Rourke gave an imperceptible shake of his head. “If Alwyn knows about this, then she hasn’t passed it on tome.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, shifting in the saddle so that I could face Kael. “What facility are you talkingabout?”
He lifted his eyebrows. “The facility where the human changelings are housed. You didn’t think Alwyn allowed them to run wild, did you? They must be looked after while they’re here, and the realm must be protected from them when they fullytransform.”
“I guess I never really thought aboutit...”
“The humans who are infected by bite or by claw often find their way to Otherworld. They roam free across these lands. Until they are caught,” Liam added, steering his horse closer to mine. “The human changelings, the babes we choose to replace with our own...those are kept safe in a facility far away every other fae. They’re guarded and protected. And they’re helped through the strange transition they undergo as the magic of this world gets in theirblood.”
Another facility. Another home like the Academy. Only this one trapped the humans who had been stolen from their world. My gut twisted at the reality of itall.
“So, you can see why it is a shock to discover that Shai is one of them,” Rourke said with a frown. “Human changelings rarely ever want to escape the safety of their home, but even if they did, they wouldn’t get veryfar.”
“They’re prisoners,” I said with a bitter laugh. “They might as well be kept behindbars.”
“Yes,” Rourke said, more matter-of-factly than I’d expected. “I agree that it isn’t right, Norah. You know that. But most fae believe we have no other choice. If we cease abiding by the Tithe, the Dark Fae will destroy us all, including the humans. Letting the changelings go free means killing usall.”
* * *
We decidedto split up into groups, just in case there were several Redcaps hiding in the huts down by the river. I went with Finn. Bree went with Kael. And Liam and Rourke teamed up together. It was funny, the two of them had never seemed particularly fond of each other before. Autumns and Summers never mixed well. But after the mission we’d all taken together last month, things had changed. The suspicion and anger had melted away. They were so close now that they were practicallybrothers.
Finn and I left the horses behind on the hillside and chose a path that cut through the tall grass. He took my hand in his, smiling when I stumbled a bit on a rock and lurched toward him. He caught me in his arms, eyestwinkling.
I scowled up at him. “Don’t look so smug. That wasn’t onpurpose.”
“Sure it wasn’t.” His hand lingered on my waist just a moment too long. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you threw yourself at me in the barn. In fact, I’m certain you would do it again if Alwyn wasn’t so insistent that you be on good behavior. Orelse.”
My mouth popped open. “You can’t possibly beserious.”
“Me?” He gave me a look of mock surprise. “How am I everanythingbutserious?”
I swatted his arm and grinned, despite myself. “I wasn’t throwing myself atyou.”
He arched an eyebrow, sliding his hand around my back to pull me in close instead of put some distance between us. In the back of my mind, a little annoying voice reminded me that we should be walking through the grass toward the river. We needed to find Shai. We needed to make sure the killer didn’t claim another victim. But it was really hard to concentrate on that, especially when Finn was licking his lips and eyeing me like I was a dish served up on hisplate.
“You could have fooled me.” His fingers dug into my back, causing me to gasp. “You climbed right up me like I was a tree, and then you wrapped your legs around myhips.”
“Of course I did.” I swallowed hard, heat filling my cheeks. “You were kissingme.”
He leaned closer and nipped my ear. “And you want me to kiss youagain.”
Yes. Oh god, yes. I wanted nothingmore.
Inodded.
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Good. Keep that in mind. Because as soon as this is over, you’remine.”
A shiver caused my entire body to tremble, and a delicious heat spread through my core. All these months later, I still hadn’t gotten some of his first words to me out of my mind. He’d told me that when a Spring fae makes love to his mate, flowers bloom all around them. He might have been lying to me. Hell, knowing Finn, he probably was. But I’d been desperate to find out if there was any truth to what he’dsaid.
Now, I wanted to say, but I couldn’t. As always, the timing was off. Truly, I didn’t know when we’deverget the chance to be together again, not like that. As soon as we returned to the Academy, we’d be right back underneath Alwyn’s watchful gaze. I hated that we were forced to keep pushing our connectionaway.
Finn sighed and stepped away from me, taking all his body heat along with him. “Come on, you frisky little thing. We need to go find thatRedcap.”
I didn’t even object to his comment. Mostly because it was true. Iwasfrisky. I had been for weeks. My night with Rourke had opened my eyes to a new kind of pleasure, one I’d never felt before. My entire body yearned to experience it again, over and over again. And with more than justRourke.
Cheeks still flaming, I slid my hand into Finn’s and followed him down the hillside. The closer we got to the huts by the river, the more I felt the sober reality of why we were here. We were quiet. So quiet that even I didn’t hear the sound of our footsteps. Finn’s steps were light and quick, and I easily mimicked his gate. When we were only a few feet away from the huts, Finn pulled me behind a thick trunk and peered at the tiny hidden village for any signs oflife.
There wasnone.
