by Nissa Leder
She didn’t think she was just part fae anymore.
“Yes,” Ashleigh said, happiness bursting from her. Even if Scarlett couldn’t feel it like she did, her sister’s face said enough.
“When do I get to meet him?” It was a normal sisterly request: meet the boyfriend. It’s what before-Scarlett would have asked.
“I don’t want to freak him out, so not yet.” Ashleigh grinned. “But soon. Promise.”
A surge of anger fluttered through Scarlett. It wasn’t her own. It came from the waitress, who had just placed a pizza on the table of the teenage boys sitting across the restaurant. All the boys laughed. One emanated lust.
“Nice ass,” he said.
He must have touched the waitress because she startled and dropped a stack of napkins. What a jerk.
The rage from the waitress fizzled inside Scarlett and turned into her own. The cocky grin the boy wore poked a sleeping bear inside of her. She envisioned the hot pizza sliding onto him, sizzling his skin. When it did, the boys at the table grew silent. The cocky boy screamed, burned from the pizza now in his lap.
Shock mixed with joy filled the waitress.
Scarlett pulled her attention away, fearful someone might spot her watching. “Well, I’m excited to meet him when you think the time is right.”
Ashleigh’s eyes were glued to her phone, too busy to notice the commotion at the other table.
Scarlett really shouldn’t have done that. It was dangerous and petty. But it felt so good, so right. She absorbed the waitress’ satisfaction, the boy’s humiliation, and the confusion of the others who saw.
Power grew within her.
She wasn’t the old Scarlett anymore.
It had been more than two weeks since Kaelem had teased Raith with knowledge of his mother and Raith still hadn’t learned anything more.
“There, there, Summer Prince,” Kaelem, dressed in a charcoal gray suit with platinum cufflinks and a thin black tie, said as he jabbed his fork into the turkey on his plate. “Patience is a virtue.”
“Your clichés won’t make me forget what you promised,” Raith retorted.
“I said I knew things about your mother. I made no promises as to when or if I’d tell you.”
“And I’m not a summer prince anymore.”
“No? My mistake.” Kaelem shoved a big bite into his mouth.
They sat at a long, white table surrounded by sleek, red chairs. Where the Summer Court was luxurious and formal, the Unseelie Court was cold and modern. It lived in the mortal realm, and, though it was heavily protected from the mortals with fae magic, the decor had been influenced with the changing styles of the humans. Three metallic chandeliers dangled above the table, lighting the room with bright round bulbs at the ends of silver rods. Bold pictures, all black and white photos of scenery with bright splashes of color, hung around the room.
The high ceiling had a large skylight that showcased the moonlit sky. While much of the human world was going to bed for the night, the Unseelie Court was just getting started.
A brownie, short with a large nose and wrinkly brown skin, brought in a large cheesecake topped with cherries. “Master.” It bowed.
Low fae were common in the Unseelie Court, held back by their lesser status, some more than others. Brownies were at the bottom, kept as servants by many of the Unseelie high fae.
High fae or not, Raith had never liked the idea of servants. But he wasn’t there to change Unseelie traditions. He wanted information and wouldn’t do anything that might interfere with him finding out what he needed to know.
“Dessert, mmmm.” Kaelem pushed his dinner plate away. “A slice for you?”
“My appetite is gone.”
The Unseelie King had been toying with Raith too long. He was sick of it. He wanted answers, not pie.
“It’s cheesecake, not pie,” Kaelem said. “And we treat our brownies far better than humans are treated in the Summer Court.”
“Get out of my head.” Raith had let his guard down. Again. He focused on his mental wall, fortifying it to keep Kaelem out. He’d been a mess since the Battle of Heirs. His mind shields had always been strong before, but lately, in moments of anger, he’d allowed them to lower just enough for Kaelem to sneak through. It didn’t help that Kaelem was king of the Unseelie Court and a strong mind reader.
“I’m just teaching you to keep your guard up, always. You never know who will go fishing inside your head.”
“How kind of you.” Raith lifted his wine glass and sipped. As the fruity liquid slid down his throat, a tingle spread through him.
“It’s rude to turn away a perfectly good cheesecake.” Kaelem cut two slices, put them on separate plates, and pushed one to Raith. “Dessert always makes a day better.”
If eating the fucking cheesecake would shut Kaelem up, then fine. Raith took a huge mouthful. He couldn’t deny, it was delicious: a perfect blend of creamy and sweet. But he was sick of the Unseelie games. Kaelem could wait years to tell Raith what he knew. What were years to someone who could live centuries?
Raith had more important things to do than to be a pawn in some royal game. If the desire to learn more about his mother wasn’t so strong, he’d already have gone.
All he’d left Scarlett with was a note saying they’d meet again. Could he have been more vague? If he’d known he’d be at the Unseelie Court so long, he’d have given her a proper goodbye. But what would that have been? A hug? A kiss? Passionate goodbye sex?
What were he and Scarlett? The bond between them kept them attached, but what if that went away? Neither of them could deny their connection, bond or no bond, but who knew what the connection meant?
He couldn’t worry about her now. If he wanted answers, he’d have to stay here and humor Kaelem. If Raith left, Kaelem may never share the secrets he said he had. The fae were stubborn, if nothing else.
Kaelem swallowed a bite. “Delightful.”
“Completely.” Raith didn’t hide the sourness to his tone. It was what Kaelem, who had the former Summer Prince in need of information, wanted. Raith had known Kaelem long enough to know that games were fun to him, and his best chance to learn what he needed was to play along.
Although Raith grew impatient, he was under the protection of the Unseelie King for now. Should his brother, Cade, find out he was still alive, Kaelem might keep him safe for nothing more than adding fuel to the fire of brotherly rivalry. That and nothing angered a fae ruler more than someone coming in and killing his guests.
So, for now, Raith would be a pawn in Kaelem’s chess game. Until he got the information he needed.
Kaelem devoured the last bite of the cheesecake on his plate. Its delectable flavor lit up his taste buds. Dessert was by far the best part of any meal.
He watched Raith grimace in his chair. The Summer Prince was too easy. Kaelem could get under his skin with just a look. Oh, the fun. He’d been rooting for Raith. Cade was too boring to be a fae king, all serious and moral.
So much so, he’d made the mistake of leaving his brother alive for someone or something else to take care of. Sure, to most it seemed a merciful deed, but to Kaelem, it showed his cowardice. Royals did not have the luxury of showing mercy. It made them weak and easy targets.
It was a mistake he’d only made once, and that one time haunted him every day.
Two brownies came into the dining room and cleared the table, careful not to meet Kaelem’s eye. He wasn’t sure why they feared him so much. Most likely an effect of his father’s ruling tendencies. Kaelem didn’t see the need to incite terror in everyone around him like the late king had done.
“I take it I won’t be getting any answers tonight,” Raith grumbled.
“Not tonight, Summer Prince.”
Kaelem laughed at the anger pouring off of Raith. The Summer Prince really needed to get his emotions in check, but that would take away the fun, which would be no good.
“Then I’m leaving.” Raith paused, waiting for an objection.
If Kaelem refused, he’d stay. If he asked Raith to dance like a drunken chicken, he’d do that, too. For as much as Raith pretended to be uncaring, Kaelem had seen inside his mind when his mental shields were down. Raith would do whatever it took to learn more about his mother. Well, almost anything. Kaelem had read his thoughts of the human girl. Those feelings would be the one line he may not cross, even to know more about his beloved mother.
Which made Kaelem want to push that particular boundary even more.
When Kaelem didn’t respond, Raith got up from the table and left the room without another word.
Kaelem smirked. That human girl had both Summer Princes intrigued. Only, she was never truly human. Kaelem had sensed the fae in her the first time he saw her.
And he’d felt her transition the moment she took the pill he’d given her.
Now she wasn’t human at all.
A soft wind blew against Kaelem’s skin. Someone had evanesced into the room, which, thanks to the boundary spell, only a few could do. The palace barriers prohibited evanescing for most fae. Only Kaelem and a few of the Unseelie guards could.
And the Fates, who appeared in front of him.
Their raven hair contrasted sharply against their pallid skin. All three stared at Kaelem with deep-set, obsidian eyes so dark it was impossible to distinguish between iris and pupil.
“Hello, King of Darkness,” they said in unison.
Kaelem slouched back in his chair and lifted his feet onto the table. A visit from the Fates—how interesting. The last prophecy he heard landed him the position of king. “To what do I owe the pleasure of the presence of such beauties?”
It’s wasn’t a lie, the three sisters were beautiful, in a harsh way. Big eyes, with thin rose-colored lips, and flawless pale skin. Had they not had the habit of bearing bad news, they might have been more likable.
“As proud as ever, we see,” they said. “We come to share news of a great power.”
The Fates were nothing if not dramatic.
“Don’t brush us off, King, or you may just suffer the same fate as your father.”
Kaelem kept his face still, but the jab got to him. His father had been warned of the threat the Seelie Queen posed, but he’d swept the warning away.
“Our words are never true or false,” the three voices sang in perfect harmony. “But we speak the outcome we see.”
And they were almost never wrong. Their visions were legend. Fae kings and queens taught their heirs to believe or regret it.
Except for Kaelem’s father. He told them to go to hell, and that’s probably where he was that very moment.
“I’m listening,” Kaelem said.
The Fates cocked their heads in unison, like crows perched on a fence. “Trouble bubbles for the fae world. A power, long undiscovered, awaits those brave enough to search. But only two parts of a whole and one part of another can free it from its chamber. That is the key.”
Mumbo jumbo, as usual. The Fates never spoke plainly. Riddles were their game. But Kaelem liked games, and he liked power.
“What type of power?” he asked.
The Fates giggled, their voices carrying like bells through the room. “What fun would it be if we told you that?”
Within a blink, the sisters had vanished.
Damn Fates. They dangled steak in front of Kaelem like he was a dog, salivating at what was out of reach. Two parts of a whole and one part of another. What in the hell was that supposed to mean? If something were whole then it wouldn’t have another part. Maybe it was more than one thing?
A crumpled piece of paper on the table caught his attention. He grabbed it and smoothed it out to find the words start with the human written inside.
The human? Did they mean Scarlett? She wasn’t a human anymore, not technically, at least. But she’d already caught the attention of two Summer Princes, one of whom was now king. The Unseelie Court lived amongst the mortals, but Kaelem rarely talked to them. His fae played with humans, but Kaelem didn’t know any by name except for Scarlett.
It wasn’t just the Summer Princes she’d intrigued. He’d spoken to her to mess with Raith and Cade, but somewhere along the way, he’d grown fond of the human. Why else would he have given her a pill to enhance her fae heritage?
She had to be the human in the note.
The Fates weren’t loyal to any court. They could be telling Cade about the future they saw at that very moment, and if he got to Scarlett first, Kaelem would lose his chance.
No, that wouldn’t work. He needed to bring Scarlett to the Unseelie Court.
Now.
But first, he’d have to find her.
Chapter Two
Raith had just left Kaelem. Why was he summoning him back so quickly?
All part of his games, Raith was sure. He stomped back to the dining room despite his annoyance.
Kaelem was leaned back in his chair, sleek black shoes on the table like some troll. Did the Unseelie Court have no etiquette?
Two brownies cleared the table, stacking the empty glasses and plates on trays that they balanced above their shoulders. For such small creatures, they were strong. It had taken a while for Raith to get used to the presence of other fae creatures around the Unseelie palace. It wasn’t as if Raith had never seen low fae before. They filled the clubs in the Unseelie Court that Raith had been to on a few occasions. But low fae were prohibited from the Summer Castle. Humans were used as servants instead. High fae superiority at its finest; low fae were too beneath them to even step inside the castle to cook and to clean.
“You called?” Raith asked as the door shut behind him.
“I’m feeling generous.”
Raith checked his mental shields, making sure they were tight. He didn’t want Kaelem inside his head. “And?”
“A simple exchange of information could be mutually beneficial.” Kaelem looked out the window to the right of him, seemingly uncaring.
It was an act. It had to be. Something had changed Kaelem’s mind, otherwise, he’d toy with Raith longer. “You’ll tell me what I want to know?”
Kaelem’s head turned to Raith, eyes locked with his. “If you’ll do the same for me.”
“And what information do I have?” Something about Cade? Or the Summer Court, maybe. Raith had no allegiance to the court of his upbringing anymore, but would he betray it if it got him what he wanted?
With their trays stacked full, the brownies left the room.
Kaelem waited until after the brownies were out of hearing distance, then he said, “I need to know the whereabouts of someone.”
Even this conversation was a game to Kaelem. Could he get to the point? “And who might that be?”
“Scarlett.”
Raith sucked in a breath. What did Kaelem want with Scarlett?
Kaelem continued, “She was different after the battle, wasn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“I’d given her a pill to help her, should she choose to take the risk.”
That was what had changed Scarlett! Raith had noticed she was different, but he didn’t know why. “Maybe she didn’t take it.” Kaelem may not have known she took it. Raith didn’t want him to know. Taking something from Kaelem might make Scarlett owe him something in return. Fae bargains had many forms, not all of which were obvious.
“She did. I felt it.”
What kind of pill was it? “So what if she did. What’s it matter to you now?”
“The pill I gave her changed any part of her that was human to fae. She’ll be experiencing power she doesn’t know how to handle. She’ll need my help to learn to control it.”
Raith should have checked on her. He was an ass. She’d nearly died saving him and he’d just left. He could go back now and help her. Better him than Kaelem.
“You’re thinking you could go to her instead,” Kaelem said.
Raith checked his mental shields. Still up.
“No, I’m not in your head,” Kaelem said. “But seeing inside the minds
of others taught me how people think. You could help her, sure. But then I’d never give you what you want.”
Raith knew what he should do. He should walk out of the Unseelie Court, straight to Scarlett. He may never get the answers he wanted, but at least he’d know he did the right thing. If, by chance, Scarlett didn’t owe Kaelem anything for the pill, staying away from him was her best option. Nothing good came from ‘help’ from the Unseelie Court.
Raith would be wise to follow his own advice. The desire to know about his mother burned through him, a thirst needing quenched. But bargaining with Kaelem? He knew it was a bad idea.
“You won’t be able to help her like I can.” Kaelem pulled his legs from the table and straightened his posture in his chair. “She’s part Unseelie.”
“How do you know?”
“If she didn’t have Unseelie blood in her, the pill wouldn’t have worked,” Kaelem said. “I could sense it in her the moment I met her.”
But Scarlett could heal and that was a Seelie Court gift.
Seelie and Unseelie? The two courts despised each other. It was unheard of for a member of either court to mate. It didn’t surprise him that an Unseelie fae would break the rule, but defying the rule of the Seelie court never ended well for the fae who dared. How had Scarlett ended up with the blood of both in her system? Maybe the Seelie Court didn’t know. Somehow, Scarlett’s abilities had been masked from her until she entered Faerie. Had it kept her powers hidden from the Seelie Court as well?
Raith considered telling Kaelem about Scarlett’s healing gift but decided against it.
“So what will it be, Summer Prince? You get what you came here for and I’ll help Scarlett learn her new gifts. Do we have a deal?”
If Kaelem wanted Scarlett, he’d find her, especially if she had Unseelie blood in her. Raith could attempt to leave now and find Scarlett and, what, go on the run? Summer fae had powerful magic, sure, but since their magic had been bound, it was limited. Raith didn’t know how much Scarlett had now. Kaelem would be a better teacher for Scarlett.
If he truly wanted to help her.
