Chapter 4

4

My intestines tangled themselves into knots and the rest of me froze. At once the exhaustion dropped away and I felt painfully awake. Craning forward, my palms flat on the stones, I stared at Selene as though she held all the answers.

“Wait…you saw the last one?” I asked. And how would she know there was a half-shifter involved?

She avoided making eye contact with me, addressing the group at large, arms loose at her sides. She looked scared. Scared but resolved.

“The three Fae found by the court were mangled, girls roughly between three and six hundred years old. They were all slender, with reddish hued hair. High cheekbones.” Selene clapped her hands together and a puff of magic had the condensation in the air gathering until it solidified like a screen hanging above our heads.

And there on the surface were images of the girls. Not as they’d been found at the time of death, thank goodness, because I might have lost my dinner if Selene showed us that.

Bronwen shifted to whisper in my ear: “Tavi, they look like you. Like, weirdly similar to you.”

I swallowed hard, shivering. Definitely nauseated and more than a little freaked out. The girls did look like me. It didn’t matter that I was nineteen and these Fae were approaching six centuries, because fairies aged differently. Their eyes might have all been different colors but the hair…it was unmistakable. Shades of red too close to mine for me to feel comfortable sleeping tonight.

Damn. Double damn.

My mouth dry, I had a hard time forming my next question. “They were all killed the same way?”

Selene nodded. “Apparently so. The details were not given to me as a reporter but I managed to insert myself into the last crime scene without anyone the wiser. There were tear marks on the body parts they found, deep enough for the authorities to finger a shifter instead of a glamoured Fae claw. The guards do not want anyone to know these details because…well, let’s face it. It would incite a mass panic.”

Claw marks. Body parts. Terribly, disgustingly similar to the bodies I’d stumbled upon—literally stumbled upon—at the Fae Academy for Halflings, and there had definitely been a half-shifter responsible then. I’d stepped through the portal to Faerie, leaving the wolves going wild on the other side.

I drew my knees up to my chest. Please. I sent a prayer skyward. Please don’t let the same problems have followed me here.

Except apparently they had. The last few months had been peaceful in terms of lack of vicious murders, but my luck had just run out.

“I’d like to set up a schedule of patrols around Eahsea. We should help however we can, because although we know the responsible party is not one of us, that does not make us any less responsible.” Selene stared around the fire at the ten of us. “As this is a half-shifter crime, presumably, the Claw & Fang should step up to help keep the village and its inhabitants safe.”

I found myself nodding. The group certainly valued keeping those with our bloodline as low-key and out of the spotlight as possible. Onyx Grimaldi, my unlikely mentor teaching me how to control my transfiguration power, and I had discussed it at length. Our safety depended on our ability to hide and blend.

I was the only one stupid enough to flaunt myself around the castle. Onyx didn’t even want to leave his house.

If the pure-blood law enforcement working under King Tywin found out half-shifters existed in such numbers in Faerie, there was no telling what might happen.

We could all be deported, and for many of us, even those living in other towns, this land was the only home we’ve ever known. Worse? The king might decide to eradicate the shifter threat completely and have us wiped out.

I wouldn’t put it past him.

“I’ll be tapping other Claw & Fang members across this world to get them here. Consider it an outreach,” Selene said. She bent closer to the flames and balanced on the balls of her feet. “Tavi, Bronwen, I’d like the two of you to start tomorrow. You’ll take the first patrol at twenty-one bells.”

“We’re honored,” Bronwen answered immediately for the two of us. And when I glanced over at her, I saw her gaze was hard, eyes shining with zeal. “Twenty-one bells it is.”

“Bells” was a Fae term for time, I’d learned. Instead of am or pm, the clock began at midnight and each bell strike signified one hour. I liked to think it was equivalent to fairy naval time, but it didn’t make it easier for me to learn and remember.

I have a terrible memory. Have I mentioned that already?

Staring around at the rest of the group, they looked as scared as I felt though many tried to hide it. Lisbet bit her lower lip and Reginald could not stop tapping the top of his knee. The others were in similar states except for Selene. She remained cool and composed. She had an image to maintain and had had plenty of practice keeping her reactions to herself.

I needed to take a page out of her book. Don’t let anyone see you sweat, no matter what troubles you face.

We stayed around the fire discussing battle plans until well past midnight. By the time Bronwen and I flew back to the castle, I was ready to pass out, and did so the moment my head hit the pillow.

The next morning after my shower I slipped my school blazer over my shoulders and prepared myself for the first day of the new term. The girl in the mirror staring back at me looked pale and beaten down. There were dark circles above her cheekbones and lines around her lips I hadn’t seen before. I tried not to think about this latest batch of murders.

I’m a girl on the edge.

On the edge of flunking out of the Elite Academy.

On the edge of not being good enough for the Trials.

On the edge about murders that seemed to follow me from the mortal realm, and how even after the debacle with Madam Muerte, I was somehow involved yet again with more death.

More death. Why did it keep happening? This wasn’t what I wanted my life to be.

I stared at my pale reflection a little longer, thought about the physical similarity with the murdered girls. “Can it be true that you are the real target? And if so, what are you going to do about it?” I asked the person I saw. She didn’t have any answers for me.

Another hour and classes at the Elite Academy would begin anew. Their semesters worked a little differently than what I was used to at my old schools. Here, we went to class all year round. Except they always punctuated the semesters with something interesting and deadly. Such as the Summer Games I’d narrowly survived and the Elite Trials that Counselor Wicks assumed I would not.

My reflection continued to stare back, brows drawn down and lips pursed in a scowl. Well, I’d certainly do my best to prove Wicks wrong. I was nothing if not resilient, I reminded myself. I was the daughter of an alpha, and had I not run away from my arranged marriage, I would have held the title myself one day.

These people thought I’d give up and walk away with my tail tucked between my legs? Time to do the opposite.

I fixed a fierce look on my face and almost had myself convinced until a sudden knock sounded at the door. My jangled nerves shot adrenaline through my body and my arms flailed about in a protective instinct, knocking bottles of lotion and cosmetics to the floor. Glass shattered and when I glanced up, trying to catch my breath, my reflection had gone pale with surprise.

On edge much?

Onyx would be pissed at me for reacting without thinking. He’d taught me a lot about self-control, muscle memory, and defense.

“I’m coming!” I called out shakily. “Hold on.” The broken glass would have to wait until I answered the repeated knocks. I stepped over the mess and crossed to open the door.

My heart stopped.

“Mike! What are you doing here?”

The Crown Prince of Faerie stood in the hallway with his own school uniform conforming to his muscles. Yup, my mouth was dry again. He didn’t just look delicious. He looked worried.

“Um, are you okay?” he began. “I thought I heard glass breaking.”

I laughed to cover up my nerves and the crazy way everything inside of me rose to a boil when he spoke. Those deep, rich syllables made me quiver. Neither one of us was surprised when my laugh ended on a snort. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I insisted. But I kept the door partially closed so he’d have no chance of seeing the shattered glass.

“Okay, I’m glad to hear it.”

His smile melted my insides and I turned into a puddle of goo on the floor—luckily not literally. I had to keep a close watch to make sure my magic didn’t respond to my emotions. Then I remembered him walking with some strange girl last night and my good mood disappeared, anxiety taking its place and my chest aching.

“Are you ready to go?” Mike gestured over his shoulder. “I thought we could walk to the portal for school together. Like old times.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I know things got a little weird for us last semester but I thought we might try to get back to how things were. You know.”

I did know, yes.

The castle had its own direct route to the academy. Instead of walking through town or using the magic-powered silver bullet train I’d ridden on first arrival, Mike and I used a portal. Being friends with royalty had its perks.

At least, I hoped we were still friends. Part of me really wasn’t sure anymore but still managed a small sparkle of hope despite the anxiety.

Would I pass up an opportunity to spend time with Mike now? No way.

“Sure,” I agreed quickly. “Let me grab my things. Hold on one second.”

I kept the door partially closed to dissuade him from coming inside, then hastily kicked a pile of dirty laundry under the bed. My books were on the desk. I shoved them inside my backpack, dreading what we’d face today and knowing I needed to take advantage of this silver lining.

Once I had everything I needed, I flung the bag over my shoulder and joined Mike in the hall with a wide grin. Cheers to starting fresh and not worrying about him making the moves on anyone else. No matter what my eyes and ears and fears told me was going on. “All right, let’s go.”

He led the way toward the portal, located next to the throne room on the first floor of the castle. It had taken me months to find my way around the complex three-story monstrosity without any help. And even though I worked in the kitchen after school, as part of my work–study requirement, I still got lost sometimes.

“Hey, I want to talk to you,” Mike started as we walked side by side.

I glanced over at him and saw he had his head down. “About what?”

“About last night.”

My stomach turned clumsy cartwheels like a cat after a bug. Oh my God, he knows about the Claw & Fang! Had Mike somehow seen me transform into a crow and take off? Was he watching me? “I can explain, of course. What you saw—” I stopped abruptly when I realized we’d both been speaking at the same time.

“The girl with me…ah, walking in the village?” Mike clarified. He swallowed hard. “She’s just a friend from one of the titled families of Faerie, visiting from a sister school in Khoysas. I was giving her a tour while she and her parents are in town.”

“A tour? At twenty bells?” I asked before I thought about just keeping my mouth shut. Then shrugged and tried to act like I wasn’t about to freak out. “It’s no big deal.”

“Twenty bells, yes, because my father insisted on a five-course meal to impress Larissa’s family. Her dad is titled but he also owns a gemstone mine, and King Tywin likes to keep an eye on the profits, if you know what I mean. The soonest I could get away was after we ate and Larissa wanted some fresh air. She also has a few anxiety issues around new places. I wanted to make things easier for her.”

I waved him away before I heard any more. “You don’t have to explain it to me.” In all honesty? I was relieved even if it was an excuse. The thought of Mike kissing another woman made me want to puke. Or retaliate. Probably both.

“Larissa and her family will be leaving this afternoon,” Mike continued. His shoulder knocked against me playfully. “And with my royal duties at an end, I think you and I might be able to fit in a study session or two. Maybe we can actually get ahead of the curve for this semester and stay ahead before we get too stressed.”

“You want to get a head start on studying? Who am I to tell you no?” I joked. Feeling infinitely better without the weight of him with someone else trying to drag me down.

How was it, with him, a single sentence changed my entire mood?

“There’s the smile I missed. You looked a little down last night.”

I shook my head and tried not to sound strangled. “Oh, I was all right. I wasn’t expecting to run into you.”

“We haven’t really kept up with each other lately, haven’t had the time to catch up. I want to know what’s going on in your world, Tavi.”

“In my world,” I repeated as we walked.

Twin guards stood still as statues at the bottom of the grand staircase. They no longer bothered with me. However, I noted the way their eyes darted in our direction. Making sure the heir to the throne stayed safe with the girl who had killed Madam Muerte.

I hadn’t, of course, but I was pretty sure they all still thought it.

“Well, apparently I’m not doing too well in school, based off of my grades from last semester,” I said over the echoing clomp of our footsteps. “The school assigned a tutor to help me not only get my grades up but to prepare for…everything we’re going to face. She made it sound like I’m going to need a last will and testament in place by the end of this term.”

When I glanced over again, Mike was nodding vigorously until hair fell over his face. “I think that’s a good idea.”

“What?” I blinked at him. “You think I should prepare my will?”

“No, not the will part, the tutor part.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s a great idea,” he enthused. “Hey, maybe the tutor will work with me, too.”

I laughed, another snort ending the sound like punctuation. “Come on. You don’t think I do a good enough job helping you study? I mean, I’m only failing. Between the two of us, we should be practically acceptable.”

Besides, wasn’t Mike the one who’d taken an ancient artifact into the mortal realm to bolster his magic and used it to pass through the Halfling Academy?

I wondered where he’d stashed it and if he’d be willing to lend it to me. Yet I kept my lips zipped as we walked, in case he didn’t want anyone knowing about the Augundae Totalis. Had he brought it with him through the portal back to Faerie?

“I wouldn’t worry about a thing, Tavi. Your tutor is going to help you out. I enjoy your company, so I still want to hang out whether we’re studying or not.”

“You do?”

Mike cleared his throat, pausing at the door to the portal with his hand wrapped around the knob. “Say, this weekend?”

Warmth curled beneath my sternum as I turned to stare up at him. “You want to hang out this weekend?” I clarified. Was this the same Mike who had practically ignored me these last few months?

Something strange was going on.

We paused outside of the portal room, the intricately decorated door inlaid with gold and jewels. I’d gotten used to the opulence the same way I’d gotten used to Mike’s title. It just took me a bit of time. I didn’t exactly come from penury; my uncle was wealthy enough to afford private schools for me when I’d been part of the Alderidge wolf pack.

But that was nothing compared to the castle.

“I do.” Mike kept his hand on the door, waiting until he had my answer. “I’m, ah, I’m nervous.”

He what? “About hanging out with me? No way!”

He grinned but then it faded quickly. “About the Trials.” Those spring-green eyes bored into mine and I couldn’t look away. He trapped me better than a hypnotist. “The Summer Games look like child’s play next to the Trials. I mean, students have died before. Actually died. You remember how I told you not to worry during the games because no one was going to let anything happen to me? Those rules go out the window during the Trials.” He swallowed hard until his Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Wait a minute. You’re saying they won’t protect the CrownPrince? Impossible. The king isn’t going to let his only son—”

Suddenly I found it hard to breathe. The pressure on my chest increased because I knew Mike wasn’t lying. He was genuinely scared. And if the monarch and the school officials would allow something to happen to him, then the rest of us were like chum in shark-infested waters.

I scrambled for options. “Can’t we just…I don’t know, opt out?”

Mike shook his head with a grimace. “No. It’s mandatory. Everyone at Elite is required to participate. Oh, hey, come here. You’re breathing funny. It’s going to be okay.”

Shouldn’t I be the one consoling him and his nerves?

I didn’t stop him when he reached out and drew me into a hug. “I feel weird,” I admitted.

His hands massaged large circles on my back. I wanted to purr. “Don’t freak yourself out. It’s going to be okay. We’ll look after each other. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Ditto. Nothing is going to happen to you on my watch.”

Because, of course, the other way around. I always worried about Mike. His magic was not what it should be, though I didn’t understand why. What if he didn’t have the Totalis anymore, to help him make it through the Trials?

I could lose him permanently.

We stayed that way for a long moment, our arms wrapped around each other and his scent branding itself in my lungs. I drew in a deep breath until I felt him in my cells. My insides went still. As though everything moved into neutral in his presence.

He’s so warm.

Mike pulled back enough to stare down at me.

My lungs hitched. “What…what are you doing?” I asked softly.

His eyes narrowed, head bending lower. His lips parted.

Oh God. He was going to kiss me. I caught myself rising to meet his lips when I stopped. Bad idea, Tavi. Really bad idea.

I pushed away with a small laugh. “We’re going to be late.”

The moment broke. Mike kept his thoughts to himself, his gaze dropping to the floor. “You’re right. Time to focus.” He sighed, shaking his hands out. “Are you ready?”

Yeah, right. Focus. It was hard when the whole of me cried out for his touch. When I wanted nothing more than to feel those lips on mine again. What I wouldn’t give for his touch.

As the magic of the portal engulfed us, transporting us to the school, I reminded myself that I should not let myself get too close to Mike. Not the way I wanted to be close with him. Because if I gave in to my desire? I could lose everything.