“Your presence has been requested in the Summer lands,” Liam said. “They have some questions they believe only you can answer.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not following.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Trust me, I’m as surprised as you are. What’s even more surprising is that Alwyn has agreed that you can go. On one condition, of course. I’m to go with you and make sure you return—safely—within a week’s time.”
“Wait,” I blinked at him. “The Summer fae want me to go to their Court? For a week?”
“A timeline wasn’t attached to it, but it shouldn’t take longer than that.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I still don’t understand, Liam. Why do the Summer faeries want me to go to their Court? It’s not like I can do anything to help them.”
“Try telling them that.”
We were on the road less than an hour later. The sky was shot through with the hazy light of an Autumn sun that was obscured behind swollen clouds. The Academy’s brilliant green lawn had changed, almost within hours. No longer did it glisten and glow. The red and golden carpet of leaves hid every sign of life from view. The chilly air whistled through the rattling trees, tugging at the hair I’d braided down my back. Thankfully, the Summer Hunters had lent me one of their red cloaks for the journey, though the thin material did little to block out the chill.
“You alright over there by yourself, darling?” Liam called out over the sound of a dozen hooves. I frowned and looked back at Shea. Alwyn, it turned out, had not only insisted that Liam accompany on this strange mission but Shea as well. I had a sneaking suspicion it was to keep an eye on me and my instructor to make sure no “funny business” happened.
If only we could somehow lose her along the way.
And because of Shea’s presence, Liam and I had been forced to take different horses instead of sharing one as we had before. Luckily, I was a lot better on a horse these days than when I’d first arrived in Otherworld. Without that pesky necklace to mask my powers, I could at least cling on without falling flat on my face.
“I’m fine, but I’d be a lot better if I had an idea about what the hell we’re doing.” I made a face at the Hunters ahead. They’d barely spoken a word the entire way, not even a, thanks for dropping everything to come with us for reasons we refuse to explain.
“Relax, darling. You’re with me.” His drawling accent sent shivers along my skin. “And you’re going into the Summer lands, which are objectively the very best part of Otherworld.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Objectively?”
“Of course.” He grinned. “Anyone worth knowing would agree. Sure, the other Courts have their positives, but you can enjoy all that just visiting them now and again. The Summer lands are where you’d want to end up permanently.”
“Liam,” came Shea’s exasperated voice from behind us. “Come on, mate. Don’t make me ride between you two.”
Irritation flickered in Liam’s orange eyes. “We’re merely discussing our Summer lands, Shea. No need to get testy.”
“You’re flirting and suggesting that she should move here with you.” Shea let out a sigh. “Obviously, I don’t care what the hell you do, but Alwyn was clear. You’re not to encourage her feelings toward you. Keep it up, and I’ll have to report it. And that means no more Academy for you.”
I twisted toward Shea, my thighs slipping on the smooth horse’s back, so quickly that I had to flail to get myself from tumbling onto the ground. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Shea pursed her lips. “Oh. I didn’t realize you weren’t aware.”
“Aware of what?” I demanded before twisting toward Liam. His jaw was flickering like a hummingbird’s wings, and the grip on his reins was so tight that the veins in his hands began to bulge. “Liam? What does Shea mean, about you having to leave the Academy?”
“You weren’t supposed to know about this,” he said, his voice rough. “We thought it would only upset you.”
I narrowed my eyes and lowered my voice. “Liam. Tell me what’s going on.”
Liam cut a sharp look at Shea, who had slowed her horse enough to put some distance between hers and mine, almost as though she expected me to fly off the handle at any moment. “Alwyn forbade Rourke, Finn, Kael, and I from getting close to you. She does not want to upset the balance of the realm. After Sam was killed, it became clear that one of us would end up without a mate. There are three of you now and four of us. So, she gave us an ultimatum. We’re to stay away from you. If any of us go against her orders, she’ll send the offender home.”
Realization dawned like a sudden light in a sea of gray. This explained everything. All this time, I’d wondered at why my instructors had ceased their interest in me. I’d wondered if they still felt anything at all. I’d even questioned whether or not I’d imagined the bonds between us. It turned out, I needn’t have questioned it at all. Alwyn had been keeping them away from me.
I narrowed my eyes. She had been keeping them from me.
“Why would she do that? I thought the whole point of the Academy was to join the changelings up with their mates. How are we supposed to do that if she won’t let us all near each other?”
Shea raised her voice from behind us. “There has always been the rule in place, Norah. No physical relationships between instructors and changelings, and that includes something as innocent as a kiss. It seems that hasn’t stopped you though. First Liam. Then Kael.”
My cheeks flamed. “Okay, sure. Maybe there was a little of that, but it was no reason to threaten to send anyone away from the Academy.”
“This realm depends on balance.” Shea gave me a measured look, seemed to decide that I wasn’t about to pummel her, and trotted closer on her ebony horse. “Everything is about the ebb and flow. Four seasons, perfectly formed to represent all aspects of the realm, divided up equally. Cause confusion and chaos in that balance, and the entire realm suffers.”
“Okay, but—”
“Alwyn is very good at recognizing a changeling’s Court. She sees Winter in you, which means Kael is your mate. Messing about with Liam is only going to lead to heartache later. For one or all of you, not to mention Sophia and Lila who need their mates as well.” Her sparkling orange eyes bore deep into my soul. “I would advise you to focus your attention on what you can have instead of what you cannot, though I can see now that you are very stubborn and furiously independent. No wonder Liam’s confused.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off.
“Enough about that.” She waved me aside. “We’re here.”
Chapter Five
Here turned out to be a little tavern on the outskirts of the free territory. It sat amidst a long row of towering cedar trees, their evergreen limbs churning in the chilly autumn wind. Only the front of the tavern could be seen. It was a small squat building with two floors, the stone work old and worn. The rest was hidden amongst the green canopy.
“We’ll stay here for the night, and then we’ll go on through at dawn,” Alastar said, leading his horse to a stable that was almost twice as large as the tavern.
I jumped off the horse and edged closer to Liam, despite Shea’s irritating warnings. “Why are we staying here for the night? It sounds like this whole thing is urgent.”
“It is urgent, but the Summer fae are taking extra precautions right now,” he said in a low whisper. “The border between the free territory and the Summer lands has been closed. This is the only way in and out, and only at dawn. The Summers no longer allow free access, too worried that the Autumn fae will sneak across and stab everyone in their sleep.”
I swallowed hard, mostly because he was probably right.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned in the small, knotty bed, the faded sheets getting tangled in my limbs. I couldn’t stop thinking about that damn Barmbrack Ring. Alwyn had threatened Liam with banishment from the Academy if he so much as looked at me for too long. All this time I’d yearned for him, dr
eamt of him, wished for him. Had he been yearning for me, too?
With a frustrated sigh, I threw my legs over the side of the bed and padded across the chilly wooden floor in the thin cotton shirt I’d worn to sleep. I hadn’t thought to pack any pajamas for the journey. It was the middle of the night. None of the Hunters would be awake now, except for those keeping watch downstairs. Better yet, Shea would be nowhere in sight.
I pressed my ear against the door and listened for any signs of life in the hallway. When none came, I slowly twisted the doorknob and pushed. Low light spilled into my room from the flickering sconces that lined the walls. I’d seen Liam go into the room two doors down. The room with the door that was very much opening right this second.
My heart thundered hard when his brilliant red hair appeared in the darkened doorway. His eyes latched onto mine. Even in the dim lighting, there was no mistaking the heat in them. His lips curled, and he crooked his finger, beckoning for me to go to him.
Suddenly, I felt very shy. It had been easy to be brave when he wasn’t standing right before me, looking all manly in his low-slung pants. They sat perfectly on his waist, showing just the slightest hint of a strong and muscular V. Not to mention his chest. His thin shirt clung to his biceps, highlighting the muscles that I knew were strong enough to throw me over his shoulder.
Not that I was imagining how he might throw me over his shoulder.
Okay, so maybe I was.
Definitely was.
When I couldn’t force my feet to move, he let out a chuckle and stepped out into the hallway. His door creaked shut, and the lock clicked softly in the heavy silence. Soon, he was before me, softly pressing me back into the safety of my own room. He followed me inside and closed the door to shut out the world, the Hunters, and the distant Academy’s eyes that were so intent on making sure we stayed apart.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, staring up at him as my heartbeat raced at a speed that could rival a train.
“Coming to see you, which is exactly what you wanted, darling.” He arched an eyebrow as his gaze caressed my bare thighs. “Or are you going to tell me there was another reason you were sneaking into the hallway in the middle of the night? Don’t tell me you were going to pay Shea a visit. I might not be jealous of your affection for Kael and the others, but I can’t bear the thought of another Summer’s hands on you, even a woman’s.”
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat flickering against the vein in my neck. “I thought you weren’t allowed to be alone with me.”
His lips twisted into a wicked smile. “I’m not. Sometimes, it’s fun to do the things we’re not supposed to do.”
A thrill of excitement went down my spine. “What else are you not supposed to do?”
Liam dropped his forehead to mine and breathed deeply through his flared nostrils. “I’m definitely not supposed to do this.”
I leaned in closer, resting a timid hand against his smooth, muscular chest. “And I doubt I’m allowed to do this.”
“Most definitely not.” His voice went rough and deep, and then he slid his fingers into my loose braid, tangling his hand into the twisted strands of my long, blonde hair. “Touching you is most definitely off-limits.”
My heart rattled in my chest, and I pressed up onto my toes, breathing in the sweet summer scent of him. “And kissing me? Is that off-limits?”
A low growl rumbled from Liam’s throat, and his grip around my hair tightened. “Don’t tempt me, Norah.”
“Why not?” I breathed. “You want to kiss me. I want to kiss you. And no one is around but us.”
“You heard what Shea said. Giving into this will only lead to heartache, and hurting you is the last thing I want to do.”
“Maybe it doesn’t have to hurt,” I whispered.
He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, his eyes flickering with that impossible heat. A heat that I could barely resist anymore. “I can’t help but notice you aren’t wearing any pants. Or your ring.”
That stupid Barmbrack Ring again. Wrinkling my nose, I shook my head. “I didn’t know I was supposed to be wearing it.”
He let out a low chuckle. “That’s what you do with a ring, darling.”
“Hmm.” I cocked my head, my lips spreading into a teasing smile. “I thought you didn’t believe in that whole barmbrack thing.”
Slowly, Liam loosened his grip on my hair and trailed his fingers along the back of my neck. Goosebumps tiptoed after him, and my fingers ached with the need to reach out and return his touch. He slid his forehead against mine. Our noses brushed. Our lips were so close that the scent of fresh, sweet summer filled my head.
And then the door swung open. Because of course it did.
Liam and I sprang apart, only to find Shea leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. She shook her head and laughed. “You two are impossible.”
“Please don’t tell Alwyn,” I said, tugging the thin whispery material in a lame attempt to cover my very bare legs.
She arched an eyebrow. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you let your hormones control you. Sorry, Liam. You won’t be returning to the Academy after this.”
When dawn broke through the morning clouds, I changed back into my usual training attire and the deep red Summer cloak. I’d gotten approximately zero sleep, too dismayed by Shea’s words. I practically sleep-walked out my door. The rest of our party was already awake and downstairs by the stable, getting the horses ready for the second stage of our journey. Liam was waiting for me by his green-skinned horse, murmuring soft words into her flickering ears.
He gave her a heavy pat and beamed at me when I approached.
My feet slowed as I approached him. “You look strangely happy for someone who found out he’s to be banished from the Academy after this trip.”
“Ah, about that.” Liam stepped forward and grabbed my arm, yanking me to his chest. I fell against him, my mouth widening into an O. I might have even yelped a little, as embarrassing as it was. “I figure if I’m going to be banished, then I might as well make the most of it. There’s nothing stopping me from showing everyone exactly how I feel anymore.”
“Right.” I swallowed hard as my entire face matched the heat of the sun. “And Shea won’t...object?”
“Of course she’ll object.” He grinned. “But it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
I wasn’t so sure about that. One embrace was easy enough to explain away, but pushing things further than that—as desperately as I wanted to—would only aggravate the situation even more. Liam might have come to terms with the fact he wouldn’t be returning to the Academy when all of this was over, but I sure hadn’t.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him.
I wasn’t ready to not have him in my life.
It was impossible to imagine not seeing his fiery orange eyes, or seeing that crooked smile.
He couldn’t leave the Academy. He just couldn’t.
So, when it came time to mount our horses, I turned down the tempting invitation to ride with him on his steed. For now, I’d stick to mine and merely imagine my arms were wrapped around his waist.
We steered our horses around the side of the tavern where an archway led into what appeared to be a large, lush garden. Everything glowed with a strange kind of sheen, sparkling under the blazing sun, one that was much stronger and higher in the sky than the one behind us. I blinked and tried to make sense of it. The tavern was set back into a forest of towering cedars, and yet, they were nowhere to be seen within the archway.
“It’s a strange sight, isn’t it?” Liam eased his horse closer to mine. “This is our gateway into the Summer lands. The trees all around us are merely an illusion, an attempt to hide the beauty on the other side.
“So, there are two suns?”
He let out a low chuckle. “Not really. The sun of the free territory rises and sets with the changing of the seasons, just like in the human realm. Our sun—the sun of summer—is always as glo
rious as it is on the longest day of the year.”
I felt drawn toward it, transfixed by the golden glow. Something deep within my bones begged me to step forward and bask in the warmth of summer. Through the archway, a scent drifted toward me. One of sunflowers, of fresh grass, and of fire. It was so inexplicably Liam. And strangely and achingly, it felt like home.
It was then that I realized I’d nudged my horse forward, and I’d passed through the archway without any inclination I’d moved. The Summer Hunters had filed in behind me, and they were each looking at me with expressions of wary curiosity. Liam sat on his horse with his arms crossed over his chest, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
“We were about to give you instructions on how to pass through the archway, but it appears you’ve figured that out all on your own.” Shea strode forward on her horse, flicking her reins. She gave me a strange look. “Perhaps Alwyn is wrong about you, after all.”
The next few hours passed quickly. We continued along a dirt path that cut through fields and fields of glorious flowers. As we continued our journey, I spotted a cluster of gently sloping hills in the distance, topped with several white spires.
Those spires turned out to be attached to the top of the Summer Court’s castle. It rose up from the moss-covered ground, the peaks scratching against a perfect blue sky. Vines twisted up the side of every surface, clawing their way out of a babbling brook that cut through the very center of it all.
It was absolutely breathtaking.
The Hunters led us through the gates manned by two very stern and angry looking guards. They didn’t even let out grunts of hello as we passed, and the gates slammed heavily behind us. For the first time since I’d stepped foot in the Summer lands, an eerie flicker of unease passed through my gut. We were, effectively, trapped here. If we wanted to leave, we couldn’t, not unless they decided we could.
In the center of the courtyard sat a pair of thrones, ones that were covered in twisted limbs of moss and vines, identical to those that crawled up the walls of the castle. Several flowers had sprouted near the top of the chairs in varying hues of gold, red, purple, and orange.
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