Page 7

7

A ll the relief Cora had felt since entering the pool fled in an instant. Her muscles coiled, stiff with rage, her mind reeling.

This hunter, James, belonged to Duke Morkai. But he was more than just a duke. More than one of the most influential men in Khero, second only to King Dimetreus. He was a mage too. Not merely a witch, working quiet magic or the elements. No, he was something else. Something darker. Stronger. His Art was blood. His spell was death. Only Cora seemed to know the truth.

It brought her back to the dreaded bedroom of her nightmares. To the blood on her hands. To her screams. To the condemning voice, half anguish, half anger.

What have you done?

“Cora. Cora .”

She jumped at the arm lighting upon her shoulder. She had to shutter her eyes a few times to clear them of the bloody tableau.

“What is it?” Maiya whispered, casting a quick glance at Gisele and James. “Is it the hunter? Do you feel danger from him?”

Cora didn’t know what she felt about the man. Her senses were too clouded with ghosts of the past. That and her shields were still firmly in place. With a slow exhale, she imagined a small window parting the elements that comprised her mental shields. Narrowing her focus to the two figures in the other pool, she extended her senses, let herself feel what they were feeling—she snapped the window shut faster than she’d formed it.

Desire was all she’d sensed. That and…arousal.

It was enough to steal away some of Cora’s prior tension and send her cheeks heating.

Maiya snorted a laugh. “Did you just try to read their feelings?”

“I know, I know. It was a bad idea that I should have seen coming.”

“Hopefully we won’t see anything else coming, if you know what I mean.”

It took Cora an extra second to understand what she was referring to. When she did, her mouth fell open and she gently slapped the surface of the water, sending a teasing spray to her friend’s face. “Maiya! Did you just make a naughty joke?”

She sank down a little with a bashful grin. “I’m serious though. If they do anything more than kiss, I’ll…I’ll…throw a rock at them.”

“Make sure it’s a big one,” Cora muttered. She risked another look at the couple, but thankfully they’d parted from their kiss and now chatted side by side. As she pulled her gaze away, her eyes lingered on the boulder where James’ greatcoat was draped, that patch of indigo bearing a black crescent moon still watching her like an eye.

“Are you mad I told Mother about the nightmares?” Maiya said in a rush.

Cora wrested her eyes from the hateful sigil.

Maiya’s grimace was laced with guilt. “I know she came to talk to you earlier today. Are you mad?”

“Of course I’m not mad, Maiya. I couldn’t be angry with you if I tried.”

Maiya gave her an apologetic smile. “Did Mother end up…helping at all?”

Cora bit her lip, debating whether she should tell her the truth. “She didn’t talk with me about my nightmares.”

“She didn’t? What did she say?”

Again, Cora considered keeping the facts to herself. But she trusted Maiya. Besides, if she didn’t know now, she probably would soon. Maiya and Salinda had an honest relationship. “She wants me to take the path of elders.”

Maiya’s eyes went wide. “That’s amazing! That’s the highest honor?—”

“I told her I don’t think I’m right for the position.”

Her friend blinked in disbelief. “Why?”

Cora shrugged. “I’m certain there’s someone better suited to the position. Someone who has been with the Forest People far longer than I have.”

“Cora, when will you finally accept that you’re one of us?”

Cora’s eyes darted back to the sigil. She would never truly believe she was one of them. Not when her presence alone could put everyone at risk. Not when there was a chance she’d be banished if they knew the truth. And she’d been tempted to tell the truth. The closer she got to Maiya and Salinda, the more she wished she could be honest with them. But honesty had never proven to be on her side. Not when dark magic and murder were involved.

Maiya’s expression fell. “Why do I feel like you’re always one step away from leaving us?”

Cora opened her mouth but no words would form.

She was saved from having to reply, however, when Gisele hopped into the pool between them. “What are we talking about?”

Cora gave the girl a wry grin. “Oh, just how we can make you pay us back for subjecting us to your makeout session.”

“Do you like him? James?” Gisele asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

Cora glanced at the other pool where the hunter lounged alone, his gaze fixed longingly on Gisele. “What does it matter if we like him? You seem to like him well enough.”

“He’s sweet, isn’t he? Kind. Funny.”

“I didn’t realize he had a personality, but I’ll take your word for it.”

Gisele rolled her eyes. “Oh, Cora. You’re so droll.”

“Who does he think you are, by the way?” Maiya asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You didn’t tell him…”

“About the Forest People?” Gisele’s mouth fell open with indignation. “Of course not. What kind of fool do you take me for? I may not be all magical like you two but I know our rules.”

“Then where does he think you live? If he’s a hunter, he should know the nearest village is hardly a casual stroll away.”

Gisele frowned. “Well…he hasn’t asked.”

Cora gave her a pointed look. “Sweet and kind indeed.”

“It’s not like I’ll see him again after tonight,” Giselle said with a casual flip of her sodden hair. “Tomorrow morning he and his companions are leaving their camp and heading north to join the rest of their hunting party.”

Cora’s stomach knotted for reasons she didn’t quite understand. She itched for something she couldn’t name. The idea that the duke’s men were so close filled her with a frenetic quality, an urge to move, to run. Not away either. But toward them.

That was when she realized what the uneasy feeling was. Vengeance.

Thoughts of finding the hunters’ camp, sabotaging what she could, knowing whatever she destroyed was indirectly the property of the duke, filled her with the most delicious satisfaction.

But the longer she entertained the fantasy, the more ridiculous it felt. What could a girl like Cora do against a group of trained hunters? And how would it have any impact on Duke Morkai in a way that mattered?

Morkai was second to the king. He was King Dimetreus’ most respected councilman. The hunters were likely on an errand to fell some great beast for a royal dinner. And what was Cora dreaming of doing? Breaking their spears like a child throwing a tantrum in hopes that her greatest enemy would be mildly inconvenienced. Gisele had said James and his men were joining the rest of their hunting party. If they too served Morkai, harassing this smaller group would do nothing of import.

She breathed her thirst for vengeance away. It was childish. Silly. Besides, acting on her fantasy went against the Forest People’s most important rule—never get involved with royal matters or attract the attention of agents of the crown.

“Gisele,” James called, a note of yearning in his voice. “Come back.”

She tossed a coy smile over her shoulder at him. “Have a little patience. I came with my friends. You can’t have all my attention, you know.”

He bit his lower lip. “I’d have all your attention and more if you’d give it to me.”

Gisele giggled, but Cora simply rolled her eyes. “Desperate much?” she muttered, earning a warning glare from Gisele. Maiya snorted a laugh.

James narrowed his eyes at Cora, then returned his gaze to Gisele. “Come with me tomorrow.”

Gisele chuckled. “He’s already in love with me,” she whispered to her friends.

Cora had other words to describe him. “He’s a creep.”

“He knows nothing about you,” Maiya added.

Gisele lifted chin. “You two are just jealous.”

“I know what would make you want to come with me,” James said, drawing their attention back to him. “If I showed you what I have waiting for you back at camp, you’d be impressed. And I promise you, there’s more where that comes from at our next stop. It would blow your mind.”

“Is that so?” Gisele waggled her brows, her gaze dipping to the surface of the pool that hid his bottom half. “I like having my mind blown by a handsome man.”

“It would blow all of your minds.”

That earned a sharp scowl from Gisele, but Cora gave a dark laugh. “I doubt that very much.”

“Have you ever seen a unicorn?”

Gisele’s expression turned perplexed as she whispered to her friends, “Is he still talking about what I thought he was? He’s referring to his…”

“If so,” Cora said, barely able to smother her laugh, “I daresay it’s a little lacking in girth.”

“I’m being serious,” James said, tone affronted. “Have any of you seen a unicorn before?”

“No one’s seen a unicorn, James,” Gisele said. “They’re fae creatures. They went extinct with the dragons and sprites and all the other mythical fae nonsense.”

“You’re wrong,” James said, eyes hard. “If I could show you…” He snapped his mouth shut, then turned his back on the girls with a shake of his head.

“Do you have any clue what he’s talking about?” Maiya asked.

“He never mentioned unicorns before.” Gisele cast a bewildered glance at her lover. “If he had, I probably wouldn’t have agreed to meet him here. He might be out of his mind.” The girls fell into a fit of stifled laughter, only to have it broken by a bellowing sound. They went quiet, whirling to face the entrance to the tunnel.

The sound came again, clearer this time. “James!” It was a male voice. Although it was distant, it echoed through the tunnel.

James cursed under his breath and scrambled out of the pool. “I wasn’t expecting them to notice I’d left,” he muttered. From the corner of Cora’s eye, she could see him shoving his legs unceremoniously into his trousers, then hastily donning his shirt and coat.

Again, Cora was reminded of the sigil, and of the fact that James’ companions undoubtedly belonged to the duke as well. And they were close. So close. She breathed deeply to reel in that itch for revenge, forcing it to dissipate. In its wake, something far more pressing remained—a sensation that made the skin prickle behind her neck.

A clairsentient warning.

Fully dressed, James raced to their pool and planted a kiss on the side of Gisele’s forehead. “I’m sorry our rendezvous is cut short but I must get back. Stay here for a while. Don’t…don’t come out yet.” With that, he stormed into the tunnel and out of sight.

Gisele stared after him. “What was that about?”

“I don’t know.” Cora rose from the pool and marched over to her clothes, her pulse kicking up. “We should go, though.”

“Why?” Gisele pouted. “There’s still wine left.”

Maiya didn’t hesitate to follow after Cora. She pulled her shift over her head. “Is it…a feeling?”

Cora nodded. “I don’t know if it means anything, but…I think we need to leave.” She was a little ashamed that she couldn’t elaborate. With offensive skills taking such a high place in her priorities, she’d neglected training her Art defensively. She knew how to shield, how to extend her senses to read others’ emotions, but there was so much more to clairsentience that she hadn’t valued enough to train. Ways to analyze feeling and sensation and know exactly what each subtle difference meant. For all she knew, she could be overreacting. Regardless, the skin continued to prickle at the back of her neck, bringing with it a dark and hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. She at least knew enough to consider it a sign of danger.

“Oh, all right,” Gisele said, reluctantly leaving the pool and meandering over to her pile of discarded clothes.

Cora had on her shift and petticoats. She bent down to retrieve her bodice?—

That was when the echo of footsteps reached her ears, pounding down the tunnel toward them. She glanced over at Maiya, who was fully dressed aside from the undone laces of her bodice. Gisele quickly threw on her shift.

Just then, three figures entered the cave. James brought up the rear, a frantic look on his face. The men stopped when they noticed Cora and her friends. The tallest stepped forward, a cruel grin twisting his lips. “Well, now, what pretty beasts do we have here?”