After he disappeared through the door, I turned to Liam. “You were a former Hunter. Can you take charge of our army? Gather the forces and come up with some sort offormation?”
He gave me a slight bow. “I’d be more than happy to,darling.”
My throat went tight as I watched him stride out of theroom.
“I’m so sorry,” I called out after him. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know what I’m doing. Hell, I don’t even know if I should be the one doing it. Just because I’m someone’s daughter, what gives me the right to takecharge?”
“You deserve to take charge because you’re trying, my love. And as far as I can see, you’re doing a pretty goodjob.”
That left me with Finn, Rourke, andBree.
Finn slid a hand around my was it and pulled me close. “Shall we find somewhere safe for you and Bree? I’m certain they will have a room in this castle especially for people of importance. Somewhere that no one can get to, even if the Dark Faesucceed.”
“Absolutely not,” I said in a firm voice. “I’m going tofight.”
A ghost of a smile. “I assumed asmuch.”
* * *
With shaky hands,I changed from my flowing nightgown to the fighting leathers I’d found in the wardrobe. As I added each layer, I found that the cut was a perfect fit. I stepped back and observed myself in the floor-length mirror, winding my hair into a tight braid. The girl staring back at me was nothing like the girl I’d left behind in Manhattan. Her eyes were fierce, the bright green gleaming against the dawning light of a new winter dray. Her shoulders were thrown back; her chin was held high. That girl looked strong and powerful. Far stronger than I actually feltinside.
With a sigh, I slipped my hand into the front pocket of the leather vest. My fingers hit a sharp object. Head cocked, I pulled the object from the pocket and found a single golden key. My heart began to pound, though I didn’t know why. This was just akey.
But it was a key that had belonged to my mother, hidden amongst the folds of her clothes. I held the key up to my eye and examined the glittering surface. What could this be for? Perhaps just a drawer? Spinning on my feet, I glanced around the room, remembering the tiny circular door I’d spotted upon our arrival in the castle. It was partially hidden behind the thick black curtains. The perfect hiding space for aQueen.
With a deep breath, I strode across the room and knelt before the small door. I pushed the key inside and twisted. The lock tumbled with a click. My palms went slick with sweat as I slowly pushed the door open. It disappeared into darkness. Frowning, I took a candle from the table and held it inside of the small space. It was tunnel. One that led down into nothing but moredarkness.
Heart pounding, I stood and paced from one end of the room to the next. What was this space? It had something to do with my mother, no doubt. But where did it lead? And did I have the time to waste on itnow?
I did, I decided. This key had been hidden in Marin’s fighting leathers. If this tunnel wasn’t important, the key would have been kept some other place. Not in the pocket closest to herchest.
With a deep breath, I grabbed a dagger from the bedside table and dropped to my knees. I swiped my dagger across the cobwebs and began the slow crawl down the tunnel. The darkness felt almost endless, sloping down and down until I came upon another door. This one was unlocked, and when I pushed it open, a large cavern rose up beforeme.
What was thisplace?
I shifted out of the tunnel and grunted as my feet splashed into a thin layer of water on the cavern floor. Holding my candle aloft, I swept my gaze around the massive space. The top of the cavern was far above me, at least a hundred feet tall. Dozens of stalactites shot down in hues of red, orange, and yellow, creating a colorful maze of rock. I whirled to the left, gasping when I saw a stone pillar erected at the far end of the cavern. On top of it, a long thin sword stood tall on a golden dais, seemingly held up by nothing butair.
My feet carried me toward it without me even realizing, almost as if my body were drawn to the sword. It radiated pure power, light and darkness flickering off the blade, even though there was no light in the cavern but the candle I held tight between myfingers.
I reached out and pressed my hand to the stonedais.
“Norah.” A powerful female voice echoed through the cavern. My heart lurched into my throat and I stumbled back, whirling to face whoever had joined me in this strangecave.
But no one wasthere.
The voice continued. “If you have found this place, then you have made your way back into Otherworld, despite my every hope that you could remain safe within the human realm. For only you could unlock this message and only you could hear myvoice.”
I blinked, hand pressed tight to my throat. Tears filled my eyes, and my breath became ragged. I stared at the dais, a strange understanding passing through me. This was Marin’s voice. And she’d left behind a message just forme.
“This sword is called Silverclaw, and it was my weapon. I have left it here for you and you alone. It holds the power of all four courts. With this sword, you can defeat even the mightiest of enemies. I pray to the forest that you never have to confront the Dark Fae, but they will come for you one day. Take this sword, and use it to kill the King. And keep the realm safe from the horror of theirrule.”
“And one last thing,” the voice said, the power in her voice dropping away to reveal something much softer, something much more scared. “I love you, my daughter. And I truly wish I could have seen you grow into the powerful fae I know you’vebecome.”
And then the voice cut off, leaving me alone with the flickering candle and the glowing sword on the dais. My heart roared in my ears, and my entire body felt as though my nerves had been rubbed raw. A tear slipped down my cheek, dropping onto the stonefloor.
My mother had sacrificed so much for this realm, and now the Dark Fae were coming for it anyway. With a deep breath, I stepped forward and wrapped my hand around the silver hilt of my mother’s sword, a newfound determination forming in my gut. I would do whatever it took to save the creatures of this realm. I would stop the Dark Fae from taking control and turning them all intoslaves.
And then I would do what I should have done the moment I’d discovered the truth about myheritage.
