We managed to convince the riders to take us to see the Queen and King instead of throwing us straight into the dungeons. The Spring fae seemed angry, but they were reasonable, at least. They took us into a long hall within the castle’s grounds, where two flower-decked thrones sat at the end of a carpet of green moss.

The Royals watched silently as we strode toward them down the long, thin carpet. Their scrutinizing gazes were locked on our faces, and I felt the strange urge to bow, even though I was not a member of their Court.

When we reached the end of the carpet, the King glanced from Alwyn to Finn and then to me. The others he seemed to have no interest in.

“Alwyn Adair, Head Instructor at the Otherworld Academy for the changelings who have been sacrificed to the human world in the tithe to the dark fae.”

Well, that was a long-ass title if I’d ever heard one.

“King Deri of the Spring Court. Queen Shan.” She gave a small bow. “It’s a pleasure to see you once again.”

“Yes, yes. I apologize for the welcome party,” he said, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile. “I’m sure you can understand that we’re being especially cautious right now. After the attack at the Feast of the Fae, my Hunters are concerned that the Autumn Court might make a move against us next. It’s only a matter of time before they go for another crown, and it will likely be us. We doubt they would be so bold as to go into Winter lands. Her men are not accustomed to such weather. She will try to draw them out instead.”

A strange expression flickered across Alwyn’s face. “Yes, well…that’s why we’re here.” And then, my Head Instructor, who I could have sworn hated me all this time, turned and looked right at me. “King Deri, I would like to introduce you to Norah Oliver. She is one of our students at the Academy, the first Greater Fae in over eighteen years. She has something she would like to say.”

What? My mind screamed, and all the feeling in my arms and legs vanished in the blink of an eye. Everyone was staring at me now. The Hunters who had escorted inside. My instructors, my…mates? And now the King and Queen of the Spring territory. All looking at me expectantly, as if I had even the slightest clue about what I should say or do to stop this war from happening.

But…how could I, of all of those in this room? I was just…me.

You are you, a little voice whispered into my mind. You are worthy.

The King gave me a kind smile and rubbed his jaw. “A Greater Fae, you say? Well, this is certainly a treat. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve met one of your kind. The embodiment of the realm’s spirit, they used to say. That’s what the Greaters were. Anyway, what is it you would like to say to me, my dear?”

“I…” Trailing off, I glanced at Rourke. His gaze caught mine, and he nodded. Something about his encouragement, his approval, his belief in me, it made me find the courage within myself to plow forward. “We came here to speak with you about the impending war. The future of the realm is at stake, King Deri. We understand…no, wait. I understand why you might feel as if you have no other choice than to go on the offensive, but it’s only going to make matters worse. More bloodshed. More death. More fracturing in the realm. Instead of fighting each other, we need to band together as one, even though I know that’s not how you do things anymore. Don’t fight against Winter. Join with Winter. It’s the only way to stop the Autumn Court from gaining more power.”

The King stared at me, still rubbing his jaw. After a moment, he shifted on his chair and took a long moment to speak. “I must admit, your words have both moved and confused me. It’s been a long, long while since I’ve heard a fae speak so passionately and eloquently about reuniting our four Courts. I have to admit, I find myself agreeing with you. Which is why I haven’t the slightest clue why you seem to be under the impression I’d want to launch my forces against the Winter Court.”

I had braced myself for a wide variety of responses from the King, but this one…well, this hadn’t even been on my radar.

I blinked at him, frowning. “But I thought that was your plan. I thought you intended to attack within the next day.”

He shrugged and shook his head. “I’m not sure you where you got your information, Norah, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s not a single bone in my body that wants to battle the Winter Court, but even if I did, I’d never take my forces up north. We’d die within a day.”

“But the Queen said…” I trailed off, dread pooling in my gut. My eyes flicked to where Alwyn and my instructors were now murmuring urgent words underneath their breaths. The King noticed as well, and he cleared his throat, so loud it made me jump.

“Would you care to share that with the rest of us?” His voice had lost some of its gentle edges, transforming more into a commanding kingly steel. “Norah mentioned the Queen. Which Queen?”

“Queen Viola,” I answered for them. Whatever was happening, it was all my fault. I’d been the one who had gathered the information. I’d been the one who had convinced everyone to come all this way. If anyone deserved to explain, it was me. “I have the power to shadow, something the Summer Hunters discovered. They requested that I go into the Autumn Court and spy, hoping I could find out information about the Queen’s next moves.”

The King nodded with a grunt. “Seems reasonable. Go on.”

“Well, I managed to get inside and overhear a conversation between Queen Viola and one of her Hunters. She said exactly what I’ve told you. That you, the Spring Court, planned to attack the Winter fae in three day’s time. That was two days ago.”

“I see.” A pause. “And you heard this directly from Queen Viola? She didn’t know you were in the room?”

“No, I was shadowed. I don’t see how she could even know I can do that.” I glanced at Rourke, at Liam. “I mean, the only people who know I have that power are in this room or are part of the Hunters for the Summer fae.”

Liam’s chin jerked up, and his eyes turned fierce with fire. Suddenly, he twisted his hands into fists and began pacing from one end of the throne room to the next. The King and Queen eyed him suspiciously, this outburst by the passionate Summer fae.

He stopped and looked at Kael, who had kept his eyes focused on the ground throughout the entire exchange. “What do you think the Winter Court would do if a group of Summer Hunters came to them with proof—or close enough to proof—that the Spring Court planned to invade them?”

“They wouldn’t take it very well,” Kael said, pursing his lips. “Though they wouldn’t react without thinking things through. Our Royals are very precise with their chess moves. They like to keep their focus several steps ahead. I could guess how they might react, but it’s impossible to know without understanding their exact circumstances at the moment.”

“But what would they potentially do?” Liam pressed.

“Truly, it depends on what the Summer fae tell them,” Kael said, finally glancing up from the floor. “I must admit, it sounds as though Phelan wishes to provoke them. If he phrases his words right, he very well could.”

“Now, why in the name of the forest would a group of Summer Hunters want to provoke the Winter Court to attack us? This just makes no sense. The lot of it.”

Rourke pursed his lips. “Phelan and Alastar were very insistent that Norah find this stone. When we did, the Autumn Court was alerted of our arrival. At first, I thought that was down to the shopkeeper alone, but now I’m not so certain. It is very curious how easy it was for you to rescue me, Norah. And the guard made a comment, a curious comment that I forgot with the whirlwind of all that followed.” A pause. “He told me that the Queen never spares anyone unless she has a use for them. Truth be told, Norah, I believe we were set up.”

The realization crashed over me like a tidal wave. Pieces began to fit together in my mind. The Queen’s discussion of the Spring fae plans at the exact moment that I’d arrived in the castle. She must have known I was there. How? That was impossible to know. And then the guard had practically led me down the dungeon stairs so I could break Rourke out of his cell.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Why would she want me to let you go?”

“Well, I assume she used me as bait. If she hadn’t captured me, you would have gone straight back to the Summer lands. Instead, you had incentive to go to the Autumn Court first.” A nod. “Yes, the more I think about this, the more it makes sense. She wanted you to rescue me so that I could accompany you and ensure you returned to the Summer lands safely, with her incorrect information.”

Another dose of realization smacked me hard in the face. “That’s why the Hunters wanted to trap us in that room. So we couldn’t leave and come here. They didn’t want us to warn you.”

“Well, if we’re able to figure it out, then the Winter Court will be able to figure it out, too.” The King shifted on his throne of flowers. “All we have to do is sit tight and wait. The Winters won’t do anything rash. They’re not like the Summers.”

“Yes, but they have the Summers whispering into their ears,” Liam said with a deep frown. “This isn’t something that can be ignored. Sitting tight means you’re just a sitting duck.”

“Alright, alright.” The King raised his hand and motioned at the Hunters that lined the wall by the doors. “Send out a troop of scouts to explore the boundary. Get some Sylphs involved if you can. Tell them to look for any sign of an army on its way. We’ll need to have some time to prepare, if they’re really coming.”

* * *

The King dismissed us so that he could speak with some of his advisors in private, but he invited us to stay within the castle grounds, at least until the morning. Alwyn wasn’t sold on the idea, but she didn’t argue against the King’s wishes. My instructors didn’t seem much happier than she did.

“He’s an old male fae, so he’s stuck in his ways,” Finn said quietly when the six of us gathered in the quarters that had been given to Alwyn. “He talks about the Winter Royals not being rash, but he’s slower to movement than they are. He’s not going to budge an inch until he’s certain they’ll show up on his doorstep.”

“There must be something else we can do,” I said. “Although I guess it’s good news that we were wrong, as much as I hate that the Summer Hunters and Queen Viola used me to try and start a war.”

In fact, I was livid about it. I kept going over the events of that mission over and over again, wondering if I should have seen the truth of what we’d done. Some kind of sign that things weren’t as they seemed. Some kind of gut instinct that we were being conned. But I didn’t know how I could have known. The Queen of Autumn had just slaughtered the Summer Royals. There was no reason to believe that they—or at least some of them—had decided to work with her.

“Fortunately, there’s no rush,” Alwyn said. “The Spring Court won’t be attacking. Let’s all get some rest, and we can revisit the issue in the morning.”

Back in my quarters, I threw open the double doors that led out onto a back patio. It overlooked the expansive gardens. Underneath the pale moon, bright yellow bulbs glistened like fairy lights. As I stood there watching, I swore I saw their stems lengthen and their colors brighten. Every season I’d seen so far had been one of beauty. So vibrant and alive, so much more so than the realm I’d once called my home.

Seeing it fall, seeing the realm torn to shreds…it was a reality I couldn’t bear to imagine.

“Do you enjoy the flowers?” Kael, my Winter prince, had materialized on the patio to my left. His room was next to mine, and he must have seen me standing out here. That or he’d wanted to take a look at the gardens himself. Kael liked to pretend he wasn’t moved by the beauty of this world, but I knew he was.

“They’re beautiful,” I said, turning toward him and hugging my arms around my body. The nights were cooler here. Not the kind of cold that sunk into your bones, but the kind that whispered across your skin.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then snapped it shut.

“How is Bree?” I asked. After healing from her Redcap bite, she’d stayed at the Academy to train with the changelings, working personally with Kael. Bree would never be the same, even if the Winter Starlight had saved her. She’d always be part-beast, and she was coming to terms with that, now that she could control everything about her new existence.

“She hates that you went on that mission without her. I think she’d rather be fighting by your side. But Alwyn ordered her to stay put.”

Alwyn again, always ordering people around.

“And I know what Alwyn said to you and the others. I know she ordered you to stay away from me.”

Kael reached out and trailed his finger along the flowers blooming on the edge of the bannister. “It sounds as though Alwyn has told you many things. What you are, for example. I know you’re not happy about the secrets, but there were good reasons for it, Norah. Queen Viola wants every Greater Fae dead. We had to tell the changelings another story, or else word would have spread. They certainly enjoy gossiping.”

His eyes pierced mine, and I swallowed hard. “And the whole keep your distance thing?”

“If you’re asking whether or not I wanted to keep my distance from you, I think you know the truth.” His dark eyes glittered. “Or have you forgotten the way I kissed you already?”

Oh, trust me. That’s one memory I’d never be able to forget.

But instead of saying that, I shifted to the edge of my patio and let a small smile play across my lips. “Maybe you could remind me.”

Kael reached out and caressed my neck. A thousand sparks lit up my skin, and my entire body shuddered in response. He gazed deep into my eyes, those eyes that were the vision of a star-studded night. Kael, my prince of ice with a heart so kind. I knew he saw himself as a beast, but he was anything but.

A low whistle echoed in the night. Kael stiffened and cut his eyes away from me, turning to stare out at the expensive gardens of the Spring Court. A dark cloud had shuttered the moon, plunging the castle into an eerie darkness. What had been a glowing field of gardens moments before was nothing more than dark and suffocating shadows.

“Something isn’t right.” Kael leapt over the bannister separating my patio from his and he pressed his back against me, keeping his body between me and whatever had caught his attention.

My heart began to tremble, and my eyes went wide as I scanned the darkness for any signs of danger.

Another whistle. This time, it was much lower and sounded much further away. A second later, another whistle, closer and higher. My breath caught in my throat when I realized what it was. Some kind of signal. A call and an answer.

Kael turned and motioned for me to go back into my quarters. Once we were inside, he shut the double doors and flicked the lock. His face was grave; his eyes dark. “Stay here. I’m going to go warn King Deri and the others. Someone is out there. Several someones unless my ears deceived me. We may be under attack.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded and watched Kael disappear through the door leading into the hallway. I grabbed a soft blanket from the bed and wrapped it over my shoulders, padding over to the glass double doors to peer into the night. Someone was here, but who? Kael didn’t seem to think the Winter Court would attack, but perhaps Viola had brought her men here herself.

Something loud crashed just outside my doors, and I jumped almost ten feet in the air. A sharp cry soon followed from a voice that was deeply etched in pain. I glanced over my shoulder at the door Kael had just disappeared through and then back out at the dark gardens. There was no telling how long it would take him to return.

With a deep breath, I threw off my blanket, grabbed my sword, and drew the shadows in around me, blocking myself from view of anyone who might be lurking outside. I pushed open the doors and strode out into the night. The castle was eerily silent. Too silent. Before, there’d been chirping birds and the steady buzzing of a million different insects.

Now, there was nothing.

Something cracked nearby, and I turned to see a hulking shadow stepping out from behind my open door. Blazing red hair, fierce orange eyes, and a smug smile that made my bones clench tight with rage. It was Phelan.

“I’m not exactly sure where you are, but I know it’s you out here. I saw the door open, all by itself.” His grin widened as he flicked his fingers at something just behind me. “Come out, little changeling. Or else I’ll kill her.”

I turned. Two of the Summer Hunters stood behind me. And they held their daggers at a squirming Sophia’s throat.