Liora pointed out two buildings on the right. A supply closet, the fae baths, and then she motioned to a long building, divided into sections—the Barracks. Wilder’s pack, she told me, was at the very top.
My body stiffened at the thought of the fae awaiting me there. “D’you know if … if any of the fae in my pack have magic?”
Cai looked back and frowned at me, but Liora murmured, “Why d’you ask?”
“Well, it’s bad enough that they’re fae, but if they can use magic against me …”
“As far as we know there aren’t any other witches among the recruits, but even if they had any affinity with magic, it wouldn’t do them any good in the training ring. Magic’s forbidden during sparring.”
There was no relief. They were fae; it didn’t give me an edge.
Cai snorted. “Shame. I’d love to use magic to knock Tysion on his ass.”
“The fae in my pack?”
He came to a stop. “He’s the worst. Where he leads, Dustin and Cole follow. A little gang of horrors.” My shoulders inched up to my ears. “Anyway, this is me.” He motioned to a section of the barracks. “So I’ll say goodnight.”
Liora huffed. “Let me guess, you’re off to put a bet on whether Serena makes it through.”
My heart flipped. “Is that true?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, feigning innocence. “But if I did place a bet, it’d be that she made it. After all, with us as friends, how could she possibly go wrong?”
He winked at me, spun on his heel, and slipped into a long, lazy stride.
Liora watched her brother for a few seconds. She glanced over at me and added, “He’s not always such an ass—promise.”
A chuckle whispered out of me. “I’ve known worse.”
“I hope you feel the same way in a month.”
I said nothing. I doubted I’d last the week.
Liora might have sensed my mood because she didn’t push for conversation. She just nudged me onward.
Heart in my mouth, we approached the door to my barracks. A tiny carving of a bat greeted me. We came to a stop.
Liora must’ve noticed me staring at the door because she explained. “The bat’s your pack emblem.”
How fitting. An ugly night-dwelling creature with zero charisma.
“What’s your pack symbol?”
“A White Tiger.”
I groaned inwardly. Yes, of course, Cai and Liora with their bright smiles and red and gold hair. A noble, majestic creature was fitting.
Liora grasped my hand, squeezing. “Ready?”
I nodded to say yes, while the rest of me screamed no. She let go of my hand to open the door and wave me through. Light spilled out from crystal lanterns hanging from the boarded walls. The only furniture, six single beds, ran in a row down the left side. At the end of the room was an open doorway that led to a toilet and sink. It was cheerless and exposed. There also happened to be a person—a wingless fae—lounging on one of the single beds in the middle.
“Frazer.” Liora spoke loudly.
I thought I detected a note of hesitation, but she strode toward him confidently enough. Deciding not to just cower in the background, I went to join her at the foot of his bed. He was stretched out, glancing over the top of a book. His eyes pulled me in—dark, dark blue, like a midnight storm—flickered first to Liora in mild irritation, and then settled on me. His thick, straight brows drew together to make a scowling expression.
My gut tumbled.
His pale nostrils flared delicately, and my stomach hollowed out. Maybe, he smelled the fear on me … He continued to frown, as if I presented a puzzle he couldn’t solve.
“This is Serena,” Liora said. “She’ll be joining your pack.”
Frazer put the book aside and stood. His movements screamed predator—the hunched shoulders, the feline tilt of the head. I took a step back. Then another. He didn’t need to speak to communicate his confusion.
Why, his eyes seemed to say.
Even without the wings, I wouldn’t have mistaken him for human. He wasn’t like Hunter, all smooth planes and perfect angles. Where Hunter’s looks reassured and drew you in—Frazer’s beauty did the opposite. It was close to terrifying. A cold mask, hard-edged and hollow cheeked.
Nightmare made flesh. Another bat.
And yet … The way his shoulder-length black hair lined the sides of his face, it made me think he used it like I did: to hide, to become a shadow in the corner of the room.
With a sharp jolt to my midriff, the rest of his features clicked into place. He might’ve been my male fae counterpart, even though his expression made him seem like a haunted man.
Liora was speaking. Her voice snapped me from my gawking. “The Wild Hunt brought Serena here.”
She’d obviously read the question in Frazer’s silence, too.
Liora quickly scanned the room before meeting Frazer’s scowl again. “I don’t suppose you’d look out for her? When Cai and I can’t.”
My face heated. Frazer ran an eye over me and tilted his head as if to say, Why would I do that?
Liora seemed to interpret it the same way because she replied, “You don’t abuse other recruits, even though you’re the best fighter here.”
I thought I caught a hint of a smile, but it must’ve been the shadows clinging to his face because when I looked again, he was still scowling.
“So,” Liora went on calmly, “I’m going to take a leap and say you’re not like those bastards you share a roof with.”
Frazer’s eyes narrowed. This could seriously backfire.
“All you’d have to do is step in if they target her.”
The backs of my ears were burning at this point. I almost heard his thoughts as he held my gaze for a heartbeat. Not my problem.
“I can make it worth your while,” Liora needled. “I do the odd favor for Bert, and he’s generous with his money.”
I felt a stab of gratitude but my pride—my stupid, gods-damned pride—got in the way. “Don’t. I’ll be okay.”
Her eyes darted to mine. The tucking of her mouth told me that I most certainly would not be okay.
Liora looked to Frazer again with her hands now braced on her hips. “Well?”
If she’d glared at me like that, I would’ve recoiled. A flare of heat from my necklace seemed to serve as a warning sign. Liora might be bound, but there was something emanating from her. A low purr, a rumble, as if a beast had stirred.
But it didn’t rattle Frazer. With a shake of his head, hopes of an ally within my pack vanished. He lay down on his bed and disappeared behind his book. Liora stood defiant, waiting. After a tense minute, she made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and spun on her heel.
I followed her to a bed in the far-left corner. It was the only one that didn’t have someone’s belongings scattered on or underneath it. I dumped my pack at the bottom of the bed.
“Thanks for trying with him,” I breathed, sneaking a peek at Frazer.
She didn’t bother to whisper when she said, “Sorry it didn’t work. But that’s the fae for you. They don’t make friends easy.”
She let slip a smile. We both knew Frazer could hear.
“It’s what makes Hunter’s reaction to you so surprising.” Liora inched closer to me.
I folded my arms and stared down at my boots, troubled. There was a dark corner of my mind that took pride in winning a friendship, even if said fae in question happened to be a slaver.
“So…” She dropped to a whisper. “Should I let you settle in, or d’you want me to stick around?”
I saw it for the offer it was. Liora would stay to face the others with me. But she couldn’t hold my hand the entire time, as much as the weak, cowardly part of me might want her to.
I put on a brave smile. “Thanks for offering to stay, but I’ll be okay if I can sleep.”
I almost changed my mind when Liora nodded.
“Don’t forget, first bell means go to the hall. We’ll see you there—7:30.”
I gulped and said, “Got it.”
Without warning, Liora pulled me into a swift hug. She whispered in my ear, “We’ll wait ten minutes, and if you’re not in the hall, we’ll come looking for you.”
My courage sputtered like a flame flying in the face of the wind.