2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

" N ightstar? Like Orrin Nightstar?"

Princess Iliana giggled as she bobbed her head. "Orrin is my brother."

"Are you adopted?"

"Not that I'm aware. Wouldn't that be interesting, though?"

The hotel employee, a human male with a kind smile and big doe eyes tilted his head. "Have you always been his sister?"

"Pretty certain."

"But he never mentioned you. How did I not know he had a sister?"

The princess laughed again. "I'll tell you a secret." She leaned close and lowered her voice. "I don't tell anyone about him, either."

Fenix Hohlt turned away to hide his smile. He had been Iliana's Guardian since the day of her birth, and it had been the most enjoyable assignment of his long life. Not even a quarter of the way into her first century, she was still considered a baby among the fae, but she had more passion than anyone he had ever met.

And an endearing streak of mischief, despite the sheltered existence that had been forced on her.

Until recently, the vast majority of people hadn't even known of her existence. While it might seem strange, maybe even harmful to outsiders, it had been a common practice in the Nightstar family for generations.

Unlike some other races, the royalty of the elvish court didn't announce the birth of their children. They didn't hold grand celebrations to introduce them to the world. Instead, their identities were hidden until they were deemed ready to enter society.

Typically, that happened around their sixteenth birthday. As the first female born in more than eight thousand years, however, Iliana had been safeguarded well beyond what logically made sense.

Given the current conversation, it seemed her brother had also been unwilling to speak about her, even with his friends. Fenix couldn't claim to be surprised. More than two centuries her senior, Orrin had always been incredibly protective of his baby sister. He also doted on her, giving her practically anything she asked for.

Except the chance to travel with him.

From the time she had learned to talk, the princess had been precocious, curious about the world and her place in it. She was intelligent, loyal, and unfailingly kind, but because of her insulated upbringing, she could also be incredibly na?ve. In Fenix's opinion, she trusted far too easily, and she always looked for the good in people, even when they didn't deserve it.

Now that she was next in line to rule the elven court, her training, along with her introduction to the wider world, had been fast tracked. After years inside her gilded cage, Iliana wanted to experience everything.

Orrin had been groomed to lead from an early age, and he'd done everything asked of him without complaint. He had never wanted the job, though, nor the pressures and responsibilities that came with the title of king. As such, his decision to abdicate the throne and relocate to the Underworld with his new mate hadn't exactly been unexpected.

To be fair, he would have made an effective ruler, but the position hadn't come naturally to him, not like it did to Iliana. With her sweet disposition and innate charisma, people gravitated toward her, and she met each of them with compassion and humility.

More than anything, she had a genuine desire to help her people, and Fenix felt honored to walk with her on this journey.

"Well, that was rude, wasn't it?" The male took a couple of deep breaths and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I apologize. I was just surprised."

"On the contrary," Iliana assured him with a laugh. "I quite enjoyed it."

Mirroring her smile, he took another deep breath as he visibly relaxed. "Welcome to Blackhaven Manor, Your Highness. My name is Simon, and if there is anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, please let me know."

"Actually, there is something you could help me with."

Simon's eyes shined, and his grin widened. "Anything, Princess. What can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid I don't have a costume for the masquerade ball. Do you know where I might find one?"

Some of his initial excitement faded, and Fenix could practically see the wheels spinning inside his head as he searched for an answer.

"Unfortunately, Echo Falls doesn't have any costume shops, but I can get you a list of places in Colorado Springs. If you prefer to order online, the hotel will be happy to facilitate the delivery."

Iliana pretended to think about the options for a moment before turning to Fenix. "What do you think?"

Clasping his hands together behind his back, he turned to face her fully. They both knew she wasn't asking permission. If she wanted to travel into the city to shop for a costume, they would. As long as her requests didn't pose a security risk, it really wasn't up to him.

Instead, she wanted to know which one he thought was the better option.

"Shopping online will give you more options, but you won't get to try it on."

"True." She stared at the floor, and her eyebrows scrunched together, a sign of genuine consideration. "I'll look in the stores first."

"Shall we go tomorrow?"

Her entire face lit up like the morning sun. "Yes, please."

Even Simon seemed to find her enthusiasm endearing if his smile was any indication. "I'll compile a list and send it to you this evening."

"Perfect!" Iliana clapped her hands together and bounced a little on her toes. "Thank you, Simon. You have been most helpful."

"Iliana!"

A beautiful female with mile-long legs and a curtain of inky hair rounded the registration desks with her arms outstretched. Despite her pleasant tone and warm welcome, Fenix sidestepped, putting himself between the stranger and his ward.

Ignoring his defensive posture, she never broke stride, and her gaze stayed trained on the princess. Her reaction to him, along with the familiar scent that filled his nose, had the tension melting out of his shoulders.

Dressed entirely in black with her new ebony locks, Skye Maddock was almost completely unrecognizable, except for the eyes. Those big blue eyes had always been her most stunning feature, and even with her new look, that hadn't changed.

"Skye!" The princess threw her arms wide and stepped forward to meet the hotel owner. "You look amazing," she added as they embraced. "Maybe I should do something with my hair."

"Oh, there's a mage at one of the vendor booths who does amazing things with color."

"Wait," Simon interjected, his expression comically confused. "You know her?"

In response, Skye simply arched one manicured eyebrow at him.

"Right." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course, you do."

A chorus of muffled chuckles came from the other Guardians. Though positioned at different points around the lobby, they clearly had no problem hearing the conversation.

The royal family didn't often travel with a full Guard, apart from official business and large-scale events. As a young princess with a crazy, overprotective family, however, Iliana never went anywhere without a complete contingency of Guardians.

While it made security easier, it didn't provide her with many opportunities for social interactions. Very few people wanted to engage in a conversation with six massive shifters breathing down their necks. As head of her Guard, Fenix had devised simple but effective ways to give her, at the very least, the illusion of freedom.

"Fenix."

Meeting Skye's gaze, he bowed his head in greetings. "Miss Maddock."

"The cabins are ready for your arrival. Maybe you should check them out." She smiled sweetly. "Just to be sure security is up to your standards, of course."

He recognized a dismissal when he heard one. Hell, she hadn't even been subtle about it. She also happened to be correct that he wanted to see the cabins by the lake for himself before he allowed the princess access.

"Draven."

He spoke at a conversational level, and he never looked away from the females. Yet, he sensed movement from his right as his second-in-command crossed the lobby to join them.

Like Fenix, he towered over everyone else in the vicinity, and his broad chest stretched the limits of his black t-shirt. A wild mane of burnish gold hair surrounded a square, chiseled face, and eyes the color of Irish whiskey narrowed in determination.

In appearance, they were sunshine and shadows. In contrast to Draven's fair skin and light locks, Fenix existed in various shades of darkness. Black hair that brushed the tops of his shoulders, a russet, scarred complexion, and eyes as dark as midnight—physically, he was undoubtedly the more imposing of the two.

Yet, there was a wildness about Draven McCord. An intensity that more than a century of life hadn't managed to tame. While his rough-edged personality didn't lend itself to social settings, it did make him one hell of a protector.

Confident Draven had been listening to the conversation, he saw no reason to rehash his intent. In fact, it was rare for him to issue orders at all. After more than two decades together, the Guard had become a well-oiled machine that operated on instinct and required little direction.

Leaving his princess in capable hands, he gave her a slight bow before taking his leave. As he passed the grand staircase, he gave an indirect, sideways glance, and the Guardian at the bottom of the steps immediately fell into step beside him.

The youngest of their group, and the only female, Seneca Okar had arrived at the palace with a chip on her shoulder and an eagerness to prove herself. Seeing a well of untapped potential, Fenix had readily given her that opportunity, and not once had she ever given him a reason to regret it.

Now, instead of a rigid pup terrified of making a mistake, she carried herself with a self-possessed confidence few could hope to imitate. She had a sharp mind, an even sharper tongue, and her startling green eyes missed nothing. Given another century or so of experience, she would be a damn fine leader to her own Guard one day.

"What do you think?" he asked as they followed the corridor past the various bars and restaurants.

"It smells like I'm having a five-star dinner in a high school locker room." She shuddered theatrically. "Gross."

Fenix openly chuckled at her description. He had purposely left his question vague for just this reason.

Otherlings might possess heightened senses compared to humans, but not all of them were created equal. Shifters, for example, had a better sense of smell than any other paranormal, including werewolves. Along those same lines, certain types of shifters could detect scents better than others.

A skinwalker—a unique and almost mystical shifter able to transform into any animal—already made Seneca different amongst Otherlings. Coupled with capabilities enhanced by her mixed magical heritage, she had a sense of smell ten times more acute than the most reliable bloodhound. She could literally sniff out danger that Fenix couldn't even hope to detect, but the exceptional ability also made crowded spaces a nightmare for her.

"A suite in the castle would be more secure," she added. "I'm glad we're staying in the cabins, though."

He agreed with her about the first part. With only one way in or out of the guest rooms, it would be a hell of a lot easier to keep the princess safe, but Iliana had been adamant about spending the week in one of the seven cabins atop the hill. She hadn't been very forthcoming with her reasoning, but then again, it didn't really matter.

It wasn't his place to change her mind.

Exiting the door onto the portico off the south lawn, even Fenix had to admit it smelled fresher and felt less suffocating. A crisp wind rushed to him from the mountains, bringing with it the scent of change as temperatures cooled and plant life turned dormant. A hint of rain also lingered in the air, courtesy of the clouds that gathered in the skies above.

He hurried his steps, hopeful the storm would wait until he had finished his inspection. Although he wouldn't suffer any ill effects from being caught in a downpour, he would rather avoid it if possible. Otherling, human, or otherwise, no one enjoyed walking around in wet leathers.

As he neared the row of modest cabins, another strange scent tickled his nose. Strange because of how out of place it was in their current surroundings. It was citrusy, like fresh lemons, but with an underlying sweetness that reminded him of vanilla bean ice cream.

"Do you smell that?"

Seneca tilted her head with a furrowed brow. "I smell a lot of things. You're going to have to be more specific."

Fenix didn't respond. Like him, if she had detected it, she would have picked up on the unusualness of the fragrance. It shouldn't be possible for him to catch a scent she couldn't, but rather than confusion, her reaction filled him with an irrefutable certainty.

This scent, wherever it came from, was for him and him alone.

As that thought solidified, so did his conviction, and in that moment, something inside him shifted, creating a permanent space for someone he hadn't even set eyes on. His pulse accelerated. His muscles tensed. Colors became brighter, and sounds rang sharper. An electrical current rippled down his spine, a growl built in his chest, and every cell of his body went on red alert.

He had faced his share of dangerous situations over the course of his long life, but not even staring death in the eyes had flooded him with so much adrenaline. But where was it coming from? Muted conversations whispered from the treehouse suites inside the tree line, but the tantalizing scent wafted from somewhere nearby. Yet, apart from Seneca, he saw no one else in the vicinity.

Confused and frustrated, he began to entertain the possibility that he could be, in fact, losing his mind when a figure crested the hill from the direction of the lake. Young, slight in appearance, with short platinum locks, the male hadn't noticed him yet.

A pair of glasses with rectangular lenses and thick black frames perched precariously on the end of his nose as he stared down at the phone in his hand. On his head, he wore a pair of white, oversized headphones with two triangular points on top like cat ears. The ears, along with rings on the earpieces, pulsed with a bright neon pink light, but Fenix didn't hear any music coming from the device.

Maybe the male had caught a glimpse of him from the corner of his eye. Or maybe instincts had warned him he was being stalked. Whatever the reason, his head snapped up, and he stared straight at Fenix with the most dazzling golden-green eyes.

One look. That was all it took. Just one look, and Fenix knew nothing would ever be the same again.