by Nissa Leder
Scarlett rushed to Raith, who had landed on his back, with his arms sprawled awkwardly at his sides. She could hear his heart beating. Wait, she shouldn’t be able to hear someone’s heart from this far away.
What had that pill done to her?
She didn’t have time to care. The light was almost gone. A howl echoed in the distance. Another howl cried closer this time. Scarlett’s pulse quickened. She bent next to Raith and placed her hands over the hole in his chest. His skin was covered in blisters where the energy hit him. He looked bad, so bad. Scarlett had been able to heal small wounds, but this was something else.
A new power flowed through her.
Scarlett closed her eyes and imagined the burn being sucked out of Raith. She felt the pain of the energy hitting him, the searing of his skin. She bit her lip but kept pulling the wound out of him. Her eyes grew heavy. She was almost there. Just a little more.
And then she passed out.
Raith gasped as he grabbed for his chest. He remembered Cade’s energy hitting him. Remembered the pain as it burned through his flesh. Then, nothing. He was out.
The hole in his skin was gone, though his clothing was still burned. Scarlett’s body lay next to his, her eyes closed. He could hear her heartbeat, otherwise he may have thought her dead. Somehow, she must have healed him. But to heal such a deep wound would require more power than she could possibly have as a part human.
Did Cade think Raith was already dead? No, Cade wasn’t stupid. For some reason, he’d left Raith to die instead of finishing the job. Typical Cade. Wouldn’t want to get his hands too dirty.
Whatever the reason, Raith wasn’t complaining.
Raith could hear the music coming from the castle. Cade had claimed his throne—even though he hadn’t killed Raith. No one thought to check?
With the night so close, Raith needed to get him and Scarlett out of the forest. After slinging Scarlett over his shoulder, he used the music as his compass to get close to the castle but instead went to his tree house. There, he got a portal door and thought of Silver Lake as he opened it. Neither of them was safe in Faerie now.
Raith found a park bench to lay Scarlett on. He glamoured them both invisible to the mortal world. He didn’t know where to take Scarlett, so all he could do was wait for her to wake.
He recognized this place. It was in this parking lot that he saved a human girl. Raith, thanks to his supernatural hearing, heard her tell the guy she was with to stop—she didn’t want to go any further. The guy called her a tease. The girl cried out for help as she struggled. Raith could feel her fear.
He had evanesced to the car, opened the door, yanked the asshole out, and told the girl to run. Then he showed the jerk what it felt to be defenseless.
Scarlett had been defenseless and he’d brought her into the battle. Guilt plagued him as he watched her lying still, only her chest moving as she breathed in and out.
What made him any better than the asshole human? Raith had taken away Scarlett’s choice in a different way.
Yet, she’d saved him. He couldn’t undo it, but he was relieved they’d both made it out alive.
Raith had once saved Cade, creating a life debt between brothers. That debt had been paid. He could feel it now gone. But a new one had formed in his place, this time he the indebted one.
Scarlett awoke, eyes still closed.
Something new surged through her now. With heightened senses, she absorbed the sounds around her. A heart thumped close by. Further away, a bird chirped. And in the distance, a car honked.
Her eyes snapped open.
There were no cars in Faerie.
“You’re awake,” Raith said. He sat on the ground next to the bench Scarlett lay on.
She sat up and scooted over, making room for Raith. He joined her on the bench.
“What happened?” Scarlett asked.
“You tell me.”
Scarlett remembered Raith getting hit with Cade’s magic. She remembered trying to fight him off and getting blasted. She’d awoken injured, night setting in.
Then she remembered taking the pill. As her body absorbed it, something inside her changed. A new power filled her.
“I healed you.” She looked to Raith. He seemed healthy.
“How’d you do it?”
“I’m not quite sure.”
Raith just stared at her. She wanted to tell him about the pill she had taken and what it had done to her. But she didn’t. She was embarrassed she’d given into the temptation Kaelem had given her, even if they’d be dead otherwise. He’d said there would be a cost. What would it be?
“Let’s get you home,” Raith said.
They walked to her house, which was empty. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been gone. Panic filled her. What if Kassandra had got to Ashleigh? Scarlett released her worry Ashleigh was most likely back at school. The house smelled as if it’d been closed off for a while. Kassandra would think Scarlett was dead, giving her no reason to come after her sister.
Though her house seemed plain by comparison to the Summer Court castle, Scarlett was glad she’d made it home. For a while, she had feared it would never happen.
Raith asked if he could stay the night, which, of course, Scarlett allowed.
Scarlett set a blanket and pillow on the couch. “Will this do?”
“Yes,” Raith said. “I’m sorry I brought you into this mess.”
Scarlett shrugged. “I made it home. That’s what matters.”
“I shouldn’t have told Cade about our night together. Not like that.”
No, he shouldn’t have. But the anger on Cade’s face had sent a chill of satisfaction through Scarlett. She wasn’t his pet. Her choices were hers to make, and knowing she’d hurt him by making love to Raith made her happier than she’d have admitted to anyone. Even Raith.
“Good night,” Scarlett said.
“Night.”
Raith passed out on the couch while Scarlett curled into her mom’s bed. Even with her heightened senses, the scent of her mom was long gone now, but the comfort of her room remained.
She could sense Raith, even through the house walls. His emotions ran low, but she could feel dull hatred.
She could still feel the bond.
When Scarlett woke the next morning, Raith was gone. He’d left a note saying they’d meet again, but she had no idea where he’d gone. Part of her felt betrayed—how could he just leave her? But it was better that way. She needed some time to herself.
The weekend came and, as Scarlett had hoped, Ashleigh came back to the house.
“Scarlett!” Ashleigh ran to her sister and pulled her into a hug. “You’re alive!”
Scarlett squeezed Ashleigh’s waist. She could feel the relief oozing from Ashleigh. Something was different with Scarlett, but she didn’t have time to worry about that at that moment.
“I just needed some time away,” Scarlett said. “But I’m back.”
Ashleigh didn’t press any further. Scarlett asked her how everything had been while she’d been gone, which had apparently been a week and a half. It had been a lot longer in Faerie, but, thankfully, less time had passed here in the mortal world.
The world had carried on without Scarlett—mostly unchanged.
But Scarlett—she was forever altered. Every day she felt a little more different than she had the day before. Her vision continued to improve and her magic felt more innate than it had before. It seemed the effects of the pill from Kaelem weren’t immediate. Her transition still continued.
“Wanna go grab a latte with me?” Ashleigh asked the next morning.
“Sure, let me get dressed.”
Scarlett picked out jeans and a t-shirt, much different than the dresses she’d worn in Faerie. Scarlett dabbed on some makeup in front of the mirror in her room. She needed much less now that things had changed. Her skin radiated a natural vibrancy. Bags no longer lingered under her eyes. Her cheeks constantly blushed pink.
She tucked her hair behind her e
ars, the tops of which now met in a point.
Chapter Thirty-Three
As Raith wandered Silver Lake aimlessly, unsure of what to do next, he heard a familiar voice.
“A Summer Prince in the mortal world,” Kaelem said behind Raith. “The new Summer King didn’t kill you after all.”
“Nope.” Raith turned to see Kaelem in human clothes, unglamoured. “Surprise, surprise.”
Kaelem cocked his head. “I can’t say it really surprises me.”
Raith shrugged. “What do you want, Kaelem?”
“Can’t an old friend be concerned?”
Raith’s eyebrow rose. “I didn’t know you were capable of concern.”
“You’re probably right. But I do love drama in the other courts.”
“You love drama. Period.” The whole reason Kaelem had invited Raith to his court had been to see if he’d ditch Poppy. Life was a game to Kaelem. Raith knew better than to trust him.
“I like to know things,” Kaelem said. “And I know quite a bit about your lovely Summer Court.”
“It’s not my court anymore.” It really wasn’t. Even if Cade would welcome him back, which Raith doubted, he didn’t want any part of that place. He finally realized he’d never find happiness there.
Kaelem smirked. “Ahh… but I know things about your mother.”
Cade spent his first night as king of the Summer Court among his people and the guests from the other courts. He was congratulated by the Seelie advisor to the queen, a Spring Court Princess, and the King of the Unseelie Court. The other courts would likely send their best wishes with a gift soon, as was customary when a new ruler took his place.
After the festivities, Cade went to his room alone. He could have bed nearly any female there—except Poppy, she wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want to do, even for a king—but he wasn’t in the mood for sex.
He’d killed Scarlett. For what, jealousy? That wasn’t the type of person, let alone king, Cade wanted to be. But he’d spared his brother, sort of. Both Raith and Scarlett would be in the stomach of a cyclops or drained by a banshee by now. But he didn’t slice his sword into Raith’s chest—his first act of mercy.
The next morning, his mother joined him for breakfast. She was no longer the reigning queen of the Summer Court, but she was still royal, so she wore a smaller crown.
“My son,” she said as she sat on the end of the table opposite Cade. “We have many plans to make now.”
Plans? Cade had barely been crowned king and the court had no pressing needs that he knew of.
Kassandra continued. “As you know, many years ago, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts moved to the mortal realm and trapped our courts here and bound our abilities, while they are as powerful as they’ve ever been. It’s time we end the curse they’ve placed upon us.”
Sure, there was some hostility when that had happened, but since then, season courts had thrived, even without their full power.
“The Seelie and Unseelie Courts are too powerful,” Cade said.
“They won’t be if we bind their powers.”
Scarlett stood on the familiar hill overlooking the cemetery below. It seemed like forever since she’d been here. Any hint of breeze had abandoned the empty graveyard.
It was better that way—a moment for her and her mom, alone.
The hot summer sun hovered above, its rays shining down on Scarlett and warming her like an embrace. Her feet pushed forward, down the hill and through the graveyard. Scarlett twirled the rose, yellow and beautiful, in her hand. She’d picked it from her mom’s garden that morning.
When she arrived at her mom’s grave, her chest tightened.
Scarlett inhaled deeply as she stared at her mother’s name engraved on the headstone. So much had changed since she’d last been here—the same day Cade had found her. Instead of facing her fears, she’d run like a coward. But she’d learned she was stronger than she’d ever known. Her mother had raised her well.
Scarlett breathed in the grief that struck her. Not only did she miss her mother with her entire being, but if anyone would have believed Scarlett’s story, it would have been her.
Unlike Scarlett, who never listened to her mom, not when she was having a fit. But now, after Scarlett had seen so much, she couldn’t help but wonder if her mother’s illness was more than anyone thought.
If Scarlett had the gifts she had now, could she have healed her mother? It was unlikely, but she could have at least tried.
Tears dripped down her cheeks. What-ifs were pointless. Scarlett couldn’t let her heartache consume her any longer.
Scarlett placed the rose in front of the stone and walked away.
Prisoner of Darkness
Chapter One
Scarlett twirled her finger around the rim of the glass in front of her while Ashleigh talked about some guy she’d been dating off and on. He had brown hair. Or maybe it was blonde. Scarlett couldn’t remember for sure, and she didn’t much care.
The smell of baked dough and cheese filled the pizza place where they were having lunch. Pop music played throughout the restaurant, low enough where guests could still talk and hear one another. But Scarlett heard every word of the songs and each instrument of the background track clear as day: drums, guitar, and piano all twined as one melody.
Guitars and other music memorabilia hung on the walls, one of which may or may not have belonged to Elvis. Scarlett guessed not. Thick checkered linens covered tables that were surrounded by red plastic booths or chairs. Not the fanciest of places, but it had always been the go-to restaurant for Ashleigh, Scarlett, and their mom when they had a family meal out. This was their first time coming since losing their mom. Scarlett ignored the sorrow of her empty spot, and instead focused on the chance to be with her sister.
Since Scarlett returned from Faerie, her relationship with Ashleigh had been great, so different from when she left the mortal world for the world of the fae. Even though only a few days had passed in the human world, Scarlett had been gone for weeks.
Scarlett and Ashleigh were now the sisters she’d always wanted them to be. But Scarlett was different.
And she hid her new self from her sister.
How close could she ever truly feel to Ashleigh if she never revealed her secrets?
Scarlett pried her attention back to the conversation.
“But I mean, it’s crazy, right? To feel this much so fast?” Ashleigh perched her chin on her palm, elbow resting on the table. She wore her blonde curls natural today, tamed with some mousse and hairspray.
“Not necessarily,” Scarlett said, hoping she sounded like she’d been listening the whole time. “Maybe you’re soul mates.”
She didn’t really believe soul mates existed. Then again, at the beginning of the summer, she hadn’t believed in the fae either.
As Scarlett inhaled, she felt the pull of the bond inside her that connected her to Raith. The bond was faint, likely due to the distance between them, but it still tugged at Scarlett whenever she thought of him. She hadn’t seen him since he’d left her two weeks ago.
Scarlett scooted out of the booth, its plastic sticking to her skin as she stood. “I’m going to the ladies’ room before they bring us our pizza.”
“Okay.” Ashleigh picked up her cell phone and typed, probably a message to her new crush.
Scarlett felt the giddiness inside her older sister as she walked away. She sensed the frustration of a nearby waitress as a group of teen boys tried to flirt with her. The cook, far out of Scarlett’s view, was filled with sorrow. Scarlett heard him humming a country song, slow and haunting, as he prepared the food.
In the bathroom, Scarlett hovered in front of a mirror. Her rosy cheeks and flawless skin still looked foreign to her—not that she was complaining—but she knew she’d get used to them eventually. But her ears, pointed on top—they’d always feel unnatural. Scarlett couldn’t hide from the changes, but she could hide them from everyone else, the humans at least. To them, she looked lik
e she always did. At first, she made sure to keep her ears covered. But with practice, Scarlett had learned how to glamour herself. By absorbing the emotion around her, she stored power inside. Then, she’d close her eyes and picture her ears how they used to look, rounded and mortal. A tingle would spread through them. In the mirror, they still looked pointed to Scarlett, but when she tucked her hair behind her ear in front of Ashleigh, she didn’t say anything.
It took a lot of energy, but now Scarlett could glamour her ears with confidence. So much so, her hair was now pulled up into a bun on top of her head. If only the other changes were as easy to hide.
Everything in Scarlett was heightened now, from the sights and sounds and smells around her to the emotion inside her. Sad movies made her bawl. A bad driver made her boil. Once, when someone cut her off before an intersection, she cursed and wished his car would run into the fire hydrant he was passing. And that’s exactly what happened.
She knew she’d been the cause.
And it hadn’t bothered her. Not one bit.
Scarlett washed her hands, avoiding another look in the mirror, and returned to the table. As she sat down again, the waitress brought them their pizza: half pepperoni and half Hawaiian, like always. At least some parts of Scarlett’s life seemed normal.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress asked.
“I think we’re good,” Ashleigh said as she grabbed herself a piece of pepperoni. “Looks delicious!”
As the waitress walked away, Scarlett asked, “Did you text him?”
She wanted to care about Ashleigh’s crush. After all, before she’d gone to Faerie all she thought she needed was a strong friendship with her sister. But that was before everything got so horribly complicated.
Before Scarlett turned fae. Or, more accurately, before she learned she’d always been part fae.
