A Touch of Starlight

by Jenna Wolfhart

  A Touch of Starlight

  Otherworld Academy - Book Three

  Jenna Wolfhart

  A Touch of Starlight

  Book Three of the Otherworld Academy Series

  Cover Illustration & Design by Jo Painter

  Copyright © 2018 by Jenna Wolfhart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Also by Jenna Wolfhart

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Jenna Wolfhart

  Dark Fae Academy Trilogy

  A Cage of Moonlight

  Otherworld Academy Trilogy

  A Dance with Darkness

  A Song of Shadows

  A Touch of Starlight

  Protectors of Magic

  Wings of Stone

  Carved in Stone

  Bound by Stone

  Shadows of Stone

  The Bone Coven Chronicles

  Witch’s Curse

  Witch’s Storm

  Witch’s Blade

  Witch’s Fury

  Chapter One

  The arrow whizzed by my head, and the iron tip slammed into the tree behind me. The electric crack echoed through the silent forest. I dropped to my knees and rolled to the side on the carpet of fallen leaves, breathing in the scent of the rich dirt and the crackling decay of autumn. Heart thundering, my hand found the dagger strapped to my thigh. My fingers curled around the hilt.

  Through the thick brush before me, I could see nothing more than the deep darkness of the night. The light of the moon and the stars was hidden behind a sea of clouds, morphing the entire forest into nothing more than vague dark shapes. Those thunderous storms that had plagued these lands had vanished, though the heavy clouds had remained behind. They were an ever-present reminder of the kind of evil I hoped I’d never have to face again.

  I cocked my head to listen. In the past few weeks, my senses had finally begun to sharpen. They’d been slow to come, due to my years spent in the human realm. Before I’d come to Otherworld, I’d had no idea that fae existed, least of all that I was one of them. And certainly not that I was what they liked to call a Greater Fae. One who could harness the powers of all four seasonal courts.

  The secret, hidden daughter of the great Queen Marin herself.

  And, right now, those gifts were being tested. I was out there alone in the forest with nothing more than my powers and my wits to identify the attacker lobbing arrows at my head.

  A distant crack echoed through the forest, and I strained to listen, letting my eyelids flutter shut as I sucked a long, slow breath in through flared nostrils. The problem was, of course, that the forest provided a chorus of sounds: the whisper of wind through rattling branches, the flutter of leaves as they scuttled across the ground, the chirp of birds and crickets, and the rustle of all the tiny little creatures that called this place their home.

  But then that crack sounded again, a noise that stood out from the rest. A sound that didn’t belong to the chorus, like the striking of a wrong chord on the piano in the middle of the song.

  It belonged to my attacker. He was somewhere to my right. And close. Almost too close.

  With my ears so tuned into the noise, I picked up the sound of something small rustling near where my attacker stood. It was so quiet and so soft that I never would have heard without my newfound hearing. I focused on that sound, letting my mind and my magic drift toward it. My eyes still closed, I reached toward the creature I’d just heard. A small, tiny rabbit with dark grey fur. How I knew what this small creature looked like, I didn’t know. But I could see it, so very clearly, in my mind’s eye. And it felt as though the rabbit was staring right into my soul.

  And then it welcomed me inside. Hesitatingly, I shifted further toward the creature, and my mind became a whirlwind. Suddenly, I saw the forest in a whole new light. Everything became a bit brighter, though the colors seemed to dull, and it was almost as if I could see everything around me in a full circle. It was if I’d had tunnel vision before, and now I could see the world in an amazing three hundred and sixty degrees.

  My heart thumped hard. What the hell was this? Was I actually seeing through the animal’s eyes? It seemed impossible. It seemed crazy to think. But I’d learned that nothing in Otherworld was truly impossible.

  Regardless of what I’d just done, I didn’t have time to think about that right now. The crackling of my attacker’s footsteps was only growing louder. And it was coming straight from—

  There he was.

  I smiled.

  With a sharp intake of breath, I pulled myself away from the animal’s mind and stood straight up from the brush. Tipping back my head, I called out to my attacker. “Nice try, Rourke, but I know it’s you!”

  A shadow blurred in the corner of my eye as Rourke shifted through the brush a good fifty yards away from where I’d been hiding. He was still just a distant blob of shadows in this heavy darkness, but I knew it was him. Somehow, I’d been able to see through the rabbit’s eyes.

  As he strode closer, he gave a whistle to signal to the others that the test was done. Soon, they would join us, and we’d try again. This week’s focus was on my senses, which were improving day by day. That was what my life had been these past few weeks. Test after test after test. Training session after training session. Out here, in the forest, for as long as we could. And we’d keep going until I’d mastered all my powers.

  As Rourke strode closer, I could finally read the expression on his face, one that was full of incredulity and surprise. Rourke didn’t normally get caught off guard, and it made a small bud of satisfaction sprout in my gut. I shot him a grin when he reached me.

  He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “I have to admit, I’m impressed. I’ve had my powers for decades, but I can’t scent someone that far away.”

  I pursed my lips. Should I tell him? Keeping secrets from my instructors—my future mates—was never a good idea, but technically, I’d broken the rules. This training session was focused on my sense of smell. I’d been supposed to identify my attacker by scent. And there was a part of me—the mischievous Spring side—that wanted to have a little fun with this whole thing. Besides, he had shot an arrow at me.

  With raised brows, I leaned against the nearest tree trunk, feeling the rough bark on my bare arm. “Did you really have to shoot at me? What if you’d actually hit the mark?”

  “Adrenaline enhances your senses, so yes. It was the best way to get you primed to scent me. And it worked, didn’t it?” Rourke’s stoic expression softened, just a bit. “Besides, you don’t really believe I would have hit you, do you? I was aiming at the tree, Norah. Not you.”

  “You’re right. It did work. Does this mean you’ll let me have the rest of the night off
?” I asked, my lips lifting into a slight smile. “I wouldn’t mind spending the evening back in my room…and you could always join me, of course.”

  A furious blush filled my cheeks. Even though we’d spent the night together, I still went red every time I thought of the two of us between the sheets. Mostly because it hadn’t happened again, and I was desperate to feel his hands on me. Sometimes, when we were training, I couldn’t think about anything else.

  He raised an eyebrow. “As tempting as that is, have you already forgotten what Alwyn said?”

  My smile dropped away. “No. Of course not.”

  Alwyn Adair, the Head Instructor of Otherworld Academy, had made a deal with me and my four instructors after the events that had taken place with Queen Viola and the Autumn Court. She’d finally conceded that we were in a pretty unique situation. As the daughter of Marin, it was only natural for me to desire the affection of more than one mate. Otherworld Academy had never had to deal with a Greater Fae before, and the rules and the magic that surrounded the place were meant for normal changelings. One changeling, one instructor mate, each somehow brought together at the Academy by a fate-like magic I didn’t quite understand.

  So, of course, my unexpected arrival in the Academy had thrown a wrench into the normal order of things. But after a lot of resistance, Alwyn had decided to make some concessions. She’d brought in new instructors for Sophia and Lila, and my four instructors now worked with me and me alone. To train me. To build up my knowledge of the realm and all its history. And to prepare me for anything that might be thrown my way, now that the entire realm knew that Marin had a daughter, one who was very much alive.

  In exchange, we had to behave ourselves, just like all the other changelings and instructors that called the Academy home. That meant “no funny business” on academy grounds. It was a rule I’d hated then, and it was a rule I hated now.

  I stepped a little closer to Rourke, breathing in the deep, dark scent of him. “The rule only applies to the academy grounds, so we could always go somewhere else…”

  Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Kael, Liam, and Finn were striding through the trees to join us. They each wore an expression that matched Rourke’s shock at my ability to identify him from so far away. They’d no doubt heard that last bit of conversation, too, but none of them seemed bothered by my flirtations with my Autumn instructor. They’d all sort of accepted that I was theirs and they were mine. Jealousy just wasn’t part of the equation, not anymore.

  “That was a fast identification,” Kael said slowly, flicking his dark eyes from Rourke to me. “The first time we tried the scent test, you weren’t able to make the identification until Finn was within five feet of you.”

  “What can I say?” I asked with a grin. “I’m a quick learner.”

  “Oh no,” Finn said with a laugh, striding closer to poke a teasing finger at my chest. “You might be able to fool them, but you can’t fool me. Not with that twinkle in your eye. How’d you really do it, Norah?”

  The trouble with trying to fool a Spring fae was that they were too tuned in to the classic signs of trickery.

  “Alright, you’ve got me,” I said, still grinning. “Technically, I used senses to identify Rourke, but they weren’t mine. And they weren’t the sense of smell.”

  Liam arched an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

  My grin slowly widened. “Why don’t we play again, and let’s see if you can figure out what I’ve done to identify you?”

  Liam let out a low chuckle, his fiery eyes bright even in the darkness. “Someone is feeling frisky, it seems.”

  Heat filled my cheeks. “In more ways that one.”

  Kael cleared his throat. “As amusing as this seems to be for everyone, it really is important that Norah shares with us how she’s done this. It’s the only way we can discover the true extent of her powers, and therefore, how she can master them. Something that will be necessary when the time comes.”

  When the time comes. Four little words that sobered my lighthearted mood instantly. Out of the four of them, Kael was the only one of my instructors who shared my concerns about the Dark Fae, the demon-like counterparts to the Light Fae of this realm. They’d caused so much harm to this world already, and they’d manipulated Queen Viola into targeting me. If they truly wanted me gone, they wouldn’t stop there. And I had a sinking feeling that next time, their attack wouldn’t come in the form of an Autumn fae in way over her head.

  Something deep within me knew that I would have to face off against them myself.

  Finn, Liam, and even Rourke thought I was just being paranoid. We have a tithe with the Dark Fae, they’d said. An agreement. They haven’t come into this realm for centuries, they’d argued. Queen Viola was delusional, they were convinced.

  But I knew the truth of it deep down within my bones. One day, the Dark Fae would return to Otherworld. And it would be sooner than my instructors wanted to believe.

  “Fine.” I crossed my arms over my chest, and my heart flickered. Even though I hated keeping secrets from them, and even though I knew I should explain what I’d done, something about sharing it terrified me. In all my reading and all my studying, I hadn’t once come across anything to suggest that fae could see through the eyes of animals. It sounded insane.

  But I took a deep breath and said the words. “There was a rabbit in the brush near Rourke. It...no, he. He let me see through his eyes.”

  Rourke continued to stare at me, his expression betraying none of his thoughts.

  “What do you mean he let you see through his eyes?” Finn asked with an arched brow.

  I shrugged. “Exactly what I said. I was crouching here, and I kind of reached out toward the sound of his rustling to see if I could scent whoever was out there. Instead, I found the rabbit, and he…I don’t know. He let me see what he was seeing. Which was Rourke. Please stop looking at me like I’m a lunatic.”

  “That’s…unique,” Kael finally said in a low voice that whispered through the small forest clearing.

  Finn snorted and shook his head. “No, I see what you’re doing now. I’m not falling for this one. Classic Spring fae move, Norah. Come up with a wild story and see how many of us you can dupe.”

  I fisted my hands and propped them on my hips. “I’m not making this up. There was a rabbit near, Rourke. I swear it.”

  “Come on, Norah,” Liam said, his lips cracking into a wide grin. “Nice try, but we’re not that gullible. You’re forgetting that we’re a lot older than we look. We know everything about Otherworld. Seeing through animal eyes isn’t something that anyone can do.”

  “Then, explain how I knew it was Rourke. Like you all said, he was way too far away for me to identify his scent, especially since he smells like Autumn, and the free territory is in Autumn right now. His scent is practically masked as long as we’re in this season.”

  “She’s not lying,” Rourke said quietly, his deep gaze zeroed in on my face. “There was a rabbit near me. I saw it.”

  A distant scream ripped through the quiet of the night, a sound that sent a sharp spike of fear through my gut. The five of us whirled toward the sound. It was coming from the Academy.

  None of us said a word as our feet moved into action, pounding the rotting dirt. Kael, the fastest of us all, took the lead. I followed just behind, darting between towering trees. Naked limbs slapped my arms and legs, but I pushed forward, the scream echoing in my mind and my heart hammering hard in my chest.

  My world had been so quiet and calm these past three weeks. The gnawing fear and unease in my gut had slowly begun to fade, replaced by the soothing knowledge that I was exactly where I belonged. Everything had gone back to normal. Everyone was finally safe. But in the back of my mind, I’d always known this day would come. The day when disaster struck my new home once again.

  When we finally reached the Academy, Kael threw open the front doors. We stumbled inside, our lungs sore from our ragged breaths. And then the darkness
of the night dropped away to reveal a sea of red.

  Chapter Two

  A crumpled body curled on the stone floor like a broken fingernail. Blood pooled around his head like a deathly halo, seeping from a deep wound in his throat. His dark green cloak had been slashed into a dozen pieces, and it was scattered around the hushed lobby. I pressed a hand to my mouth, both to hold back the whimper and the nausea that bubbled up inside of me.

  On the floor beside him, someone had used his blood to write one word.

  MURDERER.

  My roommate Sophia stood just beyond him, her face as pale as the moon. Gut-wrenching sobs shook her body. She fell to her knees, one hand outstretched toward the fallen fae.

  I sucked a deep breath in through burning lungs as the realization of who this was finally smacked me sideways. The victim of this brutal crime was Sophia’s new instructor, the male Alwyn had insisted was destined to become her mate. Boyd, the lighthearted Spring fae who never had anything but a smile for anyone he met, and he’d treated Sophia with the kind of respect and attentiveness that most women could only dream of.

  Frowning, I stared at the bloody word on the ground. It was hard to imagine that he could be a murderer.

  I knew they’d grown close, even if it had been a mere three weeks. They had practically spent every waking moment together, both knowing that they would one day make the vow to spend the rest of their lives by each other’s side. My heart squeezed tight, and a single tear slid down my cheek. Otherworld had been hard on all of us, but it had been especially hard on Sophia. And now her mate had been taken from her.