I felt it too. “I can’t imagine living so close by. Why would this aether-blessed fae want to subject herself to this? Even with aether power, it would have to affect her, right?”
“Most definitely,” the prince replied from a few feet away. “I feel it. However, she has a strong motivation. Rumor has it that she lost a child to the Dark Court.”
“They killed her kid?” Alex asked, horror-stricken.
“We’re not sure. She claims that her son crossed the border right before the Rift appeared. He’s either in the Dark Court, or the Rift sucked out his soul as he journeyed through the expanse. I doubt she’ll ever learn the truth . . .” he trailed off.
“Why can’t anyone get rid of it?” Eva piped up, eyeing the swirling inky storm up ahead. “Andwhatis it?”
“No one knows, just as we know practically nothing about the Dark Court,” the prince replied with a frown. “Personally, I believe that an aether-blessed fae—probably the most powerful in Faerie’s history—created it.”
I cocked my head. The Rift looked nothing like the bright aether power I’d seen, but the prince probably knew better.
“Not a demon?” Hunter asked.
Halad shook his head. “True demons cannot enter this realm. Once, they were able, long before the Rift came into being, but not anymore.”
I was about to ask what had changed to make this place immune to demon infestation when a hut came into view.
I pointed. “Is that her home?”
Prince Halad’s mouth spread into a smile. “It must be. Anyone up for a gallop?”
Since we were all antsy to fulfill our quest, we kicked our horses into high gear. We were about halfway to the cottage, when I noticed that something was off.
The door was wide open.As was the gate door.
My gaze flickered from side to side. No one else seemed to have noticed. Or if they had, maybe they figured she kept her door open all the time. She did live in the middle of nowhere.
Despite that point, I couldn’t shake off the inkling that something wasn’t right.
Not wanting to worry them by shooting off a spell, I called up my demon magic, and bid it to slither through the lush grass like a snake.
Glow red if adversaries are ahead.
My magic flew forth, faster than our horses, and entered the cottage. When it didn’t glow red right away, I released the breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding.
And then the damn cottage lit up crimson.
“Stop!” I yelled as cries of surprise flew off the others’ lips. “Everyone, stop! There’s—”
My mouth snapped shut as two dozen armed fae resembling walking corpses burst from the home.
“Dark Court Shadows!” Prince Halad yelled. “Prepare to fight!” He darted a fearful glance at me. “If you can use your demon magic, it would be much appreciated.”
An inky blast of magic soared from one of the Shadows.
My eyes popped open wide.Oh shit.
These fae weren’t just soldiers from a crappy place. They had magic that most others didn’t—magic that they’d gotten from their ruler, who answered to a royal demon.
“Eva!” I screamed.
“I saw!” she yelled back and rode up to my side. “Fight like with like?”
I nodded, and together, we kicked our mares forward.
The horses’ hooves pounded against the dirt, as loud as thunder, as the Shadows sprinted ever closer. Prince Halad was at the forefront of our group, his other hand pressed out, bright white aether blooming from it. His cousins rode just behind him, all using their aether magic too.
