The actual Academy itself was something out of a gothic horror movie, minus the dark and rolling clouds lurking in the background. The building was a dark gray, but a tapestry of thick green moss covered the bottom half. Spires rose up from every corner, and a large archway commanded the entrance. Through one of the thin rounded windows on the third floor, I spotted a hazy figure staring down at us. I shivered but kept my chin high as I strode through the archway behind Finn, who I could have sworn was chuckling under his breath.

Inside, we climbed a curving staircase that was carpeted in a deep red that reminded me of the color of Liam’s hair. Framed painted portraits lined the wall. Fae, I was guessing. They sat on thrones with various crowns decorating their heads. Twisting branches of bright and vivid flowers on one while another crown was nothing more than the deep gold of autumn leaves.

“Our Royals,” Finn said with a flick of his wrist at the paintings. “There’s Spring, Autumn.” We passed two more. This one had a crown of roses, and the thorns had remained intact, something that seemed a bit like a hazard to me. “And that’s Summer.”

“Right,” I said with a nod. “Makes sense.”

Finn grinned and pointed to the next painting. “And this here’s our Winter Royals.” Their crown had no leaves, no flowers. Only knotted brambles twisted tight together.

The expressions on their faces were cold and uncompromising. Was I really like them? I’d never thought of myself as unfeeling, as calculating, or as cruel, but maybe I didn’t know myself that well. After all, it turned out I was a fae, something I’d never known about myself until now. Maybe there was more about me I didn’t know. Maybe I really wasn’t the kind of person I thought I was.

“Who’s that?” I asked when we passed the last portrait on the wall.

For the first time since we’d met, Finn’s face crumpled, and the lighthearted expression fell away. He clenched his jaw and kept moving up the stairs, his eyes turned away from the portrait.

I jogged to keep up. “Wait, who is that, Finn?”

His voice was hard when he spoke. “Marin. She was our Queen for three hundred years, but her rule was overthrown by members of the Autumn Court. At that time, there was only one Queen, and the Autumn fae wanted change. Four Courts. Four rulers. So, they killed her.”

I gasped.

“Out of respect, we keep her portrait on the wall, but some would consider it treason to display any amount of loyalty to our dead Queen. We may one day need to remove it.”

“That’s…terrible,” I finally said.

He stopped short, spun on his feet, and placed a finger to my parted lips. I almost stumbled down the stairs from the sudden contact, and my heart froze in my chest. Our eyes locked, and a strange emotion flickered in his eyes, one I was sure was reflected in the flutter in my stomach.

Something about this Spring fae felt strangely alluring. It was as if some unseen force had drawn me to him. And suddenly, a mere finger to my lips didn’t seem like enough at all. I wanted more.

“Don’t say things like that, especially not in front of anyone who isn’t me. Don’t even say it in front of Liam or Kael, and especially don’t say it in front of Rourke,” he said. “We must fully commit to our current Royals. It’s the only way we can survive.”

My heart thumped. “You’re kind of freaking me out here.”

“Good.” He gave a nod before that familiar lopsided smile of his reappeared on his face. “I couldn’t let you get too comfortable, now could I? Got to keep you on your toes on your first day.”

Something told me I would never be comfortable around Finn, no matter how long I was here.

* * *

“Norah, meet your new roommate, Sophia.” Finn’s green eyes sparkled as my new roommate came bundling out of the room. She wrapped me in a tight hug, and my breath whooshed out of my lungs. When she pulled back, she smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Everything about her was bright and cheerful. She had long, glistening hair that reached her waist, and her eyes were a bright sparkling green. And she seemed a lot happier about our strange new world than I would have expected.

“Good,” Finn said as he began to walk away. “I’ll leave you two to catch up. Orientation will be downstairs in about an hour. See you later, Norah.”

He winked as he disappeared, and the bright spots in my cheeks rushed back in full force.

“Seems like he likes the look of you,” Sophia said with a grin as she pulled me into our room and shut the door. “You have the green eyes and the fair hair. Maybe you’re Spring.”

I was pretty certain I wasn’t Spring, but the idea of it sent a rush of warmth through my gut.

Her eyes tripped down to my empty hands, and she cocked her head. “Where’s all your stuff? Didn’t you pack a bag?”

“Erm…” I said, suddenly nervous. What would she think if she knew that the Redcaps had been chasing me around Manhattan? I got the feeling that the Autumn and Winter fae weren’t as well liked as the sunnier seasons. And she definitely seemed like a sunny, happy one. The kind of fae that everyone would like.

“I didn’t have time. There was this whole fight with my step-dad, and I couldn’t go home to get my clothes.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said with a kind smile. “I’m sure the fae will be able to get some clothes for you. I mean, they are ancient, magical beings after all. Surely they can conjure up some kind of wardrobe.”

“We,” I said. “We’re fae, too. As strange as that sounds.”

“I know,” she said, eyes lighting up. “Can you believe it? I mean, at first, I thought maybe they were crazy. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d met some weirdos. But then they made a good point. I’ve always been weird and different, and the past six months have been really bizarre.”

I lifted my eyebrows and perched on the edge of the antique red sofa. It looked as though our apartment was a lot different than the dorms on college campuses. We had a living room, a kitchen, and what looked to be two separate bedrooms. Not a bad set-up at all.

“Have you been seeing strange things, too?” I asked.

“Seeing things?” She shook her head and sat next to me. “My ears got all pointy, and I kept passing out all the time when I touched iron. Went to the doctor and everything, and they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. In fact, they said I was healthier than the average eighteen-year-old. Why? What have you seen?”

“Ehm…” Should I try to explain it? And how could I? I wasn’t even entirely sure I knew how to describe the Redcap. Plus, introducing myself as someone wanted for two homicides probably wasn’t the greatest idea in the world, especially when I’d be spending who knew how much time with my new roommate.

“It’s okay,” she said, giving my arm a squeeze. “I understand how you feel. It just started happening to you, didn’t it? I was scared to tell people about it, too. I thought they’d think I was crazy. And well…some did.” She let out a heavy sigh and gave my arm a squeeze. “I won’t think you’re crazy, Norah. When you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll be here to listen.”

And that was when I decided that it wouldn’t be so bad sharing an apartment after all.

* * *

An hour later, we entered the basement gymnasium for Orientation. The floor had been cleared of all exercise equipment, and instead, five wooden tables had been set up in their place. One long and skinny table sat near the front, parallel with the small stage where a cluster of powerful fae stood watching. I spotted the four guys who had saved me in Manhattan, along with about a dozen more. Some men, some women.

In the back, set away from the table in front, there were four smaller tables. These held what looked like groups of students. At each table, many had similar features, and they wore cloaks of similar colors. A cluster of deep red hair on one. Several students with gleaming black eyes on another. And then there was the table up front, full of nervous-looking students, cloak-less and confused. That would be where we would sit.

Sophia and I eased onto the wooden bench and waited while one powerful female fae stood and stepped to the edge of the stage. Magic shimmered across her skin, and her deep golden hair gleamed underneath the overhead lights.

“Welcome to Otherworld Academy. I’m Alwyn Aldair, your Head Instructor,” she said with a wide smile that felt more eerie than welcoming. “As always, we have sixteen new recruits with us this evening, from four different origins in the human realm. So far, you may have realized that four is a common theme here. And that’s because we have four courts. From each human origin, there will be a Spring, a Summer, a Winter, and an Autumn amongst you, giving each Court four new changeling fae a year.”

We all nodded and murmured. The fae who had saved—or captured, depending on how you looked at it—me had explained most of this to me, though they hadn’t gone into much detail. I guessed it made sense, though I still didn’t understand the how or the why of it. It was also one more point in the Not-Spring column, since I was pretty certain my new roommate was the embodiment of all things Spring.

And that disappointed me far more than I wanted to admit.

“For some of you, it will be quicker to determine your Court. Fae in each season tend to have certain coloring and certain dispositions. That said, it’s not always the case. Many times, a changeling recruit will start her first year believing she’s of one Court and find she’s of entirely another. It’s a process, one we’ll determine through training and challenges.”

A hand shot up near the end of the table. With a frown, Alwyn nodded at the student. “Yes?”

“Why don’t you know what we are?” the guy asked. “I mean, you guys keep saying we’re changelings, and that we were swapped at birth. So, we were born here, right? Are we not in the same Court as our, uh…” He trailed off, swallowing hard.

Our parents. My skin and neck began to tingle, and a heavy rock tumbled down into my gut. I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that my mother wasn’t my birth mom. And I had a feeling that most of the new recruits here felt the same.

“Excellent question.” Alwyn steepled her hands underneath her chin and smiled. “Yes, your Court is hereditary. Only in rare—and I do mean rare—cases does the son or daughter not fit within their natural born Court. And yes, we do keep meticulous records on each of our changelings. Unfortunately, Magnus Farrow, our previous record-keeper, died in a fire seventeen years ago. With him went all of his records and knowledge about the changelings. We don’t know who each of you are. That knowledge was lost. So, that’s why we must perform these tests. The changelings who come to the Academy two years from now will no longer need to undergo the introductory first year since our current record keeper is alive and well, and the files are routinely backed up. We won’t make the same mistake again.”

Well, that was certainly interesting. And, in response, a half of dozen more hands shot up.

The Head Instructor held up her hand with an irritated sigh. “Let me guess. Your next question is why we’ve been swapping out human babies with fae. Well, here is the very long answer made short. There are more realms than just the human and the fae. There is a realm of darkness, of demons. Each year, we must pay a Tithe to that realm. Sixteen fae babies must go into the human realm, and sixteen human babies must come here. If we do not keep up our Tithe, the darkness will not only descend upon us but it will descend upon the humans as well.” A heavy silence followed, and she smiled. “So, you see. We must do this. Or else we would cause the Apocalypse to arrive in both our realms.”

Every single one of the new recruits stared at Alwyn with a mixture of confusion, horror, and fear. Including me.

“Luckily,” she continued as her face slightly brightened, “we can make the swap back during the Summer Solstice. You will each be trained in the ways of the fae, and you will each be trained to fight. Once your training is complete, you will join your Court along with your fae male or female mate, those of which are on this stage and will be working with you throughout your time at the Academy.”

Hold up. My eyes widened. Had she just said mate? The words from Finn began to tumble over me. By my side. I swallowed hard, and my heart began to race. Murmurs began to echo all around me, the rest of the changelings as thrown by this new information as I was. In fact, it almost felt more shocking than the reveal about the demons and the Tithe to hell.

A girl stood from the table, her long fiery hair swishing around her shoulders. “You can’t just assign us mates. Don’t we get some choice in the matter?”

“No,” Alwyn said coolly. “You’re from Manhattan, yes? Then, one of these four males here will be your mate. Finn, Rourke, Liam, or Kael. And trust me when I say that you’ll be happy for it, as strange as it may seem to you now.”

“But wait,” another girl said, standing from the table, her voice a heavy Irish accent. “First, you’re telling us that we were taken from our homes at birth. Then, you’re telling us that we have no choice in what we do from now on, including what Court we join, and the person we end up mating with? You can’t honestly expect us to have sex with someone just because you say so.”

Alwyn let out a low chuckle. “We’re not forcing you to do a thing. At the end of the year, you’ll be so bonded to your male, naturally, that you will be glad he is your mate. And if you’re not, then you are welcome to go your own way.”

The girl narrowed her eyes. “I’m gay.”

“Oh.” Alwyn’s lips twisted up as she glanced over her shoulder at one of the female fae behind her. “Well, then your Court will certainly be easy to determine.”

When another round of questions rose up, the Head Instructor clapped her hands and frowned at us all. I’d quickly determined that she was either Autumn or Winter. She didn’t have the temperament to be one of the sunnier types of fae. “There will be plenty of time for more questions, and plenty of time to learn what you need to know. But first, what better way to introduce you to life at the Academy than through your first challenge? You’ll divide into your origin groups and go outside where your instructors will lead you through a test with the bow and arrow, to determine whether or not you’re a natural shot. That will give us some indication about the strength of your powers. Now, go.”

* * *

We stood in the expansive lush gardens behind the Academy’s main building. Rolling hills tumbled in the distance, meeting the orange and red colored sky. For a moment, I stared at the dying glimmer of sunlight, wondering at who and what I had suddenly become.

Bree would love it here, I decided. She’d dive headfirst into training, and she would without a doubt have her eye on one of the fae, hoping he was hers. She’d be a Spring or a Summer, most likely. Nothing about Bree was dark or cold.

“Alright,” Liam said, clapping his hands as he stood before our little rag-tag group. “Time to get started. Who wants to go first?”

On the way over, I’d introduced myself to the two other Manhattan recruits. All girls, all wide-eyed, and a little shell-shocked. So, kind of like me. The girl with the fiery hair was named Lila, and a quieter girl with golden eyes was named Sam. She watched the entire group, sizing things up with a quiet kind of intelligence that suggested she wasn’t the kind of person to miss much, even if she never really spoke up.

“I’ll go first!” Sophia said, her hand shooting high in the air. Finn chuckled from where he watched from the side, and he shook his head. His laugh was such an annoying sound, mostly because I couldn’t get it out of my head once I’d heard it. It was so lyrical, so poetic, almost, like a song that kept repeating over and over again in the most perfect way imaginable.

But that was stupid.

It was a laugh, an annoying one at that.

And he was annoying.

“Alright, looks like we have our first volunteer.” Liam waved Sophia forward and slid the bow into her hands. It wasn’t the kind of bow that you’d see in any kind of modern hunting shop. Instead, it looked old and weathered, as if made from ancient trees. Hell, it probably had been.

“There’s the target,” Liam said, pointing at a bulging sack at least a hundred yards away. “You’ve got three shots. Good luck.”

Sophia wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t you going to show me how to use this thing? I’ve never shot an arrow in my life.”

“Nope.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stepped back. “The challenge is to see how well you can shoot without any training. That means no demonstrations from me. Yet.”

She shrugged and slid an arrow into the bow. At first, she fumbled a bit. The arrow slid this way and that, but after a few minutes of wobbly trembling, she finally managed to get it to stick. With a deep breath, she raised the arrow and loosed it in the air.

And then it sunk into the sack with a heavy thump.

My mouth dropped open, and Sophia pounded her fist in the air.

“That was awesome!” She whirled toward me with sparkling eyes, and I couldn’t help but grin back. “Maybe this whole fae thing isn’t so bad after all.”

Her next two arrows hit the mark, but that wasn’t much of a surprise after the first. Lila went next. She managed to get her first two shots within a couple of feet of the sack, and the third finally hit the edge of the mark. With every second that passed, the more my palms began to sweat. I’d never been particularly good at anything but dancing, and this seemed about as far away from dancing as something could get.

Up next was Sam. She was a little better than Lila but didn’t reach the same heights as my new roommate, and she huffed and muttered underneath her breath. Clearly, she wasn’t used to not being at the top of the class.

Finally, it was my turn. Liam stepped forward and slid the bow into my hands. As he gave me an arrow, our fingers brushed. A jolt went through my body from the connection of our skin, like a static shock times ten. I sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes locked onto mine. Those eyes that were as bright and as brilliant as a red-and-gold summer sunset.

His eyes slightly widened, and his lips curled up into a devilish smile. “Something wrong?”

I blinked and stepped back, dropping my hand away from his. “No. Of course not. I’ve just never handled a bow and arrow before.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “None of the other Manhattan recruits have either.”

“Right.” My cheeks burned with embarrassment. He’d clearly caught me sucked in by his impossibly orange-red eyes, and the tremble my body had instinctively made when his hand had brushed mine. And Liam, I was quickly understanding, was the kind of person whose ego relished in even the slightest of compliments.

Not that I was complimenting him.

Sucking in a deep breath, I forced my gaze away from the Summer fae and fumbled to fit the arrow into the slot thingy. I mean, who was I kidding? I didn’t know any of the terms for a bow and arrow. So, a slot thingy it was.

“By the way,” Liam suddenly spoke up, his lips only inches from my ear. In the few seconds I’d had my attention turned away from him, he’d snuck up on me, and the cloying scent of summer rain and sunflowers swarmed into my nostrils. “Whoever loses this first test gets Watch Duty tonight. Which means you’ll get very little sleep, and you’ll become intimately acquainted with what goes bump in the night.” He gave me a wink. “And there are many things that go bump in the night, including me. Good luck.”