Page 6

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N ight had fully fallen and Cora still couldn’t bring herself to return to camp. The Beltane ceremony would soon commence, something she dreaded in and of itself. During her first few years with the Forest People, Beltane had become one of her favorite holidays. She loved dressing in her brightest skirts, wearing flowers in her hair, dancing around bonfires, weaving ribbons around the maypole. However, now that she was older, she was acutely aware of the deeper themes that came with the holiday. Fertility, primarily. Or, to put it bluntly, lovemaking.

Not long ago, Cora had entertained the idea of taking a lover from the commune, but it had culminated in nothing more than heated kisses and a few experimental trysts. That was all it took for her to learn what risks came with romantic pairings. Not the usual dangers the young women whispered about during their monthly moon cycles, but ones personal to Cora. Intimacy. Honesty. Questions she couldn’t answer. The discomfort of being courted into a deeper relationship than she was capable of having.

And after what happened with Roije earlier today, Cora wasn’t sure she was ready to face him. Especially not at Beltane. There was still a chance her first instinct had been correct. That he favored her. Romantically.

Cora shook the thought from her head and collected her latest bunch of arrows from her target. Her aim had significantly improved since her conversation with Salinda, but it was too dark to practice any longer.

As much as she wanted to avoid what came next, she knew it was time to face it. Beltane. Salinda’s offer. Roije.

With her quiver full, she made her way back toward camp, her steps purposefully slow. She was only halfway there when a light shone up ahead, revealing two figures behind it. They were too distant to make out, but when Cora opened her senses, extending them until she tapped into a much-familiar energy, she knew who at least one of them was. With a deep breath, she replaced her mental shields and closed the distance between her and her lantern-bearing friend. As she drew near, she realized the second girl was Gisele. Maiya still wore her colorful skirts and flower-laced braids while Gisele was outfitted in her finest floral-patterned dress, her golden-brown hair tied up in a ruby scarf.

“There you are,” Maiya said. “Mother told me she found you practicing, but I didn’t think you’d still be out here.”

Gisele’s lips twisted in a wry grin. “Oh, Cora. Always the overachiever. But enough work for the day. We’re going to the hot springs.”

Maiya gave Gisele a sharp look. “I said I’d only go if Cora does.”

Gisele quirked a brow at Cora. “Of course she wants to go.”

Cora frowned. “What about Beltane? The ceremony?—”

“The ceremony is the same every year,” Gisele said with a roll of her eyes. “Besides, the boys are extra ravenous tonight, if you know what I mean. Had I any magic, I’m sure I could smell the desire raging through camp already.” Gisele’s mother was a clairalient witch, her magic rooted in scent, but unlike Cora and Maiya, Gisele showed neither talent nor interest in the Arts. Not everyone born within the commune did. “And I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of boys . They can come find me when they’re ready to be men.”

Cora suppressed a huff of laughter. Gisele had certainly made her rounds when it came to sampling the company of single men within the commune. She’d never complained about it before. Cora turned her attention to Maiya and quirked a suggestive brow. “What about you? Is there any reason you might want to enjoy the ceremony?”

Even under the warm glow of the lantern, Cora saw a blush crawl from Maiya’s neck to her cheeks. They both knew Cora was hinting at Roije. “No,” she said too quickly, her voice small. “But…but I’d understand if there was a reason you wanted to go.”

Cora didn’t need to let down her shields to understand the meaning behind her words. Maiya must have come to the same conclusion Cora had first entertained regarding Roije’s earlier summons. More than that, she was giving her blessing. Giving Cora the go ahead to court the man Maiya had fancied for years. Her friend was always too generous. Too kind. A trait that would probably annoy Cora to no end were it anyone else. But with Maiya…that was just how she was. She was the best of them.

Cora gave her friend a pointed look. “No, Maiya, there’s not a single reason I’d want to attend tonight’s ceremony. I promise you.”

Maiya’s lips pressed into a shy smile while Gisele looked from one girl to the other, brow furrowed. “Does that mean you’re both coming or not?”

Cora didn’t immediately answer. Going to the hot springs would provide the perfect distraction both from Salinda’s offer and the inevitable romantic overtures she was sure to receive from one source or another. But she didn’t want to keep Maiya from enjoying what could potentially be a pleasant night, should she finally get the courage to speak to Roije about her feelings.

As if Maiya knew exactly what Cora was thinking, she lifted her chin in defiance. “I already told you, I don’t want to go to the ceremony.”

Cora shrugged. “All right. I suppose we’re going then.”

Gisele bounced on the balls of her feet and hefted a woven basket. “Good, because I already pilfered two bottles of wine.”

The hot spring caves were less than an hour’s walk away. With the aid of one of the bottles and its intoxicating contents, Cora felt as if the walk went much faster. She and her two companions were a mess of laughter by the time they reached the mouth of the cave. They huddled close together as they proceeded inside, their giggles turning to silence. Entering the cave came with both reverence and a healthy dose of fear. The antechamber was blanketed in a darkness so bleak, their lantern only lit the next few steps. Cora kept her breaths shallow as they made their way slowly forward, deeper into the cave. The antechamber narrowed to a corridor and soon the warmth of steam met her skin, bringing with it the telltale aroma of sulfur. Then light just ahead.

The three women quickened their pace, their steps now fueled with excitement as the corridor took them down a slight decline toward the belly of the cave. The sulfurous aroma grew stronger, and while it wasn’t the most pleasant smell, Cora was more than happy to suffer it for the benefits that awaited. Finally, they stepped into the main chamber, the walls of the underground cave glowing with bioluminescence, lighting the surface of the three small steaming pools pocking the rocky floor. The heat alone had every muscle in Cora’s body loosening, and she couldn’t wait to slip beneath the warm waters.

Gisele looked from Cora to Maiya with an inebriated grin. “Ready?”

The three girls darted toward the largest pool, roaring with laughter as they stripped down.

“See, we’re celebrating Beltane just fine,” Gisele said as she pulled her shift over her head. “Skyclad. Naked as the day we were born.”

Cora rolled her eyes as the girl sauntered into the pool without an ounce of inhibition. Still, Cora knew the hot springs were no place to try and maintain modesty. Not when walking home in a sodden shift was far more uncomfortable than the brief moment of nudity she’d endure. Besides, Gisele was right. Going skyclad , as the Forest People called ritual nudity, was neither odd nor shameful. And yet, Cora hadn’t been born under such freedoms. She was born into a world of strict rules and propriety.

Turning her back to her friends, she unshouldered her bow and quiver, tucking them next to a low boulder before removing the rest of her ensemble.

“Hurry up,” Gisele called, sending a splash of water to the hem of Cora’s shift. Squealing at the warm spray, she pulled her shift the rest of the way off, then rushed to the pool and plunged shoulder deep. Maiya was up to her chin in the water, the cherry blossoms that had once adorned her braids now floating wilted on the surface. Gisele lounged against the side of the pool, her arms outstretched and propped on the rocky ledge.

Cora tilted her head back and admired the blue-green glow lighting the pool from above. Peace settled over her, mingling with the warmth in her belly leftover from the wine. She felt every last bit of stress she’d picked up from her day dissolve. “This was the right choice,” Cora whispered.

“I told you so,” Gisele said. She reached for her basket and retrieved their bottle, taking a drink before passing it to Maiya, then she to Cora.

Cora took a hearty sip, finishing the remnants. Gisele was already opening the second bottle.

“Do you think it’s true?” Maiya asked, turning her gaze to the glowing ceiling.

“What? The legends about the caves having once hosted dragons?” Gisele said the last part with a sardonic look.

“It sounds silly when you say it like that,” Maiya said.

“It is silly.” Gisele took a sip from the new bottle. “Do you really think those,” she pointed at the ceiling, “were once dragons?”

Maiya dipped a little lower in the water. “Maybe.”

Gisele chuckled and passed Maiya the wine. “What do you think, Cora? Historical fact or faerytale?”

Cora shrugged. “Faeryn legends are faerytales, aren’t they?”

“I suppose,” Gisele said, “but are they true?”

Cora wasn’t so sure. When the Forest People had first found the hot spring caves a month prior, Salinda had been adamant that the caverns had been left behind from days when fae still roamed the land, back when pixies, sprites, and unicorns were as common as squirrels and deer. Back before the Elvyn and Faeryn—the two races of High Fae—went all but extinct. No one knew why the fae disappeared, only that a terrible war hundreds of years ago had prompted it. The stories told how all fae creatures turned to regular animals after that. And Salinda was convinced the glowing worms that painted the cave walls in bioluminescence were once dragons. The hot spring caves, according to her, had once been home to the legendary fae creatures. There was no way to know if Salinda was right. She may have been the Keeper of Histories, but that didn’t mean the tales of the past hadn’t been skewed by the fancies of those who came before her.

“True or not,” Maiya said, “this is the best place we’ve ever found.”

“I can agree with that,” Gisele said, taking the bottle of wine back. “I hate that we’ll have to leave the caves behind soon.”

Cora’s heart sank. They all knew the Forest People would be gone by Litha—the summer solstice. They traveled to a new camp with every season, both to follow the most favorable weather in Khero and to ensure they never overburdened the land that nourished them. Even after six years with the commune, Cora still wasn’t used to constantly moving around.

She’d been in one place the first twelve years of her life.

Before everything changed.

Before she became an outlaw.

Chased by dark magic.

Haunted by blood?—

A sound coming from beyond the cave snapped Cora from her thoughts. Maiya, who’d been saying something Cora hadn’t been paying attention to, cut off mid-sentence. She and Cora turned their gazes to the corridor from where they’d emerged.

The sound was slow and rhythmic. Footsteps.

“Someone’s coming.” Cora reflexively reached for her bow, but it was too far.

“Relax, Cora,” Gisele said, looking completely unflustered as she took a deep drink of wine.

Cora narrowed her eyes at her friend, suspicion crawling up her spine. The steps drew nearer and nearer.

Gisele’s lips curled into a guilty smile. “Don’t worry, he’s harmless.”

“He?” Cora and Maiya said in unison as they both dipped deeper into the waters. “Who the hell is he ?” Cora said through her teeth.

There was no time for Gisele to reply, for the male figure striding into the cave was answer enough. The bioluminescent glow revealed an unfamiliar man a few years older than Cora. His hair was blond, his face handsome with a short beard covering his jaw. He was dressed in leather trousers, tall boots, and a travel-worn greatcoat.

“Gisele,” he said, smiling when his eyes landed on her. “You came.”

She batted her lashes. “I said I would.”

His gaze briefly darted toward Maiya and Cora. “I wasn’t aware you’d be bringing company.”

“Neither were we,” Cora said, not bothering to hide the bite in her tone.

He paused several feet from the pool, posture hesitant as his eyes strayed from Gisele to the pool’s two extra occupants. “Should I…”

“Meet me in that pool,” Gisele said, pointing to one of the smaller ones nearby.

His shoulders relaxed a bit as he gave her a nod, then made his way to the pool she’d indicated.

Gisele whirled back to her friends with a grimace. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, I’m seething,” Cora said. “I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with boys tonight.”

“He isn’t a boy,” Gisele said, expression all innocence. “He’s a man.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is James. He’s a hunter camped out close by. I met him yesterday when I was foraging for Mother. I promised to meet him here tonight, but I didn’t want to meet him alone. He could be a murderer for all I know.”

“That isn’t comforting,” Cora said through her teeth.

Gisele nodded. “Tell me about it.”

“You said he was harmless,” Maiya said, her tone far gentler than Cora’s.

“I’m pretty sure he is.”

Cora turned and started to get out of the pool, modesty be damned.

“Please don’t leave,” Gisele rushed to say.

Maiya tugged her arm before she could heft herself onto the ledge. “We can’t leave her with him,” she whispered.

Cora clenched her jaw. Of course Maiya would put her own discomfort beneath the safety of others. And if Maiya was staying…

“Fine,” she bit out and settled back into the pool, “but you owe me.”

“Always. Forever.” Gisele’s tone was more desperate than convincing. Without another word, she climbed from the pool and hurried to the one the man waited in.

“We should have known better,” Maiya said with a sheepish grin.

“Yes, we should have.” Had Cora’s shields been down, she might have sensed Gisele’s duplicitous intentions. But there was nothing to do about it now.

She eyed the two figures in the other pool, watched Gisele melt into the man’s arm as she pressed a kiss to his lips. The kiss immediately grew heated, and Cora averted her gaze. It landed on a boulder between the two pools, one strewn with the man’s discarded clothing. She was about to turn her back to the pool completely when something caught her eye—a small detail on the man’s greatcoat, illuminated by the glowing ceiling. It was a symbol embroidered on his sleeve.

A black crescent moon on an indigo background.

The sigil of Duke Morkai.

The man who’d made her into a murderer.