Chapter 21
Everything about the stranger radiated sensual grace and ease. High Fae, no
doubt. His short black hair gleamed like a raven’s feathers, offsetting his pale
skin and blue eyes so deep they were violet, even in the firelight. They twinkled
with amusement as he beheld me.
For a moment, we said nothing. Thank you didn’t seem to cover what he’d
done for me, but something about the way he stood with absolute stillness, the
night seeming to press in closer around him, made me hesitate to speak—made
me want to run in the other direction.
He, too, wasn’t wearing a mask. From another court, then.
A half smile played on his lips. “What’s a mortal woman doing here on Fire
Night?” His voice was a lover’s purr that sent shivers through me, caressing
every muscle and bone and nerve.
I took a step back. “My friends brought me.”
The drumming was increasing in tempo, building to a climax I didn’t
understand. It had been so long since I’d seen a bare face that looked even
vaguely human. His clothes—all black, all finely made—were cut close enough
to his body that I could see how magnificent he was. As if he’d been molded
from the night itself.
“And who are your friends?” He was still smiling at me—a predator sizing up
prey.
“Two ladies,” I lied again.
“Their names?” He prowled closer, slipping his hands into his pockets. I
retreated a little more and kept my mouth shut. Had I just traded three monsters
for something far worse?
When it became apparent I wouldn’t answer, he chuckled. “You’re
welcome,” he said. “For saving you.”
I bristled at his arrogance but retreated another step. I was close enough to the
bonfire, to that little hollow where the faeries were all gathered, that I could
make it if I sprinted. Maybe someone would take pity on me—maybe Lucien or
Alis were there.
“Strange for a mortal to be friends with two faeries,” he mused, and began
circling me. I could have sworn tendrils of star-kissed night trailed in his wake.
“Aren’t humans usually terrified of us? And aren’t you, for that matter, supposed
to keep to your side of the wall?”
I was terrified of him, but I wasn’t about to let him know. “I’ve known them
my whole life. I’ve never had anything to fear from them.”
He paused his circling. He now stood between me and the bonfire—and my
escape route. “And yet they brought you to the Great Rite and abandoned you.”
“They went to get refreshments,” I said, and his smile grew. Whatever I’d just
said had given me away. I’d spotted the servants hauling off the food, but—
maybe it wasn’t here.
He smiled for a heartbeat longer. I had never seen anyone so handsome—and
never had so many warning bells pealed in my head because of it.
“I’m afraid the refreshments are a long way off,” he said, coming closer now.
“It might be a while before they return. May I escort you somewhere in the
meantime?” He removed a hand from his pocket to offer his arm.
He’d been able to scare off those faeries without lifting a finger. “No,” I said,
my tongue thick and heavy.
He waved his hand toward the hollow—toward the drums. “Enjoy the Rite,
then. Try to stay out of trouble.” His eyes gleamed in a way that suggested
staying out of trouble meant staying far, far away from him.
Though it might have been the biggest risk I’d ever taken, I blurted, “So
you’re not a part of the Spring Court?”
He returned to me, every movement exquisite and laced with lethal power,
but I held my ground as he gave me a lazy smile. “Do I look like I’m part of the
Spring Court?” The words were tinged with an arrogance that only an immortal
could achieve. He laughed under his breath. “No, I’m not a part of the noble
Spring Court. And glad of it.” He gestured to his face, where a mask might go.
I should have walked away, should have shut my mouth. “Why are you here,
then?”
The man’s remarkable eyes seemed to glow—with enough of a deadly edge
that I backed up a step. “Because all the monsters have been let out of their
cages tonight, no matter what court they belong to. So I may roam wherever I
wish until the dawn.”
More riddles and questions to be answered. But I’d had enough—especially
as his smile turned cold and cruel. “Enjoy the Rite,” I repeated as blandly as I
could.
I hurried back to the hollow, too aware of the fact that I was putting my back
to him. I was grateful to lose myself in the crowd milling along the path to the
