by Dyan Chick
"So I'm a prisoner here?" I asked.
"Prisoner?" Dane laughed. "After we save her life, she calls herself a prisoner."
My cheeks flushed. They had saved my life, but I didn't understand why they'd bothered or why I was here. "Sorry."
"I'm sure it's a lot to take in," Ethan said. "They tell me you were raised in the human world."
I nodded.
Ethan gave the others a grim look before offering his hand. "Have a seat."
I followed him to a chair situated in front of the fire place that had been dormant when I arrived. Now, in the dark of night, the room was filled with the dancing glow of firelight from the hearty fire.
"I appreciate your help, all of you. And I'm sorry for the inconvenience I've caused. Perhaps you can show me to a city or a place I could find work?" I asked.
"You wouldn't last a day in the city," Cormac said.
Ethan scowled at Cormac, then turned to me. "What he means is that we think you're being hunted."
A chill ran down my spine and I hugged myself, covering the soft areas of my waist where claws had so recently dug into my flesh. I wanted to argue with him, but I had been wondering about the strange creatures that had attacked me. One attack could be a coincidence. Two was something else. "Why?"
"We don't know," Cormac said.
"We might know," Dane said.
"We don't know," Cormac repeated.
I frowned. Cormac seemed to want to hide things from me and I wasn't sure why. He didn't seem to trust me, which I supposed was fair. We didn't know each other. However, this was my life and I couldn't wait around for him. "I could use some help."
"That's true," Ethan said. "And we're going to help you."
"We haven't decided yet," Cormac said. "Ethan can do as he pleases, but Dane and I have a duty to complete."
"This is your duty, Cormac," Ethan said. "And don't forget that you called me here to help you."
"We haven't determined if she's connected yet," Cormac said.
"To hell with your determinations," Dane said. "She won't survive without us and the creatures are hunting her. We were charged with eliminating them and now we've seen them attack her twice? How could it not be connected?"
"When we first met, you told me you were hunting those things," I said. "And now you're telling me they are hunting me?"
"It seems so," Ethan said.
"It's possible," Cormac said.
"But these monsters are new?" I asked.
"We see them from time to time," Cormac said.
"We haven't seen them in a long time," Ethan said.
"And we've never seen this many at once," Dane added.
"What does it all mean?" I asked.
"That's what we were sent to find out," Dane said. "And also to kill them all." He grinned.
"So you think there's a connection between me and these beasts?" I asked, afraid to hear the answer.
"No," Cormac said.
"Yes," Dane said. "Cormac, don't deny it. They've never left Faerie before. Two days ago, one broke free of our realm and hunted her down."
"We don't know if that's why it escaped," Cormac said.
"Stop pretending there isn't a connection," Dane said.
"The sooner we turn her in to the council, the better," Cormac said.
"What council? Someone please slow down and explain this to me," I pleaded.
"You're a changeling, which makes you council business. You shouldn't exist," Cormac said.
"We can't take her there, they'll just throw her into a random trade and if the beasts are hunting her she won't last the night," Dane said.
"You've always been soft for a pretty face," Cormac said.
"What do you mean random trade?" I asked, my spirits lifting. Wasn't that what I wanted? Freedom to take care of myself? Why would I want to turn that down?
"It isn't as bad as it sounds. You won't get a choice, but they'll help you find something you can do," Ethan said.
It didn't sound bad to me at all. I wanted a way to take care of myself now that I was on my own. Something about these Fae made me want to stay with them, but I knew that was irrational. They didn't know me and I didn't know them. The sooner I was out on my own, the better.
"And your method is better?" Cormac asked Dane, ignoring Ethan and me. "Use her as bait to hunt down the rest of the monsters?"
"At least we can protect her if we do that," Dane said.
"Stop it!" I yelled.
The three males turned to look at me. I knew I didn't want to be monster bait and I didn't want to get eaten. But worse, I didn't want to be trapped in a house with a bunch of arguing Fae. "Take me where I'm supposed to be. Please."
"Are you sure?" Ethan asked.
"I can't go home and I clearly can't stay here," I said.
"It won't be safe for you out there," Dane said.
"She'll be fine," Cormac said.
The room quieted and only the crackle of the fire punctuated the silence. I felt like I'd caused enough trouble and just wanted to find a new way of surviving in this strange place.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me." I stood and walked toward the stairs, hoping that I could find something more suitable to wear in the room upstairs. I moved slowly, giving them a chance to call me back if I were violating any social protocols I didn't know but nobody stopped me.
Just as I placed my foot on the step, a loud bang sounded behind me. I turned just as another bang cut through the air. The door buckled as the sound returned and my breath hitched as my eyes stayed focused on the front door. Something or someone was trying to break through.
Chapter Eleven
While I stood frozen on the stairs, the males in the room moved quickly, as if on instinct. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, Dane had a sword drawn and Cormac was right behind him with a pair of daggers in hand.
Ethan appeared at the bottom of the steps and shoved me upward. "Go!"
I scrambled up the steps and stopped at the top before reaching the second floor, looking down just in time to see the door splinter as the all-too-familiar bat-like monster barged into the house.
I screamed and grabbed the stair rail, eyes fixed on the battle unfolding below me. I knew the creature hardly stood a chance against all three males. I'd seen them fight before and I knew they attacked ruthlessly, but that knowledge didn't prevent my lower lip from trembling as I watched.
Cormac ducked a swipe of the claws just as Dane shoved his sword into the creature's throat.
It roared, then let out large, gasping breaths that weakened into a rattling sound before the creature landed in a heap on the floor.
My shoulders dropped as I started to regain normal breathing, but the reprieve was short-lived. Two more creatures pushed their way through the door, and in a scramble of flying fabric, snapping jaws, and flashing steel, both creatures were dispatched in a bloodied mess.
My knuckles were white from gripping the stair rail so tight and my hands trembled. I waited, watching the open door to see if the attack was over. The seconds seems to drag by and I finally peeled my eyes away from the door to look down at Ethan. He was standing in front of the stairs in a ready position both arms outstretched. He'd never left his position guarding me.
My heart fluttered as warmth surged through me. Ethan had helped me when I was half naked and alone. He'd brought me here and defended me against Cormac. Now, he put himself in harm's way to keep me safe. He didn't owe me anything, in fact, I owed him, yet he defended me. I didn't even get that from the man who was supposed to be my husband.
For a moment, I wondered if Ethan was married and my cheeks heated in embarrassment. Now wasn't the time to be thinking like that. Besides, I had nothing to offer anyone here. I was penniless and destitute. It was beyond luck that I even gained the help of these males in the first place. I didn't want to think about where I'd be if I hadn't run into Cormac and Dane in the woods or if I hadn't met Ethan on the road.
In front of Ethan, both
Dane and Cormac still had their weapons drawn. I owed these males everything and I didn't want to be a burden to them, but I couldn't deny that I needed their help. These monsters seemed to be following me and without them, I would be dead by morning.
"Is it over?" I asked, breaking the silence.
In front of me, Ethan lowered his arms and Dane and Cormac lowered their weapons. "You still think it's a coincidence?" Dane asked.
"Pack your things. We're leaving," Cormac said as he walked away from the open door.
A flutter of blue fabric caught my eye and I turned to see a pair of maids standing in the corner, their mouths hanging open in shock. Cormac stopped in front of them, then looked up at me before turning back to address them. "Get the girl dressed and ready for a journey."
He walked away without saying anything else and the maids curtsied after him. I was still standing frozen on the stairs when the two girls in blue dresses approached me. They both had the pointed ears characteristic of the faeries I'd met so far, but these two were smaller, slimmer, more petite than the males I'd met. They were both smaller than me. They paused two steps below me and half curtsied while balancing on the step before approaching me. "Miss, we will help you prepare for the journey."
"That's not necessary, if you just show me where things are I'm sure I can manage."
One of the maids smirked, clearly not used to having someone decline assistance. "It's no trouble, Miss."
Knowing I wasn't going to get anywhere with them, and realizing it would be silly of them to show me where things were rather than just helping, I tore myself away from the banister and climbed the stairs. In the hall, I lingered outside of the bedroom that I'd been shown to when I first arrived. "In here?"
The maids nodded and stood fixed to the floor behind me. Realizing they were probably waiting for me, I walked into the room and stood near the bed so I'd be out of the way.
I'd had maids growing up, but they tended to household duties and did things for my parents. Aside from the assistance I was given by Nani, I was used to doing things myself. My chest tightened at the thought of Nani, left behind in my rush to escape. I hoped she found her way out.
"Don't look so worried, Miss," one of the maids said. "Cormac and Dane are the best hunters in all the courts. They've never failed to stop a monster outbreak before."
I blinked a few times while I processed her words. I should have been worried about the situation right in front of me, but my thoughts were so focused on what I'd left behind.
Trying to get a hold of my thoughts, I looked at the maid. She was a petite, almost frail looking female with wispy brown hair and brown eyes that were too large for her face. Her skin was slightly blue and had the same shimmering quality the male Fae had, but she didn't seem to be the same as them. I wondered if she was something different. Were there more than just Fae or were there different types of Fae? "What's your name?"
She smiled and inclined her head. "Sari, Miss."
"You say they've hunted monsters before?" I asked.
"Of course," she said.
"Why?"
She chuckled. "It's their job, Miss. The princes have to defend their territory and protect their people. If any of the monsters from the Under find their way here, they must dispose of them and find the entrance they used so they can stop them."
"The Under?" I asked.
"Of course," she said. "Where else would the Sodalis come from?"
I wanted to ask more questions, get more details about the Sodalis, which I now knew was the name of the monster that continued to show up wherever I went. Apparently, it came from someplace called the Under. "Wait, princes?"
"You didn't know, Miss?" Sari asked.
I shook my head. "I'm new here."
She pressed her lips together as if stopping herself from commenting on my words. Then, her eyes softened and the smile returned. "Cormac is prince of the Autumn Court, where we are now. Dane is prince of the Summer Court, and Ethan is prince of the Spring Court."
"Don't princes usually stay in their lands?" I asked.
"Not really," she said. "They're free to travel as they wish."
"That's enough, Sari," the other maid said as she walked toward the bed. She set a pile of clothing down and turned to me. "Their business is not ours and we should not speak of it."
Before I could say anything else, she turned away from me and Sari followed her. The two of them flitted in and out of the room, adding things to the pile on the bed. Neither of them spoke to me.
Uncomfortable in the silence, I walked back toward the doorway where I found Ethan standing in the hallway. I narrowed my eyes at him. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Just a moment," he said. "I came to check on you. How are you feeling?"
"Confused, mostly," I said. "You're a prince?"
Ethan turned to look at the maids as they scurried out of my room, their eyes lowered. "I see you got to know Sari."
"Oh please don't punish her, I don't know the rules here," I said.
Ethan's brow furrowed. "Punish her? No, she's allowed to talk to you. I just know she likes to gossip. I'm surprised she didn't get your life story out of you."
"I don't understand what's going on," I said. "I don't understand this world. Where I'm from princes don't go out hunting monsters. We don't have monsters. And if we did, I can't imagine they would have any interest in chasing me."
"I'm sure this is all overwhelming," Ethan said.
"That's a mild way of putting it," I said. "I just want some answers."
"What are your questions?" he asked.
"Where do I begin?" I asked.
"Whatever comes to mind." Ethan waited patiently, a smile on his face.
I liked Ethan. He seemed genuine and warm. None of his kindness felt forced. "Alright, what are these things? Do you really think they're chasing me? And where are we going? And why are we going there? And a hundred other questions about who you are and what this place is and how I'm going to survive."
"For now, can we just take it one question at a time?" Ethan asked.
I nodded, and found that, despite my fear and anxiety at the situation I was in, being around Ethan made me feel better. There was something calming about him that gave me hope that things might end up okay after all.
"First, the monsters. They're called Sodalis and they come from a place we refer to as the Under. It's a realm of monsters and from time to time they find their way here.
"On occasion, there's been outbreaks where large quantities of monsters escape. Most of the time, it's limited to a specific court or geographical area. This time, we've had an influx in all three courts. That's why I'm here, I came when Cormac called for me. The three of us will work together to eliminate the beasts and stop them from returning."
"So maybe it doesn't have anything to do with me?" I asked, hopeful.
"I wish that were true, but these creatures don't typically track individuals. Usually their attacks are random. The fact that you’ve been attacked three times now, tells us something is different this time."
I sighed, wishing there wasn't something connecting me to a bunch of bat monsters. Ethan's hand covered mine, which I had unconsciously clasped protectively over the places where I had already sustained injuries from these monsters.
Gently, Ethan moved my hand to the side and slowly lifted the fabric up from my tunic revealing my midsection and bare legs. Thankfully, whoever had changed my clothes had left my undergarments on. My breath hitched and I considered slapping him, but his concerned expression held me back.
Brow furrowed, Ethan's fingers brushed across my skin, tracing over the red marks that showed as the only remains of my injuries. His touch sent a shiver through me. I had to bite down on my lip to keep from gasping at the intensity.
"These are healing nicely," he said, dropping the tunic and lowering his hand from my waist.
I was sure my face was red in response to his touch. I was unfamiliar with any man's touch and nev
er thought it would be something I would long for. Yet at the absence of his fingers against my skin, I found I was craving more. I wanted his bare skin against my bare skin again. Surprised to notice that my breathing had grown shallow, I turned away from Ethan to collect myself. So this was what attraction felt like.
"I'm glad you healed quickly," Ethan said. "It's not a gift that every Fae has."
Grateful that he either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge my behavior, I turned back to him. "It's not?"
I had credited my quick healing with the fact that I wasn't human. If it wasn't something that every Fae had, I suppose I was incredibly lucky given my current circumstance. "Is it true then, all faeries have magic?"
"Yes, that's true. That's an easy question." Ethan chuckled.
"So what does that mean? If I have healing magic?"
"Each of us is born into a different realm. I'm Spring. One of the things that usually come with being a Spring Fae is a gift for healing. We also have a gift for life. We excel at helping things grow and heal."
"Does that mean whoever abandoned me was a Spring Fae?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Perhaps they were from the Spring Court. But I don't think they abandoned you. It's not easy to arrange for a baby to be swapped like you were. There was planning and time invested in your placement along with money."
I straightened as I recalled the secret conversation my father was having before I escaped. "My father said someone was paying him and the family I was supposed to marry into to keep me hidden. Do you think whoever was paying them might be the one who sent me away?"
"Maybe," he said. "If someone wanted to harm you or keep you away from Faerie for good, they could have killed you. Instead, they were doing whatever they could to keep you trapped in the mortal world."
"But that doesn't explain the monster attacks," I said.
"No, I don't think the two things are related. It's rare, but there are a few other times a creature from the Under has found its way to the mortal realm. It just hasn’t happened in hundreds of years. Honestly, you're just lucky it was a Sodalis and not something worse."
"What could possibly be worse?" I shivered as I recalled the dripping saliva and sharp claws of the beast.
