I shuddered, touching the place where the demon had grabbed me.
When I’d first learned of Wilde Tower and its powerful magic, I couldn’t have imagined anything rivaling its magnificence. Wilde Tower was a fortress, and Severn was its all-powerful king.
Yet now, I felt more uncertain. Black Ember, the Sun Court, the Bristol…It might be a match for Severn’s empire.
Without warning, the face from my dreams returned to me in a flash.The neon lights on his stubble, his gray eyes boring into me. His voice purring my name.
Hugging my arms, I shook the memory of the strange man’s face away. I went to the closet where fae had hung my new LA wardrobe, all bright colors, slinky dresses, avant-garde clothes. I grabbed the most normal thing I could find, a short emerald sequined dress with an asymmetrical cutout running from the high collar to the top of my cleavage.
Looking in the mirror, I reassured myself that this nightmare was almost over. I’d see Severn again soon. At the parlay, Severn would make everything right, and soon I’d be back in Wilde Tower, hugging Henry and May and Puck hard enough never to let go, and the Bristol would be only a distant bad memory.
“Willow O’Dell,” the voice echoed in my head as though taunting me that no matter how far I ran from the Sun Court, it would never be entirely over.
* * *
The flightto Aspen was much shorter than my previous cross-country flight in the same private jet. Only days ago, I had been gazing at those same clouds, terrified to think of where I might be going, with only Jack Meruvis as a less-than-trustworthy guide. Now, my heart raced for a different reason.
I’m goingto see Severn.It would all be over soon.
My fingers curled on the armrests in anticipation. My whole body practically vibrated at the thought of running into his arms again, feeling the press of his lips against my temple, shivering to hear his husky voice whisper that I was safe and he’d never let me go. I felt sure that our breakup and the whole misunderstanding would be quickly sorted out. After all, there was nothing like a kidnapping by a rival fae king to make one reconsider romance. Now, I knew that the only place I wanted to be was with him, flaws and all.
I looked down at my open palm, remembering Helena’s pooling candle wax that didn’t melt. It shouldn’t have taken a fortune teller for me to know what was in my own heart, but now that the words had been spoken aloud, it was like a spell had broken.I love Severn. The words no longer scared me but rather thrilled me. It was free to admit my deep feelings for him and to know that he returned those same feelings. So many people had tried to push us apart, but we were destined to be together. Even witchcraft had foretold it. With every passing minute, I reassured myself that I was one minute closer to Severn.
Coral spoke in a language I didn’t know on her phone, and when she hung up, she glanced outside. “We’ll be at Jack Meruvis’s estate in ten minutes. Apparently, Severn just arrived at his place.”
Relief and anticipation flooded me again. Coral must have seen the nervous way I was chewing on my lip because she cocked her head and asked bluntly, “Whyhim? Why Severn?”
I looked at her in surprise. The obvious answer was that he was the most sought-after bachelor in both the human and the fae realm, but of course, my feelings for him went so much deeper than that.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She frowned. “Severn Wilde isn’t exactly known for his kindness.”
I flinched, then grew defensive. “And Black Ember is?”
She picked at her long coral-pink fingernails. “Some would argue Black Ember’s actions are justified, whereas Severn’s are simply malicious.”
I bristled at the patently false allegation—Severn was no crueler than any fae. And yet something snagged in the back of my head, all these warnings about him from those outside of his court. What exactlywashis reputation throughout the Gifted Realm? Why did I know him as a devoted guardian to two children, a man who mourned the death of his best friend, a ruler with such heavy weight on his shoulders, but no one else seemed to?
“I guess I see a different side to him,” I muttered, trying to sound confident, when in reality, I was troubled by the question.
Coral seemed like she wanted to say more, but then a signal light turned on in the plane’s ceiling. “Beginning descent to Aspen, Colorado,” the pilot announced through the intercom.
I put on my seat belt, though Coral gave me a droll look as she sipped her champagne. She suddenly leaned forward, a strange look on her face somewhere between derision and pity. “Well, listen. If you decide that this supposedly kinder side of Severn isn’t as kind as you thought, you’re welcome in the Sun Court. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly fond of you. But if Ember ends up getting his way, we’re going to need humans who are familiar with the Gifted Realm and can be a bridge between the two worlds.”
Shocked by her offer, I found myself speechless.They kidnapped me. One of their demons burned my skin.And they thought I’d willinglyjointhem?
Again, I felt a terrible premonition like I was missing something. Everyone kept speaking of Severn like he was completely different from the man I knew.
The plane descended with a pitch that made my stomach reel. As soon as we were safely on the tarmac, I looked out the window anxiously. It was a tiny airport with only a small terminal. Huge mountains rose all around us, making me feel claustrophobic despite the stunning beauty of the land.
Still a prisoner even in beautiful places.
A fleet of cars was waiting to whisk us away as soon as we got off the plane. I climbed into the back seat of the first car with Coral while she tapped away into her phone and watched in nervous impatience as the driver wound around narrow roads hugging mountain streams and through tunnels that felt endless. All I knew of Aspen was what I’d seen in movies: it was a playground for the super-rich, especially in winter with the ski slopes. Now, in mid-summer, some snow still clung to the tops of the highest mountains, though I imagined Aspen was currently a destination for hiking and wildlife viewing. I was shocked at how sparse signs of civilization were: we passed a few small towns, and gated drives leading to what I assumed were mansions tucked away in the privacy of the mountains. At last, we crossed a bridge over a raging creek and wound our way up to a chalet-style mansion.
It was more of a compound than a house; a sprawling primary residence was made of imposing stone, glass, and giant wooden beams, and flanking it were separate structures attached by glassed-enclosed breezeways. Nearby sat luxury guest homes and even a massive barn that was so elegant I couldn’t fathom that cattle or horses actually lived inside. It looked like the kind of estate a wealthy rancher family would have or a celebrity who wanted to play at living the lifestyle.
The view captured my attention more than the house as we climbed out of the car. The mansion was set at the head of a valley with the winding river meandering through a wild pasture with the Rockies towering behind it. I felt like I’d stepped into a postcard. My attention was torn away from the view when I heard the front door slam.
