Atrail ledthrough the thick forest. As we walked along the soft dirt, I began to notice just how different this place was to home. Specks of silver hung in the air, blowing this way and that along a soft breeze that smelled like sunflowers and the thick hazy musk of summer. Strangely, it was warm but not the same kind of heat that made the New York pavements feel so claustrophobic. This was a much different kind of warmth. One that felt soothing and soft, rather than cloying. There was humidity, but not too much. It was neither dry nor wet. It was, strangely,perfect.
Insects buzzed around our heads, but not any kind of insect that I’d seen before. They were like tiny golden birds with giant translucent wings. One let out a whistle as it darted in front of my face, a sound that was repeated by hundreds of others. It was a like a song. A familiar song. One I felt as if I’d heardbefore.
“What are those?” I finallyasked.
Finn had kept quiet, almost as if he could sense my need for silence. Right now, there was still so much I had to process. And while I had so many questions, I didn’t even know where tostart.
“Slyphs,” he said. “In the summer, they fill the forest, singing songs that can sometimes even be heard inside theAcademy.”
Another slyph whispered by my ear and whistled a series of high and low notes that made my heart lift in mychest.
“They seem to like you,” he said with a smile. “Maybe you’re not a Winter fae after all. They don’t much like thecold.”
“And you…you’re a Summerfae?”
He let out a low chuckle. “Thank the forest, no. Summers are…hotheaded, to say the least. Fiery, passionate, easily angered. They’re far too dramatic for my taste. No, I’m a Spring fae. Liam back there is a Summer. The one with the redhair.”
I nodded. “I see what you mean. He got a little worked up about theRedcaps.”
“To say the least,” he said, casting me a sideways glance. “And his speech seems to have worked to get you to come to Otherworld. Like I said, maybe we were wrong about yourCourt.”
“But the Redcaps are attracted to Winter fae, right?” Iasked.
“Indeed.” He pursed his lips. “Truthfully, it’s far too early to tell where you’ll belong. It usually takes the first full year to identify a changeling’s Court. Your abilities have not fully come to you yet, so you may demonstrate qualities of several Courts for awhile. Manydo.”
“So, this training thing, it takes ayear?”
“Oh, no.” He flashed me a smile. “Once we’ve identified your Court, you move on to more specialized training to hone your skills. The Academy is a three-year school. So, you should know that it will be your home for a long while tocome.”
“Three years?” I stopped in my tracks. “No one said anything about three years when I agreed to come along. That’s not an option. My mom is stuck there with my step-dad. Bree’s killer is just out there in the streets. I can’t be gone for three years. I’m goingback.”
“Ah…” Finn trailed off, giving me a bland smile. “Unfortunately, that’s not anoption.”
I took three steps back, fisting my hands. “The hell it isn’t. What are you going to do? Pick me up and carry me to the Academy kicking andscreaming?”
He lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug, and then flashed me a pair of perfect white teeth. “If that’s what ittakes.”
“You wouldn’t,” I said, taking two more steps back down the path. Finn followed, mimicking my moves with a strange kind of fluid ease. Two more steps back. And then he followed once again, as if we were caught in some sort of magical danceroutine.
“You’re really testing me, aren’t you, Norah?” He gave me a wink. “Fine. We’ll do things your way. If you take one more step toward the Faerie Ring, I’ll have no choice but to throw you over my shoulder. Be careful not to doubt me, Norah. I neverlie.”
I narrowed my eyes. Surely he wasn’t serious. He couldn’t very well force me to stay here against my will. Then again, he was a fae. They all were, and there was no telling just how good or evil they might be. I mean, they swapped human babies with changelings. That in and of itself was wrong in more ways than I could count. And yet, I’d come with themwillingly.
There’s nothing for you back in the human realm, Norah,a soft voice whispered in my ear. His voice. But he hadn’t opened his mouth tospeak.
Frowning, I glared at him. Was he throwing thoughts into my mind? Whatever it was, I didn’t likeit.
I took a stepback.
With a laugh, he rushed toward me at an impossible speed, wrapped his arms around me, and threw me over his shoulder before I could even utter a yelp of surprise. I kicked my legs and pushed at his chest, but it was no use. His grip was iron-tight, and all my flailing did was make him squeezetighter.
“Fighting this won’t do you any good, but continue to wriggle against me all you want if it makes you feel better.” He let out a lightchuckle.
Irritation flickered through me. “It’s notfunny.”
“Oh, it’s impossibly funny. And enjoyable, I mightadd.”
“Let me guess,” I snapped. “While Summer fae are hotheaded and passionate, Spring fae are annoying and irritating and franklyrude.”
