“Kael.” I shook his shoulder, but there was no response. His skin was on fire, as if he was burning up from the inside out. I couldn’t help but think back to what he’d said. Redcaps were allergic to this plant. If they touched it, an intense fever would take over their body. A fever that could be fatal.

But Kael couldn’t be a Redcap, could he? For one, he was very much fae. He wasn’t animalistic or savage. Plus, there was that whole thing about being a magical wolf, and as far as I could tell, he was flesh and blood.

My eyes flicked to the bandaged wound on his hand. He’d had since after the day he dropped me off on that cliff to face the Redcap. My mind began to piece together puzzle pieces that felt as though they should never, ever fit together. But they did. Kael’s wound, his strange attitudes about the Redcaps, the way he’d told me that the quest to get the flower was mine and mine alone.

Surely he wasn’t...

Surely he couldn’t be...

Regardless, he was burning up, and if I didn’t get him out of this brush, he was only going to get worse. I’d spotted a cave around the corner. All I had to do was get him there and do my best to calm the fever.

Easier said than done.

With a deep breath, I grabbed his arms and tried to lift him from the ground. Only, he didn’t go anywhere. Kael was heavy. Much heavier than he looked. He must have approximately zero body fat, which meant I was trying to lift pounds and pounds of pure muscle.

As horrible as it was, I would just have to drag him there. He would likely get scratched and bruised, but at least he would be alive.

Snow began to drift from the sky as I jerked on Kael’s arms. He shifted slightly through the brush. It was only an inch or two, but it was something. Enough to solidify my determination. Grunting, I pulled and pulled. Each time, Kael barely budged, but I finally got him out of the brush where I plopped onto the ground, sweat streaming down my face.

The snow was coming down heavily now. I really needed to get Kael under some cover, or he was going to get soaked to the skin. And that would only make the fever worsen.

It was easier to slide him across the snow than drag him through thick branches, though my energy was fully spent by the time I got us into the cave. Once inside, I draped my cloak over his body and got to work on a fire. There were a few branches and old twigs scattered across the cave floor. Enough to get some flames going.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I knew how to do this, but the motions came to me as if by second nature. Soon, a small fire began to take shape, and a soft warmth began to spread through the cave.

Sighing, I eased onto the ground next to Kael and felt his forehead. He was still impossibly warm. Truth was, there was nothing much I could do for him. We needed to get back to the Academy where the healing powers of the Summer fae could save him. Perhaps I could shift back to the grounds, like I’d done before.

It was worth a shot.

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts on the Academy. On the cold stone walls. On the soft glow of the fireplace in the dining hall. The familiar sounds and scents of my new home rose up around me, and for a moment, I thought I’d done it.

But when I opened my eyes, the darkness met me instead. We were still very much inside that cave, miles and miles from the Academy’s walls.

Pressing my hands to Kael’s burning chest, I shook my head. “I’m so sorry, Kael. I don’t know what to do for you. If only I could get you home, the Summer fae could heal you...”

A strange thought took shape in my head, one that clearly made no logical sense in the least. I’d shifted before, when I’d been stranded on that cliff. Therefore, I was an Autumn or a Winter fae. But our Head Instructor had also said that it was easy to get it wrong in the beginning.

And, truth was, I did feel drawn to the ways of the Summer Court. I liked the heat. I liked the sun. I loved the way I could hear the chirping crickets as I drifted off to sleep every night. I didn’t find the warmth stifling. Instead, it made me feel free.

And then there was Liam, the hotheaded, passionate Summer fae who I had to admit made me feel something. There was a strange connection between us, one that was next to impossible to ignore.

Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t a Winter or an Autumn at all. Maybe I was a Summer fae.

Maybe I could heal Kael.

No, that doesn’t make any sense, Norah, a small, logical voice whispered into my ear. You’ve felt a connection with Finn, too. And you’re clearly not a Spring.

“Not to mention that weird attraction to Rourke,” I muttered to myself. As much as I hated to admit it, I’d felt a spark of something toward him, too.

And the fae before me. As I’d watched him face off against the creature, there’d been so much power flowing off his body that it was impossible not to notice. He was cold and distant, yes, but there was something more there, too. Something he kept hidden from everyone. Something I’d seen a hint of before.

I shook my head at myself. So what if I was attracted to all of them? Everyone else at the Academy probably was, too. They were gorgeous fae males with glistening skin, muscular bodies, and blinding smiles. I couldn’t help it if I felt a connection with more than one of them. We weren’t mates. Not yet.

Which meant I still didn’t know the full truth about my powers. Perhaps we’d all been wrong. It was worth a shot.

I took a deep breath in through my nose to steady my nerves. After lifting Kael’s heavy cloak from his body, I slid my hands underneath his shirt. His skin was smooth and hot, and my fingertips played along the ridges of his abs. I swallowed hard and stared down at him. His fever must be catching because I’d never been hotter in my life.

But now was not the time to get carried away by how strong and muscular his body felt underneath my hands. I closed my eyes and focused on the fever radiating off of his body. I had no idea how Liam had healed me, but I mimicked what I’d seen him do. He’d touched my skin and closed his eyes. Within moments, the pain had gone.

Heal, I thought, directing all my thoughts and emotions to Kael’s slack body. Fight off the fever. You can do, it Kael.

A strange sensation began to pool around my hands. Fire and light. The scent of frost fell away, replaced by a rush of wildflowers and summer rain. My entire body began to tremble, as if an unseen violent force was charging through me. Head spinning, I squeezed my eyes tighter, not certain if I should welcome the sensation or push it away.

But this was Kael’s life. So, I dropped back my head and opened myself up to the strange power that was taking over my body.

Pain exploded around my fingers, sharp and deep and raw.

And then it all vanished into nothing as unconsciousness consumed me.

* * *

A soft hand caressed my cheek, and the sharp, tangy scent of mint filled my nose. Groaning, I opened my eyes to find Kael leaning over me, his face blotting out the full moon in the sky. His eyes were pits of black, but the expression on his face was much softer than I’d ever seen from him before.

“Thank the forest,” he said as he continued to brush my cheek with his thumb. “For a moment there, I was worried you weren’t coming back to me.”

“I don’t feel so great.” My mouth felt as dry as the desert, and some kind of evil jackhammer was drilling into my skull. Even my vision was dizzy. Kael wasn’t just Kael. I swore there were four of him bouncing around in front of me. I reached back to rub my neck, and my fingers came into contact with a leg. Kael’s leg. I blinked, heartbeat flickering. It seemed my head was in his lap.

“You’ll feel rough for a few hours,” he said. “You tried to heal me without understanding how the power works. It can knock out even the most experienced fae, and this was your first time doing it.”

“And it worked,” I said, realizing just how alive and well Kael was. In fact, the tables had turned. I was now the one flat on my ass. “You’re okay? The fever is gone?”

At that, Kael’s face clouded back over to his usual stoic expression. His jaw clenched, and the thumb caressing my cheek ceased to move. “Yes, the fever is gone. I suppose you have some questions, and you no doubt are thrilled to discover you’re not a Winter fae now that you know the truth about me.”

“Come on. That’s not fair,” I said with a frown. “Don’t assume I’m going to judge you just because you’re a...well, what are you, Kael? Because you certainly don’t look like a Redcap to me.”

“I’m not a Redcap. Not truly.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Two years ago, I was infected when I was fighting against a group of Redcaps who had gone on a spree in Boston. They needed to be stopped, and I thought I could be the one to stop them. Instead, I got bitten.”

Chills swept down my spine, but I kept my mouth shut. Kael seemed hesitant enough to tell his story. I didn’t want to interrupt him with questions, for fear he’d change his mind about sharing this part of himself.

“Because I was already fae, my body was able to withstand the damage, though I regret every single day that I didn’t go straight in search of some Starlight.” He curled his hands into fists and shook his head, jaw clenching tight. “The beast does not control me. I control it. But it is still inside of me, and sometimes, my body must change into that creature. That day on the cliff…I thought I had it under control. I was just trying to scare you into being better with the bow. But instead…I’m so sorry, Norah. I’ll never forgive myself for biting you.”

A deep silence rained down upon us while I processed his words. I’d had a hunch that it was something like this, though the pain his voice was worse than I’d thought. He hated what he’d become, so much so that he let it control him. He didn’t want anyone to get close to him, for fear they’d find out the truth and push him away.

“Is that why you think that no one would want to have you as a mate?” I finally asked.

His jaw rippled as he nodded. “No one wants a beast. I didn’t want to come to the Academy, but I had no choice. My father forced me to come here. The only way I can inherit his lands is to bring home a changeling mate. Otherwise, I’m homeless and penniless. No Winter fae can survive without both.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what. Your father sounds about as terrible as my step-dad.”

Kael arched an eyebrow. “That’s what your focusing on? Not the fact I’m one of those monsters you hate and fear?”

With a soft smile, I reached up and touched his face. His skin was no longer on fire, but he felt just as strong and as real as ever. “You’re not a monster, Kael. In fact, you’re pretty much the opposite.”

He caught my hand in his and pressed it tighter to his cheek, but then, his eyes darkened. “You’re only saying that because you now know that you’re not a Winter fae. If you were able to heal me the way you did, then it’s impossible. You’ll belong to Liam, the opposite of all that I am.”

Confusion rippled through me. Not about my nature. I’d had the same questions. Did this make me Summer fae? But that wasn’t what made my heart feel as if it had split in two. Disappointment and happiness were mixed together as one. I didn’t know what was up and what was down.

“Liam’s not so bad,” I finally said, though the words didn’t seem strong enough to convey exactly how I felt. “But...you’re not so bad either.”

His lifted his eyebrows. “Faint praise.”

“I don’t think I know how to explain how I feel.” I glanced at where our hands were still interlocked, and I sighed. “To be honest, I’m confused. One minute, I think I want to be a Summer fae. The next minute, I want to be a Winter, especially when I realize that Winter fae are not as cold and unfeeling as they want everyone to think.”

“I could kiss you right now,” he said in a rough voice. “No one has ever accepted me for what I am. And yet here you are...and I can never have you. One of the other changelings is my mate, but I can’t imagine any of them by my side.”

My heart thundered hard. I wanted him to kiss me, too. My hands were even shaking at the thought of it. “Maybe the healing thing was a fluke. Maybe we’ll find out I really am a Winter fae.”

“And do you want to be a Winter fae, Norah?” His eyes glittered in the darkness of the cave. “Do you want to be mine?”

Yes and no, I thought. I wanted to be his, and I wanted to be Liam’s, but I didn’t dare voice that thought aloud. Instead, I merely gave him a soft smile. I’m so screwed. I’m never going to be able to figure out what I want. How could I ever choose?