A week after the opening ceremony, Raith sat on the edge of his bed in the castle and pulled his boots on. With everyone coming to witness The Hunt, he had decided to spend the night inside the castle instead of in his tree. He didn’t understand why so many people cared to come to this event. It wasn’t as if they could see The Hunt itself. He and Cade would be in the dark forest, searching for a fucking boar. What better way to have two brothers duke it out than to have them hunt for dinner? Seriously, who decided that?

No point in complaining now. Raith made his way to the courtyard. The king and queen sat on the outdoor thrones that had been moved there for the occasion. The same fae that had introduced everyone at the ball stood next to Kassandra. Raith walked up to them, bowed to the king and queen, and waited next to the other fae. A few minutes later, Cade showed up, hand-in-hand with Scarlett, who wore a dazed expression on her face. His brother must have just fed on her.

Raith hadn’t seen Scarlett since they’d made the bargain—when they sealed it with that kiss. Its intensity surprised Raith. He could sense that he and Scarlett shared a strong chemistry and had made the kiss part of the deal just to mess with her head. But the sparks between them exploded when their lips met. It made him even more curious about the human, something that could become dangerous.

Another flash of her memory hit him when their lips had met. A woman lay dead on the floor, blood splattered at her sides. It was horrific and Raith pushed it away, then got lost in the passion between them. But in that short moment, the pain he experienced felt like being carved alive with the dullest of blades, excruciating and never-ending. It was Scarlett’s pain, and now he understood why it had been so easy for Cade to lure her to Faerie.

He did as she wished. He returned Natalie to her home, her memories of Faerie wiped. Even though fixing her pain wasn’t part of the deal, Raith felt for the girl. Her silly human vanity was making her miserable. A boyfriend had told her to lose weight, and that tiny seed had sprouted into an entire garden of self-doubt. Raith didn’t like messing with memories—it usually brought guilt, as if he were meddling in things he shouldn’t. But he saw Natalie’s vibrant self when her pain had been dulled from his feeding, so he erased the fat comment, too.

Scarlett’s eyes met his.

He winked, and he swore she held back a smile.

“Welcome,” the announcer spoke. “We are ready to begin.”

The crowd quieted, their gazes shifting to Raith and Cade.

The fae continued. “We are here to witness The Hunt. Both brothers will be fighting to be the one to spear the beast. But to make things more interesting, each will take a serum that blocks his mental shields against the forest.”

Well, shit. How did Raith not know that part? From the wide-eyed look on Cade’s face, he must have been surprised, too.

The announcer took out two vials of liquid, the same size as what Scarlett took at the ball. But this liquid was emerald. He handed them to Raith and Cade.

“After you take the liquid, you will be evanesced into a cordoned off section of the forest. The only creatures allowed inside are you two and the beast. Neither of you may leave until the beast is speared. You will each be given a spear and a bow with magically refilling arrows as well as a horse.”

How hard could it be? Raith lifted his vial into the air. “Cheers, brother.”

He gulped down the liquid, which tingled as it went down. It tasted like a pinecone. Raith gagged.

He heard the announcer wish him good luck before he vanished and appeared inside the forest. Raith had been in the dark forest many times, but never this far in. The trees remained still around him, not even a bird on their branches. He heard a rustle behind him. Raith flipped around, arms raised in front of him. A black horse was tied to a tree. Its black mane shined. Raith recognized him. It was Theo, his favorite horse from the stables. It had been, what, three years since Raith had last ridden? He’d been so busy practicing with weapons and his battle magic he didn’t think of tuning up his horseback riding skills.

“Hi, Theo.” Raith patted Theo’s neck. “Good boy.

Propped against a tree were a spear and a bow and arrow, just as the announcer had promised. Raith slung the bow over his shoulder and fastened the spear in front of Theo’s saddle. Raith stuck his foot in the stirrup and grabbed onto the saddle horn then pulled himself up. He grasped the rains and gave Theo a gentle kick, and they were off.

He’d missed this, the feeling of the breeze as they galloped. Now, all he needed to do was find the boar, shoot it, and be done.

As they rode through the trees, something shifted ahead. Was it Cade? Or maybe the beast?

“Woah, boy.” Raith slowed Theo down to a trot.

Something grew out of the ground—tree roots. They climbed higher and snaked toward Raith. He tried to back Theo up, but the tree was faster. The roots circled Raith, binding him in place.

His arms struggled against the bonds with no luck. He was stuck. Theo kept still beneath him.

No, this couldn’t be happening. It wasn’t real. Raith remembered the liquid he drank. His mental shields were down and the forest had strong mind magic. This was an illusion—and a powerful one. Raith again fought to break the hold. No luck. Fuck.

His mental shields had been strong for so long, he’d forgotten the influence the forest could have. He’d been able to defeat it before. He could do it again. A squawking noise caught Raith’s attention. A raven sat upon a branch. Another joined. Then another. Their screeching grew louder and louder. Raith felt something drip from his nose. Blood.

He closed his eyes. This wasn’t real. It was an illusion meant to distract him. He emptied his mind, inhaling a deep breath. His brain pictured the forest as it was before, calm, with no attacking roots or loud birds.

When he opened his eyes, everything was back to normal.

It had been an hour and no sign of Raith or Cade spearing the beast. The announcer had told the crowd that once it had been killed, the three would appear back in the courtyard.

Scarlett watched fae talk amongst themselves as they waited for something to happen. She had thought the ball was full of fae, but there were at least twice as many here now. The ball had been adults only, but now children ran around their parents, trying to make the most of their freedom.

Since Raith and Cade had disappeared, Scarlett kept quiet a few feet from the thrones. When she’d first arrived, she had been drained from Cade’s feeding of her emotion. But as she waited, her brain cleared, which had been happening faster the longer she’d been in Faerie.

Kassandra had a human servant bring her a glass of wine, which had been magically refilled three times now. The king sat in his throne, back straight and glossy-eyed. He hadn’t spoken, not even when the servant asked if he’d like wine, too. His expression remained forward as if he looked for something off in the distance.

Scarlett felt odd just standing there, but she wasn’t sure where else to go. Occasionally, she’d catch the gaze of someone in the crowd. Some eyed her curiously, probably wondering who in the hell she was to be accompanying a fae prince everywhere. Some glared. Some seemed to pretend she didn’t even exist.

Kassandra motioned for her servant. “Bring me a plate of fruit. I’m famished.”

The servant, around Scarlett’s age, nodded and rushed off, brown eyes full of panic. Her black hair was pulled into a bun that accentuated her long neck. She came back with a platter of grapes and apples.

“Where are the strawberries?” Kassandra asked as the servant tried to hand her the plate.

“I…They…” She replied.

“I won’t accept it until there are strawberries.” Kassandra shooed the servant girl with a brush of her hand.

She hurried away and came back with strawberries on the plate. Kassandra took it this time, with no thank you. The girl returned to the side of the crowd.

“What are you staring at, human?” Kassandra turned her head toward Scarlett.

Scarlett hadn’t realized she’d been staring, but her gaze had been focused on the queen as the servant had given her the fruit. “Nothing. Sorry.”

“Come here.”

Scarlett stepped slowly toward her. She didn’t have much of a choice. As she walked, she straightened out her dress. When she reached Kassandra, she curtsied to her and then to the king, who didn’t even blink. What was wrong with him?

“For whatever reason, you’ve been blessed with misery that helps my son.”

Scarlett just stared at her. Did she expect her to respond to that with you’re welcome that I’m miserable?

Kassandra flicked her index finger. “Come closer.”

Scarlett leaned in, a mere foot from Kassandra’s face. The queen’s smooth skin was flawless, with not a single blemish. Scarlett was sure there were many aging women in the human world that would kill for such perfection.

Kassandra’s eyes started at Scarlett’s hair and worked their way down to her chest, which, at the angle she was bent, was exposed to the cool air. “You’re attractive—for a human. Most are hideous. And so desperate. The things they’ll let you do to escape their emotions. Death, heartbreak, disease. Humans run.”

“You can heal disease?”

“Of course not. But we can take away the fear of dying. Fear is one of the best flavors of emotion if you ask me.”

Scarlett stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do or say.

Kassandra sighed. “You are lucky my son has given you his attention. To be a prince’s human is something many mortals would kill for. Now leave.”

She didn’t have to tell Scarlett twice. Kassandra gave her the creeps. Scarlett went back to standing alone as she waited for The Hunt to end. Another hour passed. Her feet ached. How long did it take to shoot a boar?

A servant brought Kassandra another plate of fruit, but she stumbled and dropped the plate. As Scarlett watched her rush to pick up everything she had spilled, someone appeared next to Scarlett, grabbed her hand, and Scarlett felt herself pulled away.

Her body felt like a feather moving through the wind, unable to control her direction. Then her feet found the ground. Nausea grew in her stomach. What had happened?

“Just breathe, the nausea goes away,” Kaelem said next to her as he released her hand. Like at the ball, he wore a sleek suit. If his hair wasn’t navy, Scarlett may have thought he was a Wall Street broker or some other human professional. Or more like a model pretending to be one.

Scarlett looked around. They weren’t near the crowd anymore. Somehow, they’d travelled to the courtyard. “What was that?”

“Evanescing.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Moving from one place to another incredibly fast.”

Scarlett took a step. The ground felt hard beneath her feet, like after getting off a treadmill. After a few more, she walked normally. “Where are we?”

“The other side of the castle.”

“Why?”

“Your feet were hurting.” Kaelem motioned to a small fountain. “Have a seat.”

“And what do you care? Surely a fae king has better things to do than rescue some human.”

Kaelem shrugged as he sat on the fountain ledge. “Are you going to join?”

Scarlett glared at him. Why she was mad, she wasn’t sure. Ever since she made that bargain with Raith, she’d been in a foul mood anytime she remembered. She wasn’t sure why she cared so much. It’s not like she’d been begging Cade to let her leave, but she felt better knowing she could ask him to take her away. Then again, deep down, she knew he wouldn’t take her home without a fight. He’d make her feel all the pain at once until she begged him to take it away, thoughts of leaving disappeared.

“God, these brothers really have you bothered, don’t they?” Kaelem ran his fingers through the fountain water. “And you’ve kissed them both. How scandalous!”

“Get out of my head.” Scarlett gritted her teeth as she spoke, trying not to think any more incriminating thoughts. If Cade found out about her bargain with Raith, or worse, the kiss… Scarlett didn’t want to even contemplate what might happen.

“Come, sit, and I’ll get out,” Kaelem said. “For now, at least.”

Scarlett dragged her feet but took a seat next to him. “Do you have some secret plan to drown me in the fountain?”

Kaelem laughed. “You’re so paranoid. No, darling, I have no intention of drowning you. I’d have both summer princes after me then.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “A human death would be nothing more than a hiccup to them.”

“Maybe, but they seem awfully attached to you.”

Scarlett crossed her right leg over her left. She’d rather sprawl out on the grass but that didn’t seem very ladylike and wasn’t practical in her dress. “Is that why you’re so interested in me? You want to piss them off?”

“My, my. Why would I ever want to do that?” The gleam in his eyes told Scarlett he’d have no problem making waves with Raith or Cade. She looked deeper into his eyes then her gaze travelled to his lips. God they looked delicious, like caramel on an apple just waiting to be licked.

Stop, Scarlett.

Head out of the gutter.

What was it about him?

He didn’t react to her dirty thoughts so he must actually be out of her head now. Shocker. Scarlett didn’t think he’d actually keep his word. “Then why bring me here?”

“Summer fae bore me, and The Hunt was taking forever, so I figured I’d get us out of there. You looked to be having a more miserable time than I was.”

“You must have been bored if you’re wanting to spend time with a mortal.”

Kaelem just shrugged. “What brings you to the Summer Court? You don’t seem the typical desperate human that they usually lure in.”

The image of her mom being carted away by the paramedics surfaced. Her chest clenched. Then the tightness slowly disappeared.

“You’re taking my pain, aren’t you?” Scarlett asked.

He didn’t answer. “So, something bad happened and you’re running away?”

“I’m not running…” But that’s exactly what she was doing. She and Ashleigh fought after yet another failed attempt at visiting her mom’s grave, and suddenly a miracle showed up to take her away—to an entirely new realm, nonetheless. “So what if I am?”

Kaelem stood. “No judgment here, darling. Only mere curiosity. I have a habit of learning the nuances of the other courts. Keeps me up-to-date should information ever be needed.”

Scarlett got lost in his eyes again. Then her eyes wandered down past his face, to his chest, then lower…

What was wrong with her? Being around him might be dangerous. Scarlett pushed herself up from the fountain ledge.

“Finding yourself…enticed?” Kaelem said.

“I thought you were staying out of my head.” Scarlett lifted her gaze back to his face.

His eyebrow arched, curious. Something gleamed in his gaze, an awareness of some sort.

“Oh, I am. But you’re practically drooling.” The smirk on his face let Scarlett know he knew something he wasn’t telling her.

“Is there a reason I’m having… improper thoughts?” Scarlett clenched her teeth, embarrassed at the confession.

“Since you asked nicely, I’m a ganacanagh.” Kaelem’s eyes danced. “A fae with especially potent sex appeal.”

Lovely. At least it explained Scarlett’s foul thoughts. Not that Kaelem wasn’t attractive enough to warrant lust without any extra gift—he was a fae after all. And a king. Seriously, what was with all these fae royals giving their attention to Scarlett? She was a mortal. Only, she knew that might not be true.

Not only had she felt emotion radiating off of others—including Cade—but she’d always wondered if something was different about her. Not to mention the dagger orb had lit up in her hands. For her to have intrigued three fae royals, she must have something to offer that other mortals didn’t.

Then again, she might just be a silly prize they all were desperate to win.

“Too bad you’ve already promised to stay here in the Summer Court,” Kaelem said. “I could have helped you out of here.”

Sure, now that Scarlett couldn’t leave he offered his help. Typical. “I thought you were afraid of starting a battle with the Summer princes.”

Kaelem shrugged. “A little drama never killed anybody.”

He leaned his body into hers, his breath hot in her face. His lips puckered ever-so-slightly. A mouth so perfect needed to be kissed…

Scarlett shook her head side-to-side, banishing the lustful thoughts.

Kaelem grinned, then whispered, “I can see what the Summer princes see in you. The Unseelie Court could offer you so much more.” His tone sang of temptation and sinful promise.

Scarlett took three steps back and snapped her gaze away from the Unseelie King. He was dangerous, in more ways than one.

The Hunt couldn’t be over soon enough.