Page 9

Cate

It was a rough landing.

My stomach continued its descent as the four of us crashed into a pile, landing on hard stone. I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes, convinced I’d find myself sprawled on the marble floor of the Hallow Court. But the scent of fresh rain hit my nostrils, followed by car horns and engines and tires swishing on wet streets.

It couldn’t be…

I dared a peek at the ground beneath us. Wet cobblestone greeted me. Lifting my eyes, I discovered that we had landed behind a dumpster, the reeking stench of beer and old fish wafting from its open lid. A sob of relief slipped from my mouth as I drank in what lay just beyond it: a narrow avenue filled with warmly lit pubs and restaurants. Laughter drifted toward us as doors opened and patrons spilled into the night.

Earth .

We were somewhere on Earth . I could have kissed the stone beneath me. People walked past on their way to normal lives, completely oblivious. Which was probably a blessing. I couldn’t imagine what we must look like.

“I cannot believe that worked.” Marin let out a whoop.

An arm wiggled beneath my back. I had one of them pinned. Rolling to the side, I untangled myself from the others, sitting up to find myself looking at Ilsa. Her wrinkles had faded into fine lines, her silver hair now a buttery blond. I blinked a few times, and she smiled.

“We borrowed faces, too.” Marin’s words were a painful reminder that I still looked like Titania.

“Courtesy of the Belle Mère,” Ilsa said, lifting a youthful hand to show me a small tattoo on her wrist: a circle flanked on either side by crescent moons. “That part wasn’t a lie.”

“You’re not…” I stumbled, searching for what to say.

“Old?” she offered.

“Don’t let her fool you,” Marin interjected. Words failed me entirely as she shucked off the cloak to reveal a T-shirt and jeans, her long pale hair now short and spiky. Now, I felt even more overdressed. “She’s older than she looks.”

Magic. Ilsa nodded as if she’d heard my thoughts. “We can explain more later. The magic disguising you will fade at midnight. We should go. Our coven is waiting for us in Kildare. They’ll help you.”

But would they? Helping me escape might have been another trick. “Why should I trust you?”

“Do you have a choice?”

That was a good point. But I held my ground. “I have questions.”

“They can wait,” Marin said firmly. “We’ll answer your questions once you’re safe.”

“I can’t waste time here. I need to get back to New Orleans.” Before Oberon discovered I was missing and went after them.

Marin touched her own tattoo. “This links us and our cause—to those of us who follow the old book’s ways. Those who bear it will help you.”

Before I could ask more, a melodic voice interjected, “I think you will find help wherever you look.”

I whipped around to the maid, brows raising in question at hearing her finally speak.

“Kelly…and thank you.” She hugged me tightly, tears brimming in her eyes. “I never thought I’d escape that place.”

“Neither did I.” Rough emotion cracked my own voice.

“Oberon is a bigger monster than you can imagine. You’ve saved me from more than just a life of servitude.”

Dread traced an icy finger down my spine. The witches of New Orleans might be able to help me, but there were other questions only Kelly might answer. “Do you know anything about what happens below ground in the Hallow Court?”

She bit her lip, shaking her head. “I don’t remember much… It’s all a blur. But he took my blood, and then he took my voice.”

My heart sank, the dread pooling in my stomach like molten lead. I had escaped Oberon. How long would it be until he came after the people I loved?

“When did he take you captive?” Ilsa asked her in a shrewd voice.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “It felt like an eternity. Where are we? I need to reach my daughter. She’ll be looking for me.”

“Dublin,” Marin told her, “the seat of the Hallow Court.”

“I need to get to her. She was in Venice before…”

Kelly’s life had been stolen.

“We’ll help you,” Marin promised. “Now we should probably get off the street. People will think we’re drunk.”

But Ilsa grinned as she brushed debris off my shoulder. “Trinity College is only a few blocks away. We’ll blend right in. Plenty of people are out drinking at this hour.”

“Do you have someone you want to call?” Ilsa asked Kelly.

The question hit me squarely in the gut, grief tempering my joy as I realized the person I wanted to call would never answer.

“My daughter,” Kelly said.

“When we reach Kildare,” Marin said. “We can’t waste time here. Let’s go.”

But I shook my head. “I need to get home. Now.”

Marin’s silvery eyes filled with sympathy.

“You can still nip,” Ilsa told me.

It had been a miracle that we’d made it here. “To New Orleans?”

“If you go quickly.” Ilsa nodded. “It will be simpler, since it’s home. Just picture where you want to be. Our sisters there can answer your questions.”

That was easy. I’d picture black-paneled walls and windows that overlooked the bustling heart of New Orleans, a fire warming a marble hearth, shelves crammed with books on either side. But that room would be empty. My heart ached at the promise of returning home to a city without Lach. I bottled up the feeling before the rawness in my throat turned to tears. I was still in an enemy’s city. I couldn’t fall apart even as anguish pulled at the seams of my grief.

“It’s too dangerous,” Marin said before I could make the leap. “She can’t make it that far.”

“She’s channeling Titania’s magic as well as her appear—”

“Exactly.” Marin cut her off, shaking her head. “What will happen if she shows up looking like Titania? Plus, we have no idea if Titania could nip that far.”

“Titania is hundreds of years old, royalty, and she teaches at the academy,” Ilsa said dryly. “I’m sure she’s powerful enough.”

“It’s too much to ask of her .” Marin nodded in my direction. “We can’t risk it.”

“It’s no safer for her to stay here in his city,” Ilsa said.

“Which is why we need to get her off the streets before her appearance changes.” Marin started to jostle me toward a back alley.

But we only made it a few steps before a deep voice called out, “Is everything okay, Titania?”

I spun around to find two men in black suits approaching us. They glanced at my companions as if assessing a threat. The closest one’s gaze narrowed on Kelly and the uniform she still wore.

I stepped between them before they could ask more questions. “Do I look like I’m okay?” I planted a hand on my hip. “I just spent the evening having my ass chewed out by my brother because these three can’t do their jobs.”

Confusion creased their foreheads, and I saw a flicker of tattoos slip past their human glamours. I needed to get these women out of here now.

Turning back to the others, I mouthed, I ’ ll be okay. Go. I rubbed my fingers together with a conspiratorial wink, then raised my voice. “Get out of my sight and tell the coven to send someone competent next time!”

Marin hesitated, uncertainty clouding her eyes.

I summoned the frostiest tone I could manage. “I’m done with you. Leave.”

For a moment, Marin didn’t move. Finally, she shrugged. “We did what we could. Good luck.”

Whatever doubt she was wrestling with, she’d come to the same conclusion I had. They had gotten me out of the Hallow Court, but now we were running out of time before their spell wore off. We stood a better chance if we split up.

“If you need our help again, you know where to find us,” Ilsa said, flashing her tattoo as she took a step away.

“I doubt that I will.” I shooed them off, hoping they would get the message. The sooner they got out of here, the sooner I’d know just how well Titania’s magic worked—or if I could even wield it twice.

The witches seemed to understand, but Kelly held back, staring at the guards like she was waiting to be recognized and dragged back to the Hallow Court. But they didn’t appear to know who she was. Ilsa tugged at her sleeve. “Come on.”

I smiled at her, barely nodding my head. Just go .

Kelly opened her mouth, but Marin cut her off with a sharp look. She shot me one small nod of gratitude before the witches led her into the night, each of them glancing over their shoulder at me as they went.

“Do you want us to escort you back to court?” one of the guards asked when I finally faced them.

“Home?” My voice pitched, but I tossed my hair like I’d seen Titania do a dozen times and pointed to the pub on the corner. “I need a drink.”

They shared an uneasy look. I’d made another mistake.

“Why don’t you go to the family’s place? You know Oberon doesn’t like it when you stray too far from home.” He crooked his arm.

Of course they had a place somewhere in the city, just like the Avalon. The chances of my escape narrowed with each passing second, but something told me I would be completely out of luck if I let them take me anywhere.

Time to try a different tactic. I traced a finger down his tie, fluttering my lashes. “What my brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” I gave him a little pout. “Just one drink. I need a break from him.”

It was an educated guess that everyone who knew Oberon, his twin sister included, felt this way. I’d caught her rolling her eyes behind his back, heard the snarky comments murmured under her breath. I just hoped I wasn’t wrong.

He heaved a sigh, looking me up and down. “Do you need some money?”

It wasn’t hard to tell this dress didn’t have pockets, and I wasn’t carrying a purse. What would someone like Titania do in a situation like this? I grinned at him. “I’m wearing the dress so I don’t have to buy my own drinks.”

His companion chuckled. I wrinkled my nose, giving them a little wave as I sauntered toward the pub’s door, hoping I didn’t break my ankle. High heels and cobblestones were a dangerous combination. But wearing Titania’s skin seemed to imbue me with a grace I didn’t naturally possess.

Still, I sagged with relief when I made it through the door. The hum of conversation and clinking glasses instantly grounded me. There was safety in numbers. For now.

I’d kept a photo of Dublin on the fridge in my apartment for years—one of the many places I had never been but longed to go. Part of me wanted to linger in the cozy bar. The part of me that still clung to my old life and its relative normalcy. But there was no time for that.

Now that I was out of the guards’ sights, I could make good on the plan I’d conveyed to the others. I moved into an empty corner of the pub and closed my eyes, my heart pounding as I pictured Lach’s quarters. The rug we’d made love on. The windows overlooking the streets of New Orleans. Him . A tear spilled down my cheek as I snapped my fingers.

Nothing happened.

I tried again, but there was no spark of magic. Maybe I’d used up whatever had transferred to me during the escape. I was still trying when a kid ambled up to me, a goofy grin pinned on his freckle-smattered face. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Judging by the slight slur of the question, he’d already had a few. He couldn’t be much older than Channing.

Before I could let him down and return to my futile nipping attempts, he stumbled back a step. “Whoa. Did your hair just change?”

My hand flew up to touch it, finding the coarse, wavy hair I’d had my whole life instead of Titania’s glossy tresses. I covered my frown. “I think you’ve had enough to drink. Where are your friends?”

He turned to point them out, and I slipped into the crowd. I was out of time. There would be no tricking the guards if they came back inside now. Pushing my way to the bar, I prayed for a miracle.

“Can I get you something?” The bartender pressed her palms to the counter, blinking a little as she took in my now slightly too tight dress. Yes, my body was definitely back—which meant Titania had just woken up in the Hallow Court.

“My date turned out to be a creep, and I lost my phone,” I told her. The shiver I dredged up was courtesy of Oberon. “Can I borrow yours?”

She nodded sympathetically, pulling it from her pocket. “It’s about to die, but you can probably make a quick call.”

I only had a few numbers memorized, and I dialed the one person I knew would answer a phone call from a random international number without batting her eyelashes. She was also my best bet at getting out of here quickly.

“Where are we?” I asked as it rang.

“O’Malley’s,” the bartender said before turning to take an order.

The phone continued to ring, its tone foreign, then sent me to voicemail.

“It’s me. I’m in Dublin, at a place called O’Malley’s, but—”

The phone beeped and cut off right as Oberon’s guards walked through the door.