Finn nodded. “Why don’t you come with us, and we can show you someproof.”
I shook my head, crossed my arms over my chest, and took a step back. “I’m not going anywhere with you. My best friend was just brutally murdered, right in front of me, and you four strange stalkers, who just happened to be there, I have to add, expect me to just go along with you? When you’re spouting nonsense aboutfaeries?”
Rourke scowled, and Kael merely let out a sigh. It was the one with the flaming red hair who stepped forward, his eyes sparking with a dangerous kind of fire. One, I had to admit, made my breath get caught in my throat. His eyes made me feel as though he could see right into mysoul.
“Look, I know what you’re feeling. You’re devastated. You’re confused. And you’re angry. You’re so angry about what happened to your friend that you wish you could punch that asshole Redcap right in the throat. Am I right?” He crossed his arms over his muscular chest and raised aneyebrow.
My heart thumped. He was right. A hot anger burned through me, nothing like I’d ever felt before. The only times I’d ever come close was when my step-dad turned his rage toward mymother.
Inodded.
“Good,” he said. “Use that anger to do what you need to do. If you come with us and train at Otherworld Academy, you can learn to fight these Redcaps. We’ll give you all the skills you need. Hell, there’s even a team of Hunters you can join once your Court has been assigned to you. You can fight these things. You could even find the creature who killed yourfriend.”
My heart had been racing before, but it was going at light speednow.
“Mymom…”
“Your mother is fine,” Liam said. “We’ve been keeping an eye on things. And don’t forget that you’ll learn how to stand up to that asshole step-dad of yours, too, if you’re ever inclined to return after yourtraining.”
“I do find it necessary to add that you’re now wanted for murder,” Kael said in an icy voice. “You have no job or home. If you stay here in the human realm, your life will turn toash.”
“Okay, we don’t need to pile it on top of her, guys,” Finn said. “She’s had a rough few days. Have a littleheart.”
“She needs to understand the gravity of her situation,” Kael replied. “We’ve been protecting her for the past few days, but we can’t stay in Manhattan after tonight. She’ll be on herown.”
On herown.
I shivered, despite myself. I’d had a sneaking suspicion that they’d been following me, watching me, but I hadn’t known what that had truly meant. And as insane as it sounded, I knew deep down in my bones that it was the truth. They’d tried to keep me out of danger, but the danger had only kept following me around. And I couldn’t fight those monsters, those Redcaps, on my own. And I’d certainly never be able to make Bree’s death right unless I learned to fightback.
“Okay,” I said after taking in a long, deep breath. “I’m not sure I completely believe you. This still all sounds totally insane. But I’ll come with you to see your proof, if you have it. You have to keep your distance though. The second one of you comes too close, I’mgone.”
Finn pursed his lips in amusement. “She thinks she can outrunus.”
I opened my mouth to let out a retort, but Rourke held up his hand and shot Finn a sharp look. “Agreed. We’ll keep a reasonabledistance.”
For a moment, I hesitated. I was so torn. On the one hand, it seemed impossibly stupid and dangerous to go with these four guys. On the other hand, I had no idea what other choice I had. Because they were right. I’d run from the cops. Monsters were stalking my every move, my step-dad never wanted me to step foot in my apartment again, and I had no job. No money. Nonothing.
All I had was myself, someone who might end up being the impossible: a changelingfae.
I had to go to Otherworld. I just had to hope this all wasn’t some sort of trick. I had to hope it wasreal.
Chapter Eight
The fae—ifthat was what they truly were—kept their promise. They led me through the city streets and into Central Park, never coming more than ten feet near me. They all stood tall and alert, their eyes darting across every shadow and passerby, as if they were on guard against unseen attackers. Maybe theywere.
Within Central Park, they led me off the paved pathways that wound through the lush greenery. And my nerves began to falter. One thing I’d always learned growing up. Don’t go anywhere with strangers, and especially don’t go into the park after dark. And here I was doing both of them atonce.
“Here we are,” Finn said in a cheery voice as we reached a clearing in a cluster of trees. It was pretty much a perfect circle, blooming red flowers lining the entire perimeter. The grass was perfect, lush, and a bright vivid green that almost glowed against the cloying darkness that surroundedus.
I hovered on the outskirts of the circle of flowers, unsure of what was supposed to happen next. “This is pretty and all, but I don’t understand how it’s supposed to prove that this whole faerie thing isreal.”
“Step inside the ring,” Kael said in a soft, quiet voice that sent shivers down myspine.
“You mean, inside the circle offlowers?”
“That’s right,” he said with an eerie smile. “It’s called a Faerie Ring. When you step inside of it, you’ll see the proof that what we’ve told you isreal.”
“You do realize that this sounds creepy as hell.” My feet were frozen to the ground. Logically, I knew stepping forward onto a patch of grass was not dangerous in the least. It was just grass. Those were just normal flowers. But my heart was pounding so hard against my chest that I could barelybreathe.
