I lost myself in the dance, despite my shock and confusion at finding the ring. It was as if my body took over, the fae magic filling me up and driving me forward. Indeed, it was as if my mind and my thoughts were drowned out by the overwhelming lure of song and dance. Moments flew by, and then hours. Soon, the sun had been replaced by a million sparkling stars. The crowd began to thin, and the music cut off. The celebratory atmosphere vanished, almost in an instant.
“It’s time for the Changing of the Seasons, love,” the Summer fae—whose name I learned was Rose—murmured into my ear. “You best get scarce.”
Chills swept down my spine. She knew then, about the ambush. How many of them did? Were they all in on it? Or only a select few?
A strong hand wrapped around my elbow and pulled me away from the dying celebration. Glancing up, my eyes locked on Liam’s glowering face. His jaw was tense. His eyes were full of fire. But there was a strange distant look, that bemused expression of shock, that still lingered.
“We’ve got to get you out of here before the ceremony begins,” he murmured. “I don’t want you anywhere near this.”
“Are you just going to pretend like this Barmbrack Ring thing didn’t happen?”
He grip stayed firm, his gaze focused on the ground ahead. “I don’t see how it can be right. You have two and a half years left at the Academy, which means you won’t be wed within a year.”
“Rose said the Barmbrack Ring is never wrong,” I countered.
He stopped suddenly and twisted me toward him so that he could look deep into my eyes. “It would be unheard of, for a changeling to leave the Academy early unless she’d been banished to join the Wilde Fae. And it would be unwise on top of that. The Academy exists for a reason. It teaches you what you need to know in order to exist in this world, to learn how to fight, to learn how to survive. Not to mention you would have to choose one of us....I mean, one of our Courts—in order to leave by then. Could you really do that? So soon?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “I didn’t think choosing had anything to do with it. Alwyn said that even with my varied powers, I would still only belong to one Court, and that it wasn’t something I could choose.”
He blinked and stepped back. “Of course. But because of your varied gifts, I can’t imagine we’ll know your Court for a long time to come.” He paused and gave a nod, as if agreeing with himself. “A long, long time to come.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but my thoughts were cut short when a hundred screams filled the night air. We both twisted in unison, gazing back at the festival grounds where fae were fleeing left and right, the flickering bonfire transforming everyone and everything into eerie shadows.
I took a step toward the chaos, heart rattling in my chest. I had the sudden urge to do something, to help, though I didn’t know what.
Liam grabbed both my arms and dropped his forehead to mine. My skin burned from where we touched. “Listen to me. The ambush must have started early. I know you want to help, but you can’t. You’re powerful, Norah, but you’re still not ready. Deep down, you know I’m right.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. Maybe he was right, as much as I hated to admit it.
“Good. Now, it’s time to get you out of here.”
Chapter Two
Liam led me away from the festival, in the opposite direction of where my heart yearned to be. Hiding felt a hell of a lot like cowardice, despite the fact I knew I wasn’t ready for this kind of fight. I’d been lucky when I’d faced off against the Autumn fae. Redmond had underestimated me, something the other Autumn fae might not do. And well, it wasn’t as if I knew the true extent of my powers yet, or the lack thereof. I hadn’t truly been control of them then. There was no guarantee I’d be in control of them now.
Liam suddenly stopped and stiffened. “There are some Autumn fae up ahead. I’ve got to get you outside the perimeter so you can shift out of here, but they’re blocking the way. We need to hide.”
He pulled me down behind a tent. We’d made it to the section of the grounds where dozens upon dozens of small tents had been erected for those who wished to stay the night before making the long trek back to their seasonal Courts. But they were all empty now, the occupants amidst the screaming swarm.
Liam ducked though the burlap flap and pulled me in behind him. I glanced around at the small yet comfortable space, my heart hammering hard against my ribcage. This tent looked suspiciously autumn-like to me. Everything was drowning in muddy reds and browns, from the muted golden sleeping bags to the dark red moccasins just inside the tent’s entrance. Even the scent of autumn filled the quiet space. Crackling leaves, wet earth...and death.
My heartbeat picked up speed. I swallowed hard and turned to Liam. The expression on his face told me he’d come to the same conclusion I had.
“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” I whispered.
He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “We picked a bad tent, but it’s still safer in here than out there. If the owner comes back, we’ll deal with it. I’d rather you face off against an angry Lesser Fae than half a dozen threatened Royals.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he shook his head. “We’ll stay here until we’re sure the Autumn fae have moved on. Then, we’ll get you past the perimeter so you can shift out of here. I hate that you can’t go on and shift now, but that has always been the laws of the Feast of the Fae. No shifting in and out of the grounds.”
Frowning, I plopped onto the ground. There was no arguing with Liam, not after he got an idea into his head. He was determined that this was where I would stay. So, stay here I would. Liam was stubborn. Even more stubborn than I was. And that was saying something.
“Will the Autumn fae get hurt?” I whispered. “The ones who aren’t Royals.”
I refused to call them Lesser Fae.
With a heavy sigh, Liam lifted the flap to peer outside. “Perhaps, but only if they get involved. Not every Autumn is the same. And not every one would agree with what their Court has done.”
A fact I knew very well, thanks to Rourke.
“That said,” Liam continued. “The Hunters will not spare them if they try to stop us from capturing the Queen. And many of them likely will. They are loyal to her.”
“Of course they are.” I scowled. “Though how someone could be loyal to a Queen who goes around trying to assassinate people is beyond me.”
Liam gave a nod. “You’re not wrong to feel that way, but people will be loyal for many reasons. Fear. Survival. Ignorance. The Autumn fae are born being told how truly wonderful their Queen is. They rarely mix with other fae, and they only venture from their territory during events like this. Even then, not all of them attend. It’s easy to believe the rest of the world is wrong when you won’t open your eyes to anything but what’s right in front of you.”
“Like believing that I can’t leave the Academy early.” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them, but his words about the Barmbrack Ring had been echoing in my mind, even as we’d been fleeing from the ambush.
His jaw rippled. “You need to get that Barmbrack Ring out of that pretty little head of yours.”
“Why?” I stood. “Because I want to you acknowledge the fact I’m destined to be wed within a year? Because you’re trying to blow it off? Because you don’t want to admit how you feel?”
“Careful, Norah,” he said, his eyes sparking. “You’re playing with fire.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. “Maybe I am.”