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 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.
Did she worry about where I’d gone? Did she even know that I was missing?
“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 of 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 student 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 of the bunch so far. 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 other students 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 fists on my hips 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 hit 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 practicing in the training room.
He handed me the bow and arrow without comment, but I couldn’t help but note that he did take ten large steps away from me. This whole thing had been his idea, but he was clearly still worried I might take out his eye.
Not that I could blame him.
With a deep breath, I lifted the bow and stared hard at the wooden target at the other end of the library. Again, every enemy’s face was plastered on the target in my mind’s eye. They had stalked me. They had hurt my friends. They had tried to destroy this Academy. I took a deep breath in through my nose and loosed the arrow.
It soared across the library in a perfect arc, the sharp end hurtling straight into the center of the target. With wide eyes, I dropped the bow to the floor and stumbled back.
“Wait a minute,” I mumbled. “That can’t be possible.”
Rourke moved up behind me and handed me another arrow. His eyes were flickering as he searched my face, and my stomach flipped over a thousand times. Leaning forward, he dropped his gaze to my chest again and breathed deeply through his nose.
“Do you know what you smell like, Norah?” he asked in a voice that was almost a growl.
Shivers coursed along my skin as I stood there frozen in place, every single part of me sparking with a delicious need that made it difficult to think about anything else. All I could do was whisper in response, “No.”
“You smell like fire and rain, but also like frost and starlight.” He leaned in closer, pressing his nose to my hair. It
took all my self-control not to shudder against him. “Like wildflowers and crackling leaves and the damp earth after rain. I didn’t notice it until now, but you smell like every season in this realm.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered, still frozen to the spot. “What does that mean?”
“It means you’re different. And it means that something has been hiding the truth from all of us.” He held up the necklace and closed his fingers around the pendant. “You won’t be wearing this ever again.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“What’s this all supposed to mean?” I asked as I perched on the library table. After my little demonstration with the bow and arrow, Rourke had rounded up the others. He’d filled them in on what had happened, and every single one of them was now looking at me with expressions of pure awe.
Which...I didn’t really understand. All I’d done was shoot an arrow into a target, something many of the other students had already done.
“What did your mother say to you when she gave you that necklace?” Kael asked quietly as he rubbed his jaw.
Frowning, I thought back to that moment. It was difficult to remember her exact words. My emotions had been running high, and my step-dad had just slammed his fist into the wall beside my head. I’d been a lot more focused on getting the hell out of there than on my mother’s words about the necklace.
“She said something about wearing it always,” I said with a shrug. “I assumed she just meant that it would be her way of always being with me, even if not in person. Why? What’s the big deal about my necklace?”
Kael exchanged a look with Rourke, who dangled the necklace just in front of his squinted eyes.
“Autumn fae possess a particular set of skills,” Rourke murmured as he spun the necklace this way and that. “One of them is imbuing objects—and even living beings—with our will. If, for example, a fae wished to keep your true power hidden beneath an illusion of incompetence, a necklace that you wore around your neck might be one way to do it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Incompetence?”
Finn let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Let’s just say that it could make it seem as though you had trouble with some basic fae skills. Like the ability to dismount a horse without tumbling into a heap.”
At his words, I shot daggers at Liam with my eyes. “You told him how clumsy I was on the horse.”
Liam laughed, holding up his hands and shaking his head. “Darling, he didn’t need to be told. Your two left feet are pretty much infamous by now.”
“Wait a minute.” I frowned. “I don’t have two left feet. Have you ever seen me dance? I’m actually pretty good at it, and my balance has always been spot on. It’s something I’ve worked on my entire life.”
Finn arched his eyebrows. “That’s actually a really good point. We have seen you dance, and you’re more than good at it. So, then isn’t it strange you aren’t able to do anything fae-like without stumbling around everywhere?”
He had a point, one I’d never considered until now. I’d never been clumsy. In fact, I’d been the opposite. Dancing had given me a strong core and serious flexibility. There was no reason why I should be tripping on my feet every time I tried to take on a fae challenge.
“So, what are you saying? That necklace made me terrible at being a fae?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Rourke dropped the necklace onto the table as if it had a disease he might catch if he stood close to it for too long.
“She was able to heal Kael,” Finn argued. “And don’t forget she shifted off of that cliff.”
“Both of those things happened when she was terrified,” Rourke replied. “Her strong emotions must have temporarily overcome the power of the illusion.”
I held up my hands, glancing from Rourke to Finn to Kael and then to Liam. “Okay, guys. It’s a good theory, but my mother gave me this necklace. My very human mother who knows nothing about any of this.”
“Maybe she knows more than you thought,” Rourke said quietly. “Regardless, the necklace has clearly been masking your true powers. I think everyone will agree that it’s best if one of us keeps ahold of it for now.”
“But why would anyone want to mask my powers?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “That’s the part I don’t get.”
Rourke and Kael exchanged a glance again, and a silent conversation passed between them. I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, but we were interrupted by the loudest boom I’d ever heard. Frowning, we all glanced up at the ceiling as the overhead lights began to flicker. Another boom quickly followed, along with the heavy patter of rain, so loud that it sounded like a roar.
“Sounds like a storm has arrived,” Liam said with a growl. “Summer didn’t get any of this bullshit until the Courts divided, and now it sounds like the whole sky is being torn in half.”
They strode over to the windows to stare at the dark sky. Thick, angry clouds were rolling over the Academy, and the sharp crackle of lightning split through the night, so bright that it was almost blinding. Rain poured from the pregnant clouds, slanting sideways from the heavy wind that howled through the Academy grounds.
Shivering, I hugged my arms to my chest and backed away from the windows. Something about the storm felt wrong and unnatural, almost as if it were a prelude to battle.
“Are you alright?” Rourke asked, his hand whispering against my back before it fell heavily to his side. “I realize this is a lot to take in.”
“I just don’t understand what any of this means,” I said. “Why would my mom have a necklace to hide my fae abilities?”
“Maybe she knew what you were all this time,” he said quietly, shifting closer to speak into my ear, his breath soft against my neck. “Maybe she didn’t want you to return to Otherworld.”
I turned toward him, searching his golden eyes with my own, hoping I could see the truth in his gaze. “Do you really think that’s it?”
His eyes flickered, and he glanced away. “I’m not sure. There are...other things to take into consideration. Either way, I hope that you will accept my apologies on the behalf of the Autumn fae. We are not all like Redmond.”
“I know.” I gave him a soft, timid smile. “Because there’s you.”
I swore his chest puffed up at least a little.
I continued, “But I’ve met some other Autumn fae who were...well, I wouldn’t call them friendly, but they seemed as if they were actually concerned about my safety, too. In fact, they warned me not to have run-ins with other Autumn fae.”
“There are some rebels amongst the Autumns,” he said, his face clouding over. “They do not agree with Viola’s reign, or her assassination on Marin. They are wanted fugitives, who prowl near the edge of the woods between the Autumn lands and the free territory.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened. “Do you think that’s who I met that day in the woods?”
“Could be,” he murmured.
Another boom shook through the sky, and Liam hurried over to my side.
“There’s something out there,” he said in a low voice. “We need to make sure all the changelings are in the training room. It’s the safest place for them. No windows.”
“Something is out there?” I asked, my heart thumping hard against my ribcage. “What is it?”
His mouth was a grim line. “It looks like more Redcaps. They’re prowling back and forth just beyond the watch towers, which are currently empty. We thought it would be safest for everyone to hole up in the main building, but that means we have no one outside to hold them off.”
I glanced at the windows, remembering the horror that had taken place in the Great Hall. “They’ll just crash through the windows. There’s nothing to stop them from getting inside.”
“That’s right.” Rourke’s jaw flickered as he clenched his teeth. “Which is why we must get everyone into the training room. Now.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Torches flickered as we all scurried into the ‘safety’ of th
e training room. My instructors were right. It was probably the safest place in the Academy, but it almost felt as though we were trapping ourselves inside with no hope of an escape. There was just the one set of double doors, now blocked by a growing mound of chairs. There were no windows. No escape hatches. One way in, and only one way out.
Head Instructor Alwyn stood at the front of our worried huddled group, a sword clutched tight in her right hand. “Listen up. Now, I know you all are scared, but there’s no reason for worry or concern. Some Redcaps have been spotted on the grounds, but they won’t be able to get to you in here. All we have to do is sit tight until morning, and then we can go back to our regularly-scheduled lessons.”
Griff stood from the back of the room, his hands curled into tight fists. “Shouldn’t we be out there fighting them instead of hiding in here like a bunch of cowards?”
“I agree.” A third-year girl with short dark hair moved to Griff’s side, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know the first-years are just starting to learn how to fight, but us third-years have been practicing for months.”
“Your safety is paramount,” Alwyn said. “No changeling will engage in fighting these creatures. We have a team of guards stationed just outside this door. Even they won’t be going out into the storm to face these beasts.”
“This is ridiculous,” Griff said with a scowl. “First, we let the Autumn fae attack us and now this.”
Alwyn’s eyes flashed. “We have reason to believe the Autumn fae are the ones controlling these beasts. They’re using them to attack our Academy.”
Gasps rang out through the gathered changelings. I whirled toward Rourke, who didn’t look the least bit surprised. He gave me a nod and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I wondered as much. It’s unusual for the Redcaps to be so interested in our Academy. I thought something else might be at play here, and clearly Alwyn believes the same.”
A heavy thud sounded outside of the barred doors, and the room immediately fell into a tense and uneasy silence. The thudding continued down the hall until it sounded so close that it might as well have been coming from within the training room.
A Dance With Darkness (2020 Ed) Page 21
