I blinked at his words. I wouldn’t exactly call my heartpure, especially when it was currently yearning for the affections of four different fae males. But I didn’t dare say that outloud.
The front door of the apartment creaked open, and Liam cocked his head with a frown. “She’s back. Don’t tell her about your gifts, Norah. Don’t tellanyone.”
* * *
That evening,we all dined together. The Summer Royals had arrived, along with the Spring fae contingent. Only the Winter fae had yet to walk through the Academy’s front doors. Extra tables had been added to the expansive space, and the buzz of conversation made the place feel electric andalive.
Everyone was excited about the upcoming ball. Recruits had taken it upon themselves to find dates, much to the Head Instructor’s disapproval. Griff and Lila were going together while Sophia had been asked by one of the third-year students. The Instructors—a.k.a. our future mates—were strictly forbidden from participating in any sort of pairing up, so it seemed the changelings were just trying to make the best of thesituation.
“I’m actually glad I’m going with Griff,” Lila whispered into my ear. “I mean, is it horrible that I like him so much more than any of our potential mates? I mean, I figure I’m a Summer, right? Look at me. Flaming red hair. I love the sunshine. But Liam? I don’t know. He just doesn’t do it forme.”
“He does it for me,” I muttered underneath mybreath.
She cocked her head. “What?”
My cheeks flamed. Had I just said that outloud?
“Nothing,” I saidquickly.
“Sam said the same,” she added. “She’s pretty certain she’s Autumn, and she doesn’t have any interest in Rourke. And Sophia has barely looked at Finn. What about you? You’re going to end up mated to Kael, right? I mean, he’s just so cold and distant. I can’t imagine him kissing anyone? It’d be like kissing a wetnoodle.”
“A wet noodle?” An flicker of irritation went through me. “Well, that’s just rude. The other changelings have nothing on any of them. Sure, they can be kind of annoying at times, but they’re the strongest men I’ve ever met in my life. I can’t imagine how you could think anyone was better than them. Hell, I’d mate with all of them if Icould.”
The room had gone strangely silent, and my words echoed off the walls around me. My heart froze in my chest as I slowly turned to find that every single fae in the room was staring right at me. I swallowed hard, and my whole neck went whitehot.
This was...embarrassing, to say theleast.
Gripping the table, I eased my eyes to the table at my left where the instructors were all dining together. Yep, sure enough, all four of them had heard me. They were staring at me, each wearing an expression that ranged from amusement to shock to intrigue. My god. If only the floor would open up and swallow me whole rightnow.
I’d clearly let that whole harem nonsense get into my head, and now the entire Academy knew aboutit.
The silence seemed to stretch on for ages. Just when I thought I could take no more, the glass window exploded behind me. Shards rained down on the marble floor, and Lila jumped up with a scream. I scrambled back just as another window broke through, the massive claws of a Redcap shooting through the hole leftbehind.
With a sharp gasp, I stumbled back. The windows on the other side of the dining hall faced a similar fate, and two more Redcaps jumped through. They landed on every side of us, their sharp claws glinting off the light of the torches lining the walls. Changelings were screaming and racing toward the tall double doors that would lead to escape. But a Redcap jumped in front of them just in time, trapping every single soul in thisplace.
Finn and Rourke were by my side within an instant. One behind me, one in front, forming their arms in a circle to keep me protected from the creatures. I wanted to argue, to tell them to go help anyone else but me, but the terror in my heart had my mouth gluedshut.
There were four Redcaps in the dining hall now, slowly circling the fae and changelings. I glanced around, desperately trying to find Sophia, Lila, and Sam. They were all huddled together, ducking low behind the table where we’d just been sitting. One of the creatures was bearing down on them. Its claws were only inches from theirheads.
“Rourke,” I whispered, my heart beating madly in my chest. “Help them.Please.”
“I’m not leaving your side,” he said through grittedteeth.
“Neither am I,” Finn added. “Kael took Liam to get some weapons. He shifted away the second the first windowbroke.”
Indeed, he and Liam reappeared within seconds. Both were wielding swords that matched the ones they’d held that day in New York, that night that now felt so very, very long ago. Kael whirled and tossed a second blade into the hands of our Head Instructor while Liam tossed a sword to one of the third year instructors. Together, the four of them converged on the nearest Redcap, their blades swinging through the fear-filledair.
I found myself clinging tight to Finn’s arm as I watched Kael and Liam battle the creatures. My heart was in my throat, and my blood roared in my ears. They were so strong and so brave. Much braver than I was. Of course they were the two who had taken charge to save the day. They were the kind of fae to risk their lives for the sake of others, and I loved them forit.
When the first Redcap fell, it ignited a pure, unbridled anger in the others. They began to launch themselves at the cowering changelings. Claws swiped faces. Blood spilled. Rourke stepped in front of me to block my view of the carnage, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me so close that I could hear his frantic heartbeat in hischest.
The fight raged on. Screams filled the air as well as the gruesome sound of blades slicing into flesh. I wanted to do something. Anything other than stand here helpless, but Rourke kept a tight hold on my body, keeping me firmly out of harm’sway.
When it was finally over, the sight that met my eyes made me fall to my knees. The Redcaps had been defeated, and their corpses littered the hall. With them, three fae had fallen, blood pouring from gapingwounds.
“Who is it?” I whispered to Finn, who had wrapped his arm around my waist to hold mesteady.
“I’m so sorry, Norah. Sam didn’t make it.” His lips pressed into a tight line. “We also lost a third-year changeling, along with her mate. He jumped in front of her to protect her from the Redcap,but—”
