“I’m surprised you would say that,” he said in a low growl, his glittering eyes boring deep into mine. “Not after everything that has happened. Queen Viola. The Redcap attacks. Your life has been in danger from the moment you stepped foot in this realm, no matter how hard we’ve all tried to keep you safe. Danger just keeps coming at you, almost as if it’s drawn to you.”
“But I met you,” I whispered, my hear flickering inside my chest. “And Rourke. And Finn. And Liam. Not to mention that I feel…well, it’s hard to explain. More like myself than I ever felt before. I don’t feel weak anymore, Kael. I don’t feel helpless.”
A flicker of a smile crossed his lips. “That’s because you aren’t, Norah. Far from it.”
He leaned forward, hungrily pressing his lips against mine. Breathing deep, I kissed him back. My eyes fluttered shut as his strong hands slipped into my hair, curling around the long blonde strands. His thumb caressed my cheek, and I sighed. There was nowhere else I’d rather be but here in Otherworld with my future mates. Despite the fear I sometimes felt. Despite the danger. Despite knowing that one day the Dark Fae would come for me.
At that thought, I pulled back, all the while yearning to pull Kael close to me once again. We were finally away from the academy grounds. We were finally able to express our feelings after weeks of drought. But I couldn’t shake the thought that those demon-like fae were somewhere out there, watching and waiting to pounce.
I cast a glance over my shoulder at the others who were still sleeping soundly on the carpet of leaves. They were oblivious to the world around them, and they couldn’t hear a single word we said. Still, I dropped my voice to a low whisper just in case. “Did you manage to find out anything about what the Dark Fae are planning?”
A slight shake of his head. “My contact has not been in touch yet.”
My hands found the ground, and my fingers clutched at the earth. “I know we can’t rush things, but I really wish he’d hurry up. I can’t relax, not without knowing what’s coming.”
Kael’s warm hand folded on top of mine. “I know, but just remember something. In this situation, no news is a good thing. He wouldn’t risk returning to Otherworld unless he had something to share. The fact he hasn’t come calling means there is nothing to worry about. Yet.”
Kael, as it turned out, knew a spy. Alwyn had introduced them years ago, back before she had left her spy life behind to become an instructor at the Academy. Our contact was apparently a Dark Fae himself, but one who didn’t wish to see our realm destroyed. In fact, Kael had described the fae as fairly reasonable, a total contrast of everything I’d thought they would be: red, lizard-like creatures with sharp tails and claws. It seemed my overactive imagination was wrong.
“Unless he’s a double agent,” I said in a whisper. “And he’s turned on us and told the Dark Fae that we’re trying to find out they have planned.”
“You’ve watched far too many of those human Hollywood films,” he said with a chuckle. “Trust me, Maher is not a double agent.”
A sharp whistle echoed in the distance, and the lighthearted smile vanished from Kael’s face. In an instant, he was on his feet, and his sword was in his hands. “Douse the flames.”
Heart roaring in my ears, I grabbed the bucket and dumped the water onto the flames. We were plunged into darkness within seconds, a billow of smoke the only signal of where we were. As I rose from the ground, I grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows before tiptoeing to where the others were still sleeping.
With my breath held tight in my throat, I toed Finn’s arm. He was alert and on his feet in a blur of violent energy. Soon, we were all standing in the quiet darkness of the night, our backs facing each other, our weapons turned toward whatever lurked within the trees.
I pulled an arrow from the quiver and slid it into place, aiming the pointed end at the thick darkness before me.
Nothing happened. Long, tense moments passed by so slowly that the seconds felt like years. The chirping of the crickets had vanished. Everything was deadly silent. The only sound was the creak of branches against the wind. But I didn’t let the silence fool me. Someone was out there—or something—and they knew exactly where we were.
When my arm began to tremble from the weight of my bow, I decided I was tired of waiting.
“Show yourself,” I called out as I lowered my bow. “If you mean us no harm, then you have nothing to fear.”
The only answer was the whistle of the wind.
And then branches snapped from somewhere to our left. I whirled toward the sound and lifted my bow. I stared down the sight, my fingers trembling from the tension of the string. Another branch cracked, and then another. Fear and unease slithered across my skin as my eyes strained to see what was hidden in the darkness.
A fae exploded from the dense trees, flying through the air. Heart hammering, I loosed my arrow, but it sunk into the nearest tree instead of hitting its mark. I jumped to the side, grabbing another arrow from my quiver. The fae fell on the ground, right where I had been standing only moments before.
I blinked down at him. It was a male fae with golden hair curling around his pointed ears. Breath rattling in my chest, I aimed the arrow at his heart.
But he didn’t move. He didn’t even blink. His vacant eyes stared up at the canopy of bare limbs that twisted overhead. Slowly, I lowered the bow and gaped at the figure before us. He was dead. And the wound on his neck was unmistakable. His throat had been ripped out.
Shaking my head, I lifted my eyes to meet Kael’s dark eyes. “What…?”
“Another victim,” he said with a chilly voice. “Whoever killed him is out there, and he—or she—threw him straight at us.”
Chapter Five
“This is awful. Whoever did this has to be stopped,” I said as I stumbled away from the mutilated body. Now that I’d finally registered what had happened, it was impossible to see anything but the gore. Blood streamed from the deep scratches, caking onto his green cloak. His eyes were hollow, but there was a wild look of fear plastered on his face.
I couldn’t look at him any longer.
Kael gave a nod. “I’ll change into my beastly form and go after him. That’s the fastest way I can travel and might be the only way I can catch up to the killer. He’s most likely in his...”
He trailed off and glanced at Bree.
The killer is most likely in his Redcap form.
Kael hadn’t said it out loud, but we’d all heard the meaning behind his unspoken words. The murderer was most likely a Redcap. Whoever had done this needed not only the claws to rip out the victim’s throat but also the strength to hurl the body through the trees.
This was looking more and more like an attack by a beast, though one that was chillingly pointed.
Kael disappeared into the bushes while Rourke knelt beside the corpse, seemingly unaffected by all the torn flesh or by the rivers of blood. Autumn fae, as I had learned, were intrigued by death and decay. They weren’t horrified by it like most. In fact, some Autumn fae could be corrupted by their attraction to it if they gave into the siren call of blood. But, it was just part of their season. It was part of their magic. They found no reason to fear death and blood. Autumn was the season of decay, after all. Not all of them were evil just as not all Spring fae were good.
Rourke frowned as he slid his fingers inside the fallen fae’s cloak. “There is something here. A note has been tucked inside his front pocket.”
I stilled and twisted toward Rourke, but I kept my eyes averted from the body. “A note?”
“One word,” Rourke said, his voice as hard as steel. “Murderer.”
Like the message that had been found beside Boyd’s body.
A chill swept down my spine as Finn joined Rourke, curiosity lighting his eyes as he peered at the body. He knelt beside the fallen fae, and he brushed the long golden strands away from the victim’s face. After a moment, Finn nodded and stood. “I recognize this male, though I didn’t know him personally. He was
a Spring fae, and he was a member of the squad of Hunters that focus on tracking down Redcaps.”
Rourke’s gaze slid from the Hunter’s body to my face, and unspoken words passed between us. It was clear now that these weren’t just some random attacks. And as much as I’d hoped that Redcaps weren’t involved, they clearly were. I glanced at Bree who had stumbled away from the scene. She was shivering as she stared at the broken Hunter’s body, her face as pale as the moon.
A moment later, Kael rushed back into the clearing. His breath was ragged and a slight sheen of sweat shone on his forehead. He shook his head, bracing his hands on his knees as he gulped in deep breaths of air.
“I wasn’t able to catch up, but I caught on a scent on the wind. Redcaps. At least one of them. A female in her beast form. She must have started running just as soon as she threw the body. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to outrun me.”
“There was a note on the body, Kael.” Rourke held up the bloodied paper.
Kael’s face clouded over in confusion. “A Redcap left a note? She would have had to write it in her non-beastly form. That means she knows what she’s doing. That means she’s in control of the beast. And it’s clear she sought us out on purpose. She wants us to know that she’s killing these fae and why.”
“Or maybe she’s just being controlled like Norah said?” Bree spoke up, her voice as soft as a whisper.
My instructors were all silent as we stood in the clearing. I knew what they were thinking. Bree did, too. These did not appear to be the actions of a Redcap being controlled by someone else. The targets were Hunters who had been hunting down these beasts for years. And now the Redcaps were fighting back.
After a long, tense moment, Kael clapped his hands and motioned toward the smoking remains of the fire. “Let’s get the fire going again. We’ll need to wait until first light to get back on the road. The Wilde Fae are still a threat this deep into the night. Norah, why don’t you try to get some sleep? I’ll take the next watch.”
But I barely slept a wink. How could I? A vengeful Redcap had thrown a dead body at us in the middle of the night. No telling if or when it would happen again.
I had a horrible feeling it would happen again.
That made two deaths, all within the span of about twenty-four hours. If this Redcap was on some sort of killing spree to take down the Hunters that had been stalking her and her kind all these years…where would it end? Would she keep going until all the Hunters were dead? There must be dozens who focused their efforts on the Redcaps, if not more.
When the light finally broke through the morning sky, I didn’t need to be woken. I’d spent the entire night chasing down sleep that never came. Slowly, I pushed up from the dewey ground, eyelids weighed down by lack of sleep. Everyone else looked exactly how I felt.
Today, we would reach the hideout where Bree’s friend had been staying these past few weeks. My heart felt split in two. A part of me wanted nothing more than to find this murderer and put an end to these deaths. Yes, these Hunters had been tracking down Redcaps, but they’d only been following orders. They’d only been doing what they thought was best for keeping the inhabitants of the realm safe from harm. But on the other hand, a part of me didn’t want to find Bree’s friend. If Shai had been involved, I hated to imagine forcing Bree to watch us capture someone who had meant so much to her in her time of need.
And I hadn’t forgotten Alwyn’s deal. If we found the killer, our Head Instructor would give me the information I needed to get my step-father away from my mom. Forever.
After a quick bite of breakfast, we were on our way again. We threaded through the towering trees, climbing the gently sloping hill until we reached the peak of a small mountain. The trees dropped away as we stepped out of the forest, and I stared at the beauty of Otherworld. From up here, I could see the realm for miles on either side. And it was breathtaking in its orange and yellow glory.
Bree pointed at a rapid river cutting through the golden valley down below us. “There are a cluster of little huts down there by the river where some of the Redcaps have been hiding out for awhile. They’re pretty run down, according to Shai, but that means they look abandoned. That means the Wilde Fae won’t think anyone lives there, so they don’t pay them much mind.”
Kael gave a nod. “How very logical of them. Fresh water from the river and a food source with the fish. Somewhere to bathe. However, I imagine it gets fairly cold in those hunts when winter comes.”
“Why do you act so surprised? They’re beasts, but they’re not idiots.” Bree’s dark wavy hair blew in the autumn breeze as she gazed down on the river below with a wistful look in her eye. “I thought you of all people would be more understanding of them, Kael.”
A pause. “I am understanding, more than you will ever know. That said, my insight means I am also more than aware of their true nature.” Kael cut his dark eyes her way. “You may think you’re like them, Bree, but you’re not. You have been cured. You forget what it’s like to have the beast in control of your mind and your soul.”
“I didn’t forget.” She tightened her grip around the reigns, tears springing into her eyes. “How could I? The way I felt when the beast consumed my body is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
My chest hurt as I stared at the tears that fell from Bree’s eyes. Yes, she had been cured, but her wounds from that experience hadn’t healed. Maybe they never would.
Bree took a deep breath and plowed forward. “But that means I haven’t forgotten something else. I can’t blame someone for something they didn’t choose. I didn’t want a Redcap to bite me. None of us did. Hell, Shai didn’t even get bitten. She’s one of your human changelings. The ones you steal from my world. The ones you trap here while your discarded fae children are forced to grow up with a family that isn’t theirs.”
Kael stiffened, and then he twisted in his saddle toward Rourke, whose face had transformed into wary concern. “This girl is one of the changeling humans, Rourke. What in the name of the forest is she doing running around out in the wild? She should be at the facility. Has Alwyn said anything about an escaped changeling?”
Rourke gave an imperceptible shake of his head. “If Alwyn knows about this, then she hasn’t passed it on to me.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, shifting in the saddle so that I could face Kael. “What facility are you talking about?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “The facility where the human changelings are housed. You didn’t think Alwyn allowed them to run wild, did you? They must be looked after while they’re here, and the realm must be protected from them when they fully transform.”
“I guess I never really thought about it...”
“The humans who are infected by bite or by claw often find their way to Otherworld. They roam free across these lands. Until they are caught,” Liam added, steering his horse closer to mine. “The human changelings, the babes we choose to replace with our own...those are kept safe in a facility far away every other fae. They’re guarded and protected. And they’re helped through the strange transition they undergo as the magic of this world gets in their blood.”
Another facility. Another home like the Academy. Only this one trapped the humans who had been stolen from their world. My gut twisted at the reality of it all.
“So, you can see why it is a shock to discover that Shai is one of them,” Rourke said with a frown. “Human changelings rarely ever want to escape the safety of their home, but even if they did, they wouldn’t get very far.”
“They’re prisoners,” I said with a bitter laugh. “They might as well be kept behind bars.”
“Yes,” Rourke said, more matter-of-factly than I’d expected. “I agree that it isn’t right, Norah. You know that. But most fae believe we have no other choice. If we cease abiding by the Tithe, the Dark Fae will destroy us all, including the humans. Letting the changelings go free means killing us all.”
We decided to split up into groups, just in case
there were several Redcaps hiding in the huts down by the river. I went with Finn. Bree went with Kael. And Liam and Rourke teamed up together. It was funny, the two of them had never seemed particularly fond of each other before. Autumns and Summers never mixed well. But after the mission we’d all taken together last month, things had changed. The suspicion and anger had melted away. They were so close now that they were practically brothers.
Finn and I left the horses behind on the hillside and chose a path that cut through the tall grass. He took my hand in his, smiling when I stumbled a bit on a rock and lurched toward him. He caught me in his arms, eyes twinkling.
I scowled up at him. “Don’t look so smug. That wasn’t on purpose.”
“Sure it wasn’t.” His hand lingered on my waist just a moment too long. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you threw yourself at me in the barn. In fact, I’m certain you would do it again if Alwyn wasn’t so insistent that you be on good behavior. Or else.”
My mouth popped open. “You can’t possibly be serious.”
“Me?” He gave me a look of mock surprise. “How am I ever anything but serious?”
I swatted his arm and grinned, despite myself. “I wasn’t throwing myself at you.”
He arched an eyebrow, sliding his hand around my back to pull me in close instead of put some distance between us. In the back of my mind, a little annoying voice reminded me that we should be walking through the grass toward the river. We needed to find Shai. We needed to make sure the killer didn’t claim another victim. But it was really hard to concentrate on that, especially when Finn was licking his lips and eyeing me like I was a dish served up on his plate.
“You could have fooled me.” His fingers dug into my back, causing me to gasp. “You climbed right up me like I was a tree, and then you wrapped your legs around my hips.”
“Of course I did.” I swallowed hard, heat filling my cheeks. “You were kissing me.”
A Touch of Starlight Page 4
