Dipping across the border and into the Autumn woods was much easier than I’d expected. There were no archways to find, no optical allusions hiding the way. I merely shadowed myself and stepped across, hoping the power of the spell would see me through. We weren’t far from where Liam and I had entered the forest all those months ago. With the familiar surroundings, I was able to retrace our steps, following the path toward Esari.
It was a long journey, especially without the help of a horse. Many times I had to stop and rest my feet. I didn’t dare attempt to shift. There was no telling where I might end up or who would see me. Instead, I kept the shadows pulled in tight and plodded my way toward Rourke.
When I finally found my feet on the well-worn path of the red-and-golden city, I didn’t even pause to breathe a sigh of relief. There was no time to waste, and there was still so much to do. Rourke had been alive when the Hunters had taken him, but that didn’t mean they would spare him for long. So, I kept my gaze locked on the glistening castle in the clouds.
My entire body ached. The road had been long, and my shoes were rubbing blisters on my feet. The sword weighed heavy on my back, sending sharp bursts of shooting pain through my core. And my eyes, they were so heavy. The sun was peeking over the horizon, which meant I hadn’t slept a wink all night. I’d been travelling for ages. For how long? I couldn’t say. Eight hours or ten. Perhaps longer.
But I’d made it. The castle before me rose high into the sky, jagged peaks piercing holes into the gray clouds. There were statues dotted around the courtyard, visions of monsters and wolves and terrible bears. The Autumn fae had connections with animals, I remembered, though not in the same way I felt. They liked to possess them, to control them, to train them to be their army of fur, fangs, and claws.
A cluster of ornately-dressed female fae caught my attention. They were standing near a lion fountain, reddish water shooting out of an open mouth. They were whispering amongst themselves, giggling. Their long, golden gowns were pristine. Their hair was twisted up into braided crowns.
These must be some of the Royals, I thought.
With my breath held tight in my throat, I inched closer to their little group, the sound of my movements drowned out by the fountain’s rushing water.
“Mother said they believe they’ve found my mate.” Another giggle. “Can you believe it? I think they’re trying to make it up to me, not allowing me to go to the Feast of the Fae so I could have my chance to get that ring.”
“I still can’t believe they’re saying some first-year changeling found it.” She rolled her golden eyes. “Clearly, there was a mistake. Somechangelingisn’t going to be wed before us, not some unknown first-year anyway.”
“The ring was obviously confused,” the third girl said. “We weren’t there. So, it must have been meant to go to one of us. I think that means you’ll be wed, Cecily. Maybe your mother really has found your mate.”
The three of them started giggling again, and I fought the urge to drop the shadows just so I could roll my eyes right into their faces. But I had more important things to worry about, so much so that I couldn’t believe I’d ever been worried about the Barmbrack Ring. Whatever it meant didn’t matter, not when Rourke had been captured, and not when the entire realm was on the brink of a terrible war.
So, I merely gave them an invisible eye-roll and waited for them to head inside the castle. I followed close behind, keeping my feet in time with theirs. The floors of the castle were pure stone, and the high-vaulted ceilings rivalled those of the Summer Court. There was no doubt in my mind that the tiniest whisper of a noise would echo in this expansive space.
I had to keep myself silent.
The girls trailed off down a hallway on the left, but I stayed behind in the hall. It was impossible to know where to go next. There were no signs pointing the way. No flashing neon lights that said, “Dungeons this way” or “We’re keeping Rourke trapped here!”
So, I was going to have to find Rourke some other way.
The sound of distant voices drifted toward me from the hall opposite to one I’d just seen the Royals disappear into. These voices were deeper and louder. Several males were talking over each other, almost to the point where they were shouting. I took a deep breath, focused on the shadows I still kept tight around me, and ducked behind the nearest statue. Even though I knew I was invisible, I felt the inexplicable urge to hide.
When they walked into the room, I understood why. The voices belonged to three Hunters—two of whom had been in the Wilde Fae village that night—and a female. A female whose face had been burned into my brain. It was Queen Viola, of course, with her face full of sharp lines. She seemed distracted from whatever her underlings were arguing about, flicking her eyes around the room as if in search of something.
Heart lurching, I eased away from the edge of the statue and stayed as silent and as still as I could. My heart was roaring so loud that it was deafening, but surely she couldn’t hear the blood rushing through my veins like I could.
“Enough,” she said in an icy, yet lyrical voice. The kind of voice that sounded like an axe, one that could sink into flesh and bone. “This is my home. I will not have you acting like vexing Summer fae, shouting over each other like that. We are Autumns. We do not have outbursts. Do you understand?”
“Apologies, my Queen.” The Hunter nodded, the only one of them I hadn’t seen in the village. “I am just…annoyed. We had a firm fix on the changeling, and they let her get away from them. We do not know where she is now. She could have returned to the Summer Court, which ruins our plans completely. I am also not entirely thrilled about the death of the shopkeeper. She was a good ear on the ground for us.”
“An utterly replaceable ear,” the Queen said dismissively as she sniffed at the air. “And I have alternative plans for the changeling, ones I cannot share with the entirety of my Hunters. You understand, of course. We must keep secrets secret.”
“Yes, of course, my Queen.”
“Good. Now, return to your posts. I need to speak to Tavin alone.” As I leaned forward, I saw the Queen flick her fingers at two of her Hunters, dismissing them without another word. They scurried off, leaving the Queen alone with the male fae I’d watched slice the shopkeeper’s neck.
The very sight of him brought back vivid memories I wanted nothing more than to forget. All that blood. All the gore. That strange smile that had been fixed on his face. Finn had once told me that Autumn fae were obsessed with death. Now, I understood what he meant.
“It seems that everything is in place,” the Queen said, weaving her hands behind her back as she eased across the hall in her golden gown, the trailing bottom edges whooshing against the stone floor.
The Hunter’s eyes flicked this way and that, as if he were confirming that no other listeners were around. “Yes, my Queen. I believe so.”
“Good, good.” She stopped, reached out, and caressed a painting on the wall. One that depicted a battle of sorts, one that was very much over. Bodies littered the ground, and one sole living being stood amongst them. A beautiful but deadly female fae, one that looked strikingly like the Queen.
The Hunter cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Would you like the report on the Spring Court’s movements, my Queen?”
“Yes, Tavin.” She gave a curt nod. “Do go on.”
