“I know my way around,” Adora said. “I think.” “Love the confidence,” Fina said with a smile.
“Walking will do you good if you’re sore,” Adora said. “And it’s warmer inside the manor than outside.”
Not that I needed any more convincing. Adora led us through the quiet halls of the manor. Though we passed guards and servants, no one seemed to give us a second glance. I had expected there to be more guards, or an increase in surveillance of some kind after yesterday, but it seemed like the duchess and the council would rather pretend it hadn’t happened at all. I supposed Nightfall violence was only acceptable when the Nightfall wolves were the victors.
We made our way to the northern wing of the manor, where the hallways were narrower and the lighting dim.
“This is mostly servants’ quarters and prep rooms in this wing,” Adora explained quietly. “My sisters and I would always come this way to play hide and seek when we were here as children. Anything to avoid the boring trade disputes.” She laughed at the memory. “If I’m remembering right, the archives are part of the larger storage facilities.”
“Look at you,” Fina said, impressed. “Sneaking around like you own the place.”
Adora shrugged. “There wasn’t much else to do.”
“Doesn’t seem like people often come this way, anyway,” I said. Cobwebs draped over the low ceiling of the hallway, and torches weakly lit up as we approached, as if enchanted to spark to life when necessary. Maybe they were. If the Fae had returned to Efra, what other magic might be simmering under the surface?
“What’s down this way?” Fina asked. She tugged Adora’s elbow to lead us both down a narrow hallway, which I’d nearly missed, thinking it was just an alcove.
“What?” Adora asked. “I don’t remember this being here.” She blinked, looking around confusedly. “I may have gotten a little turned around… It’s been a while…”
We descended a narrow staircase, which darkened the hall, lit only by the rectangle of dim yellow light we’d stepped through. Something in the hallway made my hackles rise slightly, as if I were stepping into a dark forest full of potential threats instead of an unknown part of the manor. It didn’t feel like the presence of another wolf, just a general sense of awareness. Potential danger.
“What is that?” I asked.
“What is what?” Fina asked. She moved further down the hallway. At the very end, there was a small door, barely four feet tall. As she approached, she straightened up. “Oh,” she said. “I see what you mean.”
“Feel it?” I asked. The hair on my forearms rose into goosebumps.
Adora shivered and rubbed her upper arms like she was cold.
The door was locked with a huge iron lock, almost comically big on the small entryway. The sensation radiated off the lock, strong enough that it seemed to poke and prod at me, even tickling my nose. It wasn’t pleasant, but it didn’t hurt, either.
“It’s Fae magic,” Fina said. “Wow—it’s old Fae magic.”
“What?” I asked. My eyes widened. “How can you tell?”
Fina knelt down and smoothed her fingertip over the lock. “There’s Fae writing here,” she said. “And the magic…it’s like it’s leaking out of the lock. I’ve never felt it before, but my tutor used to say it felt like walking through a thundercloud.”
It was an apt description. It did feel like lightning could strike at any moment. “Your tutor taught you that?”
“There are a lot of romance novels about Fae,” Fina said with a sheepish grin. “Obviously I got interested in Fae lore, as well.”
“So we should probably go, right?” Adora asked. “We shouldn’t be caught snooping around in private storage.”
“You’re the one who led us here,” Fina teased. She tried the lock, and of course it didn’t budge.
“I’ve been reading a little about Fae history, too,” I said. “What do you think would be leaking
Fae magic in the middle of the manor? Why would they keep it locked up like this?”
“I’m sure there’s a good reason,” Adora said. “Come on, we should go.”
“This will just take a second.” Fina pulled two pins from her hair and slipped them into the lock.
“By the gods,” Adora muttered, “this is not ladylike!”
“Come on,” Fina said. “We all know you’re the one who’s going to get picked. I deserve to have a little fun for wasting my time in this competition, don’t I?” She fiddled with the lock, and the tip of her tongue bit between her teeth as she focused.
I knelt down next to Fina, watching her work as she picked the lock. Fina shot me a sideways glance, almost apologetic, but I just briefly shook my head. She was right—Adora was surely the frontrunner. I knew Fina and I had a lot in common, but I wished I’d known earlier we had the same curiosity about the Fae here, too. I’d been so used to only having Griffin as a friend in Daybreak, but he wasn’t exactly interested in history the way I was. He’d listened politely when I uncovered an interesting bit of history or folklore when I’d come across it, but I couldn’t imagine him ever trying to pick a lock to see what Fae magic was behind a closed door. It was nice to have someone like Fina. How many friendships like this had I missed out on, locked up in Daybreak?
“Almost…” she muttered, adjusting the hairpins with her nose now right up against the lock. “There!” The lock clanked open loud enough that the sound echoed around the hallway and made Adora start. The door swung open of its own accord.
“Whoa.” Fina stood up and took a step back. Behind the door was a wall of darkness, as if the door opened into an abyss. It was so dark, it was like the light from the hallway hit a solid wall and couldn’t penetrate it.
Well, I’d already almost died once this week. Might as well keep the fun going. The Fae magic crackled around me. I grinned at Fina, ignored Adora’s protests, and stepped into the dark room.As soon as I crossed the threshold, the magic raced over my skin like a curious, sparking touch. It made my hair stand on end, and my wolf alert and attentive internally. Not fear, just—intensity.Curiosity. Then, as I squinted into the inky darkness, torches lining the walls sparked to life.Light flooded the room. I gasped, my eyes widening as I drank in the sight in front of me.This wasn’t just a room. This was a vault.It was a small room, low ceiling, with stone walls lined with shelves. Where there weren’t shelves, there were glass cases, lining the space like the books in the library. It was crowded, stuffed with items, and the whole room crackled with energy.“Wow,” I murmured.Fina and Adora stepped in behind me, both equally shocked. “What is all this?” Adora asked. “Fae artifacts,” Fin
“Reyna,” he said gruffly. “I heard what happened. You’re all right?”“I’m all right,” I said, muffled into his chest. “Seriously, I’m okay.”He pulled back and gripped my upper arms, examining me as if checking for wounds. “You’re sure? You were attacked by a wolf, Reyna, that’s no small event.”“I’m aware of that,” I said. I sat back down at the table and scarfed down some of the sliced meats and cheeses the girls had prepared for me. “Things were a little complicated because of the weapon I used.”“I’m glad you had it on you,” Barion said. “I knew I taught you to be prepared.”“Well, I would’ve appreciated it if you’d told me everything about that blade,” I hissed, low. “I’d only intended to subdue her.”Barion pressed his lips together in a thin line. “With a wolf like Rona, one of you would’ve ended up dead. I’m simply grateful it was her and not you.”I sighed. I knew he was right—if I had injured Rona, she would’ve kept attacking me. Even though the king had intervened, she woul
In Daybreak, I was a lady—and the Ice Princess.At the ball, I would be representing my pack as a woman I never could be in Daybreak itself.“What do you think, milady?” Rue asked as she fastened the ribbon on the back of the corset. It tied at mid-back, so when I removed my cape, I could reveal an expanse of my pale back if I so desired.“I love it.” I stepped out from behind the dressing screen and back in front of Aerika’s discerning gaze.She hummed thoughtfully, then instructed me to twirl. I did so, lifting up on the ball of one foot to spin in a smooth circle; the skirt swept out around me in a rush of pale tulle and white like sea foam. Aerika tutted to herself, then held her hand up for me to stop. Then she made some minor adjustments on the dress, pinning the skirt here and there and adjusting the corset.“Good,” she said, “just minor fitting adjustments.”Amity and Rue ushered me back behind the screen to carefully peel me out of the dress without disturbing Aerika’s carefu
Briefly, all eyes in the room turned to me. And there were a lot of eyes. This was a far bigger ball than the prior gala. There was no dining room table, just tall consoles for hors d’oeuvres; the lush curtains were pulled closed against the windows and the room was lit in warm candlelight. In the corner, the band played a slow, delicate song as the guests milled about.At the back of the room, the king, the duchess, and the council were all seated at a long table atop a dais. The king was in the center, and his dark eyes found me immediately. He was dressed in a dark shirt and pants with an equally dark cloak, and for the first time, I saw him wearing the simple, delicate gold band around his forehead that was the king’s crown.It was striking. It suited him. Internally, my wolf perked up, easily ignoring the presence of all the other shifters to focus on the king.Maybe she was interested in him, but all I could think about was how easily he’d wrapped his hand around Lord Cazzell’s
“Wine, milady?” a passing servant asked. He had a single glass of fine, pale liquid on a carrying tray, unlike the other servants passing by with full ones. I took it gratefully and the servant swept away.I could try to forget, but my wolf couldn’t. Mate.The king couldn’t really overrule the council, could he? Certainly they’d want Adora. There was no way whatever strange tension was between the king and me would outweigh the real, tangible power the Starcrest coffers and resources would bring to Nightfall.Fina cleared her throat.I blinked back into the present.“Milady?” an unfamiliar man asked, with a tone that suggested he had already said this once or twice before. He was taller than me, with dark hair and a stern, barely lined face, in a dark military dress uniform that had a heavy cape. “Pardon me for interrupting.”“Ah.” I took a sip of my wine. “Beg your pardon.”Fina and Adora delicately took their leave, leaving me alone with the stranger. It was the proper thing to do,
I closed my eyes tightly, trying to will away the spins. The nausea worsened even when I was sitting down. How had this happened? I’d only had one glass of wine! Sure, I’d drunk it a bit quickly, but it was still just a single glass!But, I realized through the haze, it had been the only glass on the servant’s platter. Had he tampered with it in some way? Given me something to make me dizzy? But why would he do that?Why would a servant have stakes in this Choice? Someone else must’ve given it to him.“Lady Reyna?” a cold voice asked.That was not Cyran. I took a breath and looked up.Lady Glennis glared down at me impassively, looking as terrifying as ever in her dark dress gown. “Lady Reyna? Your initial trial will now begin.” “Initial?” I asked.Her expression only soured further. “Are you drunk?”“No!” I staggered to my feet, and Lady Glennis had to steady me with a hand on my upper arm. She did not look pleased about it. “I’m fine. I’m ready to begin.”She did not look convinced
My head pounded, my heart raced, sweat beaded on my forehead. My senses began to heighten:smell first, as the smell of booze and sweat began to permeate my senses. Not just sweat—the king’s sweat. The way he’d smelled in the arena. I could smell it now, and my nostrils flared.The duchess looked at the king, and he nodded once. Curt and quick. Under the careful gazes of the council, I felt like I was about to be walked to the gallows.“Majority wins,” Lady Marin said in a cold voice. “Lady Reyna progresses to the final round.” The final round—the last two contestants in the Choice.The king’s eyes gleamed gold as he watched me. Like there wasn’t anyone else in the room.That’s when it happened.My wolf surged to the surface. I was weakened from whatever had happened, exhausted from the trial, and desperate to know what in the gods’ names the council was talking about. I couldn’t hold her back anymore. I clapped my hands over my mouth as my canines elongated, and my vision sharpened;
Not with the king, of course, but in a colder climate. Somewhere like Efra.I crashed out of the tree line and into a small clearing. A few paths led to different parts of the woods, and I inhaled deeply, trying to catch a scent that wasn’t the king’s. I had no idea how far I’d run. I didn’t want to leave the king’s territory and trespass into another pack’s land.I was about to head down one of the paths, to keep the chase going, but I’d underestimated the king’s speed.He crashed into me hard, knocking me onto my side; I yelped as I hit the dirt and all the breath was knocked from my lungs. He pinned me with his weight, and before I could snap my jaws at him, his sharp teeth set at my throat and bit down. Not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough that I could feel their presence like a promise. His breath rushed hot over my pelt. I was tense beneath him, desperate to thrash and fight, but not with those teeth so close to my jugular.Then he withdrew his jaws, but kept me pi