Merrick snorted. “That’s for damn sure.”

  Her eyes focused back on me. “I wish I could see and hear him like I could when I was pregnant with you.”

  Merrick’s face softened. “Tell her I wish the same.”

  “He says he does, too,” I informed her.

  She blew out a sigh. “But I’m glad I can’t hear him right now because he’s going to be pissed when he hears what I have to say.”

  Merrick hung his head, and I heard the word “shit” hissed under his breath. My mother smiled at me, but there was only sadness in her eyes.

  “I know what it was like when I had to go after Alasdair. It was my fate, my destiny to end him. If you can tell me that’s how this is with you, I won’t stand in your way.”

  I knew it was with all my heart and soul. “It is,” I said.

  She kissed my forehead and stepped back. “Then go. It’s not as if I could stop you anyway. You’re about to be the queen of your own court, and Iston wants to be by your side. That’s if you decide to accept his proposal.”

  The pull to the land grew every single day, demanding I take what’s mine. Iston would make a great king, and our union would strengthen the Frost Court in more ways than one. It’d strengthen not only the fae but the elves as well. Maybe once I dealt with the evil, I could fully concentrate on my future.

  “As soon as I get rid of the Shadow fae, I’ll claim my land and marry Iston,” I said to her.

  She nodded. “If that is what you wish.” Her gaze drifted down to the dagger on my belt, the one she killed Alasdair with. “Just be careful with the Shadow fae. I want you to check in every chance you get. If you go missing for more than two days without communication, I’m going to the mortal realm myself.”

  That was the last thing I wanted.

  “Deal,” I agreed.

  When her eyes fixated on the red stains on my dress, she blew out a sigh. “You might want to change and get back to the ball. I’m sure Iston’s looking for you.” She lifted her gaze to mine. “Also, it might be kind of hard going on your hunt with him staying here for the next week. Your father’s the one who invited him.”

  Closing my eyes, I sighed. “Shit. That’s going to be a problem.”

  When I opened my eyes, my mother grinned. “No, it’s not. You have my blood in you.”

  “Which means,” Merrick added, crossing his arms over his chest and pursing his lips at my mom, “that you come from the master manipulator herself. She’s the queen of deceit.”

  That she was, and I was just like her.

  Chapter 8

  Ella

  To give me a few days to hunt the Shadow fae without alerting Iston, my mother had coerced my father to take Iston, his three brothers, and King Aelfric on a hunting trip to the mortal realm. With Iston being the best at the bow and arrow, I had no doubt he’d be the one to shoot the most game. It didn’t matter to me as long as he was out of the way so I could do what I had to. I just hoped three days was enough.

  “When I get back, I promise we’ll spend as much time together as you want,” Iston said, strapping his bow onto his back.

  My mother stood next to my father and the others who were waiting on Iston by the shimmering portal.

  I kissed him quickly and nudged him toward the others. “Go. Have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “Yes, you will.” He smirked and turned on his heel. When he joined the others, they disappeared through the veil between our realm and the mortal world.

  My mother walked over to me, and I could see the concern in her eyes. “You have three days, Ella. I’d feel much better if you let me go with you.”

  “No,” I thundered. “I’m doing this alone. I know how to find this guy. His energy is like a beacon. All I’m going to do is watch him and figure out a way to get close to him. And then, I’ll strike.”

  She nodded. “Keep me informed. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.” Before I could walk away, she grabbed my arm. “Ella, wait.”

  I turned back to her. “What is it?”

  Her eyes began to mist. “Please, be careful. This goes against all my instincts to let you go. Now I know how everyone felt when I snuck away to kill Alasdair.”

  “I’m not going to fail, Mom. Trust me on this.”

  Slowly, she let go of my arm. “I do. Now go before I change my mind.”

  Hurrying back to my cottage, I changed into my warrior gear and strapped my dagger to my belt. When I was ready to leave, Merrick was in my living room, looking out the window.

  His jaw muscles clenched, and he huffed. “I’m staying right here until you get back. If I could go to the mortal realm, I would. It’s not easy for me to sit back and watch you do this. At least with your mother, I was able to be by her side.”

  The worry on his face made my chest hurt. “I’ll be fine, Merrick. All I’m doing is watching today. I’m not going to do anything hasty.”

  He sat down on the window seat and sighed. “Okay. I’ll be right here.”

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the Shadow fae from my visions. I could still feel his arms around me and the sting of his dagger on my neck. Even the way he smelled had stayed ingrained in my mind.

  “Can you find him?” Merrick asked.

  “Yes,” I breathed, feeling the pull. “I think I have him.”

  The sensation was similar to the calling I had when I had to help the dying fae crossover to the Hereafter. It was as if a magnet was drawing me closer.

  After summoning my magic to open a portal, I opened my eyes and followed the pull through the shimmering door. The second I stepped through, the smells from home were replaced by earth and pine. Everything about the mortal realm was different from my land. I loved many things about it, like the food and the diverse landscapes, but there was so much more suffering. We didn’t have all the pollution and the sicknesses like humans. It was sad.

  As I looked around, remnants of snow were on the ground, but the air was nowhere near as cold as the Winter Court. The sky was bright blue, and the sun shone through the tops of the trees, leaving only small traces on the forest floor. Everything was quiet and serene, and it was not where I expected to find the Shadow fae. Nevertheless, I could feel him close by.

  A cabin was ahead, sitting on the side of a mountain with a steep driveway headed down the hill. He was inside, so close. I could end it now.

  There was a fire brewing within me, growing . . . burning. I was about to step away from the cover of the trees when the rumble of an engine drew closer. My magic vibrated across my skin, and I used it to make my body blend in with the tree at my back, hiding me. It was one of the things I loved about my shapeshifting abilities.

  A few seconds later, a metallic blue truck pulled up to the cabin, followed by a small, red sports car that parked next to what I assumed was the Shadow fae leader’s black truck. Three guys got out of the blue truck, all Shadow fae, but one was part Winter while the other two were Summer.

  The driver resembled the Shadow fae who attacked me last night, but his power was nowhere near the same magnitude. Although, it shouldn’t surprise me that they looked alike, considering all the Shadow fae were related.

  A blonde-haired woman hopped out of the red car, but she wasn’t Shadow fae, just half Summer. There were thousands of people like her in the mortal world, the fae who voluntarily left my land because they fell in love with humans. But others were banned.

  The ones who’d sided with the dark sorcerer all those years ago had been cast out and were now considered Dark fae, traitors to my land. My brother had killed many of them, including the Shadow fae’s leader at the time, Dorian. But then again, there was no telling how many Shadow fae were left. The dark sorcerer had a century of going back and forth to the mortal realm, sleeping with every fae and half-fae woman he could find to create his spawn. If he was still alive, the first thing I would’ve done was cut off his dick. However, back then, no one knew what he was doing.

  All three of the Shadow fae, and the woman, entered the cabin. They stayed inside for a long time but then walked out with the man from my visions right behind them. He sparred with them out in the yard, and it was the first time I’d seen just how powerful he was.

  He moved like a warrior, strong and efficient.

  When he started sparring with the woman, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I just had to wait for the right time.

  Patience usually wasn’t a virtue of mine, but I watched and waited by the tree, studying my enemies. Since standing here, I’ve learned that the leader’s name is Kai, and his strongest brother is Ridge. The other two men were Aric and Bane who were also Kai’s brothers. Draya was the only female.

  Over the day, around ten dark fae showed up with an arsenal of guns and ammo. They practiced shooting their targets, and every time they made their marks.

  If anything were to take down a fae, that would be it.

  I liked to pride myself on being the superior race, but we could easily fall with just a simple graze of an unsuspecting iron bullet. My power was strong, but I wasn’t foolish enough to take on a dozen men alone.

  After a couple more hours of watching everyone train, the ten dark fae left, leaving Kai, his three brothers, and Draya inside the cabin.

  Night soon fell over the forest, and my time for attack came when Draya ventured out of the cabin to grab something out of her car. There were only a few seconds to react, and I took it.

  As soon as I had her clutched in my grasp, I summoned my magic and pulled her through the portal to my realm. She screamed, but no one would hear her in the cold depths of the Ice Court dungeons.

  I thrust open the ice cage door and pushed her inside, watching her slip and fall on the floor.

  “What the hell!” she shrieked, trying to get to her feet and failing. Her body shook with chills. It took a few tries, but she eventually got to her feet, her Summer skin turning blue as she held onto the icy bars. “W-who are you?”

  I could hear her teeth chattering. It was dark, and I knew she couldn’t see me.

  Holding out my hand, I summoned my fire magic, and a ball of flame lit up the room, giving her a clear view of my face. “Now, do you know who I am?” I spat.

  Draya’s eyes widened and she scrambled away from the bars. “You’re her.” She jerked her gaze around the dungeon. “Which means . . .”

  “You’re in the Land of the Fae,” I finished. “And you’re going to stay here until I get what I want.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at me and turned her back, her body shaking uncontrollably from the cold. “I’m . . . n-not . . . t-telling you a-anything.”

  A raging fire burned in my gut. “Oh, yes, you are.”

  I’d never used my magic to torture anyone, but I wasn’t about to show mercy to an enemy. Concentrating on the air, I envisioned it leaving her lungs. I pulled it away and watched her fall to the floor, writhing in agony. She grabbed her throat, her mouth hanging wide open in a silent scream.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” I asked.

  I thrust the air back into her lungs and she gasped. Her chest heaved up and down as she sucked in the air.

  “What do you want to know?” she asked, returning to her feet. Her blue eyes gleamed with hatred as she stared at me.

  “What does your leader have planned?” I demanded. She lifted her chin defiantly and clenched her jaw. “You know what,” I said, grinning wide, “it doesn’t matter what you tell me. I can just find out for myself.”

  Draya scoffed. “Good luck with that. The second my guys see you, they’ll put a bullet in your head.”

  I laughed. “Not if they see you.”

  My magic trembled across my skin as my body transformed into hers. I was the exact replica of her, dressed in a red sweater and jeans with her golden blonde hair and blue eyes. My skin was no longer cold like a Winter fae but warm like Summer.

  She stumbled back and grabbed her chest. “Holy shit. That’s insane.”

  “So, now you see,” I said, “I don’t need your help. I just needed you out of the way. However, if you had just cooperated, you could’ve earned yourself a warmer room for the evening.”

  “Screw you!” she spat.

  I held up my hands. “So be it. I’ll check back on you in a couple of days. Maybe you won’t freeze to death.”

  I opened a portal back to the mortal realm, and before I could step through, her following words froze me in place.

  “I spent my childhood hearing stories of how amazing it was in the Land of the Fae. I dreamed about the day I could come here. That is until I heard the real story.”

  Closing the portal, I turned around and looked at her. “What are you talking about?”

  Her jaw trembled from the cold. “I’m talking about my father. He was a good Summer fae man who worked his entire life for your grandparents. But then their stupid rules tore him away from the only woman he ever loved.”

  Long before my parents or I was born, there was a time when it was forbidden to be with someone from a different court.

  “Was she from Winter?”

  Draya snarled. “Yes. And my father was banished to that shitty excuse of a mortal world while your people lived the good life here.”

  “We don’t have rules like that here anymore,” I snapped. “That changed long before I was born.”

  Draya turned her back on me. “Yeah, tell that to all the fae your ancestors banished over the centuries. I know plenty of them who would love to come back here. But, unfortunately, they’re suffering for loving the wrong person.” She blew out an angry breath. “Why do you think I joined the Shadow fae? My mom died giving birth to me, and my father died when I was twelve, leaving me with no one. It felt like I belonged somewhere for the first time in my life. I used to think I wanted to be a part of your world. But you just made me realize how wrong I was.”

  It was unexpected, but her words sliced right through my heart.

  Footsteps echoed in the stone hallway, and it wasn’t long before someone appeared around the corner; it was my mother. Draya’s mouth gaped as she took her in. My mother looked from me to Draya and then back to me.

  “I’m assuming you’re going back to the mortal realm looking like her?” she asked, nodding toward Draya.

  I transformed back to my usual self. “She’s close to the Shadow fae leader.”

  My mother walked up to the ice cage. “What do you want to do with her?” A tear fell down Draya’s cheek, but she angrily wiped it away, averting her gaze. “For now, I want her taken upstairs and guarded. I don’t want her in the dungeons.”

  Draya’s eyes shot to mine and my mother stared at me curiously. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  Taking her arm, I led her away from the cell. “I know it makes no sense to you, but I need you to trust me. When I’m done dealing with the Shadow fae, I know what my first duty as queen of my court will be.”

  My mother’s head cocked to the side. “And what will that be?”

  I hugged her quickly. “I don’t have time to explain right now, but I will as soon as I can.”

  I took one last look at Draya before stepping through another portal back to the mortal realm.

  Chapter 9

  Ella

  Disguised as Draya, I appeared by her red car and looked around. I could hear voices inside the cabin, but then the screen door flung open, and Ridge stormed out. I could sense the evil all around him like a plague. He looked like the leader but with sharper angles to his face and dark green eyes. I knew from the practice session I witnessed earlier that he was stronger than Aric and Bane.

  “Where have you been?” he snapped.

  “I went for a walk,” I stated blandly. Asshole.

  He waved for me to hurry. “Come on. Kai wants you in here.”

  Reaching behind my back, I could feel my dagger even though it was invisible. It was one of the perks of my ability to shapeshift; anything on my body could be glamoured.

  Marching up the stairs, I had no clue what to expect when I entered the cabin. Aric and Bane were standing by the kitchen bar talking to Kai, who I couldn’t see yet because of the wall. Nevertheless, I could feel his power throughout the room.

  The closer I got to the bar, the more my heart started to pound. All three men looked like brothers, but none had Kai’s gray eyes.

  Aric beckoned me over with a wave of his hand. “Draya, come. Take a shot with us before we get down to business.”

  Five shot glasses were on the counter, filled to the brim with amber-colored liquid. When I joined him and Bane at the bar, I got a good look at Kai. He was leaning against the wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. The last time I saw him, he was in a black tux with perfectly coifed dark brown hair. Tonight, he was in a snug T-shirt and jeans, with his hair in disarray from sparring with his dark fae army. His stormy gray eyes met mine, and I stared at them head-on.

  Grabbing one of the shot glasses, I held it up. Kai stepped forward and reached for a glass while Aric, Bane, and Ridge did the same. Ridge tapped his glass to all of ours and smiled.

  “Here’s to killing the Winter bitch and getting our revenge.”

  A fire burned through my veins, but I smiled and tossed back the shot. “To revenge,” I said, disgusted that I was even in their presence.

  The guys slammed back their liquor and laughed. Ridge clapped his hands on the counter before walking into the living room and sitting on the couch's armrest. “All right, let’s get this shit figured out. I still don’t understand why we don’t just go after the princess in the Land of the Fae.”

  Kai strolled out of the kitchen and stood next to me. His winter scent threw me off; he wasn’t supposed to smell like my home. All I had to do was grab my dagger and plunge it into his heart. Kai was quick, though, I’d seen that firsthand. Sadly, now wasn’t the right time to attack. Ridge held out his arms, waiting for Kai to speak.