Chapter 15
Searing, blinding pain exploded through me. My awareness homed in on that singular point of agony—a white-hot fire burning in my shoulder.
I’d been struck.
But I couldn’t dwell on it. Enemies were closing in on us, and Aurelia was shouting something.
Gritting my teeth, I rolled off her and staggered to my feet, my shoulder screaming in protest. I caught sight of the arrow shaft protruding from my flesh.
No, I thought. Do not dwell on it.
I’d been in battle before, but it had certainly been a while. I inhaled deeply, and that familiar metallic tang of blood filled my nose and mouth.
My blood.
It reminded me of the battlefield. Of loss and rage and nothing but pure bloodlust.
The horde of goblins drew closer. They were gray-skinned, with small white horns and leathery flesh that stretched thin over their bony frames. Their inky all-black eyes were dark and full of a vicious hunger that only fae blood could satisfy.
Beside me, Aurelia held her dagger, poised to strike. Only the slight tremor in her hand betrayed her fear.
“Can you fight?” I asked, my voice a low rasp.
“Of course,” she snapped. “I wouldn’t carry a dagger if I didn’t know how to use it.” She cut me a glare, and then her gaze snagged on the arrow embedded in my flesh .
Her face paled, making her freckles stand out starkly against her cheeks. “Fenn?—”
“No time,” I muttered, tossing my blade to my left hand to avoid exacerbating the wound in my shoulder. I couldn’t fight as well left-handed, but I could make do.
When the first goblin came within striking distance, I slashed my blade, opening his throat. Black blood poured from the wound, and he made a horrible gagging sound, but I was already moving on to my next target. I plunged my dagger into another goblin’s heart, then stabbed straight through the neck of another, slicing his head clean off.
As he fell, his head rolling, I glanced quickly at Aurelia, and my mouth fell open. She whirled, slicing her blade with precision and grace. When she fought, she used her entire body. Her legs moved, her feet gliding back and forth as she danced away from her opponent. She used the force of her kick to weaken a goblin before burrowing her blade into his chest and twisting hard.
Brutal, yet elegant. She hadn’t been bluffing when she claimed to be an adept dancer. And she was using that skill to fell her enemies, one by one.
A sharp pain sliced through my arm, and I jumped backward. In my surprised stupor, a goblin had dragged its claws straight through me. I bit out a curse and slashed my sword, but he leapt out of reach. I advanced, but two other goblins closed in on me, entrapping me.
I stilled, assessing my options. Blood dripped down my arm, and my tunic was drenched from the arrow still lodged in my shoulder. Dizziness clouded my mind. I wouldn’t last much longer.
The goblin nearest me flashed his sharp canines in delight.
Aurelia cried out and sank to her knees. My head whipped toward her, shock jolting through me. She fought one goblin, but she hadn’t noticed another as he pounced on her, his sharp teeth digging into her shoulder and drawing blood.
“Aurelia!” I roared. With a burst of energy, I aimed a high kick, slamming my boot into a goblin’s chest and knocking him down. Before he could recover, I slashed open his throat.
Aurelia screamed, her voice echoing in the forest, and the very trees seemed to quiver from the intensity of it. When I glanced her way, I could have sworn her eyes glowed green.
Another goblin came for me. I tore my gaze from Aurelia and blocked his attack. But another cut his claws across my shin. My leg buckled, and I sank to one knee.
A bright blue flame ignited next to the riverbank. Somehow, the goblin attacking Aurelia had caught fire. His screeches split the air as the flames consumed him. He turned and raced toward the river before plunging himself into its depths.
Fortunately, this distracted the goblins surrounding me. I beheaded two more.
But, unfortunately, several goblins swarmed Aurelia, marking her as the bigger threat.
“No!” I shouted, my blade singing with each stroke as I killed one goblin after another, trying to make my way to her. But there were too many of them.
“ Stop !” I bellowed, channeling all my remaining energy into that one word.
I didn’t think it would work. Fae magic normally wasn’t strong enough to overcome the bloodthirsty rage of the unseelie.
But the goblin closest to Aurelia froze, his black eyes going wide as he looked between me and Aurelia. The princess narrowed her eyes at me, only hesitating a moment before she stabbed the goblin in the heart.
“ Leave her be ,” I said, allowing my magic to flow through me. The force of my power drained me, and the blade fell from my hands. Black spots hovered in my vision, and I swayed, falling to my other knee. I would pass out soon, and the goblins would devour me.
But I could save Aurelia.
Another goblin burst into flames. Then another. Soon, every creature was consumed by this strange blue fire. Their anguished screeches made my ears throb. One knocked into me, and I fell backward, the sleeve of my tunic catching fire. I hastily patted it down to quench the flames, then stared, awestruck, as the goblins dived into the river one by one, leaving a cloud of billowing smoke behind them.
“Up,” Aurelia hissed in my ear. “ Now .”
She tugged on my uninjured arm, but I still groaned in pain. Every inch of my body throbbed in an agony that speared through my head like an axe in my skull. Gods, it was unbearable. My head slumped as I yearned for unconsciousness.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Aurelia chided, tugging more forcefully on my arm.
“ Shit, Aurelia,” I barked as a fresh explosion of pain coursed through me. I staggered to my feet, allowing her to guide me into the cover of the forest. The river still gushed smoke from the goblins attempting to put out the fire. But it wouldn’t kill them. They would come for us again, more enraged than ever.
“We’re almost there,” she muttered, still half-dragging me.
“Almost where?” I mumbled, my voice slurring. Darkness crowded my vision, and I welcomed it.
A pinch in my arm brought sharp clarity to my mind, and I winced. “Gods, you are violent.”
“Good thing, otherwise we’d be a meal for the goblins right now.”
I blinked hazily at her. Her jaw was set with determination as she stared forward, guiding me toward a destination I couldn’t see. A long, bloody gash ran along her jaw, and another smaller cut bled from her forehead. The back of her dress was soaked in blood from when the goblin took a bite out of her.
“Did you do that?” I whispered. “Did you set them on fire?”
Uncertainty flashed in her blue eyes, but she said nothing. She didn’t look proud or smug. If anything, she looked afraid.
“Aurelia,” I said, my voice gaining strength. “Was that you? Or something else?”
After a long moment, she said softly, “I don’t know.”
Aurelia kept me awake, pinching and prodding me until I was certain she would leave bruises. But it worked. By the time we reached the small inn nestled in the forest, I was on my feet, instead of being partially dragged. Granted, I was still leaning heavily on Aurelia, but with her arm laced through mine, it wasn’t as obvious.
Nothing could cover up our injuries or blood-soaked clothes, though. There was also an arrow sticking out of the front of my torso, which was quite alarming.
A shimmering, rippling fog hovered in front of the inn, and when we passed through it, the air seemed to rumble.
Was I hallucinating?
“What was that?” I asked.
“Protective wards surrounding the inns,” Aurelia said. “It keeps out the unseelie, like those nasty goblins.”
Ah, now I remembered… Something similar happened on my journey to the Summer Court. I squinted through the fog clouding my vision as the familiar cottage came into view. “I know this place. I’ve been here before.”
“It’s Fellspar Inn,” Aurelia said.
I stopped in my tracks. “Damn.”
Aurelia stared at me. “What is it?”
“I stayed here on my way to your kingdom.”
“So?”
My eyes closed, shame and irritation washing over me. “So… I did not sleep alone for the night.” I leveled a meaningful look at her.
Her cheeks flushed, but she glared in response. “Really? You couldn’t restrain yourself for one night?”
“The journey here was several nights, thank you very much, and I did restrain myself for the better part of the trip.”
She only rolled her eyes. “Regardless of your proclivities, they will still shelter us for the night. I know the owner.” She urged me forward.
I tugged on her elbow to stop her. “That’s what concerns me. Aurelia, we need to appear as if we are betrothed. If this owner knows you, he will likely share this information with others, and we need the news to spread quickly. Not only will it help our story, but it will also keep your kingdom protected if people are aware the Star Court has allied itself to you.”
She stilled, her eyes calculating as she considered my words. “And your court would be safer, too, I’d wager.”
“Well, yes. Not only that, but, I have… rather regrettably made a reputation for myself. If we truly want this lie to be believed, then we must share a room. ”
She whirled to face me, her eyes blazing. “ What ? Absolutely not!”
“Aurelia,” I said.
“I am not sharing a room or a bed with you, you foul, twisted?—”
“Stars above, I do not want to bed you!” I snapped. “It’s only for appearances. I will sleep on the damn floor if I have to. But no one will believe that I am courting someone with chaste intentions.”
She shifted her weight. “Royals court like that all the time. It wouldn’t be proper, and people would know that.”
“Yes, but you and I cannot lie. If we declare we are sharing a room for the night, that will spread the rumor for us.” I paused, eyeing the cut that still bled freely on her forehead. “Not to mention it will give them something else to gossip about besides our horrifying state.”
She sighed. “Fine. But if you try anything tonight, I will gut you.”
I chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”
Aurelia gripped my arm firmly, leading me toward the front door of the inn. Truth be told, it was a rather charming venue, the three-story cottage looking more like a secluded home in the woods than a place of business. Perhaps that was the appeal.
A row of neatly trimmed rose bushes lined the stone walkway. The windows were adorned with vines of ivy and jasmine, the smell tickling my nose. The cottage was built with thick, wooden slats and had a thatched roof on top. Had I been a commoner in the Summer Court, this would certainly have been my ideal profession: an innkeeper of a pleasant place such as this.
Aurelia pushed open the door and guided me through it. In the small foyer, a plump woman, her messy gray hair coming out of her bun, bustled behind a desk, muttering to herself. Her cheeks were pink as she glanced up at us, her face paling. “Burning suns, I knew it! I’ve already sent for the healer. Your Highness, what happened?” She hurried around the desk and helped us into the sitting room.
“No, no,” Aurelia said quickly. “We don’t want to leave blood on your beautiful furniture. We’ll just need a room for the night.”
“Your Highness, you both need medical attention. The healer should be here any moment.”
Aurelia nodded. “That would be helpful, thank you. But we do need a room. We must change and clean up if we are to present ourselves to the Autumn Court in a few days.”
I shot an alarmed look at Aurelia before schooling my features into a neutral expression. The Autumn Court? We hadn’t discussed this. I knew we would be making a few stops in this kingdom, but I wasn’t aware we would be making a formal introduction to the royal court.
“I have your usual room prepared, Your Highness,” the woman said. “And I already have another room available upstairs for this gentleman as well.”
“No,” Aurelia said quickly. “He can share my room.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide as she glanced between us. Familiarity flickered in her expression as she gazed me up and down.
Oh, yes, she remembered me. I flashed her a dazzling smile and fixed an adoring look at Aurelia.
“One room?” the woman repeated. “For the two of you?”
Aurelia’s eyes sparkled with delight as she leaned closer to whisper, “We haven’t officially announced it yet.”
The woman uttered a shocked squeak before covering her mouth. “By the gods! It cannot be! You and the Midnight Prince?”
Aurelia arched an eyebrow in my direction, and I shrugged. Yes, I had made my presence—and my title—known during my stay here. There was nothing to be done about it now. If anything, my notoriety might help us spread the word.
“It is true,” Aurelia said, and the shy smile on her face looked so genuine it made my heart stutter. Her eyes shone, and the rosy glow in her cheeks made her look positively radiant. “Unfortunately, we were attacked by a clan of goblins along the way, but our injuries are minor and we should be fit to continue our journey after a healer tends to us.”
The woman cast an uncertain glance at the arrow protruding from my body, no doubt questioning the minor aspect of our injuries.
I forced a smile. “It’s merely a flesh wound.”
“Of course.” The woman wiped her hands on her apron, then stretched her hand toward the foyer. “Let me fetch your key for you. ”
“I can pay you—” Aurelia said quickly, but the woman shushed her.
“Nonsense. Consider it a gift. And, if you feel so inclined, I would be honored to be invited to the royal wedding.” The woman curtsied slightly and dipped her gaze.
Aurelia faltered. She blinked, then swallowed hard, regret filling her eyes.
“Of course,” I said at once, my voice smooth and inviting. “Any of my beloved’s acquaintances would be most welcome to our wedding.”
The woman beamed, then ducked behind her desk. After a moment, she resurfaced with a large, brass key and handed it to Aurelia. “Room seventeen on the first floor.”
“Ah, Dreya, you always take such good care of me,” Aurelia said with a wide smile.
Dreya curtsied again. “Of course! I keep the room ready for you. It is yours and yours alone.”
Aurelia flushed. “You are too kind. I wish you would let us pay for the trouble.”
“Think nothing of it, Your Highness. You are welcome here anytime. Come, let me help you with your belongings.” She scooped up Aurelia’s sack and lifted it to her shoulder with surprising strength before leading us down the hall toward the room.