My blood roared in my ears, and the entire classroom melted away. There was only Finn and me, and his words about Queen Marin. She’d had four mates. Four of them. One from each of the seasons. And no one had stopped her?
Four mates. Four husbands.
It sounded too good to be true.
“Norah, is there something wrong?” Finn’s laughing voice broke through my thoughts. Everyone in the room was staring at me. I realized that I’d been sitting open-mouthed with my hand pressed to my boiling neck. My cheeks had filled with heat, which no doubt meant I was blushing up a storm.
All because I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. Marin and her four mates.
“I guess I’m just surprised,” I said in a voice that sounded more like a squeak. “In the human realm, that kind of thing isn’t really...ideal.”
“Ideal?” Lila giggled. “Sounds pretty ideal to me. Can you imagine having four swoony men at your beck and call every day and night?”
Oh yes. I could imagine it very well. It seemed like the perfect fantasy come to life.
“Sounds awful to me,” Griff said with a frown. “You’d have to share your girl with three other guys?”
I was looking at Griff when he said that, but I suddenly felt as though I was being watched. My breath caught, and I slid my gaze away, only to find Finn’s sparkling eyes locked on my face.
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind sharing,” he said with a wink. “If another female fae just as brave, as caring, and as breathtaking as Queen Marin came along. In fact, I daresay there must be a woman out there who’s even better.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head at that. Who did he mean? His gaze was locked on my face, but surely he didn’t mean me. I was a first-year changeling who could barely dismount a horse without falling flat on her face. I’d had moments where I’d been able to protect myself, but I’d practically bumbled my way through them.
But I didn’t get to find out because the bell clanged, signalling the end of our lesson. And Finn was out the door before the rest of us could budge an inch.
After everything that had happened, I wasn’t entirely certain that Kael would be waiting for me in the library that night. He and I hadn’t really had a chance to talk since our little trip to the cave, and I had no idea how he felt about what had happened between us. But when I pushed open the door, I found that not only was he there, as always, so were Liam, Finn, and Rourke.
At the sight of Liam, I couldn’t keep my face from turning five darker shades of red. Memories flashed in my mind. Images of his body against mine.
“What are you all doing here?” I asked by way of greeting. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like their answer.
“We need to talk to you about Bree,” Rourke said in a matter-of-fact tone that betrayed none of what they felt about the matter. Did they want me to stop looking for her? Did they want to hunt her down themselves? Liam had heard what the Head Instructor had said. Were they now tasked with trying to kill my friend before I’d had a chance to heal her?
“Speaking of that,” I said, narrowing my eyes as I turned to Kael. “I can’t believe you told them about Bree.”
“You didn’t leave me much of a choice after you ran off to find her by yourself,” Kael said, his voice holding none of the warmth it had in that cave we’d shared that night. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s for the best. These three are trustworthy. All they want to do is keep you safe.”
With a heavy sigh, I dropped down into one of the chairs, all the fight draining out of me. “I know they’re trustworthy. You all are. It doesn’t matter though. I told Bree to hide out in the Autumn woods, but they chased her out of there several days ago. I have no idea where she is now. She could be anywhere in Otherworld.”
Rourke pursed his lips. “Unlikely. If you were scared and on the run, where would you go?”
“Me?” I raised my eyebrows. “I’d...well, I’d probably go home. Or near home, anyway. I wouldn’t want to be roaming around in a place I didn’t know very well.”
“Exactly,” Rourke gave a nod. “Which means she’s probably sticking close to the Academy. You’re here, the only familiar thing in these strange lands. After the ball, we’ll all go out to look for her. We can then take her someplace safe, and administer that cure.”
“The ball?” I looked from Rourke to Finn. “What ball?”
“The annual Royals Ball,” he said with a quirk of his lips. “I mentioned it today in class, or were you too distracted by all my talk of harems to pay attention to that part?”
My cheeks flamed. In fact, he was right. I had been too distracted to remember much else. My mind kept replaying the facts. At one time, a female fae had mated with four males. She’d had a connection with each of them, just like I did with my four instructors. If only I could have been in her position. If only I didn’t have to end up with only one. Because now that I had the idea in my head, I truly wanted them all.
“You shouldn’t have taught that today,” Kael said with a sharp glance in Finn’s direction. “When Alwyn finds out, she’s going to be pretty angry. Queen Marin is not a topic we’re supposed to be teaching. If the Autumn fae found out, they could make life difficult on us.”
“She’s an important topic,” Finn countered. “What happened during her reign matters greatly to who and what we’ve become now.”
“I still don’t understand what’s going on with this ball.” I stood, interrupting their back-and-forth. They all sure liked to bicker a lot, though I could tell it was done in a lighthearted way. A brotherly sort of banter without the hard feelings of a true feud. “Why does it mean we can’t try to find Bree now?”
“The Royals Ball is this weekend, Norah,” Rourke said. “Which you’d know about if you weren’t dashing off to the stables every day.”
He cut Liam a look, who merely smirked in response. He must have told them what had happened. Great.
“Each Court sends representatives to attend the event. The Queens and Kings won’t come, of course, but some lesser Royals will attend.” Kael shook his head and grimaced. “That means there will be extra guards roaming the grounds. If any of them spotted a Redcap, they’d kill it in a heartbeat. We can’t risk going for Bree while they’re here.”
I puffed out a frustrated sigh and sank back into the chair. I hated waiting. Bree needed my help, and the clock was ticking. This stupid ball was only going to delay what shouldn’t be delayed any longer.
“Don’t look so glum, Norah. We’ll find Bree soon,” Finn said, cocking his head to the side. “Besides, you’ll enjoy the ball. It’s your first chance to dance in Otherworld, and it’ll be a dance like you’ve never danced before.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The Royals began to arrive the very next day. The Autumn fae were the first to join the celebration, striding down the hallways in their golden robes with hair the color of the setting sun. Liam found me on the sofa in my quarters, flipping through the book about the Starlight plant. I was yearning to find some hope within the old, weathered pages. I needed to know this would all turn out okay.
He didn’t bother to knock on the door, and his body filled the doorway in a way that made it seem as if the entire room had been consumed by his fiery presence. And I still had yet to be alone with him since the stables. To say being near him made me nervous now? Well, that was just putting it lightly.
He wore a tight-fitting pair of black trousers, and a tunic that clung to his broad, muscular shoulders. His hair swept across his forehead, the fiery color matching the intensity of his eyes. My gaze tripped across his square jaw stubbled with just the hint of a shadow. He was one of the most gorgeous beings I had ever seen in my life.
“Norah, the Autumn Court has arrived,” he said in a gruff voice that did little to mask his irritation at their presence in these halls.
I kept my eyes focused on the book. I figured if I didn’t keep staring at him, I wouldn’t feel that overwhelming desire to climb up him a
gain. After his little chat with the Head Instructor, he probably didn’t want me to anyway, and I had approximately zero desire to make an idiot out of myself.
“I saw them arrive earlier. It was kind of impossible to miss them, you know.”
A pause. “Is there a reason you won’t look at me?”
I swallowed hard. “Nope.”
Liar, liar, liar.
Liam strode over to the sofa and sat without any invitation from me. “You need to be careful around them.”
At that, I glanced up. My curiosity got the better of me. His orange eyes were swirling with an intensity that always took my breath away, and it was difficult to concentrate on what he’d said before, not when he was looking at me like that. Like...he wanted to eat me up.
“I thought they were just minor Royals here to have fun at our ball. Why do I need to be careful?”
He frowned and glanced at my roommate’s cracked door. Sophia wasn’t home right now, but she’d return at any moment. Was he really that worried about my roommate overhearing our conversation?
He dropped his voice to a whisper, which sounded strange coming from him. Liam never whispered. “Remember what we learned when we visited Esari?”
I nodded.
“Well, this ball is to celebrate the anniversary of Marin’s assassination. I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought it was poetic to plan another assassination on this date again.”
Dread pooled in my stomach at his words. Surely they wouldn’t. Not here. Not now.
“But this is an Academy. We’re students. Who in the world would they want to assassinate here?”
Something flickered in his eyes, and he glanced at the cracked door again. “Have you told anyone else about how you were able to heal Kael?”
Alarmed, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t really know how to explain it without giving away the fact I went to the Winter Court to find some Starlight for Bree.”
“Good.” He nodded. “What about your roommate? Did you tell her?”
“I...” I shook my head. It was awful. There had been so many times when I’d wanted to tell her. Keeping secrets from my closest friend at the Academy felt like the biggest betrayal of them all, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat. Sometimes, it felt like I was living a double life. “I’m not really used to having friends. I was scared if she knew what I’ve been up to, she’d want to run far, far away.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” he said in a low growl. “Anyone who isn’t fond of you is an idiot, especially if they knew how pure your heart is.”
I blinked at his words. I wouldn’t exactly call my heart pure, especially when it was currently yearning for the affections of four different fae males. But I didn’t dare say that out loud. Instead, I smiled, yearning to reach out and wrap my arms around his neck and—
Footsteps sounded in the hall outside, and Liam cocked his head with a frown. “She’s back. Don’t tell her about your gifts, Norah. Don’t tell anyone.”
That evening, we all dined together. The Summer Royals had arrived, along with the Spring fae contingent. Only the Winter fae had yet to walk through the Academy’s front doors. Extra tables had been added to the expansive Great Hall, along with hundreds of flickering candles, and the buzz of conversation made the place feel electric and alive.
Everyone was excited about the upcoming ball. Changelings had taken it upon themselves to find dates, much to the Head Instructor’s disapproval. Griff and Lila were going together while Sophia had been asked by one of the third-year students. The Instructors—a.k.a. our future mates—were strictly forbidden from participating in any sort of pairing up, so it seemed the changelings were just trying to make the best of the situation.
“I’m actually glad I’m going with Griff,” Lila whispered into my ear. “I mean, is it horrible that I like him so much more than any of our potential mates? I mean, I figure I’m a Summer, right? Look at me. Flaming red hair. I love the sunshine. But Liam? I don’t know. He just doesn’t do it for me.”
“He certainly does it for me,” I muttered beneath my breath, remembering the way his tongue had driven me wild.
She cocked her head. “What?”
My cheeks flamed. Had I just said that out loud?
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“Sam said the same,” she added. “She’s pretty certain she’s Autumn, and she doesn’t have any interest in Rourke. And Sophia has barely looked at Finn. What about you? You’re going to end up mated to Kael, right? I mean, he’s just so cold and distant. I can’t imagine him kissing anyone? It’d be like kissing a wet noodle.”
“A wet noodle?” A flicker of irritation went through me. “Well, that’s just rude. Sure, they can be kind of annoying at times, but they’re the strongest men I’ve ever met in my life. I can’t imagine how you could think anyone is better than them. Hell, I’d mate with all of them if I could.”
The room had gone strangely silent, and my words echoed off the walls around me. My heart froze in my chest as I slowly turned to find that every single fae in the room was staring right at me. I swallowed hard, and my whole neck went white hot.
This was...embarrassing, to say the least.
Gripping the table, I turned toward the table at my left where the instructors were all dining together. Yep, sure enough, all four of them had heard me. They were staring at me, each wearing an expression that ranged from amusement to shock to intrigue. My god. If only the floor would open up and swallow me whole right now.
I’d clearly let that whole harem nonsense get into my head, and now the entire Academy knew about it.
The silence seemed to stretch on for ages. Just when I thought I could take no more, the glass window exploded behind me. Shards rained down on the stone floor, and Lila jumped up with a scream. I scrambled back just as another window crashed, the massive claws of a Redcap shooting through the hole left behind.
With a sharp gasp, I stumbled back. The windows at the other side of the Great Hall faced a similar fate, and two more Redcaps jumped through. They landed on every side of us, their sharp claws glinting off the light of the candles lining the walls. Changelings were screaming and racing toward the tall double doors that would lead to escape. But a Redcap jumped in front of them just in time, trapping every single soul in this place.
Finn and Rourke were by my side within an instant. One behind me, one in front, forming their arms in a circle to keep me protected from the creatures. I wanted to argue, to tell them to go help anyone else but me, but the terror in my heart had my mouth glued shut.
There were four Redcaps in the dining hall now, slowly circling the fae and changelings. I glanced around, desperately trying to find Sophia, Lila, and Sam. They were all huddled together, ducking low behind the table where we’d just been sitting. One of the creatures was bearing down on them. Its claws were only inches from their heads.
“Rourke,” I whispered, my heart beating madly in my chest. “Help them. Please.”
“I’m not leaving your side,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Neither am I,” Finn added. “Kael took Liam to get some weapons. He shifted away the second the first window broke.”
Indeed, he and Liam reappeared within seconds. Both were wielding swords that matched the ones they’d held that day in New York, that night that now felt so very, very long ago. Kael whirled and tossed a second blade into the hands of our Head Instructor while Liam tossed a sword to one of the third year instructors. Together, the four of them converged on the nearest Redcap, their blades swinging through the fear-filled air.
I found myself clinging tight to Finn’s arm as I watched Kael and Liam battle the creatures. My heart was in my throat, and my blood roared in my ears. They were so strong and so brave. Much braver than I was. Of course they were the two who had taken charge to save the day. They were the kind of fae to risk their lives for the sake of others, and I loved them for it.
When the first Redcap fell, it ign
ited a pure, unbridled anger in the others. They began to launch themselves at the cowering changelings. Claws swiped faces. Blood spilled. Rourke stepped in front of me to block my view of the carnage, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me so close that I could hear his frantic heartbeat in his chest.
The fight raged on. Screams filled the air as well as the gruesome sound of blades slicing into flesh. I wanted to do something. Anything other than stand here helpless, but Rourke kept a tight hold on my body, keeping me firmly out of harm’s way.
When it was finally over, the sight that met my eyes made me fall to my knees. The Redcaps had been defeated, and their corpses littered the hall. With them, three fae had fallen, blood pouring from gaping wounds.
“Who is it?” I whispered to Finn, who had wrapped his arm around my waist to hold me steady.
“I’m so sorry, Norah. Sam didn’t make it.” His lips pressed into a tight line. “We also lost a third-year changeling, along with her mate. He jumped in front of her to protect her from the Redcap, but—”
He sagged against me, and I supported him as best I could.
“Alright everyone,” our Head Instructor called out as she moved to the center of the floor. She wiped sweat and dirt and blood from her forehead and dropped her sword to the ground where it clattered, a steely echo in the sudden quiet of the hall. “I think it’s best if everyone returns to their rooms for the rest of the evening. You’ll be escorted there by your instructors who will stand guard, just in case more of the creatures try to attack.”
Frightened whispers shuddered through the crowd.
“We’ll have extra guards patrol the grounds tonight, and all nights going forward, until we can be sure the threat is gone,” she continued. “They had the element of surprise on their side tonight. They won’t have that again. Unfortunately, I’m afraid this means we won’t be able to go ahead with the ball tomorrow night.”
A Dance With Darkness (2020 Ed) Page 19
