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Sav

“Y ou have my gratitude for everything Kas. I’ll take it from here,” I said, moving to pass him.

“Not so fast. What’s your name?” A smirk played on Kaspar’s lips. “Sally? You will not trek all the way to the Spring Court on your own. It’s not safe.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can handle myself. Besides, I have Jack.”

Kaspar’s gaze shot to Jack, roving up and down his sodden, human form. “Do you plan to feed him to your enemies to make your escape?”

I let out a small laugh. “No. He’s trained for battle. Quite a fighter.”

“Really.” The words dripped off Kaspar’s tongue with interest. I’d meant to give him a little taste of his own medicine, but I’d only piqued his interest. Figured.

He moved as though he were still underwater, a trait I’d never grown used to.

“Tell me Jack.” He closed the distance between them, getting right in Jack’s face.

To Jack’s credit, he didn’t back down. Jack seemed to have a weakness for alluring fae though, perhaps he didn’t know the threat that stood before him.

“Could you take me?”

Jack’s nostrils flared, eyes narrowing, and he squared his shoulders, standing several inches taller. “I’d hate to dent your pretty crown, it looks expensive, but I would.”

The corners of Kaspar’s lips tipped up and he spun around to face me. “Oh, I like him. I see why you want to keep him.”

“I’m not keeping him,” I scoffed. “He wanted to come.”

Kaspar’s attention drifted back to Jack. “Is it true, Jack? Did you come of your own free will?”

His words held that lilting edge meant to entrance a human into divulging their truth and I grimaced, moving to push Kaspar aside.

Jack’s eyes were blazing with a fire that said he was about to make good on his promise.

Much as I’d love to see someone put Kaspar in his place for once in his life, I didn’t think a magicless human would be the one to do it.

“Enough. We’re not going to Spring. We’re going to Winter to beg for their aid.”

Kaspar’s lip curled. “Good luck. I regret I won’t be joining you, my…” his gaze shifted back to Jack. “ Sally. Enjoy your time in Winter.”

He dipped his head to me. To Jack he bared his teeth. “Careful not to touch what doesn’t belong to you, human. Many things in Faerie have sharp teeth.” He winked at me and sauntered away, pants slung low on his hips, and I stared after him shaking my head.

We hadn’t seen the last of Prince Kaspar, of that I was certain.

After several hours and a comprehensive list of things Jack couldn’t eat while in Faerie, I could admit I was impressed. I never had to show him the same plant twice. He stored each lesson away and even began pointing out the ones I’d said were for medicinal purposes.

We stopped beside a stream, and I sank down, cupping my hands in the water. He followed, watching warily for a moment before he scooped handfuls of the cool liquid into his palms, bringing them up and drinking as if his life depended on it.

A bead of sweat trickled down Jack’s chin, rolling over his Adam’s apple and dipping below his too-small t-shirt.

I sat back, my gaze tracking the movement of the droplet, watching as his throat swallowed several times.

An image flashed in my mind of Jack between my thighs, lapping up an entirely different kind of liquid. I looked away, cheeks burning.

“Let’s rest here a while.” I stood, turning away from him and scolding myself for the thought.

I needed to put a bit of distance between us.

Clear my head. The last thing I needed was a distraction that could get me killed just for thinking it.

Wiping slick palms on my skirt, I searched the forest. We needed food.

It was as good a reason as any to escape his suffocating presence. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”

It was a risk entering Faerie through the Summer Court. Technically, our two courts were at war and that made me a trespasser, but as I’d been banished from mine, I hoped if we were found here, I could beg the mercy of a courtless fae. If Summer offered such clemency.

The sounds of Jack’s slurping followed me as I moved between massive Ash and Oak trees, and I shook my head.

Don’t think about his raven curls buried between my thighs.

Don’t. Just don’t . The pep talk with myself was having the opposite effect for some unknown reason.

Spying a green vine wrapped securely around a tall Cedar tree, I moved to it, pulling plump black berries from their tendrils.

He was probably terrible at pleasuring a woman. Not that I would ever find out. He was in Faerie for one reason and one reason only.

My shirt was stained dark purple and overflowing with fruit when I had plucked every berry from its vine.

I smiled, picturing Jack’s reaction to tasting them for the first time.

Blackberries were native to Faerie, but somehow the little stowaways had found their way into the human realm.

Since arriving on Earth, I’d heard many humans remark on their flavor, but the berries on Earth had lost their magical luster.

They were nothing compared to what we had here.

I found Jack reclining against a moss-covered tree, eyes closed, breath coming in and out in a slow, steady rhythm.

Stopping beside him, I dropped to the ground, tugged a large yellow leaf free from its branch, and poured the berries in.

Popping a few in my mouth, my gaze drifted to his face.

In sleep he looked peaceful, the tightness in his jaw relaxed, and I resisted the urge to sweep a raven curl from his face.

I let out a little moan as the mix of sweet and bitter juices burst over my tongue. It had been three years since I tasted true Faerie fruit. On Earth, I’d only tried them once. Flavorless as they were, they were a bitter reminder of all I’d lost.

Jack’s heart rate increased, and I glanced over as his eyelids twitched furiously. A dream. Were his dreams full of hideous creatures and monstrous fae or did he dream of a world without our kind in it?

Biting my lip, I reached a tentative finger out, brushing the hair back from his face.

His heart rate slowed, eyelids calming and his breathing steadied again.

His skin was smooth, unmarred by the hardships so many had endured since Earth and Faerie collided.

A perk of being the son of the man in charge of so much pain and suffering.

His eyes flew open and I snatched my hand back.

A soft smile curved his lips. “Were you watching me sleep?”

“No.”

He sat up. “You were. It’s okay. You can admit it.”

My lips fell into a flat line. “In your dreams.”

A dimple appeared in Jack’s cheek and he lifted an arm behind his head, a grin plastered on his face. “If you say so.” He closed his eyes again. “Go ahead. Take another look.”

I blew out a breath and got to my feet. “I need water.”

His laugh followed me as I retraced my steps into the forest. What had I been thinking? No good would come of entertaining a… friendship… with Jack. He was my enemy. He was pretty, but so were Lily-of-the-valleys and that made them no less deadly.

I wandered aimlessly, letting the vegetation—bursting with life—soaked in magic, bleed strength into my limbs. It had been three years of iron infested, smog filled, torture and though I was sure returning home brought its own trouble, I was glad to be back.

When enough time had passed that he must be asleep again, I returned to the place I’d left him. My pack was resting beside me, but the berries were gone and so was Jack. He must have eaten the berries and gone to relieve himself.

Small three-leaf-clovers dotted the ground at my feet, and I leaned down, plucking one of their leaves.

A shrill cry emanated from the tiny creature and a small green head erupted from its center.

A tirade of curses poured forth and I waited for it to finish.

Its tiny cheeks huffed and puffed, and a small leafy hand shot out.

“I’ll give it back when you tell me what I want to know.” I said in Elvish.

Miniature eyebrows climbed up its head and it huffed several times before nodding.

“Did you see the human sleeping here?”

A single nod.

“Where did he go?”

A tiny green tongue darted out of its mouth, bits of spittle flying as it blew a raspberry at me.

I reached for a second petal around its head and it squeaked, holding up three leafy hands in a placating gesture.

“Where?”

The clover fairy spun its stem around, pointing deeper into the forest, not toward the Winter Court, but in the direction of the Autumn Court and my stomach dropped. “Are you sure?”

It nodded emphatically and I handed back its petal, patting it on the head.

It began another series of curses as I picked up my bag and stepped carefully around the family of clovers, in search of Jack.