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Fae scouts would go after them before the end of the day today?

Lily turned away from the others. She clutched her police hoodie in her grip, digging her fingers in.

Everything was happening too fast.

She let her eyes slide closed, and she swallowed. She’d never had a panic attack before. This couldn’t possibly be what that was. But her hands shook, and an overwhelming wave of nausea washed through her abdomen. Was this what Dranian felt when he lost control?

Lily pictured Kate alone at the café. She’d probably been picking up double shifts to cover the counter after everyone left. She was vulnerable, like she’d been the last time a Shadow Fairy had appeared and kidnapped her, and had tied her to a chair, and had nearly…

Lily marched into the woods. The others continued their discussions, continued gathering their things behind her as she wove between trunks and stepped over fallen logs. Winged bugs spiralled past, and the same milkweed-like bulbs floated around, whisking away as she rushed by. She pushed strands of pink blossom-filled vines aside, carving a path through the flora.

She finally grabbed a tree, leaning against the trunk for support, her inhales tight and heavy. She clawed at the collar of her t-shirt, trying to remember breathing techniques through the haze of her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut.

This wasn’t her. She didn’t panic. She wasn’t afraid of anything.

With the exception of one, single thing.

Lily had stayed by Kate’s side, protecting her for all these years, only to leave her open to danger now. Everything Lily had done in the last year had been for Kate. Every design at Desmount Tech, every decision about the café, even allowing the fae assassins to stay around once she was finally convinced they were safe—that was all forKate.

She only hoped that if Kate, her only sister, was in trouble, she would know to run. Because Lily had no other family left apart from Kate and Greyson. She hadn’t been able to protect her first mother. She hadn’t been able to protect her second mother or father, either.

“The girl who can survive anything… can she even save anyone?”

Lily’s eyelids peeled open.

The music. High and fresh, curling over her skin like it was close enough to touch. She had the strangest urge to dance her way through the forest. To walk—no,run—to the source.

She realized her sweater was no longer in her hands. She turned to look the way she came, guessing where she’d dropped it, but instead of seeing the forest, an enormous teal sea spilled into her vision. She faltered before she took a step forward, looking down to find bubbly seafoam licking up the edge of a black rock beneath her feet. The sea went on for miles in every direction with no other shore or island in sight. The taste of salt moved along her tongue, and the wind turned warm and strange.

The Lady of the Lake. The one whose voice was trapped in a flute. Shayne had warned Lily not to listen.

She smacked her hands over her ears. She pressed so hard, she thought she’d crush her skull.

Like a painting being peeled away in strips, the vision of the sea disappeared, and she found herself back in the forest.

Bright emerald leaves fluttered overhead in a patch of breeze, distant birds chirped, and the creek waters echoed through the plants. Lily swallowed, realizing whatever tightness of breath and nausea she felt a moment ago was gone. She spotted the sleeve of her sweater on the ground a few feet away, mostly hidden by a blue quartz-like cliff. It wasn’t where she guessed it would be. In fact, it looked like it was in the opposite direction of the way she came.

Lily marched over to it, flinging aside a string of pink flowers dangling from a crooked tree. She found herself on a cobbled path, and her feet came together. She’d never seen this path before.

A tune filled her ears, loud enough to tickle along her spine, poke at her insides, and wave her forward.

She spun, drawing her gun and aiming it at a being she knew was behind her.

The moment she saw two youthful fairies standing there with pure white hair, rich red coats inlaid with gold buttons, and glittering blue eyes, she knew she should have run instead.

One of them lowered a flute from his lips. His mouth curled into a twisted smile.

“Hello, Lily Baker,” he said.

14

Mycra Sentorious

What Followed: Part I

No one noticed when Lily Baker’s rhythms tumbled into turmoil. Mycra watched the human’s lashes flutter. Watched her spin around. Watched her leave the fire and sneak into the maze of trunks darkened by the morning’s shadows.

And so, as the Brotherhood of Assassins devised a plan for which Shadow Fairy would transport which traveller, Mycra slipped away on silent toes to follow.