Nikoli moved into my line of sight and his appearance took me by surprise again. I wondered how long it would take for me to get used to it. The last piece of advice the gnomes had given us was for the magic born to disguise his looks. His pale skin and white hair would stand out and attract trouble. Apparently the pale magic born were uncommon here. So now Nikoli had black hair, thick bushy eyebrows, caramel skin, and dark eyes. He said it would drain a lot of his magic to keep up this appearance, but once we were alone in our campsite or tent he could drop the illusion and take a magical rest. If we ran into any trouble that required us to fight, he’d have to drop the illusion then too. He wouldn’t be able to do both. Hopefully that didn’t happen before we met up with our friends.
As we walked, I took a moment to really enjoy the lands we traveled through. I had spent my entire life in a huge city, one I loved more than anything, but being in nature like this … it was freeing. There had been a few villages off in the distance, but for the most part it was wide open plains, pockets of forest, and clear skies above. No skyscrapers. No cement. Nothing artificial or fake. The air smelled and tasted sweet, the plants and animals we encountered looked content, and my wolf was basically growling inside of me, wanting to go out and frolic in the wilderness.
Despite the mecca loss here, it was still beautiful, which gave me this craving to see this world when it was at its best, filled with energy and beauty.
“Do you feel connected to this land, somehow?” I asked the guys when we all paused for a brief break. “Like you’ve been here before? Or … like your soul is freer here?”
Dammit. Maybe I am fae? Or crazy.
I was definitely a shifter. I couldn’t be full fae. Right? At most I was three-quarters fae … which was still bad enough. Ugh, I couldn’t think about this right now.
Kade answered me first. “My bear finds this world calming, as nature has always been for me. I live in the city from necessity, not by choice.”
This was something I had always known about Kade. There was a reason I’d found him in the forest when we were fifteen, and then again in his garden during the Summit. He was an outdoorsy type of shifter, and I loved that wildness he wore across his skin.
“The mecca energy feels pure here,” Nikoli said, “even with the imbalance. When their energy returns, I can sense it would be much easier for me to wield power in the Otherworld.”
So it seemed that all shifters felt the affinity of power here, maybe because all of us were part fae. Or maybe the Earth side was corrupted … not as pure. It was confusing and worrying, but there was no time to dwell, we had to reach our friends before nightfall.
Everything okay with you all? It was harder to project my thoughts to Finn over distances – required more energy – so we didn’t talk much.
We are still safe, waiting for you. I miss you, Ari. Hurry!
Miss you too.
I let the energy required for our mental link dispel, then jumped to my feet. Our rest was over, it was time to move. My urgency to be with Finn increased every time we connected. I couldn’t wait any longer.
Chapter Two
The road to Winter is paved in souls.
We had been walking a few hours when we broke through a thick cropping of trees and the travelers’ camp came into view. Kade sent Nix high into the sky so she wouldn’t add to the unwanted attention we were going to draw no matter what. I recognized this sort of setup. Travelers would come and go, but the regulars would always pay close attention to any strangers. It was a survival skill, honed through experience.
There must have been fifty or more tents, with all types of fae creatures milling about. I tried to school my expression at what I was seeing, when in reality all I wanted to do was stare wide-eyed and ask them lots of questions. There were so many different beings: gnomes, ogres, highborn fae. There were also plenty of fae I didn’t even have a name for. A group of tall, skeletally thin fairies caught my eye. They were hovering a few inches off the ground, gossamer wings flitting about.
Well, that’s not something you see every day, Kade said into my mind, and I had to hide my grin. Yep, this was amazing, almost like stepping into a fairy tale.
Finn’s energy burst through my mind. I sense you. We’re by the weeping willow on the water’s edge.
“Follow me,” I said to Kade and Nikoli.
I followed a small path that led in the direction of my familiar’s energy. Many eyes followed us, lingering extra-long on our weapons. We were intriguing them, which was never a good thing in a world like this. I kept my head lowered, making sure my hair covered my ears, as we made our way toward the giant weeping willow tree that kissed the edge of a small pond.
There were three tents erected in this small space, and coming out of the closest one was my giant white familiar. I wanted to run to him and throw my arms around him, to hold him tightly and renew our bond through touch, but that might attract even more attention, so I refrained. I froze on the spot, just staring, drinking in the sight of his majestic beauty. He had a harness on, with saddlebags loaded with supplies so he looked like a work animal and not a familiar. Knowing I had to move closer, I allowed my leg to brush up against him, both of us enjoying the brief closeness. Blaine stepped around the corner then; he’d been somewhere behind the tents. As our eyes met, my best friend gave me a wry smile.
He was wearing a knitted cap, pulled over his very human ears. “Greetings, My Lady. May I be of service?”
I wasn’t sure what game they wanted me to play here, so I waited for Finn to clue me in.
This camp is crawling with Winter spies that hear all and sell the information for a price. We said we’re hired traveling muscle for those with money. We protect valuables from raiders and carry bags and such.
Okay, then. I addressed Blaine formally. “My companions and I seek your services in traveling to the Winter Court to find work.”
Blaine nodded, his genial yet professional expression never faltering. “That can be arranged … for the right price. When would you like to leave?”
Finn’s explanation, and the fact that this campsite was so packed with people, was starting to make me very nervous.
“Immediately.” I used my queen voice, slightly cold and forceful.
Kade stepped in beside me and introduced himself to Blaine, shaking hands. The entire charade was going very well at this stage, but I would feel a lot better when we were on our way.
Blaine nodded and looked back at Victor and Monica, who had been pulling clothes off a drying line they had attached to a tree. “Pack up! We’ve got a job.”