A Dance with Darkness

by Jenna Wolfhart

  Kael’s eyes were alight. Somehow, the deep darkness of them seemed as if they were filled with a thousand stars, and I knew, right then and there, that I could spend the rest of my life counting each and every one.

  And then the song stopped. Kael’s feet slowed, and I followed his lead. The world jerked back in around us. My breath was ragged, and my cheeks were warm. Kael’s face had filled with color, too, and his eyes still shone with that strange cosmic light. All around us, others had begun to join us on the floor. And then the music started up again.

  Our bodies took over as soon as the notes filled our ears. We spun and whirled and laughed, our limbs twisting and curling around each other. The hall transformed into a kaleidoscope of shifting colors. There were no solid walls. No tables. No one else but us. It was magic. Pure delicious magic. A kind of magic that filled every part of my soul. It had been hidden deep within me all these years, and now it was flowing out of me in a way that made me wonder how I’d never known it was there.

  All because of Kael. And Finn, Rourke, and Liam. I’d spent my entire life asleep, and they’d woken me from a deep slumber I never again wished to have.

  The music slowed. Usually, this would be my cue to take a break. I liked to spin and whirl and stomp rather than sway side to side, but this song...I couldn’t walk away. My arms tightened around Kael’s neck, and I pressed my face to his chest. His heartbeat matched the rhythm of our steps.

  His hand began to caress my back. So gentle. So soft. He was nothing like the monster he claimed to be. I pulled back and tipped back my head to look up into his star-studded eyes. A light smile lifted his lips, and I reached up to trace my finger along the curve of them.

  A part of me expected him to stiffen and pull away. Despite our connection, despite our moment together in the cave, I knew he was still wary of getting close to me. He still didn’t trust that I could see past the monster that hid within. But he didn’t tense, he didn’t flinch, and he didn’t pull away. Instead, his grip around my waist tightened, and a shuddering breath escaped from his lips.

  “Thank you for the dress,” I whispered to him. “I don’t feel as though I deserve something so beautiful, but thank you.”

  “Don’t talk like that,” he murmured, dropping his forehead to mine. “You deserve something this beautiful and more. And the truth is, Norah, the dress is not what makes you beautiful. It’s everything else. Your eyes. Your heart. Your fire. I’ve never met anyone else like you before, and I doubt I ever will.”

  He dropped his lips to mine, and my entire body sighed.

  “Alright, you two. Break it up,” a sharp voice cut through the moment, and two strong arms yanked me back. Blinking, I turned with a frown to find Redmond dragging me away from Kael, whose tortured expression made my heart break.

  “Let go of her, Redmond,” Kael said as his cold, steely mask fell over his face. “You can’t manhandle the changelings like this.”

  Redmond’s grip only tightened on my arms. “Oh, but I can. I have direct orders to do whatever is necessary here. That includes taking this miscreant to be questioned about her actions.”

  Kael’s face clouded over. “What are you talking about? She’s not a miscreant.”

  “I have it on good authority that she’s been harboring a murderous Redcap.” Redmond’s gold eyes glittered as he pointed across the room to where Sophia stood staring at me with a mixture of horror and guilt. “Her roommate informed me that she had one in her room and that she’s been sneaking out to meet it wherever it’s been hiding.”

  “What?” I felt as if I’d been punched in the gut. “Sophia? Is this true?”

  She clenched her jaw and glanced away as if she couldn’t stand the sight of me, but her voice trembled when she spoke. “I’m sorry, Norah. I covered for you as long as I could. But you saw what happened last night. Sam died. You can’t keep protecting your friend. Not when she’s capable of killing us all.”

  Redmond dragged me down a flight of curving stone stairs I’d never seen before. When we reached the bottom, I quickly understood why. Cells lined both walls. Thin, tiny rooms that held nothing but a single hard mattress each. He yanked opened the nearest one, threw me inside, and slammed the gate in my face.

  Shivering, I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the Autumn fae. “This isn’t fair. You can’t just put me in a dungeon because you think I’m trying to help my friend.”

  He raised his eyebrows, and his golden eyes practically glowed against the light of the torches. “But aren’t you helping your friend? I realize that much of Otherworld is new to you, but you must realize that it’s a crime to harbor a murderer, just as it is in your precious human realm.”

  “For one, I’m not harboring her. And two, she’s not a murderer. Stop saying that.” I strode forward and gripped the iron bars. Pain immediately shot through my gut, and I stumbled back.

  The fae let out a low chuckle and shook his head. “Silly girl. You cannot touch iron, not even here.”

  “This is ridiculous. Let me out of here. Bree’s not a murderer. Yes, she got infected with the Redcap disease, but she’s fighting against it.” Taking a deep breath, I stepped up to the bars again. This time, I was careful not to touch them. “You have to believe me. She’s not a threat to anyone. I’ve been trying to help her, by undoing the whole thing. I wanted to give her Winter Starlight.”

  He barked out a harsh laugh. “You actually believe that you can save a beast. Be careful. The last fae who spouted that kind of nonsense got herself killed.”

  At the question-mark in my eyes, he continued. “Queen Marin, the ruler who was assassinated by our Court eighteen years ago. Good riddance, I say. She too believed that Redcaps were intelligent beings who could be reasoned with, but you saw the destruction they can cause. They’re monsters and nothing more. And every single one of them should be kept under tight control.”

  I fisted my hands by my sides and glared at Redmond. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe this is all your fault? The Redcaps don’t just come from nowhere. You create them. And then it spreads and spreads and spreads. Because maybe, just maybe, what you’re doing is wrong.”

  He stepped closer and sneered. “Maybe you’re not so much like Marin after all. She was a big lover of all you changelings, including the Redcaps. Said you were a gift from the gods. But what she didn’t realize is that we’re the gods. And the time of the changelings is over.”

  My heart thumped hard, and all the blood drained from my face. “What does that mean?”

  “Oh, you’ll see.” His grin stretched across the entire width of his face. “But first, you’re going to stay down in this cage.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I didn’t sleep. At least a day passed where all I could do was sit glumly in my gorgeous gown, glaring at the flickering torches in the hallway of the dungeons. I tried shifting, but it was no use. Whatever magic I’d used when I shifted before was gone from me now.

  My mind tripped over Redmond’s words as I desperately tried to figure out what he’d meant by them. The time of the changelings was over? Surely he didn’t mean what it sounded like. Did he truly want to get rid of us all? And, if so, why?

  Footsteps echoed down the corridor. I stood from the hard mattress and backed up against the wall furthest from the iron bars. I didn’t want to be a coward, but I also didn’t know what the hell was coming for me. And I wasn’t about to make anything easy on whoever it was. If they wanted to get to me, they’d have to open that gate and come inside the cell themselves.

  And maybe, just maybe...I could get out into the hallway before they could.

  Firelight flickered on the walls, and a male in a deep golden cloak strode into view. For a moment, I could barely breathe as he strolled up to the iron bars, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood. But then he lifted his chin, and his bright golden eyes met mine. It was Rourke. All the tension in my body whooshed out of me, and I rushed up to the bars, hope and relief pouring through m
e.

  He held up a set of keys and jangled them in the air. “Time to get you out of here, Norah. Apologies it took so long.”

  A grin split my face. “Are you kidding me? I’m just happy to see you. How did you get down here? Does Redmond know you’re doing this? I thought he locked me in here to ask me questions about Bree, but he hasn’t been back. Do you know what’s going on?”

  He let out a light laugh and shook his head. “One question at a time. I’ll explain everything as soon as I get you out of here.”

  He slid the key into the lock and twisted, using a gloved hand to pull open the gates. I rushed into the hallway and threw my arms around him. He let out an oof of surprise, and his entire body went tense. After a moment, he softened and rubbed his hand across the small of my back. Rourke might be an Autumn fae like the ones who were making our lives so miserable, and the ones who might very well be trying to end us all, but he was nothing like them.

  “I’m sorry about what my brethren did to you,” he muttered against my hair. “But I’m afraid it’s even worse than you think.”

  I pulled back and looked up at him with a frown. “What do you mean?”

  He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s a long story. Let’s get you upstairs so you can have some food and a bath. Then, we’ll explain everything.”

  As glad as I was to have a chance to take a bath, I hated to change out of my gorgeous ballgown that Kael had given me. The soft, sleek material felt so nice on my skin, and the sparkling sleeves made true darkness feel like an impossibility. But Rourke insisted I change into some training clothes, so I donned a pair of black pants, a back t-shirt, and my trusty boots for good measure.

  Afterwards, he led me into the basement gymnasium where the recruits were busy practicing hand-to-hand combat with the instructors. I slowed to a stop and raised my eyebrows. The first-years were here, too. Sophia was pounding away at a punching bag, her fists wrapped tight in splotchy gauze. It was the first time our instructors had taken us from theory to practice, and I had a horrible sinking feeling in my gut because of it.

  I wanted to learn how to fight. Desperately so. But the timing could only mean one thing. Trouble was brewing.

  Liam, Finn, and Kael all abandoned their posts, striding over to wrap their arms tight around me in turn. My heart swelled as Liam crushed me tight against him, as Kael whispered soft words into my ears, and even as Finn threw me over his shoulder for good measure. Even though Redmond had told them he hadn’t harmed a hair on my head, they’d still been worried for my safety. They’d even argued over who would release me from my cage.

  After our reunion, the three of them dispersed, taking up their posts with the other changeling recruits.

  “Usually,” Rourke began as he led me to an empty punching bag near the rear of the gymnasium, “we hold off on this kind of training with first-years, and for good reason. Otherworld is new and confusing for you, you don’t yet know the true power of your gifts, and you have no idea what you’re capable of. If we let you loose with swords, you could end up doing far more damage than you realize. One time, a first-year Summer changeling ended up burning down an entire wing of the Academy when he got into a fistfight with one of the third-year Summers.”

  “And yet they’re all in here training now.” I arched an eyebrow. “Why? And where are all the Royals?”

  He pursed his lips. “After Redmond stole you away, the other Autumn Royals staged an assassination attempt on Alwyn. We were able to stop them, but one of them escaped, along with Redmond. We’re guessing they’ve gone straight home to report what happened. The Summer and Spring Royals have returned to their own Courts, too afraid for their lives to stick around here. The Autumn fae will undoubtedly send others to finish the job. So, the only thing we can do now is prepare.”

  My mouth dropped open as I stared at him. “They tried to kill our Head Instructor? But why would they want to do that?”

  “The answer to that question is what none of us knows. It seems they intend to take down the Academy,” he said with a frown. “Anyway, that is why it took so long for us to get to you. Redmond locked the door that led into the cells below, and he hid the keys. It took me some time to determine where he hid them. It turned out they were in your room, something I should have known as soon as I realized what he’d done. He has always been a fan of irony.”

  “Why couldn’t Kael just shift into the cell to get me out?”

  “What good are dungeons if Winter fae can escape them?” he asked.

  “Good point,” I said with a nod. So maybe my inability to shift out of the cell didn’t mean I’d lost my grasp on the Winter fae magic after all.

  “So what now?” I asked as I glanced around the room at all my fellow changelings throwing their hands and legs against the punching bags. They were trying, I’d give them that, but they looked about as skilled as I was. Which was to say, not very skilled at all. Their punches were wild. Their kicks awkward and messy. But they were trying. They were learning. Our instructors were finally teaching us how to fight.

  Rourke’s lips twisted into a strange smile, and he patted the punching bag that dangled from the gymnasium ceiling. “You’re finally going to get what you’ve been asking for, Norah. If the Autumn fae come back, I want you all to be ready for them. We’re not going to allow them to pick you off one by one. Ready to learn how to fight like a fae?”

  A grin lit up my face. “Oh, hell yes.”

  “Good.” His golden eyes dropped to my chest. “Now, take off your necklace.”

  Frowning, I reached up to curl my fingers around the pendant I’d worn every single minute of every single day. It was the only thing keeping me anchored to who I’d been before. “My mom gave me this.”

  “It’s very pretty. However, it can be a serious liability when you fight.”

  I hesitated. My mother had given me this necklace in a moment of desperation. She’d been afraid for me, and I’d been afraid for her. She’d asked me to wear it always, so wear it I had. Taking it off felt like a betrayal, even though I was certain she’d understand if she were here now, as difficult as it might be for her to wrap her head around the whole changeling fae thing. How would she feel if she knew I wasn’t truly her daughter? My heart hurt just thinking about it and remembering how stuck she was with that horrible man.

  “I don’t think you understand what this necklace means to me,” I finally said. “My mother...it’s all she could give me when I ran from that horrible monster she married.”

  His golden eyes flickered. “I do understand. We watched you from afar for months. You can wear the necklace at any other time, but when you’re training and fighting? It needs to come off, and I think your mother would agree. The enemy could use it to choke you.”

  To choke me. So, maybe he had a good point.

  “Right, okay.” With a heavy sigh, I reached up and undid the clasp on the necklace for the first time since I’d arrived at the Academy. Immediately, it felt as if a massive load had been taken off my shoulders. I felt lighter, which was strange. The necklace wasn’t particularly heavy.

  “Good.” He nodded. “Now, show me your best punch.”

  I bent my knees and narrowed my eyes, zeroing all my focus in on the punching bag before me. I imagined that it was the face off all my enemies. My step-father who had emotionally abused me for years. The Redcap who had turned Bree into the tortured beast. Redmond, who had attacked my new home. They all formed one massive target on the bag, the sole focus of the anger and sadness that had been growing within me.

  I pulled back my fist and punched.

  The blow landed with a loud crack, and the bag jerked against its chains as the force of my fist lurched it sideways. I’d hit it so hard that it managed to swing up and hit the ceiling. The whole room went deathly silent as every single recruit turned my way.

  Liam met my eyes from across the room, and his eyes sparkled with pride and approval. Kael rubbed his jaw, and Finn let
out a low chuckle.

  “Well, that was certainly interesting,” Rourke murmured from beside me.

  “I guess I’m a little bit pissed off?” I said, hiking the end of my statement into a question. How the hell had I been able to do that? I’d been the worst first-year recruit of the bunch. I’d expected my punch to land me flat on my ass, not to almost take the punching bag off its chains.

  “Good going, darling,” Liam said with a wink. “Keep it up.”

  The recruits slowly returned to their own training while Rourke steadied the whirling punching bag. His expression had become strange and intense as he kept flicking his golden eyes my way. It took him a long, long while to steady the punching bag, and I had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to bide his time.

  Finally, I propped my hands on my fists and gave him a look. “You’re stalling. What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy I’m actually able to do something?”

  “I’m more pleased than you can imagine,” he simply said.

  “Then, what’s the problem?”

  “How would you feel about attempting to shoot the bow and arrow again?”

  I blinked. “Are you kidding me? I’m more likely to end up shooting you than hitting the actual target.”

  “We’ll see,” he said, his face a blank slate. “You clearly have your punch down pat. Why don’t we attempt to ramp your training up another notch?”

  “I mean, if you really think it’s a good idea...”

  “I do,” he said, before I could finish the thought.

  We didn’t go outside for this one. No one said why, though I had a sneaking suspicion everyone thought we would be attacked the second we stepped outside the walls of the Academy. Instead, Rourke rustled up a target to set up inside the library, while the others continued their training in the gymnasium.