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IN THE brIEF moment when I floated in the void of the netherwhere, it occurred to me that I was about to enter a place where there was likely a bounty on my head. Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest move to return to the Duergar realm, but it was the necessary one. I deeply wished I could make rescuing Nicole part of the mission, but I couldn’t let thoughts of my twin—or the thin hope that Oliver might still be alive somewhere in the palace—distract me from my mission. If we could take out Finvarra before he invoked the Stone of Fal, that would be worth almost any price.

We stepped out from the void and onto the concrete floor of the warehouse. I crouched and pivoted, grasping Aurora in both hands and taking a defensive stance, my eyes searching wildly in the darkness for Duergar guards.

A small light sprang to life and then another four next to them. Melusine held up her hand, which looked like a candelabra, each finger ending in a flame.

“We’re alone,” she said. She shooed irritably with her candle-hand at Aurora and shot a glare at Jasper’s drawn short sword. “Put those things away before you slice off someone’s limb.”

“I’d prefer to keep my weapon drawn,” I said, peering through the shelving units.

Melusine was moving the fingers of her other hand in motions that reminded me a bit of Eldon. Magic shivered through the air.

“Well, that’s going to look suspicious when other people see you,” the Fae witch said.

“What do you mean?” Jasper asked.

“Look at yourselves,” she said.

Satisfied that no one was going to jump out of the shadows at us, I turned to him and gasped. He looked like a Duergar soldier. Well, technically he already was a Duergar soldier and had been for years, but Melusine had completely changed all of his features and clothes. Before me stood a man with light brown skin and close-cropped brown hair who stood about four inches taller than Jasper’s height. He was dressed in the standard Duergar light armor. All I could do was blink at him.

When I realized he was staring open-mouthed at me, I glanced down to find I appeared to be wearing the same soldier uniform.

I raised one of my arms and flexed it. A man’s thick, hairy forearm moved, and the round bicep bunched just below the sleeve. My eyes whipped to Melusine. “How in the name of Oberon—”

She preened a little, stroking her long black hair with the hand that didn’t have flames coming from it. “Terribly impressive, isn’t it?”

I pressed a palm to my lower abdomen, suddenly wondering just to what extent she’d transformed me. “Wait, you didn’t . . .?”

She rolled her orange eyes. “Don’t be stupid. You’re still a woman. It’s an illusion.”

I brushed my hands over my arms and then touched the chest plate of my armor. It all felt completely real. What she’d done was far more than simple glamour. It was an actual manifestation of the garb and physical changes.

“Think of it as wearing a costume, just one that’s made of magic,” she said. “But it’s still your body and clothing underneath.”

That actually helped quite a lot. I looked up and staggered back a little. In the seconds I’d been distracted by my own transformation, she’d changed herself into a stocky Duergar soldier with a blond crewcut, heavy brow, and beefy fists.

“Ready?” she asked crisply.

I almost nodded but then held up a hand. “Wait, I still sound like me. You sound like you, too.”

“We’ll have to let Jasper do the talking, obviously,” she said.

Okay, then. The fancy Fae witch glamour didn’t extend to disguising our voices.

I turned to Jasper. “I guess you’ll have to get someone to tell us where Finvarra is.”

“Probably better, anyway,” he said. “I know the men and women in the Duergar military, and I know how to speak to them. I can help us blend in.”

Our disguises were convincing. We had someone who could navigate any run-ins with Periclase’s people. I suddenly felt a hell of a lot more confident about our chances of negotiating the fortress without giving ourselves away.

We just had to hope Finvarra was on site and we could get to him and allow Jasper the opportunity to use Gae Buide, the dagger of fatal wounds that Oberon had loaned him. And quickly. I desperately needed to get back to my own people and kingdom. If not for Oberon’s order that I go on this mission, I’d already be back in the fortress trying to reclaim it.

I blew out a breath, steeling my nerves, and turned to go as Jasper began to lead us out of the bowels of the palace.

He took us toward the big swinging double doors that spilled into a service hallway. It was empty, giving us a moment to collect ourselves. I let Jasper go ahead a bit, as he was the one who knew the layout of the place best.

“No, walk three abreast,” Jasper whispered to us. “Low-level soldiers such as us move about as equals.”

We arranged ourselves as he directed and made a couple of turns through the corridors before we ran into anyone. My pulse kicked up a notch as a pair of Duergar soldiers came into view. For a moment, I panicked, thinking the soldiers would know we were strangers—fakes.

But Jasper spoke up. “Ho, men,” he called to them. “Any news?”

The soldiers stopped in front of us and seemed to relax after quick scans of the patches on our armor indicated we were all the same rank.

“Mostly quiet,” one of them said, showing a gap in his top teeth.

“Ah, come on,” Jasper said. “You must have something of interest to share to entertain some fresh recruits such as us. What of the son of the dead New Garg matriarch? He giving our comrades any trouble at the stone fortress?”

The other soldier, a beefy-armed, stocky fellow with dark brown skin shook his head. “Nah, he’s been locked up since our victory.”

Jasper and the two men made low, guttural growling cheers of conquest. I put on a grin, hoping it wasn’t strange that I remained silent.

“Our King?” Jasper pressed. “I suppose His Majesty is reveling in triumph?”

Gap Tooth shrugged a shoulder. “Haven’t seen him of late. He and the General left the King’s brother to command us.” His top lip lifted briefly in a slight sneer, an indication of what he thought about Periclase’s brother, Darion.

“And what of our Exalted One?” Jasper asked.

I nearly cut him a quick glance. Exalted One?

The two men looked at each other and let out lascivious chuckles. “Word is, the Unseelie High King is here in the luxury military guest quarters, and he’s been entertaining. Three whores at once, we heard.”

Beef Arms held out his hands and made thrusting motions with his hips.

I perked up, ignoring the crude noises of the soldiers. Finvarra was here. And if he was, uh, occupied, we might be able to catch him off guard.

We were saved from further inane conversation when someone else rounded the corner into our hallway.

“You two! Back to your posts,” barked a lone Duergar officer. “You’re not supposed to be here. You’re in deep shit.”

Beef Arms and Gap Tooth whirled and scuttled away.

The officer stalked toward us. “And you three, what are you—”

Swirls of magic streamed through the air toward him, surrounding his head. He froze mid-sentence, and then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed onto the tiles.

I turned to look questioningly at Melusine.

“We don’t have time for him,” she said crisply. “He’ll wake up eventually with a bad headache.”

I gave her a quick nod, wheeled around, and followed Jasper to the nearest staircase with the Fae witch on my heels.

“The luxury military quarters are on the third floor, almost directly above us,” Jasper whispered as we took the stairs two at a time.

At the top of the third flight, Jasper stopped and allowed me and Melusine to catch up.

“Straight ahead a hundred yards, and then right,” he said, and took off.

When we made the turn, the activity picked up considerably. Foot soldiers like us were streaming in and out of some of the doorways farther down bearing food and drink, most likely serving some of the higher-ranking officers.

“Not sure how we’re going to get in,” Jasper muttered.

“Periclase will get us in,” Melusine mumbled without really moving her lips.

I looked at her, confused, and she tipped her head, indicating I should look the other way.

When I saw the Duergar King Periclase marching next to me, I stumbled and nearly fell flat on my face.

“It’s me,” Periclase whispered in Jasper’s voice. He was looking down at himself, obviously trying to orient to his new appearance.

I swallowed hard and nodded. If we pulled this off, it was going to be a fricking miracle.

Jasper, in the Periclase glamour, walked up to the guards posted. They wore Duergar armor.

One of them, a black-haired guy with impossibly wide shoulders, blinked. “Ah, we were given strict orders not to disturb him, Your Majesty. He has a . . . guest.”

“I don’t care,” Jasper snarled. “Open this door now, or I’ll do it myself and make sure you never work in Faerie again.”

He was laying it on a little thick, but we needed to work fast.

Jasper leaned into the man. “I am your King, and you occupy this post at my command. I now command you to stand aside.” He said it rapidly, but with a deadly calm.

A sworn subject could not deny a direct order from his or her ruler.

Looking decidedly conflicted, the guard reached for the door, opened it, and hastily went in first. “Your Majesty, let me at least inform His Highness that—”

Jasper elbowed past him, and I hurried along behind. A woman’s high-pitched sounds of lusty excitement were coming from a short hallway to our left.

The guards followed us inside and pushed ahead. He stood in front of the bedroom door and pushed his palm out at us.

“Your Majesty, I must insist that you wait,” he said. Red splotches flushed his cheeks. “Give the Exalted One a few moments to collect himself.”

“Oh, for the love of Maeve,” Melusine muttered behind me.

Magic punched through the air like a sonic wave. Green and red strands of it zipped past me and around the black-haired guard like lightning bolts. It slammed into the door, which disintegrated with a deafening crack of wood blasting into a hundred pieces. I drew magic to form stone armor, squeezed my eyelids closed, and threw up my hands to protect my eyes and face from the debris. When I raised my eyelids, I found the hallway filled with thick white smoke.

Jasper sprinted past me, Gae Buide in his hand. I ran through the doorway after him, nearly reaching for Aurora. I made a fist instead, not wanting to blow my cover quite yet. Melusine’s glamour couldn’t disguise my sword, and if anyone saw it, they’d know immediately who I really was.

The smoke was beginning to clear. Shrill screams cut through the air, coming from a woman pressed to the wall with a sheet partially covering her nude body.

“Shush!” I hissed at her. Her eyes popped wide, and she stopped shrieking.

Jasper lunged at Finvarra, who’d sprang from the bed, the yellow blade drawn back. The Unseelie High King was naked. All Jasper had to do was nick Finvarra’s skin. I wanted to help, but if I got in the way, Jasper might accidentally cut me.

Magic flashed at my back, and I whirled to find Melusine creating a blockade across the open doorway. There was a crash behind me. The two struggling men had fallen to the floor, Jasper on top. The hand holding Gae Buide was raised, but Finvarra had a hold of Jasper’s wrist. Finvarra wasn’t an Old One, but he was very old. Age meant strength in Faerie.

Deciding it was more important to try to finish the job than keep my cover, I drew Aurora and moved closer to the fight. If I could injure Finvarra, it would make Jasper’s job easier.

“Drop the knife on him!” I said to Jasper. “You only need a small cut.”

Following my suggestion, Jasper let the knife go. I froze, watching as the blade left his hand. It was point-down, heading for Finvarra’s upper chest.

Just as the blade would have made contact, a nearby window shattered inward and a dark shroud of shadow rushed in and surrounded Finvarra. And then the shadow disappeared, Finvarra along with it. Jasper fell forward, catching himself on his hands. The dagger had clattered to the floor.

I whirled. “Where the hell did he go?” I shouted.

A familiar prickling began to creep into my skin and work its way deeper. Jasper’s glamour was gone. A glance down told me mine had dissolved, too.

“Melusine, it’s Eldon,” I said, turning to the Fae witch. Her disguise had disappeared as well. “He’s trying to take control of me.”

I managed to get the words out just before magic sealed my lips. My gaze swung to the window as Eldon appeared there, standing on the sill and nearly filling the space.

I saw his face as he caught sight of Melusine. His eyes widened, and then the strangest expression swept over his face. For a split second, his normally stoic demeanor cracked. He looked oddly captivated.

“My lady Fae witch,” he said, one corner of his mouth quirking.

I could only see Melusine’s disguise, but Eldon must have been able to see through it.

Then his hands whipped up, palms out, and the gloaming began streaming toward us. Dark as the deepest forest shadows, it surrounded me, blinding me and choking off my air.

Melusine cackled from somewhere off to my left. “Oh Eldon, you and your ridiculous shadows.”

A blinding flash cut through the gloaming. Moisture and the smell of singing mold billowed up my nostrils as the darkness began to retract in curling tendrils. My eyes watering from the bright light and offending scent, I backpedaled to get out of the way of the magic hurling through the air.

From Melusine’s hands, pure yellow-white light flooded into the room, driving back the gloaming. Eldon was still standing in the window, and in a break in the shadows, I saw a small smile curling his mouth. His lips moved as he whispered chants, and his fingers flicked through the air so fast they nearly blurred.

It was a clash of Old Ones, Melusine’s light power against Eldon’s shadow magic. The air seemed to electrify, saturated and alive with magic. Pressing my back against the wall, I could only watch, open-mouthed for a second or two.

“Are we going to die?”

I looked to my right, where the woman who’d been keeping Finvarra company cowered against the wall. Her green eyes were wide with terror, and she clutched the bedsheet against her chest in a white-knuckled grip. I’d never seen her before we’d burst into the room.

“I sure as hell hope not,” I said. I slid down the wall into a crouch, just in case any stray magic came flying my way. The woman did the same.

Holding up a hand to shade my eyes, I squinted through the room, looking for Jasper. He’d ended up on the other side of the four-poster bed but was military-crawling under it toward me.

He stood and brushed himself off, watching first Melusine and then Eldon.

“She’s losing,” he said, kneeling next to me. His face was tight with anger, but I knew it had nothing to do with the magical battle that was waging in front of us. Finvarra was gone. We’d lost our chance.

I frowned. I thought Melusine had been holding her own just fine against the Fae sorcerer. If anything, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying the battle, tittering to herself every few seconds.

“Petra, get that portal jewel ready.” Jasper’s voice was thick with warning.

“No, she’s doing okay,” I said. But I dug into my pocket and my hand closed around the pouch, just in case Jasper knew something I didn’t. “We need to find Finvarra. What’d Eldon do with him?”

His brow wrinkled in confusion, and he flicked a quick glance at me. “Eldon only provided the cover. Finvarra shifted into a very small bird. Maybe a hummingbird. I couldn’t see very well through the gloaming. He escaped out the window.” His face darkened in frustration, and he pounded a fist against his thigh. “Gods damn it, he’s gone. I had my chance, and I lost it.”

I swore under my breath. I wanted to say something comforting, to make a joke about how we’d reduced the Unseelie High King to a barely more than a moth, but Jasper was right. We probably wouldn’t get a shot like that again, and that was very, very bad. But it was done, and I needed to get on with the business of saving my own realm. First, we had to make it out alive. My gaze fixed on Melusine.

“She’s tiring,” I said tightly. “She’s holding the shield back at the Summerlands, too.”

Jasper gave his head a shake. “Damn, that’s right. We need to get her out of here. Let’s get closer.”

Jasper and I began crawling toward Melusine, but I wasn’t sure she even noticed us. She had begun gleefully shouting insults at Eldon.

“White-haired mushroom eater!” she hollered. “Fern sniffing grub lover!”

Her name-calling seemed to have a theme. For four hundred, what are things you find in dark pockets of the forest, Alex?

We got behind her and gingerly rose. I stuck my fingers into the velvet envelope and plucked out the jewel and was just about to try to get her attention when a shrieking form came running at us.

“Don’t leave me here!” the woman in the sheet pleaded. “He thinks I aided you. He’ll kill me!”

She crashed into me, and the jewel went flying up into the air.

“Say the words, quick,” Jasper bellowed.

I gasped and then began chanting. Light was already bursting from the jewel.

He grabbed my hand and dove at Melusine, grasping her wrist with his other hand. We all had to be in contact in order to go through the jewel’s doorway together. His impact interrupted her magic, and the gloaming rushed in. A jet of it, meant for Melusine, pummeled against Jasper’s temple. His head jerked to one side, and then I lost my sight in the brightness of the jewel.

Something clipped my ankle, and I stumbled. I couldn’t see a thing. I only felt Jasper’s hand in mine, and something tugging at my foot, and then I lost all physical sense as we fell into the void of the netherwhere.

We reentered the world in a tangle, tumbling and separating onto the grass of the Summerlands grounds. I jumped to my feet. Melusine rose and began brushing green blades off her dress. The woman from Finvarra’s room had somehow become rolled up in her sheet.

Wait, what?

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

But I forgot all about the hitchhiker when I caught sight of Jasper’s still form sprawled on the other side of the woman.

I rushed to him and landed next to his shoulder. His face was pale and slack, his eyelids half closed. He wasn’t breathing. I pressed my fingers to the side of his neck.

Nothing. My heart tumbled.

“No, no, no,” I whispered.

Fear seared through me in a bolt of lightning, and I realized that I could lose both my father and Jasper. I was fairly certain Oliver was dead, though I’d done my damnedest to not allow myself to think about it. If Jasper died, if I lost both him and my father, I would never, ever recover.

Tipping Jasper’s head back, I frantically tried to remember the correct steps for CPR. I pinched his nose and lowered my mouth to his and began rescue breathing.