With Rhiannon and myself living in our respective realms, Luna, Peyton, and Kaylin had taken over the house and were keeping it safe for us. Luna had assumed the business I’d planned to open—Wind Chimes, a magical emporium. Peyton was working hard to open her magical PI firm—Mystical Eye Investigations. They would host them from the house to avoid having to rent out space in town.
A part of me mourned the loss of my plans and the loss of the life I’d started to lay out for myself. Whoever said you can never go home again was right. No matter how good—or bad—your home was like, when you try to revisit the past, you find that everything has shifted.
And for me, that shift had been drastic. On one hand, I had a purpose; I had a new life and an amazing one at that. On the other, I’d been dragged in from a ragtag existence, but one where I understood the game. I knew how to hedge my odds on the streets, but coming back to New Forest, I’d plunged into a surreal nightmare. As rough as things had been walking the underbelly of the cities, I’d never had to kill before. I’d never had to fight a war.
The edge of the Golden Wood opened into the backyard of the Veil House, which was at the end of a cul-de-sac on Vyne Street. Seeing the house standing there, rebuilt from the fire that had destroyed part of it, made me long for my old life even more. I’d never aspired to be a queen. I’d never once played the princess when I was a child. Now the neighborhood and the house looked so cozy and inviting that I let out a soft sigh. Grieve put his hand on my arm, and my wolf shifted on my belly, letting out an anxious huff.
“I’m all right,” I told him. “Just . . . nostalgic. But I’m nostalgic for what might have well been a dream. I only miss the life I had before I was six, before Krystal dragged me away. I remember it through a child’s eyes. For all I know, it might have been hell on earth for Heather and Krystal. Maybe Krystal left for a good reason. I’ll never know, not now. Everybody who could tell me the truth is dead.”
“You miss what might have been.” Grieve gazed at me, his eyes black as night with glittering stars. “But love, that’s not a bad thing. I, too, think of what might have been. . . .”
I nodded. He had his own demons. He’d been born to the Court of Rivers and Rushes, and Myst had taken him forever into the ice and chill. My Summer Prince was now as bound to the Winter as I was. Together we would rule a land neither one of us would have picked, if given a choice.
Check stood guard by my side while Fearless reconnoitered the area. Ulean swept past, also checking for hidden threats and dangers. A moment later she was back.
The area is clear, but they have been past. The Shadow Hunters. I can feel their energy on the slipstream. Their hunger is strong. And Cicely? In town . . . there is trouble. Horrible trouble.
Vampire trouble?
No, Lannan’s people still sleep—it is not yet dusk, even though the storm holds the light at bay. Myst’s hunters . . . They are feeding.
Her thoughts were tinged with pain, and I cringed. New Forest, Washington, had already seen a decrease in population recently, as people fled from the attacks that had run rampant through the city. A few people had started to trickle back, but fresh murders might destroy the city for good.
New Forest was a small town near Snoqualmie, Washington—nestled between the larger urban areas that comprised the GSMA—the Greater Seattle Metropolitan Area—and the Cascade Mountains. But sometimes it seemed as though New Forest was off the grid. The town felt so disconnected from the other cities and communities. I couldn’t remember if it had been that way when I was a child, but ever since I’d returned, the city felt severed from most of the world.
I steeled myself as Fearless returned. While he didn’t have the same information regarding the town that Ulean had, he verified that he’d seen no sign of the Vampiric Fae around the perimeters of the land. Nodding, I motioned toward the house, and we strode out of the woods into the clearing and raced across the wide lawn separating the Golden Wood from the town.
The door opened as we neared it. Luna stood there. Short, plump, and curvy, the yummanii bard motioned us to hurry in. She stood back as we burst through the door. The television was on, and she held her finger to her lips as she bustled back into the living room.
We followed.
There, Luna, Peyton, and Kaylin were watching the news. Peyton was part Native American. She was half werepuma and half magic-born. Rex, her father, had recently reentered her life, only to be struck down by one of our enemies—a vampire named Geoffrey, who was now dust. And her mother had betrayed us and almost managed to kill me. She, too, had died at the hands of the vampires. Peyton had taken both losses hard, but she was stoic, as usual, and doing her best to weather the situation.
She waved at us, but her gaze was still glued to the television. Another moment, and I understood why, as the newscaster returned.
“We repeat—stay inside your homes. Lock the doors. The attacks continue and a representative from Lord Lannan’s estate has informed us that the danger we face still stems from the Vampiric Fae—from the Shadow Hunters.”
Lannan must have had a speech prepared for this eventuality. As much as I loathed the vampire, I had to admit he was smart, especially for someone who hadn’t wanted the responsibility of being Regent. But the Crimson Queen had decreed him in charge, and he would obey because, as loathsome as he could be, Lannan was loyal to the throne, and to his sister Regina—the Emissary for the Queen. He was also Regina’s lover, but that was beside the point.
“I repeat, the Regent requires that you stay indoors. Defend yourselves should you need to, but be aware: These creatures cannot be reasoned with; they are cunning, intelligent, and out for blood. Do not approach them. Do not attempt to bargain with them—they are ruthless killing machines. Hide yourselves, and tonight, the patrols will be out in full force to counter their attacks. During the meantime, the city council is appealing to the Courts of Winter and Summer to send aid, and to the Consortium.”
Rhiannon was standing to one side, and when the newscast ended, she crossed the room, arms out. Without thought for decorum, I gave her a tight hug, and the warmth of her skin almost burned me. I stood back, gazing at her.
“You feel like you’ve got a fever.” Cocking my head, I searched her eyes. She looked worried, but beneath the worry, I could sense happiness, and also exhaustion.
She returned my gaze. “And you feel like you’re chilled to the bone. You look as tired as I feel.”
“We’ve both got a lot to learn and not much leeway as far as time.” I paused, feeling oddly unsure what to say next. We hadn’t seen each other for a couple of weeks, and a subtle distance had grown between us.
“We should respond to their request.” Rhiannon looked as uncomfortable as I did. Her hair was flame red, and she practically crackled as she moved. While I could control the winds, she had power over flame, and the sparks arced off her body, a flickering of pale orange that haloed around her.
I glanced at Luna and the others. “Can you give us a few minutes? I need to talk to Rhiannon and Chatter about something.”
There was a flash in Luna’s eyes that told me I’d hurt her feelings, but she motioned to the others and led them out of the parlor, followed by Rhiannon’s guards. Check and Fearless stayed behind with us. I closed the door and locked it.