I pressed the clutch and eased the car into first gear, letting it roll silently down the long driveway.I was grateful for the news vans and media cars that had parked along the circular drive—they provided perfect camouflage for a low-profile sports car slipping away unnoticed.
I let the car coast to the end of the driveway and over the curb before starting to accelerate, turning onto the street that led away from the Blaine family compound.In my rearview mirror, I could see the house growing smaller, could see the crowd of reporters and police officers still milling around the front lawn.
I waved cheerfully at the police officer stationed at the street corner as I drove past, as if I were just a neighbor out for an afternoon drive.He barely glanced at me—just another car on just another day.
As I passed directly in front of the house one final time, I actually did flip the bird at the imposing facade, at the windows behind which Mother was probably still holding court with her audience of law enforcement and media.The gesture felt juvenile even as I did it, but I allowed myself that moment of defiant pleasure, however fleeting it might be.
The afternoon stretched ahead of me, full of possibilities and dangers I couldn't yet imagine.But for the first time in years, I was choosing my own path rather than following the one that had been laid out for me.
It was time to find my sister and discover what kind of trouble she'd gotten herself into.
Chapter Ten
Eamonn
The Fae Realm
* * *
The afternoon light streaming through the narrow window had shifted, casting different shadows across the stone floor in patterns that marked time more clearly than any clock.How long had I been sitting here, replaying every moment of the disaster?It felt like hours, though it couldn't have been more than one since Devlyn had left.
The clatter of boots in the corridor outside cut through my brooding thoughts.Multiple sets, moving in perfect military synchronization.My stomach clenched.Two guards returning—never a good sign.If this was just the commander coming back, why bring backup?
Each footfall echoed off the stone walls like a drumbeat marking time until judgment.I found myself holding my breath, straining to catch any fragment of conversation between them, but they moved in complete, disciplined silence.That quiet felt infinitely more ominous than shouting would have been.
The boots stopped directly outside the door.
The rattle of the doorknob seemed unnaturally loud.When the door swung open, Commander Devlyn entered without so much as a glance in my direction.He walked straight to his desk with the measured stride of a man who'd already made his decision, settling into his chair before finally fixing me with that penetrating stare I'd learned to dread.
Right behind him came another fae, taller than the commander and closer to my own height.He wore a dark uniform I didn't recognize—not the familiar colors of the King's Guard, but something sleeker, more austere.No polished leather, no ceremonial cape, just plain, efficient cloth that spoke of a different kind of authority entirely.
And somehow, that made everything infinitely worse.
I got to my feet, standing at attention though my knees felt unsteady.The formal posture was second nature after years of training, but today it felt like playing dress-up in someone else's life.
The stranger moved toward the commander's desk, then turned to face me, stopping at Devlyn's side to clasp his hands behind him.His movements were precise, economical, like someone who'd learned not to waste energy on unnecessary gestures.
I forced myself to study his dress uniform.Against the stark white walls, it looked even stranger—not black, but a dark inky blue so deep it seemed designed to swallow light completely.An impressive block of medals shone at his breast, revealing a career of honors I could only dream of.
The man himself was unlike any fae I'd encountered in court or guard service.Deep lines carved paths around his eyes, the kind that came from squinting into darkness or scanning distant horizons for threats.His hair, though still thick, was shot through with silver threads that caught the afternoon light.
He radiated a bone-deep weariness that seemed to emanate from his very core, as if he'd been carrying invisible weights for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like to stand without them.There was something haunting about his complete stillness—the economy of movement that spoke of a man who'd learned to conserve energy for battles that truly mattered.
Who the hell was this?
In all my time at court, all my training with various units, I'd never seen a fae like him or that particular uniform.Was he my interrogator?My executioner?Some specialist who dealt with traitors?
"Eamonn, this is Captain Connar Rathmusen.Our newly retired Captain of the Watchers."
I nodded at the Captain."I'm sorry, sir, I'm not familiar with that unit.What are the Watchers?"
"We're charged with protecting the borders of the Veil between the Realms, most specifically at the border of the Human Realm."
"The Human Realm?"I blurted."Why do we need protection from humans?Everyone knows they're primitive creatures, barely worthy of our attention."
Connar's lips lifted on one side, but it wasn't quite a smile.More like the expression of someone who'd heard such beliefs before."You couldn't be more wrong.We have a group of fae who do nothing but monitor the border at the Human Realm.They're not savages, although I understand why they have that reputation.They're fascinating—and dangerous in many ways, and because of that, we monitor their activities near the Veil."
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.I didn't believe him.What did humans have to offer anyone?But I knew no good came of arguing with a superior, so I nodded and tried to look interested.
