My stomach rumbled as I pulled my lavender hair into a bun. I could only hope they’d feed us here. In the meantime, I decided to feast on a grape lollipop from my bug-out bag.

I rushed into the hallway, blinking at the bright light that streamed in through diamond-paned windows. Judging by the angle, it was already past seven.

With my backpack slung over my shoulder, I hurried down the stairs, then pushed through the door into the floral Tower Green.

Which one was the Cailleach Tower? It’s not like they’d given me a map, and there were towers all over the place. I was pretty sure Cailleach was a fae name, but I’d never learned much of the ancient language.

I scanned the structures before me, referring to my own mental map of the place. The Institute was made of two concentric rings of stone walls—bordered by the river on one side. But embedded in those stone walls were dozens of towers. Cailleach Tower could be any of them.

Even without an actual map, I was lucky enough to have a powerful sense of smell—stronger even than most full-blooded fae. I sniffed the air. Through the floral scents, I picked up a riverbed smell. That was Melusine’s scent, I thought.

I tracked it through the bluebells. The scent was leading me to the largest structure—the gleaming white castle within the fortress walls.

When I reached the enormous wooden door at the structure’s base, I pushed it hard. It groaned open to reveal a carpet of vibrant moss spanning a long corridor. I followed it until I reached what I could only assume was the Great Hall.

A wooden floor and rough-hewn wood beams supported the ceiling. A long banquet table spanned the hall, and five other novices sat around it. The room smelled of rich food, and my stomach rumbled. As I crossed toward the table, they all stared at me.

It was at this point, I wished I’d forgone the lollipop, and I popped it out of my mouth, certain my lips had been stained bright purple.

Light filtered through tall windows onto the laden banquet table. The rich scent of baked pudding filled the air. My mouth watered.

It didn’t take me long to figure out which one was Melusine, considering she was the only other woman in there. At night, I’d only seen a silhouette. In the daylight, I could see that she had blue hair cascading over rich copper skin. She sat on her own, with a few chairs between her and the men.

The other four were fae males, each of them staring at me with a combination of desire and hatred. I was still wearing my crumpled miniskirt from the night before. Contrary to what Aengus had promised, the Institute had not provided us with everything we needed. Not to mention the fact that I was pretty sure I stank of Jack Daniels.

The four fae males looked like purebreds, with pointed ears and elongated canines—which they were already baring at me. Of course they were. Most males from the fae realms treated women as servants, and if you weren’t from one of the noble classes, you were basically a sex slave.

And yet….

Baleros’s fourteenth law of power: Form bonds with unlikely allies.

I didn’t think any of the fae males would be eager to ally with me yet—particularly given the fact that they were all snarling at me. But I decided to take control of the situation, anyway.

“I’m Arianna. Fellow novice.”

One of the males had vibrant orange hair, wreathed with oak leaves. He’d pinned his black clothing with a golden brooch, shaped like a scythe. His family’s emblem, I imagined. He nodded, nearly imperceptibly. “Maddan, Carver of Enemies, son of King Locrinus of the House of the Golden Sickle.”

A prince, then.

“Fintan,” said one with bluish skin and waves of green hair threaded with seaweed. “Slaughterer of the Feeble, Son of Og, House of Allod.”

I knew his kind—they lived in the ocean and ate humans, apart from the livers, for some reason. Apparently, that particular organ was unclean.

Another wore his long, raven hair slicked back, and dark tattoos snaked over his pale skin. I’d mentally labeled him Goth Fae.

He narrowed his dark eyes. “Bran, Slayer of Foe, son of Deurbel, House of—”

But the rest of the conversation was cut short by a loud growl from the fourth fae—one whose claws now dug into the table. He was enormous, with shaggy brown hair, a silver breastplate, and a metal helmet shaped with hounds’ ears. He wore a tunic of black fur. I had a feeling he was a barguest—a ferocious fae that could transform into a black hound.

His horned metal helmet was nearly falling off his head with his fury, and his fiery eyes were locked on me. I wasn’t sure if he hated me for being female, a gutter fae, or if he gave everyone that sort of greeting.

Fine. I didn’t really care who his dad was, and I’d just be calling him Dog Boy.

As the barguest’s growl died down, a hush fell over the room.

Maddan—the prince—sniffed the air, his lip curling. “You’re not a noble Mor, or I’d know of you. No wonder it smells like a gutter fae in here. Female, as well. The knights must be getting desperate.”

“A gutter fae,” Bran repeated. He sniffed the air, too. Not very creative, this one. “You reek like the bottom of a whiskey bottle.”

I cocked my head. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

The barguest growled. “The gutter females in my kingdom are whores. I use them. When I finish, they beg for a coin or two, and I squeeze their throats till they go quiet again.”

Change of plan. I was not making alliances with these twats at any point. In fact, I was going to kill Dog Boy. Somehow during these trials, I’d be running a blade through his chest.

“Agreed.” Sea Monster narrowed his eyes at me. “Where I come from, women like that are used for sport, and then discarded.”

“Where you come from?” I crossed my arms. “A trawler’s net, was it?”

“Once,” continued Maddan, drumming his fingertips on the table, “only noble males were allowed in the Institutes. Now they’ve opened their doors to any old gutter whores. It’s almost enough to make me reconsider my choice to come here.”

I cocked my head. There was only one reason noble males like this came here, and it wasn’t exactly by choice. “But you don’t have any other options, do you? Your older brother will inherit your father’s title, and you’re shit out of luck.” I leaned on the table, looking him right in the eye. “Now you ask yourself why the knights would allow a gutter fae female outlaw in here. And a demi-fae, at that. One with a shady history like myself. Why would they break with tradition? Maybe, just maybe, it’s because they know I’m exceptionally skilled at killing.” I nodded at Melusine. “And maybe Melusine over there has some skills of her own. You’d better hope you get the chance to crawl back home in disgrace, but I think your chances of surviving are slim.”

All four fae males snarled, baring their canines again. And while they got on with that asinine display, I mentally calculated how I could maim all of them in the next thirty seconds. The barguest would be first—I’d use his own knife in his throat. I’d kick Sea Monster in his head, then throw his knife into his chest. By then, the other two would be reacting. Bran would get a shard of ceramic plate in his neck, and Maddan—I think I’d kick Maddan half to death on the wood floor.

I folded my arms, smiling at the mental image. “Anyhoo, nice to meet you all. I’d better eat before I get cranky.”

I crossed to Melusine, who’d ignored the entire encounter. Given that she’d chosen to sit a few seats away from the males, I was starting to give credence to her whole “superior intellect” claims. Best to avoid those arseholes all together.

Now, she was focusing completely on cutting up her food and eating it with remarkable efficiency. If I were going to make any allies here, she seemed like the most reasonable starting point. I dropped my backpack on the floor and pulled out a chair across from her, my mouth watering again at the rich smell of the fae food.

Of all the supernatural creatures, the fae in particular were known for their cooking. Before me lay a plate of strawberries, bread pudding, and apples drizzled with honey.

Maybe being a novice of the Shadow Fae wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Melusine kept her eyes on her food as she ate. “We’ll be matched this morning.”

“Matched?” I asked.

“Yes. We’ll find out which knight will be training us. They’re all highly skilled. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to be matched with Ruadan.”

The buttery bread pudding melted in my mouth. “And why is that?”

“He doesn’t speak, which would make training with him difficult, and I heard he killed his last two novices. Snapped their necks. After they fell, he severed their heads with an iron blade.”

My stomach clenched. This certainly wasn’t getting any better. Hang in there, Ciara.