Shivering, I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and glanced around. Thick, tall trunks rose all around me. My footsteps in the snow were the only indication of where I’d been. Well, if I had made a wrong turn, then I had to retrace my steps. There was nothing toit.
Fortunately, I had my sword. If any deadly creatures rose up in the darkness, I would be able to defeat them as only I could. My skill was in the blade. It was the only thought that kept me comforted thisnight.
Hurrying, I rushed back the way I’d come, feet crunching into the deep snow. It had been years since the village had seen a snowfall quite like this one. It had put all the fae on edge. Whispers came with the heavy flakes. Rumours of monsters, of creatures that only came out during the deepest parts of thenight.
As the daylight further slipped from the sky, I turned up my enhanced fae vision. Still, it was dark. In another hour, it would be far too dark for me to make my way home. I needed to hurry, or I’d be lost until morning. During the summer, there would be little to fear. But I could not survive alone in these icywoods.
My sword might protect me, but it would not keep mewarm.
Somewhere up ahead, I heard the unmistakable sound of crunching snow. I slowed to a stop, cocking my head. Was someone else there? Had another gotten lost on the way home from the Londonmarkets?
A chill swept down my spine as the crunching amplified in my pointed fae ears. There were far more than just one set of footsteps. There were so many that the sound grew into an avalanche. Mouth dry, I held up my sword before me. It shook with myfear.
Out of the darkness rose dozens of dark figures. I could not see their faces, but I could feel the emptiness within them. My heart pounded hard as their scent filled my nose. They smelled of rot, of anger, offear.
I had never seen these creatures before, but I knew what theywere.
Nightmarewraiths.
Legends told of their existence. Dark creatures of even darker magic that feasted on the living souls. They came straight from the depths of Faerie, pouring horrendous nightmarish images into yourhead.
I stumbled back a step, glancing at my sword. It would do nothing against thesecreatures.
Heart racing, I spun on my heels and threw myself into the forest. Right or left, it did not matter. I just had to get away. Pumping my arms by my sides, I ran, faster than I’d ever run in my life. Still, the wraiths drew evercloser.
They were at my heels. I could feel their icy breath on the back of myneck.
A hand gripped tight around my ankle, and I fell face first on the ground. Nightmares swarmed into my mind. Images of blood and bones, fire and screams, magic and tormentedlives.
Iscreamed.
19
“Ihave a hit.”
They were the first words I heard, even before I peered out the window at the golden sun peeking over the horizon. The phone had jolted me awake, and I’d immediately slammed the cell against my ear, heart clanging against myribs.
It was Axel. He sounded weary, as if he’d been up all night. He probably hadbeen.
I sat up straight, covers falling off my chest. “A hit on Lugh? You know where heis?”
“Yeah, it took some trying.” He let out a shaky breath. “Lugh’s not playing around. The magic surrounding him was dark ashell.”
“Nevermind that. We’ll take care of it.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Where ishe?”
“Craigmillar Castle. And I don’t think he’salone.”
* * *
Runningthrough the halls of Castle Wraith, I gathered the sleepy crew. We formed a huddle in the training room, giving each other heavy slams on the backs and whispered words of encouragement. We all grabbed weapons. At least some of us did. Saoirse was going to stay behind, as much as a way to soothe the Court’s nerves as a way to keep hersafe.
We all piled into cars and drove the mile to Craigmillar Castle. In the daytime, the site was much less foreboding than it had been in the dead of night with bloodthirsty vampires racing across the grounds. We parked a couple of blocks away and gathered at the edge of the tree-line, looking up at the crumbling stonewalls.
“Right.” I glanced at each of them in turn. Boudica, Warin, Nero, and Uisnech. Together, we had to make this work. “Us warriors will fight Lugh and draw him away from the cauldron, as long as it’s in there. While we’re busy distracting him, Uisnech will find said cauldron. It’s daytime, so Lugh won’t be able to use his shadow shifting powers against us. All we have to do is traphim.”
“He might not be able to shift through shadows, but he’s still strong as hell.” Boudica nodded. “He willfight.”
“Wounding him is fine.” I closed my eyes at my words. I hated saying them, but I knew it would be impossible for everyone to get out of this unscathed. “If you can knock him out, all the better. Justdon’t…”
