by Nissa Leder
Cade's mouth grew more aggressive on Scarlett's neck until he groaned.
The air around Scarlett cooled as Cade's touch left her.
"Sorry, beautiful. Duty calls." He let go of her hand and stepped backward. "Don't worry. I'll find you again." After the words left his mouth, he disappeared.
Scarlett jolted upright in her bed.
"Of course you'd ruin my perfectly good dream," Cade said as he pulled out of Scarlett's mind. Raith's voice had broken his connection to her.
Scarlett. Such a lovely human. Something about her called to Cade. To be so infatuated with a mortal wasn't something he'd admit to. But after only a few minutes of her in his dreamscape, magic blazed again through his veins. His training had grown brutal over the last two weeks. His mother insisted he intensely prepare himself for the upcoming battle against his brother. Cade didn't see Raith as much of a threat. As far as he knew, Raith didn't even train. But Raith was older, his mother constantly reminded him, and had had more time to learn his power.
"To live in dreams is a waste of reality, dear brother," Raith said. "Preying on the innocent little humans."
Raith's loose tan shirt was half untucked from his pants as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Sloppy, if you asked Cade. That and his unruly chin length hair made him look more like a beggar than a prince.
"Oh, please. I give them good dreams that they won't even remember." Cade pushed himself up from his bed. "What do you care? You don't even associate with them."
Raith shrugged. "The king wants to see us."
Cade followed Raith to the battle wing of the castle. Here, the new military recruits trained each spring. The Summer Court hadn't been attacked in years. They'd defeated the Winter Court a half-century ago in a small war, but still, the threat of another attack kept young, sturdy summer fae signing up to keep the kingdom strong. Cade was too young to know anything but the history of the war. Now that summer had come, this part of the castle was empty except for Cade and Raith's training. At the end of the summer, Cade would challenge Raith for the Right of Heir. As the oldest son of the King, Raith was granted the title until Cade, his only sibling, was of age. Any time after age nineteen, a younger sibling could battle against the current heir. Most waited years, as fae power was unpredictable and harder to manage in early adulthood. But their father grew weaker every day, and Cade's mother urged him to challenge right away.
The temperature of the battle wing was at least ten degrees cooler than the other parts of the castle. Cold promoted magic alertness. Cade walked a few feet behind Raith. The two had been close as children. Playing in the fields. Pranking the castle staff. Sneaking into the forest they were forbidden from entering. As the two grew older, the distance between them swelled. Cade knew Raith was jealous of him. His own mother had died, and Raith never accepted Cade's mother as his own.
Their father waited in the battle room in the training tower. His salt and pepper hair almost reached his shoulders now—a big change to the short hair he’d had when Cade was a child. He wore a gold crown atop his head. Wrinkles had formed on his face. Such a rare occurrence for a high fae.
The walls of stone stood high in the large room. Swords, staffs, and other weapons hung on the far wall. The king stood in the middle of the room. His hands clung to his sides, and his eyes remained closed.
"My sons," he said, his voice weak. He turned to them and opened his eyes. The quick deterioration of the king was peculiar. Most high fae lived for centuries. A benefit of the magic that coursed through their veins was good health. Something had caused the king's health to dwindle.
Cade rarely saw his father lately. Spring was a quiet season for the Summer fae. The festivals and dances happened mostly in the summer.
"Summer is here. Your battle will be the center of the Summer Festivities. Come closer." He motioned toward them.
Cade and Raith stepped closer. Both boys stood taller than their father, Cade the tallest of the three. Raith had steel blue eyes that matched their father's, while Cade had inherited his mother's. The King placed his hands on each boy’s shoulder. "The Battle is inevitable, I know. As an only child, I was fortunate enough not to fight for the Right of Heir. But I never had the blessing of a sibling as you two do. I pray you remember that you will always be brothers."
The king had grown sentimental as his health decayed. Hoping for a brotherly relationship between Cade and Raith was wishful thinking, but Cade wouldn't be the one to ruin a dying man’s dream.
"Of course," Raith said as he mimicked his father's gesture. "The Right of Heir should go to the most capable. No hard feelings if my younger brother wins." Raith patted the king's shoulder. He grinned at Cade, and Cade knew that Raith had as little faith as he did that they would ever be as close as they once were.
The King took his hands back to his side. "The Festivities will start next week. You will both be obligated to attend each event. Each of you should spend most of your time training over the summer. You are each assigned a guide from my guard to help you prepare. Please restrain from any physical harm to one another, in the meantime." A twinkle flickered in his eye, reminding Cade of a younger version of his father. One he hadn't seen in a very long time.
"Certainly," Cade said.
A coughing spasm attacked the king, who excused himself to his bedroom to rest.
Cade saw Raith smirk as they left the battle room. "Laugh now, but I will defeat you."
Raith patted his brother on the back. "I expect you to try."
"My magic is stronger than ever," Cade said. Raith always underestimated him, patronizing Cade every chance he had. "I have secrets that even you don't know."
After another chuckle, Raith replied. "So do I."
It had been a long time since they'd fought. Cade had almost forgotten how it felt to have the brotherly love they once had. Or Cade had. He used to wonder if Raith ever loved him, but not anymore.
All that mattered now was preparing for the battle.
Cade's mother had spoken to him on his nineteenth birthday.
"You must challenge your brother. Your father is ill, and if something happens to him, I fear for our safety," she had said. "You are strong and far more of a leader than Raith." She spat out his name as if it were poison. His mother had little love for her stepson.
Cade remembered the determination in her eyes. He couldn't disappoint her.
He must win.
Chapter Three
Raith watched his little brother hurry away, probably running to tell his mother about the meeting with the king. Cade was a momma’s boy to the core.
Raith had no mother. Not anymore. She’d died long ago, and Raith had learned to take care of himself. His father had been seduced by Kassandra, the new queen. From the moment she had greeted the king at the Winter Ball, he was in trouble.
Kassandra was sweet to the eye, with long platinum hair and icy blue-green eyes. But as Raith grew, he saw through her beauty. He sensed her greed. Her pride. Her jealousy. All the desires the King was blind to.
Within a month of their marriage, Kassandra held Cade in her womb. Raith was only five when Cade was born, and, for many years, he was the perfect big brother. When he was allowed to be around Cade, that was. Kassandra watched Raith closely. He felt her stare on him constantly. Even as a child, Raith was perceptive. He felt himself pushed out of the family as Kassandra tightened her grip on the King. But when Raith turned nineteen, his father had bestowed the Right of Heir to him. It angered Kassandra, which brought joy to Raith’s heart.
Instead of going back to his room, Raith continued through the castle and out the back doors. The western sky faded from orange to purple to pink as the sun set behind the mountains in the distance. The back exit avoided the guards, who were nosy bastards that always wanted to know where he was going.
At least once a day, Raith made his way to the forest. Years ago, he’d placed a gate on the castle border wall so he could come in and out as often as he pleased. Kassandra complained
it compromised security, but Raith had magicked the gate so only summer royalty could unlock it, so the King said it could stay.
Most fae from the castle feared the darkness within the woods. The forest had a mind of its own. And magic. It could make people see things that weren’t there. Feel things crawl on them. Hear snarls and howls. Of course, it could only do these things if you let it. Raith never did. The forest was full of trickery, but Raith’s magic kept it from breaking into his mind.
As a Summer Court fae, Raith possessed mind powers. So did Cade, but they had different types of mind magic. Cade could enter dreams. He could use the emotion to refill his magic. Humans would wake up unaware that Cade had been there. Raith’s magic was different. He had access to memories—to see memories of others, to erase them, to share his own. The emotion in them fueled him as dreams did Cade. Raith could also use real life emotion like all high fae, the human-like fae who were the most powerful. The feeling of someone’s emotion coursing through him was incredible, a high like no other. But he had other means to refresh his magic. Nature.
His mother had taught him how to use nature to gain energy shortly before she died. She’d made him promise not to let anyone know what he could do—it was their secret. And an Autumn Court ability, as far as Raith knew. He wasn’t sure how he could do it, but whatever the reason, he was glad. When he and Cade would sneak into the forest to play, he would use his magic in front of Cade, but he never shared its source. He kept his promise to his mother and never told another soul.
The castle courtyard was the only thing between the castle and the forest. Raith followed a stone path, passed a fountain, and then walked across grass until he reached a gate in the fence at edge of the forest. When his hand touched the gate’s handle, it clicked open. As he stepped into the cover of the trees, his senses sharpened. His eyes adjusted to the darkness. He inhaled the crisp forest scent as he pressed further until he came to a tall tree that curved like a quarter moon. Its trunk was thick and rose high. At first glance, it looked like any of the other trees around. Bigger, perhaps, but just as tree-like. But a door was hidden in the moss-covered bark.
Raith swung the door open with his magic. Inside, a ladder led down. He lit a candle at the top, shut the door, and climbed downward to a large room below the ground. More candles illuminated the room. On the far wall, a green blanket covered the bed. Close to the ladder, an oversized chair and ottoman sat, both charcoal in color. Raith walked across the wooden floor and over a braided rug. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply and a fire grew in the fireplace, sending warmth throughout the room.
This place was his and his alone. He’d never brought anyone here. Not Cade. Not any of the female fae he’d taken home to bed. On those nights, he went to his room in the castle, which was more impressive to them anyway. When Raith needed time alone, he came to this tree. Its coziness clothed him like a blanket. Here, he could think about anything without interruption. About his mother. About the upcoming battle.
He popped open a bottle of fae wine and poured a glass. As he sipped the berry-flavored beverage, a tingle ran through him. Raith sprawled out on the bed, leaning against the willow tree headboard.
Cade thought he would defeat Raith. He assumed that Raith didn’t practice his magic enough. Maybe he thought Raith didn’t have much magic. But Cade would soon learn just what Raith was capable of.
Scarlett found herself at the top of the hill again. Unlike yesterday, today the sun shined brightly. High in the sky, its rays heated Scarlett’s skin. Today was the first day she made the trip alone. She hadn’t spoken to Ashleigh since their fight. Ashleigh had locked herself in her room and had only come out to heat up a frozen dinner in the microwave. More than ever, Scarlett wanted to go to her mom’s grave. Nope. As usual, her fear overpowered everything. What a lousy chicken. She hated it. As a child, she was brave.
She didn’t know what she was anymore.
Since Ashleigh wasn’t there, Scarlett didn’t have to wait for anyone. She could just turn around and go back home. But nothing waited for her there, so she sat on the edge of the hill and viewed her mother’s grave from afar. No one else was around. Birds chirped a melodious song—a private concert just for Scarlett. Her thoughts drifted to the dream she’d had. It had played over in her head all morning. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something more than just a dream. She couldn’t say why she felt this way, which was anything but reassuring. It made sense that her brain had played out a fantasy in her sleep. She hadn’t even thought about guys since she found her mom. She quit dating and going to parties—even texting. The only person she talked to outside of school was her best friend, Natalie. Maybe her body was having guy withdrawals. But the dream felt too real to be some subconscious message.
Her mother had always sworn her hallucinations were real.
Scarlett shoved the thought away, shifting her musings back to the dream. Her body tingled when she thought of Cade’s mouth on her neck. No matter what kind of boy mess she’d ever gotten herself into, she could always go to her mom for advice. How Scarlett missed her. There had never been anything they couldn’t talk about. Even something as bizarre as Scarlett's dream. Her mom would tell her not to worry, dreams were just escapes from reality. She’d laugh and add that she’d had some crazy dreams herself, yet was completely convinced that the voices she heard were real. The ache crept back into Scarlett's heart.
The birds went silent. Something crunched behind Scarlett. She twisted her neck around. What she saw shocked her.
Cade.
The man who seduced her in the most peculiar dream of her life stood there, seemingly in the flesh, dressed in clothing from a different time period. Could she be dreaming again? She didn’t think so.
Was she hallucinating?
“I feel your sadness,” Cade said. “I know you don’t know me, but I can help.”
Scarlett thought about her dream. This was the same man, with the vivid eyes and compelling stature. Had her dream been a premonition? Was that better or worse than a hallucination?
Whatever it was, it was freaky. “Help me how?”
He closed the distance between them and reached for her hand. She didn’t know Cade. If he was real, he could be a psychopath luring her away to murder her. Or a stalker. Her better sense told her to walk straight home and lock the doors, but any sense she had stayed quiet as she her fingers took his.
His touch was warm, and, as his skin brushed hers, a wave of tranquility flowed through Scarlett. He smelled of lemon and pine. The pain she felt moments ago had vanished.
He pulled her to her feet.
“What are you?” she asked. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be human.
“I’m someone who can keep your pain away.” Not a real answer, but what did she expect? That he’d say he was an angel sent to save her? She didn’t believe in such things. But then, before today, she wouldn’t have believed someone could make her feel as Cade did. Or make her not feel.
“What’s your name?” Scarlett asked as Cade’s fingers played with hers. Maybe her dream was wrong. How could she know the name of someone she’d never met?
“Cade.”
The same name.
As crazy as the situation already seemed, she didn’t want him to know she had dreamt about him.
Scarlett dropped his hand and stepped back. Her pain returned, like a punch to her gut. She breathed deeply. The way he controlled her feelings—like a drug—wasn’t natural.
Her intuition had always been her strongest asset. The one time she’d ignored it, she was nearly taken advantage of in a car. Since then, she trusted her gut. Always. And her gut told her Cade wasn’t just a vision, he was real, and she should be careful.
“Thank you, Cade, but I should go home,” Scarlett said.
“Of course.” He bowed. “My offer still stands if you change your mind, Scarlett.” After her name left his mouth, he vanished.
She hadn’t told him her name today.
&nb
sp; What if she was wrong and he was nothing more than a hallucination—her grief driving her mad? He had just vanished. Was Scarlett going crazy like her mom?
After his encounter with Scarlett, Cade’s magic buzzed. Emotion was fuel to fae power. When he consumed it, the magic in him grew. Like food energized a body, emotion, among other things, invigorated fae magic. Cade had breathed in Scarlett’s emotion like the scent of a candle; invisible but no less potent for its transparency.
He should feel sorry for the girl. So much pain couldn’t be pleasant. But the more magic he had, the better he could prepare. Magic gave Cade strength. It helped him enter dreams. Helped him appear invisible and move things with his mind. With enough emotion, they could create energy into a weapon. Magic made the fae superhuman. Humans played their part. Their emotions refueled the fae. An angry man in a check-out aisle. A jealous girl at a high school dance. A grieving woman on the hillside of a cemetery. Each could feed Cade the sustenance his fae self needed. The stronger the emotion, the quicker he refueled and the more powerful his magic was.
Grief poured from Scarlett, a monsoon of pain. Gloom clouded around her as she fought the storm within. Cade couldn’t vanquish her pain forever, but he could temporarily remove it from her mind as if it didn’t exist. She’d have to deal with it again someday, but that would be her problem, not his.
Humans longed for a quick release from pain. It made them easy to lure into Faerie. Never bring humans in against their will—the rule of the Summer Court his father had put into place before Cade was born. Anyone found guilty of violating the rule would be killed. It was the highest law of the Summer Court.
There were six different fae courts, each with their own set of regulations. Four of them—one for each season—lived in Faerie. The other two wandered the mortal realm. Cade had learned about them all in his studies, but only bothered himself with Summer Court dealings. If he became king, that would have to change.
