The electricity popped out next. As we dragged ourselves back to our apartments, the entire Academy was plunged into darkness. Several of the instructors had taken off to track down Griff and the others. They’d likely chased Bree out into the storm, and no one should be running around in the thunder and lightning, least of all right now when the threat of the Autumn Court was so fresh and so real.

And me? Well, all I wanted to was plop face-first onto my bed and stay there for hours. I’d been trying so desperately hard to undo what had happened to Bree that horrible night in Manhattan. The attack on her had been my fault. I’d attracted the Redcap, and it had turned its ferocity on Bree because of that.

But it felt as if I’d only made things worse. I’d brought Bree to the attention of the Autumn fae, and they’d sought her out. To control her, to make her do things Bree would never do.

I would never get a chance to heal her now. Her mind and soul would be lost to the beast.

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door, and I merely groaned in response, my face still smashed onto my pillow. I didn’t need to look up to see who it was. When the fae eased onto the bed beside me, the scent of frost and mist filled my nose. A delicious scent, but one that reminded me of what I’d been trying to do.

“Bree was still in there, Norah,” Kael said quietly. “I could sense it.”

“So could I,” I muttered into the pillow. “That’s why I tried to stop Griff from attacking her.”

“He won’t get to her,” he said. “She’s far too fast for that.”

With a sigh, I rolled over to stare up into Kael’s darkly handsome face. “I know. But that doesn’t change anything. It’s impossible to get to her now. She’s gone. Right back into the hands of the Autumn Court.”

Kael reached out and traced a soft thumb against the curve of my neck. Despite everything that had happened, despite the sorrow that was building up inside of me, his touch soothed me in away that nothing else could. Fire sparked in my gut, and everything within me sighed, breathing in the wintry scent of him.

“There’s one thing I know about you, Norah,” he said, voice gruff. “And it’s that you’re a fighter. I’ve said it from the beginning, and it’s why I thought you might turn out to be a Summer fae. You have a fire within you. Don’t let what’s happened to Bree douse that in any way. Instead, let it feed your flames.”

With a sigh, I reached up and weaved my fingers through his. “I don’t see how that can change anything.”

“Don’t you?” He arched his eyebrows. “Here’s a little training lesson for you. Suppose there is an enemy, one who has decided his mission is destroy your home and everyone within it. He keeps launching attacks, and he has taken something of great value to you. What do you do in response?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” I shook my head and glanced around the room, spinning through the various possibilities in my head. But I wasn’t a strategy genius. I didn’t know about fights, about wars, about battles. All I knew was my despair, my anger, and my desperation to save my friend. “Punch him in the face?”

A slight smile ghosted across Kael’s face. “And what else would you do?”

Frowning, I pushed up so that we were now sitting face-to-face. “I mean, in an ideal world, I’d track him down, take back what’s mine, and make sure he can never attack me again.”

“Well.” He smiled. “Wouldn’t that be something?”

With a heavy sigh, I flopped back onto the pillows. “Yes, it would be something. It’s too bad that’s impossible.”

“And why is it impossible, Norah?” he asked.

At the tone of his voice, I sat upright once again. “Because I’m assuming that attacking the Autumn Court is pretty much not syllabus-approved. And also against the laws of this realm.”

“You’re correct.” He leaned forward now, dropping his voice to a low growl. “Do you know what else is against the laws of our realm? Planning assassinations. Attacking our Academy. And controlling the beasts. They’ve wronged us. They’ve hurt us. They have tried to take the most important thing in the world from me, and for that, we will be retaliating.”

My heart lurched, and I sucked a sharp breath in through my parted lips. His words made my head spin, not to mention the fierce expression on his face. Kael was usually so calm and collected, so in control of his emotions, but something had set him off, revealing the true depths of his soul.

“What have they tried to take from you?” I barely whispered.

With a growl, he said, “You.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I leaned forward to wrap my arms around his neck. His lips were soft and gentle, but his kiss was full of hunger. There was something so fierce about him underneath that cool exterior, and it made every cell in my body come alive.

Our kiss deepened as he pulled me onto his lap. My legs spread wide, encircling his waist. His thumb caressed my neck and a thousand tiny sparks lit up my skin, much like the stars that I once saw dance in his eyes.

I wanted nothing more than to stay here like this and to feel his mouth explore every inch of my skin. But there was something whispering in the corner of my mind, a voice I couldn’t hush even if I wanted to. With a heavy sigh, I pulled away from him, my entire body shaking with the yearning I felt deep within my gut.

“We can’t,” I whispered. “Not right now. Not when Bree is out there. All I keep thinking is how scared and alone she must feel. I want you to do what you said, Kael. Retaliate. Force an attack on the Autumn Court. And I want to come with you.”