Chapter1
Elyssa
The light wind whipped locks of auburn hair across Elyssa’s face as she took a sharp left, following the familiar path on the outskirts of Chrysa. The Turosian guard trailing her was fast on her heels, but she remained ahead. It wasn’t the first time she was running from fae, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last. She’d spent the majority of her life hiding from them, but she’d spent just as much time kicking their asses—maybe even more.
Elyssa took another turn, the wind in her ears drowning out everything else. Slowing down, she came face-to-face with a dead end, the alleyway blocked in by a stone wall.
“Well, well, looks like I got you trapped, little human,” the guard said as she met his mocking gaze. He unsheathed his sword, its red glint shining in the midday sun.Almandine.
Elyssa’s eyes travelled over the sharp edges of the blade. “Beautiful sword you’ve got there,” she said, not backing down from his stare. “Mind if I borrow it?” A smirk lit up her face.
Sneering, the fae took a step forward before his body froze, the grip on his sword loosening. His eyes widened in shock as he crumpled to the ground.
Elyssa moved to grab his weapon and glanced to her right, spotting Farren walking towards them, coming out of his hiding spot behind a large container. “As if you’d ever give it back,” her friend remarked, his gaze focusing on the sword in her hand.
Stopping next to the unconscious fae, Farren uncurled his hand, revealing a moonstone, before slipping it into the pocket of his mint-green jacket that sported a few holes, much like Elyssa’s own clothes. The many fights she had found herself in, or ran into purposely, had left their mark on them.
Stripping the guard of his belt buckle and sheath for his sword, Elyssa strapped the sword to her side with a triumphant grin. “Finders keepers.”
When she looked up at her friend, she found Farren smiling too. His sleeping spell had worked.
Even though she was happy being the brute force of their duo, she was sometimes envious of Farren’s gifts. As a witch, he wasn’t limited to any specific power like the fae were. He could draw on all kinds of energy, such as crystals. Although almandine wasn’t lethal to witches, witches were more easily harmed than fae, yet still stronger than humans.
Witch power often felt endless to Elyssa, but she had seen the price of it too. It had taken Farren a long time to learn how to put fae to sleep without drawing on his own energy and passing out. Elyssa had teased him about that more than once. Watching her friend now, so in control of his spell, a proud smile graced her lips.
Farren knelt down to bind the guard’s hands and feet. Patting the fae down for more weapons, Elyssa found a small dagger that she added to the one hidden in her worn-down brown boot.
Satisfied with the bindings, Farren straightened next to Elyssa. “Should we wait for Eyden?” he asked, glancing at the sun.
Their usual routine included Elyssa’s brother, but he hadn’t shown up at their meeting spot, so they’d gone along with their plan without him. Farren hadn’t really had a choice after Elyssa had thrown ale at the guard to get his attention, mocking him and enjoying every minute of it. As expected, Farren had taken the shortcut to hide in the alley, while Elyssa had let the guard chase her the long route.
Elyssa unsheathed the sword that she now called her own, holding it tight. Her freckled skin looked pale despite the glow of the midday sun streaming down on them. “We got this far, why wait now?”
Farren raised his dark eyebrows, his mocha brown eyes holding a question. Eyden would be pissed that they had interrogated the guard without him, but he was the one who hadn’t shown up, which was uncharacteristic of him. Besides fearing for Lora’s life, Elyssa was more than happy about Eyden fighting by her side these days instead of removing her from the situation.
“He’s the last one of the guards who was present when Lora was captured. Unless we can finally get a goddamn hold of Saydren or Layken, he’s our last shot. We’ll update Eyden later.” Elyssa gave him her best‘don’t argue with me’look.
Since Lora’s capture a bit over a week ago, they had all become obsessed with finding a way inside the palace. Eyden couldn’t use his powers to drift inside; the palace was warded, no doubt by a witch. And the map of the palace Elyssa had stolen was outdated, so they weren’t even sure what the best entry point was.
But they weren’t giving up. There was no holding back now. They still held hope Lora was alive. If the king wanted Lora dead, the guards would’ve killed her on the spot instead of dragging her off in a carriage. They might have thought she was a level five, a high-power fae who tended to disappear in Turosian. Elyssa sure as hell hoped Lora was still hanging in there.
Sighing, Farren slipped his hand into his pocket, taking ahold of the moonstone once more. The bright white and blue crystal contrasted against his black skin. The guard jerked awake instantly, his eyes moving around. Lying on his back, he tried to push himself up, but Elyssa was quick to react. The tip of her almandine sword grazed his throat.
“Well, well, looks like the tables have turned,” she mocked.
The guard’s gaze shifted between her and Farren. “Curse you, you abominations.”
Elyssa rolled her eyes. If she got a silver note every time someone called her cursed, she’d be richer than the royal Adelways now. After all these years, the insult failed to land anymore.Call me cursed, pretend you’re above me—it only makes me stronger.
“Look, we don’t want any more trouble,” Farren started.
“Speak for yourself,” Elyssa interrupted, training her hazel eyes on the edge of the shining blade.
Farren cut her a quick glance. “We need some answers, then you can go on your way.” The fae remained silent. “About a week ago, Saydren, the royal healer, had you capture a young woman at River’s Point. Do you remember her?”
The guard didn’t move an inch. Elyssa pierced his skin enough to draw a drop of blood, tilting her chin up. “I bet you remember all the fae you’ve taken. Do they haunt you at night? Or do you feel nothing at all?”
“You won’t get anything out of me,” the fae said through clenched teeth.
