When we returned to the Academy, Finn, Liam, and Rourke were waiting for us in the library. They looked...disgruntled, to say the least. Arms were crossed over chests, frowns were pulling down lips. They really had the whole disapproving teacher look down pat. I wondered how long they’d been standing here like this.

“Honestly, Kael.” Rourke was the first to speak when we shifted back. “I could believe it of Liam, but you? You’ve got better sense than to take Norah away from here when a bunch of Redcaps have been stalking around just waiting for a chance to attack her.”

“She was fine,” Kael said in a curt tone of voice. “We were far enough away from the Academy that Redcaps weren’t an issue.”

Liam’s face was lined in a scowl, and his bonfire eyes scanned me from head to toe, missing nothing. “Then, why is she ten shades paler than normal? Why is she shaking? What the hell have you done to her?”

Finn was by my side within an instant, sliding his arms around me before I went splat onto the floor. Because Liam was right. I was still nauseous and dizzy, and I felt as though I could barely stand.

Finn huffed as I leaned heavily against him. “Look, Kael. I know she’s probably your mate and all, but you can’t do stuff like this.”

“She’s not my mate,” Kael said softly.

“What?” Rourke asked in a snap. “Are you finally conceding that shifting doesn’t belong to you and you alone? I keep telling you she’s an Autumn fae, and not Winter, but—”

“She’s not yours either.” Kael lifted a finger, pointing it straight at Liam. “She’s his.”

Every head in the room turned toward Liam, whose frown had morphed into an arrogant grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and shot me a wink. Even though I hated the direction this conversation was headed, my cheeks flamed anyway. It was annoying how easily the fae could make me blush, especially since it did nothing but feed his massive ego.

“I knew she wasn’t a cold season,” he said. “You’ve been so stuck on the fact she shifted when she was terrified, but I always thought her fear had more to do with it than anything else.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Finn said, directing his attention toward Kael. “Why do you suddenly think she’s a Summer fae?”

“I had a little run-in with a Breking in the mountains,” Kael said, lips pressed tight together. “She wasn’t able to shift us back, but she did heal me. That’s why she’s so weak.”

Liam clapped his hands and gave me a wide grin. “Good going, darling.”

“Spring fae are sometimes able to heal as well,” Finn argued. “It isn’t a gift that is solely the realm of Summers.”

Rourke frowned. “Again, she was mostly likely afraid in that scenario. I don’t think we can accurately call her a Summer fae until she’s been at the Academy longer.”

“I agree. She’s clearly Spring.”

“Guys,” I said, holding up my hands and twisting my way out of Finn’s warm embrace. “Please stop. You’re all giving me a headache in addition to the headache I already had from the healing thing I did.”

The four of them fell silent and stared at me. I shifted on my feet. It was a little unnerving to have their undivided attention like this, but a part of me kind of liked it, as much as I hated to admit it. They were arguing over which Court I belonged to...which meant every single one of them must have felt the same connections I did.

Why did it have to be just one of them in the end?

“I’m tired,” I finally said. “I’m going to go get some rest.”

They all started talking over each other, arguing about who would escort me back to my apartment. With a roll of my eyes, I held up my hand again. “I can make it to my room by myself.”

They didn’t argue, but they did follow me out into the hallway to watch me walk away. And now that I had my back turned to them, I could let the massive smile widen across my face. Now this...this I could get used to.

* * *

As soon as the sun broke through the morning clouds, I slid out of my bedroom window and whispered across the lawn. I’d donned an Autumn golden cloak, and I managed to clamber onto the horse Liam and I had taken when we’d visited Esari. I needed to find Bree, give her the flower, and return to the Academy before anyone noticed I was gone.

It was strange going alone. While I’d spent most of my life in the presence of my own company, Otherworld Academy had been different. There was always someone around, except during the long stretches on Watch Duty. At first, I found it unnerving, but I’d grown used to the bustle of activity and the changelings who were beginning to feel like friends.

When I reached the edge of the Autumn woods, I slowed the horse and dropped to the ground. I’d told Bree to hide out somewhere nearby, but it was impossible to know exactly where she’d gone. I’d just have to explore every inch of the edge of the woods until I found her.

After at least two hours of walking, the crack of a branch sounded from behind me. I whirled on my feet, expecting to see Bree’s relieved face under her mess of dark hair. Instead, several Autumn fae stood before me, aiming arrows at my throat.

“Who are you and why are you here?” A silver-haired fae strode forward from the group, his golden eyes glittering like stars.

I held up my hands. “I’m one of the recruits at Otherworld Academy. I’m just here looking for my friend.”

His eyes narrowed. “The Academy is hours away.”

“I rode a horse,” I said, hands still raised. “I left it back there at the edge of the woods while I searched for my friend.”

“And why is your friend lost in our woods?” he asked in a steely voice. “As I said before, the Academy is hours away. It seems unlikely she would have wandered that far from home.”

I didn’t really have a good excuse for this, so I had to use the first thought that popped into my brain.

“She found out that she’s an Autumn fae last week,” I said. “She was curious about this place, so she decided to go off and explore. It’s been a couple of days since she left, so I thought I’d come looking for her.”

The fae didn’t look convinced. “Then, why haven’t the instructors sent a search party out for her? These woods are dangerous for a lone changeling female to be wandering around, especially at night.”

“You’re right,” I said, biting my tongue. “I thought I could find her myself, but clearly I was wrong. I’ll tell my instructors as soon as I get back to the Academy.”

“What does your friend look like?” a female fae asked from where she stood clustered with the others. Her bow had slightly lowered, but the intensity of her stare kept my fear firmly in place.

“Long, dark hair,” I said. “Really blue eyes. She’s about my height, but she’s a little thinner.”

The fae male in front turned sharply to face the others behind him. They all exchanged measured glances, and my palms began to sweat. They knew something, though the expressions on their faces didn’t make me think it was anything good. Had they seen Bree? Or had they seen the monstrous version of herself?

After a long, torturous moment, he turned back to face me with a cruel mask painting his sharp and pointed features. “You made a mistake in coming here, changeling.”

My heart galloped hard in my chest. If only I hadn’t left my horse behind, I could get the hell out of here before the situation turned worse. They must have seen Bree, and they must have known she was a wolf. Had they hurt her? Had she managed to get away?

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my chin and met the fae male’s gaze head on. “Listen, I’m not lying. My friend is lost in these woods, and I’m trying to find her. Do you know where she is?”

The fae male’s gaze flicked to my mother’s necklace dangling from my neck. His eyes widened slightly, and his voice was softer when he asked, “Where did you get that necklace?”

“This?” I traced my finger along the edges of the pendant, my heart pulsing at the memory of my mom and what I’d left behind. “It was a gift from my mother.”

The fae male was quiet for a moment. “Your friend is no longer here. She was chased out of here by hunters.”

“Where did she go?”

“Your friend is no longer your friend,” he said as if I hadn’t said a word. “You would be wise to cease your search for her. And the next time you trespass on another Court’s lands, you should be careful not to lie. The next group you meet might not be as forgiving as we are.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop me.

“Leave now, changeling. Return to the safety of your Academy.” He took one last glance at my necklace. “These woods are not safe for you.”

* * *

I didn’t waste any time getting the hell out of there. As soon as I found my horse, I gripped tight on the reigns while he galloped back to the Academy. My plan for saving Bree was beginning to unravel, and I didn’t know how to tie the strings back together again.

She’d been in the Autumn woods, but they’d forced her to go somewhere else. Had she returned to the free territory? Or had she tried to take sanctuary in one of the other seasons? If so, how would I ever find her? Kael had said she might not have much time. I needed to get this flower to her before it was too late to save her from the beast within.

When I returned to the stables on the Academy grounds, Liam was waiting for me beside the empty stall. His arms were crossed over his chest, and fire danced in his eyes. He was a picture of pure masculinity, but that fire and fury was aimed right at me. And I knew exactly why.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” The words exploded from his throat with an intensity that made me jump. The horse neighed beside me and pawed at the ground before backing up a few steps.

“You’re scaring your horse,” I said.

He snorted. “Of course she’s scared. You took her from the stables without asking me, when there are Redcaps roaming the forest every night.”

“Oh, stop being so bossy. I’m not an idiot, even though you seem to think I am.” I rolled my eyes. “I left at dawn. No Redcaps.”

“It’s still dangerous.” He stalked toward me and wrapped his hand around my neck, forcing me to look into his orange eyes. “Don’t you know what could have happened to you out there?”

My heart lurched in my chest, both at his words and at the look in his eye. His hand was tight against me, but it was strangely gentle, almost as if he were afraid I would break. “You said it was safe during the day. You said I could go for a swim in the river if I wanted. Why is going for a horse ride any different?”

“And you just went for a horse ride?” he asked as he took a step closer, keeping a tight hold on my neck. “You didn’t go searching for someone? Or something?”

My heart beat harder. Had Kael told Liam and the others about Bree? He’d said he wouldn’t, but Liam, Finn, and Rourke had been in a state when we’d gotten back from our trip to the Winter Court. Maybe he’d ended up telling them everything.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tried.

“Nope. I can tell by the flicker in your eyes that you’re lying.” He leaned down so that our eyes were in line, and a storm of summer rain and wildflowers filled my head. “Kael told me about Bree. I know you went to find her. You should have asked one of us to go with you. Don’t you understand how worried I’ve been all day? It’s been driving me out of my damn mind. There’s a hole in the wall over there. Want to know what it’s from? Me. Driven crazy thinking something had killed you.”

“Liam,” I whispered, shaking my head as I flicked my eyes to the wall. There was in fact a massive hole, and the wood had splintered all over the floor.

“If something happened to you,” he growled, “I don’t know how I could handle it. It would destroy me, Norah. Don’t you get that?”

His grip tightened on my neck, and he yanked me closer. Hungry lips pressed against mine, and his tongue dove into my mouth. Excitement and desire sparked through me. Heat spread through my gut. I pressed up onto my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He growled and hooked his arms underneath my legs, hoisting me from the ground. I almost moaned from how good it felt to have his lips on my skin. It was every bit as passionate and fiery as I’d imagined. Maybe even more so.

A throat cleared from behind us, and Liam stiffened. I pulled away from him, breath heaving, stars dancing in my eyes. Someone had walked in on us, and I had the sneaking suspicion that it might be one of my other instructors. Hopefully, it wasn’t Kael.

“Liam, I thought you knew better than to get involved with a changeling recruit before her graduation.” The Head Instructor’s voice was sharp and cold, and dread slipped down my spine. Slowly, Liam eased me onto the ground. My knees were shaky underneath me, especially when I turned to face the Head Instructor. Her face reflected everything in her voice.

“Apologies.” He gave her a curt nod, one that held none of the warmth he’d just been showering on me. “But I have reason to believe that Norah is my mate.”

“As far as I’m aware, Kael has much more reason to believe she’s a Winter fae.” She tsked, shaking her head. “There are reasons these rules exist, Liam. Go to my office. I’ll be there shortly, and we’ll have a chat about this situation.”

“It was my fault,” I blurted out. I had no idea why I said it. The words just popped out before I could stop them.

She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t doubt you were involved in this, but I have something else I need to speak with you about. Bree Paine. I’ve received word from the Autumn Court that her wounds infected her, and she’s quickly transforming into a Redcap. And they believe you know where she is.”

My heart hammered hard. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean.” A pause. “Where is she, Norah?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” I said, hoping she could see the truth in my eyes. Because I didn’t know where Bree was. She’d been run out of the Autumn Court, and there was no telling where she’d gone.

The Head Instructor narrowed her eyes and sniffed. “For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. Because if she shows her Redcap face anywhere near this Academy, we won’t hesitate to shoot her on the spot.”