Chapter 3
Sylvia
Whatever enchantment was deterring outsiders from this place, it appeared to be selective.
A few dozen guests milled about the sprawling lobby—all of them lacking the wide-eyed glaze and cold sweat of adrenaline that the hunters and I no doubt wore.
After our perilous entry, it was difficult to imagine anyone journeying here peacefully—yet these people looked entirely at ease.
The gemstone’s aura still hummed in my veins and desperately beckoned me forward, but I retained enough self-preservation to keep my flight high, away from wandering eyes.
I weaved among the chandeliers, nearly blinded by the refractions of the warm electric light.
Perched on a brass rung of the central fixture, I peered down between dangling strands of crystals.
As I caught my breath, I placed a hand over my still-hammering heart and reeled from our graze with death in just getting here.
No one else here seemed to have experienced the same harrowing journey.
It was nearing midnight, but the lobby still hummed with activity.
Employees moved with purpose, hauling luggage toward the elevators.
Well-dressed men and women lounged on various seating arrangements, each centralized to their own stone fireplace.
The warmth did look enticing, even if the winter freeze seemed to have evaporated outside.
The largest crowd hung around the well-stocked bar, which boasted floor-to-ceiling views of the mountain range stretching across the horizon beneath the stars.
The view within was nearly as stunning. No less than twelve Christmas trees decorated the chamber, and festive garlands with twinkling white lights appointed every stone column.
Despite the grandeur, there was an undeniable charm to it all—the antithesis to the grungy motels Cliff and Jon opted to stay in.
I’d never seen a more beautiful interior in my life, or rather, a more expensive one.
This was not the place for travelers trying to spread meager savings over the span of years; these people were here for careless luxuries, indulgence.
And nestled somewhere among the opulence was the gemstone.
As I tried to feel out its direction, my senses were slammed with far more than I anticipated. The air hummed with unfamiliar energies; the gemstone and the witchcraft barrier were only the beginning. Why would there be so many different types of magic gathered in one location?
Find me. Tether me. Use me.
Concentrating, I attempted to focus on the gemstone’s call alone. Resentment prickled my skin. Were witches using my gem for some nefarious purpose?
I studied the occupants lounging in the lobby, wondering if I could single out a magic-user. Perhaps I could find the culprit and follow them, corner them with deadly spikes of ice, interrogating—
The weight of being watched suddenly drenched me with fear. I whipped my gaze to the side and relaxed somewhat when I spotted Jon and Cliff subtly trying to get my attention. They were on the second floor of the lobby, tucked into the opening of a hallway just past the polished wood railing.
Jon stared hard at me while Cliff stood as a lookout for prying eyes. The two of them would certainly warrant a double-take in their weathered clothes and barely concealed weapons, but there were fewer people on the second level.
Flitting away from the chandelier, I met the boys in the hallway. “It’s somewhere in the building,” I said. “But there’s so much more—”
“You can’t fly off like that,” Jon gritted out. His voice was low, but the intensity written on his face revealed how much he was restraining himself. “We’ve got no clue what we’re dealing with here. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
“You would have gotten us killed if I hadn’t guided you through the barrier. I’ll be fine.” Glancing between the pair of them, I knew it would be unfair to pull them away from their urgent mission. “Look, I’ll search for the gemstone while you find Tammy.”
“You’re not running off on your own,” Cliff scoffed. “After the outpost? Are you crazy?”
My face suddenly felt hot with an odd pinch of shame that had been lurking somewhere at the back of my mind. “What if Tammy knows about what happened in Louisiana? Maybe I’m not interested in meeting another hunter who’ll want to cage me or kill me—”
My words choked off, but not from rising emotion.
“Stars, is that…” I sensed something behind me, something even more familiar than the gemstone’s pull. Twisting, I prepared to dart off in search of the sensation.
This time, Jon snagged the hem of my shirt and yanked me lower before I could move. “Wait.”
The brutal command and restraint made me go rigid. Memories came hurtling back: Jon slamming the cage over me, stifling me to the bone with iron, trapping me in a world where his decisions could snuff out mine on a whim.
“Let go.” My voice was hollow.
“I will if you agree that we stay together.” He said it without thinking. A brutal, human impulse to leverage my release on a condition.
My answer came in the form of magic bursting from my fingertips. Ice struck him in the chest hard enough to force him back.
“What the hell, Sylv?” Cliff snapped as Jon caught his breath.
Hands trembling, I was torn between apologizing and doubling down, but footsteps were climbing the staircase, drawing our startled attention.
Just as swiftly, my curiosity was once again stolen by the familiar sensation, and it was much closer now. I searched the open expanse of the lobby below. I swore it felt like…
“Oh,” I whispered.
Another fairy was watching us from the glittering light fixture I had just abandoned.
He stiffened visibly upon being noticed.
His dark blond hair and warm-toned clothing nearly made him invisible amongst the lights and crystals, but judging by the sharp breaths from behind me, Jon and Cliff had spotted him too.
As though sensing my intention, Jon murmured my name pleadingly.
If he was planning to physically stop me again, he didn’t have the chance.
The person ascending the stairs was closing in on the boys’ covert hallway.
I shot up several feet in the air, my feet braced against the cool marble wall near the ceiling to avoid being seen.
Luckily, the well-dressed man seemed far more interested in hailing Jon and Cliff.
“Gentlemen,” he greeted with a note of authority and an accent I couldn’t quite place. A brass nametag gleamed on his spotless jacket. “The front desk awaits all new arrivals. May I assist you with checking into your room?”
“In a minute. We’re, uh, attending to something private first—a little disagreement,” Cliff said, the effortless lie marred by the tightness at the corner of his smile. “Why don’t you grab us a couple of those complimentary lattes, and we’ll meet you downstairs?”
The concierge’s expression flickered, unimpressed as he scanned them. “You are aware of the rules of this establishment, yes? If blood is spilled, your invitation will be revoked.”
Fucking stars. An invitation? As though getting through that veil of witch glamour wasn’t enough. The hunters exchanged hasty looks, cornered without a map or any clue of the rules they were entangled in.
As the low murmur of conversation continued, I snapped my gaze back to the chandelier.
The fairy was still there, cocking his head and observing me with intensity that matched my own.
Shooting a conflicted glance at the tense exchange below me, I eased off the wall and inched toward the light fixture, hands lowered to show I had no intention of summoning a spell.
As I got closer, I strained for a better look at the fairy. His expression didn’t appear hostile. If anything, he looked curious. Concerned, even.
Before I made it halfway to him, he glanced down at the hunters and stiffened, seeming to make a determination. He met my eyes and inclined his head for me to follow. That was the only warning I received before he bolted off in a sharp flight toward the opposite hallway on the second floor.
Cursing, I flew after him.
I heard the conversation with the concierge taper off into a gruff, “We’ll find you later,” as Cliff and Jon shouldered past him to follow me, urgently trying to keep up without revealing what they were chasing.
They must have been itching to shout for me to slow down, but there was little they could do without drawing every eye to us.
Guilt stabbed me for wishing they would hang back, at least for now.
Perhaps the other fairy would be more open to talking if I weren’t flanked by a pair of weapon-laden hunters.
Before long, the single hallway became a maze.
The hotel’s second floor had dark, polished paneling, leaving me disoriented as the light was reduced to warm vintage sconces.
I struggled to keep up with him. Stars, he was fast. I rounded a hard corner and pulled to a hover.
The fairy was nowhere to be seen. The hallway stretched ahead, leading toward an elevator.
I scanned the ceiling and the corners of the crown molding—places I would have tried to blend in if I’d been pursued here.
Hearing Jon and Cliff closing in on my location, I cursed under my breath. They might scare him off for good if their entrance was too abrupt.
Then, I spotted it: one of the heavy doors was cracked open just a few inches.
I closed the distance without hesitation and peered inside.
The familiar prickle of something unmistakably fae made goosebumps rise along my arms. Magic was present, somewhere.
The utter silence within the room unsettled me enough to warrant a defensive spell.
Frost ignited with a soft crackle in both of my palms, crawling up my forearms.