A Song of Shadows

by Jenna Wolfhart

  So, I merely gave them an invisible eye-roll and waited for them to head inside the castle. I followed close behind, keeping my feet in time with theirs. The floors of the castle were pure stone, and the high-vaulted ceilings rivalled those of the Summer Court. There was no doubt in my mind that the tiniest whisper of a noise would echo in this expansive space.

  I had to keep myself silent.

  The girls trailed off down a hallway on the left, but I stayed behind in the hall. It was impossible to know where to go next. There were no signs pointing the way. No flashing neon lights that said, “Dungeons this way” or “We’re keeping Rourke trapped here!”

  So, I was going to have to find Rourke some other way.

  The sound of distant voices drifted toward me from the hall opposite to one I’d just seen the Royals disappear into. These voices were deeper and louder. Several males talking over each other, almost to the point where they were shouting. I took a deep breath, focused on the shadows I still kept tight around me, and ducked behind the nearest statue. Even though I knew I was invisible, I felt the inexplicable urge to hide.

  When they walked into the room, I understood why. The voices belonged to three Hunters—two of whom had been in the Wilde Fae village that night—and a female. A female whose face had burned into my brain. It was Queen Viola, of course, with her face full of sharp lines. She seemed distracted from whatever her underlings were arguing about, flicking her eyes around the room as if in search of something.

  Heart lurching, I eased away from the edge of the statue and stayed as silent and as still as I could. My heart was roaring so loud that it was deafening, but surely she couldn’t hear the blood rushing through my veins like I could.

  “Enough,” she said in an icy, yet lyrical voice. The kind of voice that sounded like an axe, one that could sink into flesh and bone. “This is my home. I will not have you acting like vexing Summer fae, shouting over each other like that. We are Autumns. We do not have outbursts. Do you understand?”

  “Apologies, my Queen.” The Hunter nodded, the only one of them I hadn’t seen in the village. “I am just…annoyed. We had a firm fix on the changeling, and they let her get away from them. We do not know where she is now. She could have returned to the Summer Court, which ruins our plans completely. I am also not entirely thrilled about the death of the shopkeeper. She was a good ear on the ground for us.”

  “An utterly replaceable ear,” the Queen said dismissively as she sniffed at the air. “And I have alternative plans for the changeling, ones I cannot share with the entirety of my Hunters. You understand, of course. We must keep secrets secret.”

  “Yes, of course, my Queen.”

  “Good. Now, return to your posts. I need to speak to Tavin alone.” As I leaned forward, I saw the Queen flick her fingers at two of her Hunters, dismissing them without another word. They scurried off, leaving the Queen alone with the male fae I’d watched slice the shopkeeper’s neck.

  The very sight of him brought back vivid memories I wanted nothing more than to forget. All that blood. All the gore. That strange smile that had been fixed on his face. Finn had once told me that Autumn fae were obsessed with death. Now, I understood what he meant.

  “It seems that everything is in place,” the Queen said, weaving her hands behind her back as she eased across the hall in her golden gown, the trailing bottom edges whooshing against the stone floor.

  The Hunter’s eyes flicked this way and that, as if he were confirming that no other listeners were around. “Yes, my Queen. I believe so.”

  “Good, good.” She stopped, reached out, and caressed a painting on the wall. One that depicted a battle of sorts, one that was very much over. Bodies littered the ground, and one sole living being stood amongst them. A beautiful but deadly female fae, one that looked strikingly like the Queen.

  The Hunter cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Would you like the report on the Spring Court’s movements, my Queen?”

  “Yes, Tavin.” She gave a curt nod. “Do go on.”

  “The Spring Court has been gathering their forces this past week. According to my spy, their army plans to attack the Winter Court in three day’s time. At dawn, I believe. We’ll have no need to attack either Court ourselves. We can wait until they’ve taken each other out, and then swoop in to pick up the pieces.”

  What? It took everything in my power not to make a sound in reaction to that. The Spring Court had plans to attack the Winter fae? But why? And on what basis? Sure, those two Courts weren’t great fans of each other, but the same could be said about all the seasons. Still, it shouldn’t matter. The Winter Court wasn’t the enemy right now. Autumn was.

  Something must have provoked this. There could be no other explanation.

  “Thank you, Tavin. That will be all.” The Queen gave a curt nod and pressed her hands down the front of her glistening dress. “Oh, and could you check in to see how our prisoner is doing? He’s a tricky one. We wouldn’t want him to find the keys when we weren’t looking, now would we?”

  The Hunter gave a nod and scurried off down the hall in the direction they’d come. The Queen kept her gaze locked on the painting, an image I hoped I could forget soon enough. A part of me knew the more information I could get, the better, but I was pretty sure I’d heard enough to give the Summer fae something to do. And Rourke needed me. I was the only hope he had of getting out of here, and this moment right now might be my only chance.

  With one last glance at the Queen, I hurried after the Hunter down a hallway lined with flickering sconces. Shadows danced on the walls, clusters of darkness I used to keep myself hidden from Autumn fae eyes. At the end of the hallway, we made a sharp right into a thick steel door that led to a curving staircase.

  I slowed my footsteps as the Hunter ducked into the dungeon, afraid the sound of my feet on the steps would give my presence away. I waited, breath held tight in my throat as he descended further, and then I followed shortly behind.

  Finally, we reached the bottom. A long row of cells stretched out before us, disappearing into nothing but a darkness thicker than night. The Hunter grabbed a torch from the wall, along with a set of keys, and then he strode to a cell five down from where we stood.

  I watched and waited, taking stock of every move he made.

  There was a flash of golden hair in the darkness of the cell, and the flickering fire highlighted Rourke’s perfect chiseled cheekbones.

  “Do you know why all these other cells are so empty?” the Hunter asked, his voice as cold as steel. “It’s because the Queen has no need of prisoners. She does not understand why it is ever to her advantage to spare those who have gone against her.”

  “No, of course she wouldn’t. Your Queen doesn’t understand anything other than what matters most for her own gain. She cares for no one, including you.”

  “Consider yourself lucky,” the Hunter said as he stepped back from the cell. “But one day, the Queen will add your spine to her collection. And you’ll wish you were dead a long, long time before then.”

  My heart throttled in my chest, and fear poured off my body like waves. I was certain the Hunter was going to hurt Rourke. Not kill him—yet. That much was clear. Harm him? Yes. Perhaps through torture, as a way to get answers about the Summer fae? Maybe.

  But the Hunter merely spit on the floor of Rourke’s cell and strode back toward the entrance of the dungeons. He threw the keys on the wall and vanished back up the stairwell, leaving me alone with no one to stand in my way. Immediately, I dropped the shadows and grabbed the keys off the wall, my feet pattering against the stone passageway.

  “Norah.” Rourke was across his cell in an instant, twisting his hands through the bars and into mine. Shock was written all over his face, as well as a hint of fear. “What are you doing here? How in the name of the forest did you get down to this cell?”

  “I used the stone, you idiot.” But I didn’t mean my words, of course. I was too excited to see him, so overwhelmingly relieved
that I’d managed to get here in time.

  “Are you telling me that you got all the way here using your shadow powers?”

  “That’s right. And I’m going to have to use them a hell of a lot more to get us out of here.” I shoved the key into the lock and turned. When I opened up the cell, Rourke strode forward and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “Oomph,” I said, like an idiot, my eyes going as wide as saucers. Rourke…was hugging me. He actually had his arms wrapped around me, and his chest was pressed tight against mine. The scent of burning leaves drifted up my nose, and my eyes slid shut, my entire body yearning to bask in the feel of him. This was unexpected, to say the least. But very much welcome.

  Very much welcome.

  “This world has a strange way of moving its pieces around the board,” he murmured into my ear, sending sparks of electricity down my neck. “It wasn’t so long ago that things were the other way around. Me, coming to get you out of a cell. Remember?”

  “How could I forget?”

  Rourke pulled back, and his mask of calm indifference shuttered across his features once again. I supposed he couldn’t help himself. That was how he’d always been. I just wished he could see that he didn’t have to hide emotions, not from me.

  “We won’t have time to complete the plan.” Rourke jumped right back into mission-mode. “Once they realize I’m not in my cell, they will send out patrols searching every inch of this city. We need to be as far away as we can by then, I’m afraid.”

  “That’s no problem. I already heard enough from the Queen herself. And to be honest, Rourke. You won’t believe it when I tell you. It’s…not great.”

  His eyes flickered, and he frowned. “You can fill me in as soon as we’re safe. Do you think you’ll be able to cast your shadow net around us both?”

  With a deep breath, I held out my palm and swallowed hard. “Maybe. I think it’s probably best if we’re in constant contact though…”

  His warm fingers weaved through mine while his gold-flecked eyes stayed locked on my face. The vein in my neck flickered, reflecting the pattering of my heart. And then together, as one, we crept right past the Queen and all her guards, disappearing into the hazy Autumn city of Esari.

  Chapter Eleven

  The storm didn’t hit until we’d made it out of the city. The trees rose up high as we left civilisation behind, ducking underneath the twisting branches of the Autumn woods. Thunder rumbled overhead as bulbous clouds beat down hail the size of oranges. Rourke pulled me to the ground and launched himself on top of me, shielding my head from the onslaught of the brutal ice.

  My heart hammered hard in my chest as I clung to the ground, fingers digging into the soaked earth. The storms were growing worse. The hail was violent and unrelenting. Lightning shot through the sky, and a cry of fear ripped from my throat. I couldn’t help but remember what had happened to the Summer guard. This storm could grow worse, and it could grow worse very fast. And we had nothing but the trees to keep us safe.

  “We need to get out of this storm,” Rourke murmured into my ear. “Do you trust me?”

  Widening my eyes, I twisted my head to face him. “Of course I trust you.”

  Rourke’s warm and comforting body was suddenly gone—he was on his feet within seconds. As the hail slammed into the ground all around us, he bent over and scooped me up into his arms. His feet began to pound against the pockmarked dirt as his lithe and impossibly fast body twisted and turned, dodging the furious attack from mother nature.

  Up ahead, a small stone building melted into view. Rourke sped straight for it, throwing open the steel-encased door and storming inside just as a heavy, unrelenting rain poured down from the skies above. He heaved in great breaths as he lowered me to the floor, and then turned to latch the door behind us.

  All I could do was stare at him. Rourke, as it turned out, was impossibly fast. I’d seen flashes of it before but never like this. The way he could move…my eyes slid down the back of him, and I gasped. From where he’d been protecting me, he’d taken a heavy beating from the hail. The ice had sliced through his cloak, as well as the shirt underneath. Blood was smeared everywhere, so much so that it was impossible to tell just how badly he’d been wounded.

  I stood on shaky legs and crossed to where he was bent over, his forehead pressed against the hard stone wall. “Rourke. You’re hurt.”

  “I know. But at least you’re safe.”

  My heart flickered, and I reached out to place a timid hand on his shoulder. I expected him to flinch. He always did. But not this time.

  “My safety is not more important than yours.” I took a small step closer. “Please let me look at your wounds.”

  He stiffened and shook his head. “I know what you want to do, and the answer is no. I remember what happened when you healed Kael. It made you impossibly weak, Norah. You’ve already put yourself in enough danger because of me.”

  Oh, Rourke.

  “At least let me clean your back,” I said. “The normal way. No magic allowed.”

  For a long moment, I didn’t think he would agree. But his body had begun to tremble, a sign that he wasn’t as immune to his wounds as he wanted me to think. Rain had soaked through all our clothes, and a chill had come along with the storm. His wounds needed some attention, or things were going to get a lot worse.

  “Okay. Just cleaning though.” He pushed away from the wall and eased down onto a burlap rug that was spread across the floor. With trembling fingers, I leaned over him, carefully pulling his matted shirt away from his back.

  He flinched, but that was the only sign of pain. His back, on the other hand, told a far different story than the calm, controlled expression on his face. He’d been cut—badly—in at least three places. I used his shirt to gently wipe away some of the blood, but the wounds kept pouring, no longer how many times I dabbed them dry.

  “Rourke,” I began.

  “Norah, don’t.” He leaned up on his elbow to face me, his golden chest glistening under the pale light streaming in from outside. I know what you’re going to say, but you can’t.”

  “I don’t think we really have a choice here. You’re losing a lot of blood. If I don’t stop it, things are going to get a lot worse.”

  I didn’t know how worse exactly. I wasn’t a doctor. I didn’t know how this kind of thing worked. Would he pass out first? Would he be able to walk? Or would he just…slowly fade away if we didn’t stop the bleeding? I’d never read a manual on this kind of thing. All I knew was nonstop, profuse bleeding would lead to terrible things.

  Before he could make another argument, I placed my hands on Rourke’s skin. He stiffened, and his eyes went round. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. “Norah.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed heavily through my nose, sucking in the leafy scent of him. Healing was never easy. It had consequences. The magic of the world demanded a price. It required energy and life, just not the life of the one being healed. The magic wanted mine. I zeroed my thoughts in on Rourke, focusing my mind on the horrible gorges on his back. Heat poured down my arms and pooled into my hands. I whispered something out loud, but I didn’t know what.

  And then the heat left me. It entered Rourke, fleeing from my very soul. Sucking me dry. Leaving me with nothing….but darkness.

  My head felt split in two when I awoke to the sight of an ancient stone ceiling and the roaring sound of rain and thunder. Firelight danced along the walls, and I groaned as I pushed myself up from the floor.

  Rourke was sitting just beside my feet, his back—now free of marks—curved as he drew aimless circles into the dusty floor. He glanced up when he heard me move, his eyes sad and hollow.

  “You should rest,” he said quietly. “It’s going to take some time for you to recover from that.”

  “You seem angry.”

  A heavy sigh. “Anger is the wrong emotion for what I feel. I asked you not to heal me, Norah. The last thing I want is to cause you pain, and now look. I ca
n see you’re in physical grief from the look in those eyes of yours.”

  “It’s just a headache.” I winced when my skull throbbed. Okay, so it was a bad one at that, but I didn’t want him to feel guilty for my pain. “Besides, it was my choice. I couldn’t very well let you bleed out all over the floor.”

  I pressed my hands harder against the rug when a new wave of pain shot through my skull. Shivers followed soon after, engulfing my wet skin. Rourke frowned when he saw me shaking, and he was by my side within an instant, cradling the back of my head.

  “You need to rest,” he said, more insistently this time. His eyes flicked over my body as he frowned. “You’re shaking. Are you cold?”

  “Well, we did get caught in a downpour,” I tried to joke, but the words came out through clenched, chattering teeth.

  “Right. We need to get you out of those clothes.”

  My cheeks flushed, though that did little to chase away the chill. “Do what now?”

  His hand trailed down my neck and pressed against the damp shirt that was clinging to my skin. “Your clothes are soaked through. It’s only making it worse. We need to get you out of these clothes and wrapped up in one of these pieces of burlap. I can try to add some more fuel to the fire. Heat things up in here.”

  “No.” The word popped out of my mouth before I could stop it. “I’m…embarrassed.”

  Rourke’s eyes softened, and he shifted closer to me. “Norah, you don’t need to be embarrassed in front of me.”

  “I just…” I blushed, hating that my thoughts were betraying me like this. “What if you don’t like what you see?”

  His palm cupped my cheek. “Is that what you worry? Oh, Norah. There is absolutely no chance I would ever not like what I see, not when it comes to you. You are the most breathtaking female I’ve ever seen in all my years in this realm. No one has ever caught my eye before. No one has ever made me constantly imagine ways in which I can get her alone.”