“Come on.” Cade’s voice was rough. “We should get inside before anyone sees us.”

“Yeah. Definitely.” I looked away from him, up at the city towering above. There were at least a dozen buildings stacked on top of each other, all made of pressed sand with several walkways and tunnels weaving through them.

The exterior was rough and worn, though it looked like it’d once been carved with decorative leaves and flowers. Now, it was crumbling and pockmarked with gray streaks. From the VDBs, or the dark curse?

All the same, it was truly fantastical. Something straight out of another world.

“This way.” Cade led me toward an opening at the base of the wall.

It looked like it had once been wider, spilling out onto the desert plain, but it was boarded up with wood now. There was just a narrow opening for a regular-sized person to fit through. No giant VDBs.

I ran my hand over the rough wood as I stepped between the boards. “This was added later, wasn’t it? After the VDBs arrived.”

“I think so,” Cade said.

I inspected the alley we’d entered. It was about ten feet across and lit by glowing yellow lamps. They weren’t electric or fire, but magic.

This whole place probably didn’t have electric—the Fae were known for scorning modern conveniences. And when this place had reached its heyday a few hundred years ago, electricity hadn’t even been invented.

I looked upward. This alley rose all the way up—a full six stories—and terminated at a wooden roof. Light streamed through cracks, shining on dust motes that danced in the air.

“Yeah, they added all the wood to keep out the VDBs.” I shuddered. “Can’t blame ‘em.”

“Why don’t we see if we can find a bar or pub where we can ask around for information.”

“Great idea.”

We set off down the dark, narrow road. The buildings on either side looked abandoned, but noise came from higher up on our right.

A set of winding stairs caught my eye. “Come on.”

I gestured for Cade to follow, then climbed onto the sandstone stairs.

As I climbed up into the city, it became clear there truly was no rhyme or reason to how the rooms and buildings had been laid out. Pathways cut through at all angles and heights, along with more stairs going up, down, left, and right.

Generally, it was dimly lit—especially in the alleys that had sandstone for a roof instead of slats of wood.

“This place is a trip,” I muttered.

“Earth Fae used to live here,” Cade said. “They could navigate this type of structure easily.”

“I’m barely keeping my bearings. This must be why Jude’s map is so sparse.”

“There’s never been much record of this place. I’d only ever heard of it. The maze city in the desert.”

Pounding footsteps made me freeze. Behind me, Cade did the same. The hair on my arms rose as the footsteps came nearer.

Friend or foe?

“Oy! You there!” the voice sounded from my left.

I turned, searching the dimly lit passage.

A large man hurried toward us, hand raised. “What do you think yer doing?”

Foe.

“Run,” I whispered. I’d seen this sort of man before. Big, gruff, voice full of command.

He was either police, or he liked to act like it.

And he was hunting for trouble.

I sprinted up the stairs, calculating that we were roughly three stories up. Cade stayed close behind, his footsteps silent.

At the next landing, I darted left, running down a darkened corridor and taking the next stairs on the right. We passed by windows lit with pale yellow light and two older women sitting in a doorway. Up and down, left and right, I ran through the maze.

Finally, I stopped, panting. We were at a crossroads, with two of the nearby buildings spilling yellow light into the passage.

“We lost them.” Cade peered back down the way we’d come.

“Yeah.”

“How’d you know he was trouble?” Cade asked.

I shrugged. “Got a sense for it, that’s all. Didn’t you hear it in his voice?”

“He was trying to indicate who was boss.” Cade shrugged.

“Ha. Well, to someone of my size, that means stay away.” I looked him up and down, taking in the muscles and magic. “But I bet no one pulls that trick with you. Not when they get up close.”

“Not usually.”

“Hmm. Well, stick with me, buddy. I’ll show you the ones to avoid.” I might have some badass magic, but my desire to keep on the down-low had taught me how to stay away from trouble.

If there was going to be trouble, I wanted to be the one starting it.

The sound of music filtered down one of the streets. I tilted my head, trying to get a better sense of it.

“Hear that?” I murmured.

“Some kind of bar.”

“Let’s go find it.” I set off after the music, walking down the abandoned street.

Yellow lamps lit our way. On either side of the road, there were apartments or houses or shops. I couldn’t tell which, since the window glass was frosted and only allowed light to escape. For every set of lit windows, there were at least ten darkened ones. This place was definitely down and out.

“Just outcasts and outlaws living here now,” Cade murmured. “Only the sorts willing to live with the VDBs.”

I was all too familiar with that. Back in Death Valley, there was an underground mountain city called Hider’s Haven. Ana and I had delivered outlaws to the city so they could hide out from whatever hunted them.

But we’d never wanted to live there ourselves—no matter what hunted us or how close it got.

I loathed this type of closed-in living. This was barely tolerable, and only because it was above ground.

Music spilled out of a doorway up ahead.

I sidled up to it and glanced inside, spotting a bar or nightclub. The walls were covered in glittering green leaves—magic, not real leaves. Glasses of neon liquid in all the shades of the rainbow sat on blue glass tables, around which sat surly-looking individuals. Most of them had the dusty tan skin of the Earth Fae. Their hair were all shades of browns, as were their eyes. There were a few other species here and there, though I couldn’t identify most of them.

On the tiny stage in the corner stood a woman with blue skin and fabulous wings, belting her heart out to some tune about Vampire Demon Bats stealing the one she loved.

I glanced at Cade. “Ready?”

“Let’s go.”

We entered and wound our way through the crowd, headed toward the blue-glass bar. Several people shot us suspicious looks, but I averted my gaze.

No doubt they weren’t used to new people. It was going to be tricky to find someone to talk to about the dark curse hanging over this place.

We found an empty spot at the bar, and I eyed the many bottles of jewel-toned liquor. They were right up my alley—I didn’t need to taste them to know I’d like them—but now wasn’t the time to get tipsy.

I leaned my back against the bar and surveyed the room for potential targets. There was a group of women giggling at the end of the bar. Nope. A rowdy crowd of guys around a card table. Nope again. A drunken couple in the corner who were sucking on each other’s faces. Definitely nope.

But that left a few loners hanging out around the place—men and women both.

“What do you say we split up?” I asked.

“And try our wiles separately?”

A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I’d like to see your wiles.”

His brows rose.

Whoops. I’d meant that to be a silly joke, but it was actually a bit too honest.

“Whatever,” I said. “Just split up. Try to find something about the cause of this dark curse that’s seeping into the Protectorate, then we’ll reconvene.”

“Good plan.”

I watched him amble off toward a woman who sat alone near the stage. She had a red bouffant and a dress that was seriously flattering on her curvy figure.

I didn’t love the tug of jealousy, so I turned from them, scouting the end of the bar that wasn’t staked out by the supernatural hen party.

And it looked like my luck was about to pan out.

A youngish guy was approaching me. Barely twenty, if I had to guess, with a skinny frame and a peacock’s flare of blue hair. He was cute, if you were into teenagers.

My gaze strayed back to Cade, who now sat next to the pretty woman.

Yeah, I wasn’t into teenagers.

But I pasted a welcoming smile onto my face and tried to make my eyes twinkle at the would-be suitor. From his faltering step, it probably came off as a bit manic.

I cleared my throat and toned it down, leaning against the bar in what I hoped was a seductive pose. When I started to keel over a bit too much, I stiffened and straightened.

Yeah, intentional flirting was not for me.

The kid stopped by my side, a few inches taller than me. “Hey, I haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Not my usual place.” I tried a smile.

He didn’t wince or back up, so it must have looked pretty normal. Jackpot.

This undercover stuff wasn’t so hard. The Academy would be proud of me.

A slender female bartender approached us, her small horns peeking out from her black hair. A demon. Though what kind, I had no idea.

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“I have no idea.” And it was true. I didn’t recognize a thing on the menu above the bar.

“Try a Fae Fancy. My treat,” the kid said.

“Is it pink?” I asked.

“Sure is.” The bartender grinned, revealing four sets of fangs. She turned and went to make the drink.

I turned to the kid. “How’d you know I like pink drinks?”

He shrugged. “Don’t most girls?”

Well, no. But I didn’t correct him. I smiled instead, though it was more like baring my teeth. “I’m Bree.”

“Emrys.”

“Nice to meet you, Emrys.”

The bartender returned with the Fae Fancy, and I took a sip while Emrys paid. The flavor of raspberries and the bite of liquor exploded on my tongue.

I grinned. “It’s great.”

“Good.” He smiled.

Should I just jump into the questions or flirt a bit more? I was about to lead in with a comment about the weather—super exciting!—when a gruff voice sounded from behind us.

“I think this pretty lady wants a real man.”

Ew.

I turned. The man who stood behind me was a hulking bruiser of a guy. A couple inches over six feet with muscles stacked on top of muscles and not much neck to speak of.

Call me crazy, but I was partial to necks.

“I know what I want.” And it wasn’t this dude.

“You’re not from around here.” The man leaned closer, giving me a whiff of way too much cologne. “Don’t normally like outsiders. Except you, pretty girl.”

“Ugh. Not my style.” I conjured a dagger and pressed it lightly against his side. “Now, why don’t you leave us alone?”

The kid stepped in between me and the bruiser. “Lay off the lady, huh?”

Not good.

The hulk pulled back a fist and punched Emrys in the stomach. He dropped his drink, which splattered cold blue stuff all over my pants, and doubled over.

I didn’t actually want to stab the guy, so I threw a punch, nailing him in the face. He was so big he hardly moved, but his head snapped to the side.

A growl rose in his throat.

Fear and excitement rushed through me, like my body was a crowd of high schoolers screaming “fight!”

He turned to me, eyes flaring in rage, and raised a hand, his palm open.

He wanted to slap me?

It was almost an insult.

But Cade was there a half second later, yanking on the man’s hand.

“Thanks.” I threw another punch, this time giving it my all.

The guy swung to the side, and Cade shoved him to the ground. It all happened in a second.

Cade grinned at me. “Nice work.”

“Yeah.” We were a good team.

Emrys straightened, coughing. His wide gaze went to the jerk who was climbing up off the floor. Then he glanced around the bar. His face whitened.

I turned to look.

Everyone was getting to their feet—and worse, their faces were shifting. The pretty, human visages were transforming into haggard, feral faces with long fangs.

“Aw hell,” Emrys muttered. “Fae fight.”

“What’s that?” I called on my magic, getting ready to blast the crap out of anyone who came near. Not that it would be a good idea, considering the fact that I could take down the city around us. Maybe I should stick to my sword.

The angry Fae started toward us.

“Outsiders shouldn’t start fights,” the bartender muttered.

Yeah, she had a point there.

“Come on,” Emrys said.

Then he turned and ran.

I glanced at Cade, who nodded. Yep—a man after my own heart. I sprinted after Emrys, following him around the left side of the bar and out the back door. Cade brought up the rear.

The back alley was narrower than others we’d traversed. Emrys was already fifteen feet away, racing down the passage.

He looked back over his shoulder. “Hurry up!”

This wasn’t how I’d expected to find an ally and hopefully get my answers, but I wasn’t going to look a gift Fae in the mouth.

I picked up the pace, lungs burning.

Shouts sounded from behind us as the mob spilled out into the alley.

Cade and I followed Emrys left, up some stairs, and then right, along another alley.

It was a dead end.

Emrys crouched on the ground, fumbling with something. He looked up, eyes wild. “Hold them off! The trap door is stuck.”

I spun. Cade did the same, standing between me and the mob. I joined him, calling my daggers from the ether.

Our would-be attackers spilled into the passage, haggard faces lit by the golden light of the wall lamps. They looked ravenous, their jaws hanging low to reveal fangs and their eyes burning bright.

“Shit, the Fae are scary,” I murmured.

“In fighting form, yes.”

One darted forward, claws outstretched. I chucked a dagger, aiming to maim, not kill. The dagger sank into the figure’s side, and he shrieked, going to his knees and sprawling on the ground.

I threw my other dagger, taking out the Fae behind that one.

Magic swirled around Cade as he called his shield from the ether. He hurled it in a tightly controlled manner, bowling over a half dozen Fae before the shield returned to him like a bullet.

He caught like it was nothing.

“Almost there!” Emrys said.

Whatever he was doing, I hoped it got us out of here, because there were a lot of Fae. They just kept coming, climbing over the bodies of their fallen peers.

Oddly enough, their magic smelled mostly of fresh air and wide-open spaces on the prairie. They weren’t evil—just mad. Or hungry?

“Back off!” a voice roared.

“Oh, shit.” Emrys’s voice went high with fear.

A figure in a long brown coat cut through the Fae who were now only twenty feet away. His magic rolled out in front of him like rancid black smoke.

The Fae might not feel evil, but this guy sure did.

“Don’t get hit with his magic!” Emrys cried.

The evil Fae’s face was as ragged as the rest, but his eyes burned with a particularly dark light. He raised his hand and threw a blast of smoky yellow magic at us.

Cade lunged in front of me and raised his shield, taking the brunt of the hit. The smoky yellow magic turned to liquid when it hit the metal. It splashed, and I lunged backward, avoiding it. Cade winced, something I’d never seen him do.

“We’re through!” Emrys cried.

I spun, catching sight of him dropping through a trap door.

I had no idea where we were going, but it really didn’t matter. The Fae were nearly on us.

I leapt into the dark hole. Cade followed.

Emrys lunged for the trap door and slammed it shut, then smashed his hand against an amber crystal that glowed in the wall. Magic surged on the air, glowing with a golden light that surrounded the trap door.

“It’s locked.” Emrys leaned against the wall of the dark tunnel, panting. His face was pale and sweaty.

Shakily, I joined Cade and leaned against the other wall, my muscles trembling. I hadn’t realized how scared I was, but it hit me now. “What the hell was that?”

“We Fae are a little weird after being cooped up here so long.” Emrys pushed his hair off his sweaty forehead. “It’s like cabin fever, but worse.”

“You’re one of them?” I asked. “Why didn’t you turn?”

“I was the prey.” He shrugged. “Happens to all of us at some point. Fights ignite our feral instincts. We shift into our battle form, consumed by bloodlust. But the one who’s being chased usually stays sane—the ol’ fight or flight instinct. We need to flee, because we won’t win the fight.”

“So, you would’ve shifted like they did if someone else was prey?”

“Basically.” He gestured around. “It’s why we built these escape tunnels. We don’t want to kill each other, so we’ve had to think of clever ways around it.”

I inspected the dark tunnel—it wasn’t dissimilar from the rest of the passages around town, except for the fact it wasn’t as well lit.

My gaze landed on Cade, who’d been unusually silent next to me. His shield was eaten through by the yellow liquid, which now gleamed on his skin. He was doubled over, his face pale and drawn.

“Oooh, shit,” Emrys said. “He hit you?”

“What is that stuff?” I demanded.

“Deadly. The guy in the coat was The Pennaeth. The most powerful of us all. His magic is more deadly than anything in the world. Some kind of poison.”

“There’s no antidote?” Cade’s voice was rough.

“I thought you could heal yourself?” I demanded, fear chilling my skin.

“Not this time.” Cade winced. “I don’t know why it’s not working.”

“Nothing can defeat the Bossan’s magic,” Emrys said. “It’s the concentrated dark influence of the Fae.”

“That sounds bad.” My gaze raced over Cade.

“It is.” Emrys pushed away from the wall and gestured for us to follow. “Come on. I can make you more comfortable, at least. My grandfather is a healer who can help.”

We followed. I tried to put an arm around Cade to help him walk, but he shook his head.

“Don’t let it touch you,” he murmured.

Helplessness welled within me, making me feel like a rat trapped in a box.

“How long do I have?” Cade asked.

“You won’t die—at least not from the poison.” Emrys turned a corner and led us down a narrow passage. “But you won’t get any better, either. Most people just kill themselves. The pain is too much to bear.”

Oh, shit. Bile rose in my throat. I could almost imagine what Cade felt. As if I felt it myself. It was a weird kind of connection I’d never felt before.

“We need to get you back to the Protectorate,” I said. “They’ll have a cure.”

“No, they won’t,” Emrys said.

I wanted to punch him.

“We need to finish this,” Cade said. “It’s vital that we find what’s threatening the Protectorate.”

“We’re here.” Emrys stopped in front of a ladder. “My place is up there. My grandfather will have something to help you with the pain.”

We followed him up the ladder and onto a main street. The golden lamps glowed in this part of the Fae city, and several of the windows were lit from within. There were no feral Fae to be seen.

Emrys let us into the apartment, which had a relatively large living room decorated with old furniture. Doors led off from each wall, but I couldn’t see into them. Emrys pointed to the couch. “You can wait there.”

Cade limped over to the couch. I joined him, my stomach turning with worry.

“How do you feel?” I demanded.

“Fine.” His voice was tight.

“Liar.” I inspected the gleaming yellow liquid that coated his arm and was splashed across his chest in little droplets. “You really can’t heal yourself?”

He shook his head, face pale. “This hasn’t happened before.”

Something that could take down a god? Dread opened a chasm in my chest. It made me feel hollow.

My gaze returned to his arm. Something in my chest tugged, an unfamiliar sensation of pain and knowledge. Connection.

Like I, too, was wounded.

Emrys returned to the room. “Come on. Grandfather has drawn a healing bath. It’ll make you feel a little better, at least.”

Cade rose, and I followed, twisting my hands. Emrys led us down a hall to another room. There was a shower in one corner, and a basin dug into the ground in the center of the room. Opaque, blue water filled the basin, steaming in the cool air.

Emrys pointed to the shower. “Wash the poison off in there, then get in the bath for thirty minutes. It should help some.”

Cade nodded, then limped to the shower. I stood, helpless.

“You sure you want to be here for this?” Emrys asked.

“I’ll turn around.”

Emrys shrugged. “Up to you. My grandfather will come in a while and see if he can help more.”

He turned to leave, but I reached out a hand to stop him. “Why are you helping us?”

“Isn’t that what you came here for?” He smiled. “It’s obvious now that you’re not a trader or explorer.”

“Yeah, but at most I expected some answers. Not this.”

He shrugged. “Well, I’m not going to leave you to die, am I?”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

He nodded and left. Cade was stripping out of his shirt, so I faced the wall.

He was so quiet—so drawn in by his pain. Did he even realize I was here?

Maybe not.

The water turned on. A low groan sounded. Images flashed through my mind. Cade in the shower. Naked. Cade hurt.

In pain.

That last one made my stomach turn.

A few minutes later, the water stopped running. I couldn’t hear him, but I swore I could feel him walking across the room toward the bath. The water splashed slightly.

“I’m in,” he said. “And decent.”

I turned. He was submerged up to the middle of his chest in the milky, blue water. Broad muscles gleamed through the steam. I joined him, sitting on the ground.

“How do you feel?”

“Fine.”

“Liar.”

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck, then.”

I’d wanted honesty, but I didn’t like hearing that.

My gaze traced over the muscles of his chest, seeking damage from the poison. I saw nothing, but was drawn to the area nonetheless. A couple inches below his right collarbone, an area seemed to glow.

I pointed to it, careful not to touch his skin. “Did it hit you there?”

“Aye. How can you tell? There’s no mark.”

“I have no idea.” His arm called to me—as if it, too, were shining with light. “And your left forearm. The poison covered half of it, didn’t it? There are a few splashes on the back of it, too. And some in the middle of your chest.”

“Are you really that observant?” he asked.

“No.” I generally only noticed things that flew right at my face. Not little stuff like this. But somehow I just knew that was where the poison had been.

It called to me, urging me to touch his skin where it had landed. I could feel his pain on my own skin. I shifted on the hard ground, weirded out and uncomfortable.

Touch him.

The voice echoed in my head—feminine and unfamiliar.

Heal him.

Whoa!

I blinked. Was I hearing this right?

Magic sparked within me—something totally new. It filled me, ready to explode free.

Heal him. Use your gift.

The magic pulsed inside me, fighting to be set free—to be released into Cade. To heal him.

Holy fates—this was what had happened back at San Zaccaria in Venice, when I’d gained my new power over water.

Something was changing within me. More magic—new magic—swelled within my chest. Trying to break free.

Instinct drove me to press my hands to Cade’s chest. He was hard and warm. On fire.

He flinched, surprised. His gaze rose to my own. A connection flared between us as I fed my magic into him, giving him a healing light that flowed from my chest, down my arms, and into him.

He gasped quietly, lips parting. Confusion creased his brow.

“What are you doing?” he murmured.

“No idea.” My gaze raced over him, looking for signs of improvement.

In my head, the voice whispered, More! More! Heal him.

I followed its command, feeding him more magic.

“The pain is fading,” he murmured. “How?”

“Still no idea.” My breath grew short as the last of my magic flowed into him. I sagged, barely able to prop myself up against the hard ground.

Cade surged upright, the water sloshing, and reached for me. His strong arms held me upright, keeping me from collapsing on the ground. Warmth flowed into me, tension and pleasure. Despite my exhaustion—and confusion and fear—my body heated, drawn to Cade.

I looked up at him, suddenly aware of his nakedness. Of the miles of muscles that were pressed against me. Of his closeness.

My breath caught, heat racing across my skin as visions of him kissing me raced through my head.

Then a voice came from the door to the room, jerking me out of my trance. “Alateivia.”