There must be something you want, or why even bother to make a deal with me?” Scarlett was within an arm’s length of Raith now. He was still in the same pants and boots he wore to the ball, but his jacket was off now, leaving him in the cream undershirt, the top three buttons undone.

  “Clever, girl.” He smirked. “I will take Natalie back to the mortal realm if you vow to stay here until the battle is over.”

  At first, Scarlett’s instincts had told her to run away from this place, fast. Then, her curiosity swelled and she decided to learn more of the realm and the fae. But after being drained during the ritual, her intuition was throwing red flags to get the hell out of there again. If she agreed to this, she might never make it home.

  “I thought humans couldn’t be held here against their will?” That’s what Cade had told her. “I’ll convince Natalie to ask to go home.”

  “True, but when someone is taking away all your pain, leaving becomes difficult.”

  The memory of her mother crept in and pressed against her heart. The pain she’d been running from since it happened was what brought her here in the first place. Scarlett wanted to think she was strong enough to leave now, but even if she was, she couldn’t leave Natalie here.

  “I agree to stay until the battle is over and you take Natalie back and never bring her here again.” Scarlett had to be careful. Bargains were tricky. She had to cover all her bases.

  “I will never bring her back, but I can’t guarantee she won’t find another way. For all the dangers we fae present, humans aren’t very good at staying away once they’ve felt it here in Faerie.”