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Authors: Emma L. Adams
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expected. For the first time, the faerie-kind—dryads in the trees, piskies buzzing around the flowerbeds in gardens—looked right past me rather than flying up and trying to pull my hair or shouting obscenities at me. On the other hand, the few humans I passed glared openly. I was pretty much used to hostility by now, so I ignored them.
At the hedges bordering half-blood territory, I hesitated. My plan had seemed sound until I’d actually reached my destination. I’d get inside, pretend I knew Alain, and get her to talk to me alone. If I couldn’t get answers out of her, I’d have to resort to threats. I’d only reveal my true identity as a last resort. No one would guess who I was. I doubted any other human would be stupid enough to deliberately walk into their territory, even in disguise. My stomach flipped with nerves as I approached the gate. I had no Mage Lord for backup this time.
The gate sprang open before I reached it. I stared, half expecting a guard to be waiting to oust me as human, but nobody appeared. Did my faerie magic give me a free pass? It couldn’t be my blood or even my DNA—that was unchanged. Unless the faeries had security cameras or spies. I hesitated, scanning the hedge, but saw nobody. Odd. But not surprising. Faerie magic defied all logic.
Inside, the layout had slightly changed, the paths shifting to the opposite side of the grassy lawn. Autumn leaves littered the ground, and a river ran through the centre. Did the half-faeries rearrange the layout of this place on a whim? Based on my past experience in Faerie, I’d suspect so. Powerful Sidhe lords could wave a hand and conjure up a castle.
Or a torture chamber.
A shiver ran down my neck. I held my head high, not looking too closely at any of the faeries I passed. A group of half-selkies splashed in the river, while nymphs melted in and out of the shallows and gnomes ran through the grass. Groups of half-faerie teenagers lounged on the lawn on the other side of the river. Nobody gave me a second glance.
This was really weird. I felt like I wore an invisibility cloak, and actually had to look down at my body to check I was still here. Paranoia was so ingrained, I nearly jumped when two female half-faeries walked around the corner, deep in conversation. They passed by without even looking at me.
I paused, then turned back and followed after. “Hey,” I said. “Er… do you know if they caught the killer yet?”
One of them, a stunning young woman with ivory-white hair and deep green eyes, looked at me curiously. “Yes. Where have you been?”
“Out,” I said vaguely. I assumed the half-faeries had license to leave the territory whenever they felt like it. “I heard about the murders. Is he in jail?”
“He is, yes.”
I didn’t ask where the jail was, though I wanted to—the question might give the game away. Instead, I said, “Okay. Er… is anyone investigating a possible connection between the two deaths?”
Two pairs of confused eyes stared at me. “No. Why would they be?”
“No reason.” Damn. I didn’t want to make them suspicious. “Murder isn’t common in here, right?”
“No, but everyone’s been tense since the veil opened,” said the second half-faerie, whose fair hair glittered like spun silk. “They’re saying one of the Sidhe came here and opened it, somehow. Some people wanted to go back into Faerie, but the veil didn’t stay open long enough.”
Velkas.
I opened my mouth to ask if she wanted to go to Faerie, but the answer, clearly, was no. In fact, aside from their unnatural beauty, both of them wore plain T-shirts and jeans. Like modern-day human teenagers.
Weird. Definitely weird.
“Er, thanks,” I said. Their confusion would turn into suspicion soon, and I didn’t want to draw unneeded attention. “Just wondered. Er, is Alain around?”
“Alain Delian? Yes, she’s at home.”
I nodded. Good.
“Thanks,” I said again, and they walked away. I shook my head, slightly
At the hedges bordering half-blood territory, I hesitated. My plan had seemed sound until I’d actually reached my destination. I’d get inside, pretend I knew Alain, and get her to talk to me alone. If I couldn’t get answers out of her, I’d have to resort to threats. I’d only reveal my true identity as a last resort. No one would guess who I was. I doubted any other human would be stupid enough to deliberately walk into their territory, even in disguise. My stomach flipped with nerves as I approached the gate. I had no Mage Lord for backup this time.
The gate sprang open before I reached it. I stared, half expecting a guard to be waiting to oust me as human, but nobody appeared. Did my faerie magic give me a free pass? It couldn’t be my blood or even my DNA—that was unchanged. Unless the faeries had security cameras or spies. I hesitated, scanning the hedge, but saw nobody. Odd. But not surprising. Faerie magic defied all logic.
Inside, the layout had slightly changed, the paths shifting to the opposite side of the grassy lawn. Autumn leaves littered the ground, and a river ran through the centre. Did the half-faeries rearrange the layout of this place on a whim? Based on my past experience in Faerie, I’d suspect so. Powerful Sidhe lords could wave a hand and conjure up a castle.
Or a torture chamber.
A shiver ran down my neck. I held my head high, not looking too closely at any of the faeries I passed. A group of half-selkies splashed in the river, while nymphs melted in and out of the shallows and gnomes ran through the grass. Groups of half-faerie teenagers lounged on the lawn on the other side of the river. Nobody gave me a second glance.
This was really weird. I felt like I wore an invisibility cloak, and actually had to look down at my body to check I was still here. Paranoia was so ingrained, I nearly jumped when two female half-faeries walked around the corner, deep in conversation. They passed by without even looking at me.
I paused, then turned back and followed after. “Hey,” I said. “Er… do you know if they caught the killer yet?”
One of them, a stunning young woman with ivory-white hair and deep green eyes, looked at me curiously. “Yes. Where have you been?”
“Out,” I said vaguely. I assumed the half-faeries had license to leave the territory whenever they felt like it. “I heard about the murders. Is he in jail?”
“He is, yes.”
I didn’t ask where the jail was, though I wanted to—the question might give the game away. Instead, I said, “Okay. Er… is anyone investigating a possible connection between the two deaths?”
Two pairs of confused eyes stared at me. “No. Why would they be?”
“No reason.” Damn. I didn’t want to make them suspicious. “Murder isn’t common in here, right?”
“No, but everyone’s been tense since the veil opened,” said the second half-faerie, whose fair hair glittered like spun silk. “They’re saying one of the Sidhe came here and opened it, somehow. Some people wanted to go back into Faerie, but the veil didn’t stay open long enough.”
Velkas.
I opened my mouth to ask if she wanted to go to Faerie, but the answer, clearly, was no. In fact, aside from their unnatural beauty, both of them wore plain T-shirts and jeans. Like modern-day human teenagers.
Weird. Definitely weird.
“Er, thanks,” I said. Their confusion would turn into suspicion soon, and I didn’t want to draw unneeded attention. “Just wondered. Er, is Alain around?”
“Alain Delian? Yes, she’s at home.”
I nodded. Good.
“Thanks,” I said again, and they walked away. I shook my head, slightly
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