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The name was only vaguely familiar. Maybe I’d heard it only in passing, or maybe Evie had mentioned it once before.

“You know why I’m here, Ari,” the woman said, disapproval brimming in her voice.

Ari sighed and pinched the space between her brows. “You can’t have her.”

“Have me?” I blurted. “What the fuck?”

Ari held her hand up. “Don’t worry. Everything is fine.”

“Uh. Doesn’t sound like it.”

The woman—Andraste—laughed. “You’ve never heard of me?”

It wasn’t a question, but I shook my head anyway.

She jerked her head. “Come. Let us speak outside. This place stinks of dark magic and despair.”

If this bothered her, then maybe she wasn’t here to kill me. Or have me, as Ari suggested.

Andraste turned her back on me and headed down the hall. Ari stepped to the side, keeping her eyes on the woman before she hurried over to me and gripped me tightly by the elbow.

“Do not agree to anything,” she hissed. “No matter what she offers you.”

“Who is she?” I whispered back.

“Dangerous. Deadly. Tricky.” Ari sighed. “A real pain in my ass.”

I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I can hear every word you’re saying,” Andraste drawled from somewhere ahead. “You forgot stunning and clever.” When Ari didn’t respond, the woman laughed. “I’ll tell you everything once we’re outside.”

Ari managed to look pissed off and befuddled at the same time.

“You know her well.”

Ari sighed. “We’ll listen to her and then leave. I trust you found something?”

I patted my backpack. “Weird magic shit I need Evie to look at.”

“Keep it in the pack until we’re gone. I can take a look too. I’m decent with organic material.”

I nodded and let Ari lead me from the house.

Andraste was nowhere to be found when we walked outside, but I could feel the woman’s presence over the rise. Silent, I followed Ari, curious about the woman who’d showed up in a place no one else had known to find and why she was so interested in me.

Andraste had perched upon a worn gray rock. Now that we were outside and in better lighting, I got a good look at her face.

Not human. Not even a little. Like Ari, Andraste had the breathtaking beauty of a fae. Where Ari was dark, this woman was light. Creamy, pale skin, sky-blue eyes, and golden-blonde hair gave her the look of a fairy-tale princess, but the armor she wore said she was anything but.

Ornate and swirled with glowing patterns, her armor clung to her like a second skin. The color of walnut and forest green, I couldn’t fathom how she thought she’d blend in with hair the color of molten gold.

Andraste grinned, as if sensing where my thoughts were going. In an instant, her skin and hair changed to the color and texture of bark, her features reminding me of⁠—

“Shit,” I breathed. “Are you a dryad?”

“No,” Ari growled.

The sword Andraste held before rested behind her back, the golden handle peeking above her shoulders, her camouflage not extending to the glorious blade.