Five Years Ago

Fae Canyon, Freelands of the Americas

Once in a fae’s lifetime, she might be lucky enough to see a night where four different elemental moons shine in the sky simultaneously. Or unlucky enough, as the elders claim, to witness a quartet of fire orbs among the stars on Night of Four Moons….

Silly superstition, I thought, staring out my bedroom window at the collection of glowing orange moons. How can anyone believe something so pretty is such a bad omen?

Where others saw misfortune, I saw hope. Life. Color. The moons transformed our frozen world from a desolate landscape sketched in shades of gray to one painted in rich crimson, magenta, and violet. In my fifteen years on this earth, I had never seen something so breathtakingly beautiful, so purely magical.

Come morning, the dull sun would rise and wash away the color with pale, white light. Only the Goddess knew when the next Night of Four Moons would occur. Chances were high that night wouldn’t include a single fire moon, let alone four. At least, that was how I justified defying my father’s order to remain inside our house, tucked safely behind the wards until morning.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” I whispered aloud, stealing a glance at my brother Illion asleep in the bed on the other side of the small room. “I can’t miss it.”

With the dying embers of a fire smoldering in the hearth, I folded back the quilt and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Illion’s head poked out from beneath a woolen blanket, his small thumb stuck between his lips. Careful not to wake him, I smoothed his dark-blond locks back from his forehead and kissed my brother softly on the cheek. He smelled like the cinnamon tonic my father insisted we all drink before bed.

“I’ll be back soon,” I promised Illion.

My running clothes were stacked neatly in the cupboard beneath the bathroom sink, sneakers on top. I layered two pairs of pants and three shirts under a heavy down jacket. Woolen gloves and a matching hat, handcrafted by our next-door neighbor, came next. I checked the time—just before midnight. Sienna and Gregory were probably already
waiting for me at the bottom of Fae Canyon.

The front door squeaked a little when I pushed it open. Freezing, I listened with bated breath. Neither Dad nor Illion stirred. I slipped out into the frigid night.

Wards weren’t visible to the naked eye, but there was a palpable change in the atmosphere when I crossed outside the ring of protection. A lump formed in my throat.

Is this a stupid idea?

It was. My father would ground me until I turned eighteen if he found out.

If he finds out. Don’t get caught, and he will never find out.

I started down the canyon at a light jog to warm up my stiff muscles. The moons illuminated the road, but shadows moved among the trees. No patrols tonight, I reminded myself. Though, if anything, that fact made my ears more sensitive, my eyes keener. The nights when the guards weren’t on duty made sneaking out too tempting, but also very dangerous.

Nothing ever happens in Fae Canyon, I told the pixies fluttering about in my stomach.

That was true enough. The canyon was secluded, isolated even. The next closest community was hundreds of miles away. Dark creatures didn’t bother with us, not when they could hunt in
densely populated cities or pick off lone fae families without a powerful council of elders to protect them. Hell, even the shifter colonies were easier targets than Fae Canyon.

Still, I picked up the pace. My nerves would calm once I met up with Sienna and Gregory. They always did.

The air tasted crisp and fresh as I jogged down the winding road. Frozen earth crunched beneath my soles, and my breath came out in little clouds tinged orange by the moons. Wind whipped the hair sticking out from beneath my hat and stung my eyes. I wasn’t bothered, though. Having grown up in a frozen world, the cold was a constant companion.

I reached the bottom of the canyon.

“Brie! Over here!” Sienna called softly.

Adrenaline erased lingering doubts. Confidence in my decision to sneak out grew by leaps and bounds. I squinted in the direction of her voice and found her huddled together with Gregory in the shadows behind the sign for Fae Canyon. He waved one mitten-clad hand. I returned the gesture and hurried over to join them. Both my friends were red-faced and shivering, eyes sparkling bright with excitement.

“Am I super late? How long have you guys been waiting?” I asked, jogging in place to keep my blood pumping.

Gregory shrugged. “Nah, you’re good. I got here early, and Sienna just showed up.” He blew into his covered hands to warm them. “So, where to, ladies?”

Sienna and I exchanged glances. “The beach?” we replied in unison.

He grinned with noticeable effort, facial muscles likely frozen. “Like you were reading my mind.”

The three of us set off across the deserted stretch of road that separated the canyon from the beach.

“Did anyone see you guys?” I asked.

“Not me.” Sienna shot a look at Gregory.

He sighed. “My sister got up to use the bathroom right as I opened the window to climb out.” Gregory’s sister was the same age as Illion. They were in the same year at school and friendly with one another. “It’s fine,” he added hurriedly. “She won’t tell on us.”

“You sure?” I arched an eyebrow in his direction. “You know my father. He’s a stickler for the rules. And he forbade me to leave the house tonight.”

“Elder Hawkins makes the rules,” Sienna laughed.

“Exactly. Which is why he gets so pissed when his daughter breaks one,” I reminded her.

The air smelled of salt water as we approached the ocean. I longed for the days before the Freeze, when living at the beach meant surfing and sunbathing, picnics and barbeques,
waterskiing and sailing. Not that I had firsthand knowledge—the world turned to a frozen wasteland long before I was born. Those were just the types of
activities the people in my favorite books always did.

“She won’t say anything,” Gregory promised.

We stopped at the water’s edge and admired the view. Frozen sand glistened like an endless sea of diamonds. The moons’ orange glow mixed with the blue ocean water beneath a layer of ice to create a vast expanse of magenta.

“Wow. It’s so pretty,” Sienna breathed.

Gregory wrapped one of his long arms around her waist and the other around my shoulders. Pulling us both into his sides, we made a small huddle for warmth. Even with all my layers of
clothes, the additional body heat was welcome.

The three of us had been a trio practically since birth. Over the years, Sienna and I had both had a crush on Gregory at some point. She’d been his first kiss, and he’d been mine. But now, we were just three best friends and partners in crime.

“Why do the elders say fire moons are bad luck?” Gregory wondered.

“Fire moons aren’t bad luck,” I corrected as we started walking along the shoreline. “It’s only bad luck when there are four of them at once.”

“Like tonight,” Sienna added.

“Okay. But why?” Gregory
pressed.

“Fire’s destructive,” I said. “And since Night of Four Moons signals the start of a new crop season, the elders believe all the crops will die if the harvest season begins with only fire moons.”

“Has that ever actually happened?” Sienna asked.

“Don’t you guys pay attention in history class?” I teased.

“No,” they chorused.

“Right. Stupid question.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Once. Sort of. Way back in the day. Right after the Freeze. But back then a lot of the crops died every season. They hadn’t evolved yet to withstand the cold. It had nothing to do with the fire moons, though they were still blamed for it, and the superstition was born.”

Gregory kicked a patch of seagrass. The frozen spikes shattered into hundreds of tiny green ice chunks and scattered like marbles on the beach ahead of us.

“Sooooo,” he began, drawing out the single syllable.

There was no point pretending like I didn’t know where the conversation was headed.

“I don’t know, guys,” I hedged, eyes trained straight ahead.

“Come on, Brie. Please?” Sienna broke apart from our huddle, turned to face me, and began walking backward. “This will be our last chance for months.” Batting her long lashes, she added, “Pretty please?”

I smiled despite my growing unease. I’d known they would ask. More often than not, it was the sole reason we snuck out.

“Months? That’s a slight exaggeration, don’t you think, Sienna?” I countered, buying myself a few extra seconds to decide.

“Sugar fruit is a night harvest crop,” Gregory pointed out. “Pickers will be all over the canyon once harvest season begins. No way we’ll be able to sneak away without being seen.”

He gave me an encouraging squeeze and shot that smile that made so many fae putty in his hands. “We’re over halfway there already. And you know you want to.”

“Peer pressure much?” I grumbled.

Sienna clapped her hands in delight. “Is that a yes?” she squealed.

I sighed. “Yes. Okay. Let’s go.”

With a graceless little jump and twirl, Sienna whooped excitedly and took off at a dead sprint up the beach. Laughing at her silliness, Gregory and I raced after her.

Approximately three miles
from the base of Fae Canyon, bluffs jutted out into the sea. Between two rock
faces was a narrow passage only accessible from the water. Gregory went first.

Holding his arms parallel to the ground for balance, he stepped gingerly onto
the icy ocean surface. Salt water didn’t freeze completely, so there was always
a risk of falling through the ice. But Gregory was a water fae, capable of
solidifying a path to minimize the danger.

“Follow directly in my footsteps,” he called over his shoulder.

Rolling my eyes at the instruction—this wasn’t my first rodeo—I stepped onto the ice. Sienna waited until I was several feet from the shore before following behind me. Up ahead, Gregory reached the opening and turned sideways to shimmy through. My jacket caught on something when I did the same. I didn’t want to rip the fabric—Dad would definitely ask questions if he noticed a tear—but the gloves made my fingers too thick to be nimble.

“Damn it,” I swore, removing my gloves with my teeth. There wasn’t much light or room in the passage. I felt around for whatever had snagged my jacket.

“Need help?” Sienna asked, sidling up beside me.

“I think I’ve got.… Shit!” The pointy rock that had caught my jacket sliced across my palm.

“You okay?” Gregory called. He was through the passage and waiting for us in the cavern on the other side.

The cut smarted, but there didn’t appear to be too much blood. “Yeah, just a scratch,” I called back, slipping on my gloves.

I started moving again and managed to make it through without further incident, Sienna only a few steps behind. I blew out a long breath. The temperature inside the cavern was noticeably lower than outside. But there was no wind, so that was a bonus. Not that it would matter soon.

“We still have wood. Good,” Gregory remarked, gesturing to a pile of sticks and tree limbs in the corner.

“And snacks,” Sienna added, grinning broadly. She bent and began untying her boots.

“Wait. Let me start a fire first,” I told her.

There was still a ring of stones with charred wood in the center from our last late-night outing. Gregory piled fresh sticks inside the ring. Once again, I removed my gloves, this time summoning my magic. Two baseball-sized fireballs appeared, one in each of my palms. I tossed them both onto the wood pile and stepped back, watching as bright-orange flames cast dancing shadows on the rounded cavern walls. The air temperature increased instantly.

“So much better,” Sienna said. She finished removing her boots and placed them against one wall, away from both the fire and the frozen pool in the center of the cavern.

I knelt beside the pool, placing both palms flat against the ice. Even with the fire, it was dark enough to see the faint orange glow on my hands as the skin heated. It took several minutes, but eventually I melted two holes in the top layer of ice.

“How much longer?” Sienna asked, teeth chattering.

I scowled at her over my shoulder. Sienna had stripped down to her underwear already, her clothes piled on her jacket at her feet. Beside her, Gregory was still partially dressed in socks, long underwear, and a thermal undershirt. He leaned over and rubbed his hands up and down her bare arms to create friction. I shrugged out of my jacket and rolled up my sleeves.

“I’m going as fast as I can,” I said, plunging my arms, up to the elbows, into the holes I’d made.

Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and felt the power build in my belly. One of the reasons we preferred this cavern, over the several others we’d found, was the small opening directly above the center of the pool, like a skylight. Some nights, the moon was just barely visible through the crevice. Tonight was one of those nights. I imagined the fire moons giving me strength, intensifying my natural abilities.

Steam warmed my face and arms as the water heated and thawed the rest of the ice from below. I opened my eyes and smiled. Mist hung in the air over the pool. I pulled my arms out of the water and sat back on my haunches as Gregory’s undershirt landed on my
head. Water splashed over the side of the pool and soaked through the knees of my pants when he and Sienna leapt in.

“Jerks,” I teased, laughing as I undressed hurriedly.

By the time I slid into the steaming pool with my friends, the water was gurgling and bubbling like a hot tub. But this wasn’t due to jets or natural hot springs, only an air fae—Sienna.

The warm water felt amazing swirling around my tired muscles. I stretched my arms out along the edge of the pool and sighed contentedly.

“Glad we came?” Sienna asked, splashing water playfully toward my face.

“You know I am,” I replied grudgingly.

“This is the life,” Gregory mused.

The pool wasn’t big enough to swim laps, but it was plenty big for the three of us to move around without knocking into one another. An interior rock ledge circled the perimeter at waist height, providing seats. They were needed since the pool was too deep for Sienna and me to stand. Gregory could manage on his tiptoes except in the very center.

After a while, we busted out the snacks and made smores over the fire. We drank spiced avocado wine from ice
goblets that Gregory made. Every time one of us grew cold, I summoned my magic and reheated the water.

“There’s no way that’s true!” Sienna exclaimed, smacking the water and splashing Gregory.

He’d just finished telling us about the fae girl his older brother had supposedly met at the last Freelands Fair—an annual bazaar where people came from all over the Americas to sell and exchange goods. Each year, the elders selected an envoy to go on behalf of the canyon. I’d always hoped to go, but my father thought it was too dangerous.

“I swear.” Gregory made an ‘X’ over his heart. “George told me that she told him that the fighters in the capital are treated like royalty. So are the palace fae, the ones who serve—or should I say, service—Queen Lilli.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Living under a dome doesn’t sound so bad to me. You get to live in the sunshine, eat fresh meat and vegetables, and hang with a royal family? Sign me up.”

Sienna laughed. “Me, too. Except I’d want to be Prince Kai’s personal fae.”

I shook my head. “Not me. I’d much rather have freedom than fresh salmon or whatever.”

“It’s different than serving just any caster family, Brie,” Gregory countered. “There’s a big difference between being just any old fae under the dome and being one of the fae who gets to entertain or serve the royal family.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Is it? Just because palace fae live in a castle and get pretty clothes and fancy food, that doesn’t make it any better. They aren’t free to leave. Witches and warlocks need us—our magic anyway—to live. That’s why the monarchs of the Americas created the Fae Fidelity Act. They had to force fae into service as magic feeders. No one wants to be a Caster power source, that’s gross.”

Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what? That’s what the Fae Fidelity Act is?”

“You really need to start paying attention in school,” I said dryly.

“We aren’t forced to share our magic,” Gregory argued.

“No, you’re right,” I conceded. “The domed fae are just forced to choose between sharing their magic with casters and cleaning toilets for them. Either way, fae under the dome
aren’t free to come and go as they please.”

Our night of risky frivolity suddenly didn’t seem like so much fun anymore. Fae Canyon was in the Freelands
of the Americas—areas not under the rule of caster kings and queens who held court and made laws from beneath their biodomes. Only fae and shifters lived in the Freelands. Casters were delicate and unable to survive the cold on their own. Vampires could live outside the domes, though most just chose to keep their residences inside of them.

In the Freelands, government officials didn’t journey from door to door to force fae and shifters into service like what happened in the kingdoms. We might live in a frozen wasteland, but at least we were free to use our magic how and when we pleased.

“George said the girl—”

A thump from above cut off Gregory midsentence. All three of us fell silent. My heart thudded painfully in
my chest. I looked up. The natural skylight was clear, nothing and no one
obstructing the moonlight. That fact did not make me feel any better.

A shower of small rocks and ice came through the opening, sizzling when they hit the hot water. Sienna, Gregory, and I exchanged glances.

“We need to go,” Sienna mouthed. No further discussion was necessary. We hurried from the pool, not bothering to be quiet about it. There was no point; if someone was outside the cave, they already knew we were inside.

I pulled my shirts over my head in record time. My pants, however, proved a little more difficult. Between my wet skin and the fact that my pants were still wet from earlier, I had trouble getting the material up my legs. So much so that I didn’t bother with more than one pair before wedging my feet into my sneakers.

“Hello,” came a cold, flat voice from the cave’s entrance.

In the canyon we called them cowboys, but the name never made much sense to me before that night. They didn’t ride horses. They didn’t wear spurs. Their hats were not of the ten-gallon variety. Cowboys were a type of vampire who hunted fae and shifters and sold them into service to the casters.

“What’re three faelings doing out here all by themselves?” asked the cowboy.

Five feet from where I stood, his ghostly white face split into a grin. The vampire’s fangs looked particularly ghoulish in the fire’s glow.

Too late, the clink of metal against metal reached my ears. My heart leapt into my throat.

Vampires were fast—so extremely fast. But Sienna was no slouch either. Even as the vampire’s chain-link rope swung toward us, she unleashed a gust of wind so powerful that only she was left standing. The metal rope missed my friends and me, but the vampire was back on his feet in no time.

“Ahhh!” Sienna shouted as she unleashed another powerful blast of air.

This time the vampire was ready. He stumbled but didn’t fall. And when he struck out, the chain-link rope found its mark: me.

My knees nearly buckled from the impact. Gregory was on his feet, charging the vampire. The fanged cowboy laughed as he backhanded Gregory so hard, he flew into the cave wall.

“No!” I screamed as his body crumpled to the ground.

Sienna gasped as she hurried to Gregory’s side.

Fight. You must fight.

Two fireballs appeared in my palms.

“Fire fae,” the creature sang, voice soft and seductive like the opening notes of a romantic ballad.

“You will be worth all the rest combined. Fighting will be pointless, girl. Come now. It would be a shame to harm such a beautiful fae.”

The vampire’s unnaturally green eyes glowed expectantly, dimming slightly when his charms fell on deaf ears. As he realized that the vampiric ability to compel prey into submission wasn’t working on me—thanks to Dad’s potions—his grin turned to a snarl. One of
my fireballs streaked toward him. My aim was dead on, but I was no match for
vampire speed. Yanking the metal lasso, he dodged the assault gracefully. The
ice was slippery from the water dripping off me, and his tug had the desired effect.

“Ahhh!” I cried out as I lost my footing.

I released the second fireball a split-second before my knees smacked the wet ground. Sharp rocks sliced my leggings.

The vampire gave the lasso another yank, dragging me toward him. The rocky terrain tore the exposed skin
on my knees and calves. His pale nostrils flared. If there was any doubt
whether I was bleeding, it vanished.

No. No. This can’t be happening.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I let the vampire reel me in like a fish. Bloodlust turned his eyes crimson. Like a teenager convinced he was about to get into his date’s pants, the fanged creature was no longer thinking sensibly. The way he held my gaze made it obvious he’d already forgotten his first attempt at compulsion hadn’t worked. I waited until he bent down and grabbed my arm, intending to pull me to my feet.

Flames erupted in my hand, and I slammed my palm into his stomach. Those crimson eyes flashed back to
green an instant before the fire consumed him. Gasping for breath, I stumbled out of harm’s way.

“Not so smug now are you, you fanged bastard?” I sneered.

The vampire twisted in agony as he retreated through the opening. I didn’t follow. There was no need; he’d be a pile of ash before ever reaching shore.

Sienna choked on her tear-filled laugher. I wiggled out of the metal rope and rushed over to where she knelt next to Gregory.

“Is he alive?” I asked hurriedly.

She nodded. “He’s got a pulse.” She stroked his forehead softly.

Gregory stirred, eyelids fluttering open. “I’m alive,” he croaked, trying to sit up but unable to manage the small movement. “Probably not for much longer.”

“Don’t say that,” Sienna pleaded.

“My right leg is definitely broken,” Gregory grunted. “Possibly the left, too. I’ll only hold you back.”

Tears still glistened in Sienna’s eyes. She shook her head defiantly. “No. We’re not leaving you.”

Gregory met my gaze over her head. “Brie. Tell her. We have to split up.”

“No. We can’t. We’re better together,” Sienna insisted. She turned to look up at me, positive I’d side with her if she gave me her puppy-dog eyes.

One look at the bloody remains of my pants, and the flicker of hope on her face died a swift death.

“Are you bleeding anywhere?” I asked Gregory.

“Does internally count?” he
tried to joke.

“I’ll burn away my blood in here, and then run toward the shore. That should keep the others away from here until Sienna can get you help,” I replied.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure burning the blood would be enough. I could only hope that with my open wounds, my scent would lure other vampires astray before they entered the cave.

“Others?” Sienna asked, a fresh wave of tears falling down her red cheeks.

“Really? Promise me that you’ll start taking school more seriously if we make it out of this,” I said, this time with no teasing undertones. “Cowboys hunt in packs. Usually three or four of them. Our barbequed buddy has friends out there, and his bonfire is going to draw their attention.”

Summoning my magic, I directed a spray of fire at the swatches of my blood on the ground. At the same time, Gregory sent a stream of water from the pool to douse the fire, something we probably should’ve done as soon as we sensed trouble.

“I’ll go first, lead any other vampires away,” I said without meeting my friends’ eyes. “Sienna, wait a
few minutes and then go. Run for the canyon. Don’t stop for any reason.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I won’t make it alone.”

Spinning to face her, I placed my hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “You will only make it alone. Gregory is too badly injured. I’m bleeding. You are the only chance
we have. Promise me that you will not stop until you sound the alarm. Promise
me. You have to get back and send help.”

Sienna responded with several hiccupping sobs before gaining enough composure to say, “Okay. I promise.”

“I love you both,” I told them, hugging Sienna quickly.

There was a lot more I’d have liked to say. No time for sentiment, though. So, turning my back on my friends, I shimmied through the narrow opening and out onto the ice. The small smear of my blood from the cut on my hand caught my eye.

You idiot, I chastised myself, burning away the lure that had hooked the vampire. Speaking of the vampire….

He must have been very old, because he’d managed to make it all the way to the sand before collapsing. His burning remains formed a magnificent bonfire.

Ice cracked beneath me.

Don’t have to tell me twice.

I darted for the beach and headed left. My heart hammered against my ribcage as my sneakers beat a frantic rhythm on the frozen sand. My knees throbbed, and my breath was ragged. I didn’t hear any telltale signs of a pursuer.

Nonetheless, vampires were pure
stealth. Between the wind and the pounding of my pulse in my ears, it was
impossible to hear much of anything.

Forty yards down the beach, I chanced a glance over my shoulder and nearly wept when the coastline was still clear. “Oh, thank Gaia.”

Well, sort of clear. Orange flames danced in the wind, a bizarrely beautiful ballet that seemed choreographed, like the vampire’s death was destined for this moment and his pyre planned in advance. But it was the turquoise and amethyst smoke swirling like ribbons in the air around him that made me pause.

I crouched in a bed of seagrass and watched the fruits of my magic unfold. Soon, emerald and ruby wisps wafted up from the fire to join the production. The sight should’ve disturbed me. Vampires were evil, but they were living creatures—sort of—just like fae or shifters or casters. Still, I found myself unable to look away from the fascinating rainbow of smoke.

Children in the canyon whispered to one another at slumber parties that the color of smoke from a vampire fire was determined by his victims’ auras. I didn’t know if that was true, but the number of different colors of smoke would’ve suggested this vampire had claimed a lot of souls in his undead lifetime.

Off in the distance, I thought I saw a shadow moving on the frozen ocean. Sienna, I thought and said a prayer to the Goddess for my best friend.

The fire burned out moments
later, the wind carrying the jewel-tone smoke out over the ocean. It was only
then that I noticed the lights on the highway. I held my breath and tried to
remain as still as possible, expecting the beams to grow larger as they neared.
But they remained stationary.

It’s his caravan, I realized.

Cowboys may not have ridden
horses, but they did travel from area to area in large trucks. Once they
trapped a fae or shifter in their lasso, they stuffed the victim in the
container on the back for transport.

Stupid, Brie. Why did you stop moving? I chastised myself.

The other vampires were no doubt scouring the beach for the fire fae who’d killed their associate. Just because I couldn’t see them didn’t mean they couldn’t see me. The cowboy’s last
words played in my mind: You will be
worth all the rest combined.

“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid,” I whispered.

Okay, think, Brie. Sienna and Gregory are counting on you. You need to distract the vampires, keep them away from Sienna.

I inhaled deeply and summoned my magic. Instead of calling forth flames, I simply heated my right palm and placed it on the ground long enough to melt the ice. Sand stung my cuts, but the pain was nothing compared to what would come next. Once I was satisfied the scrapes were clean enough, I bit down on my jacket sleeve and ran my hot hand first over one leg and then the other to cauterize the wounds.

Stars blotted my vision. Tears pooled in my eyes and froze on my cheeks. For several long moments, passing out seemed like a serious possibility. The sensation passed. I blew out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

Okay. That’s over. What’s your next move?

I squinted into the darkness, scanning the beach for signs of life. I didn’t need to look far. In a blur of motion, a tall, slim figure sped from the highway to the pile of vampire ash on the beach.

Follow my scent. Follow my scent.

Crouching low, she—at least I thought the vampire was female—scooped a handful of ash in one gloved hand and sniffed.

What the hell?

I’d learned about vampires in school—their origins, diet, hunting patterns, tracking abilities, that sort of thing. None of the lessons included anything about one smelling the remains of another.

A second vampire, this one male, joined the first. There were a lot of hand gestures exchanged, but I was
too far away to hear the accompanying conversation. It seemed like they were
bickering. Then again, maybe vampires always looked annoyed when they talked to one another. My knowledge of vampires was entirely from school, not experience.

The male raised his wrist to his mouth, presumably speaking into some sort of communication device. The woman’s watchful gaze panned the beach. My breath caught in my throat when she
stopped and narrowed her eyes in my direction. Can she see me? She sniffed the air. That’s right. Follow my scent. Away from the cave.

“Faeling,” she sang sweetly, the wind carrying her voice to my ears.

Not the wind. Too far, I decided, recalling Elder Gacey saying something about how some vampires were able to project their voices into the minds of their prey. Is that what’s happening?

“Come out, sweet faeling. Don’t make Auntie Liza come find you,” continued the female vampire. Liza turned to face her male companion. He stroked her cheek with the back of one finger. The gesture was both intimate and nauseating. He leaned closer as if to kiss her.

Really? Right now? Just follow my scent already!

Then, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it instant, Liza was pinned on her back. The other vampire’s hands encircled her long, pale throat.

My hand wasn’t fast enough to cover the gasp that escaped my lips. Terror held me captive. Neither vampire glanced in my direction. The male ran his fingertips across the ground and then brought them to his lips. From such a distance, it was hard to know for sure, but I thought he might’ve tasted something. The ashes?

“That child,” the male thundered. “She incinerated my brother. My brother,
Liza.”

His voice wasn’t in my head, I was almost certain. It sounded as though he was right in front of me, yelling in my face instead of Liza’s. I swore I could feel his cool breath wash over my
cheek.

“Mat…please….” Her voice was strained, like her vocal chords were being crushed.

Still straddling Liza, the male straightened and shouted, managing to sound both furious and seductive at
the same time. “Hear me, faeling! Hear me now! You murdered my brother. There is nowhere you can hide that I will not find you, nowhere you can run that I
will not follow. Your blood is mine!” Mat’s roar sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Even the ground seemed to tremble with his ire.

The male yanked Liza from the ground by her neck and shook her like a ragdoll. Either she was too scared, or he was too strong, because Liza didn’t fight back. My throat felt tight, like his hand was crushing my windpipe instead of hers.

Is that possible? Is he using her as a proxy?

Vampires didn’t wield magic, only fae and casters did. But I had heard tales of powerful casters who’d retained their magic even after their conversion to a vampire. Had the male been a warlock before turning vampire?

“Hear me, faeling! Your
magic will be mine!” Mat screamed, slamming Liza against the frozen earth.

Air fled my lungs in a rush as though the wind had been knocked out of me, yet I was still crouched in the same patch of seagrass. The male was definitely a warlock/vampire hybrid. That fact diminished my odds of survival significantly.

Just let it be worth it. If Sienna and Gregory live and remain free through the
night, whatever happens to me will be worth it.

The male turned and started back toward the caravan as Liza struggled to sit up. Another set of headlights appeared around the bend behind the parked truck. The new vehicle stopped
beside the first and two vampires emerged from the passenger side. One unhooked a metal lasso from his waist and with a flick of his wrist sent it arcing
through the air. A clanging noise pierced the night.

“What’s this ‘bout a fire faeling?” he called. “Don’t tell me y’all can’t wrangle a child?”

“Be serious, Rican,” Mat snapped. “I am in no mood for your jokes.”

Rican laughed. “Don’t sink your fangs into my ass just because your brother got himself crisped.”

The hybrid ripped the metal lasso from Rican’s hand. “This is not a toy.” He threw the chain back at Rican.

“You and your brother go north. Liza and I will take south. If you two morons
find her first, give a shout.”

They don’t know about Sienna and Gregory, I thought with some relief. Sienna must’ve gotten by the caravan.

“I can handle a faeling,” Rican replied, all traces of his earlier amusement gone.

“This one’s different,” Mat said grimly.

He and Liza began moving in my direction, their eyes sweeping the beach steadily. Time’s up. Act now, Brie.

My hiding place was about to be exposed. I had one more trick up my sleeve. Otherwise, there was no choice
but to fight.

All fae had the ability to cast spells, just like witches and warlocks. The difference was in the source
of our magic. Fae magic came from nature, from the elements. It was powerful but limited in many ways because we could only harness one of the elements. Caster magic came from within, giving them access to a much broader range of abilities. But their magic came at a price. Every time they cast a spell or brewed a potion, a piece of their magic, and themselves, was lost.

Taking a deep breath, I
mouthed a quick prayer to Gaia, asking for strength and speed. Then, I scooped
two handfuls of wet sand as I stood and summoned my magic.

With the power of all four fire moons aiding me, I was soon holding two perfect glass orbs with flames swirling inside. I murmured an incantation beneath my breath, “Sparkdium perpetual.”

Please work.

I hurdled both balls at the same time. They exploded twenty yards to the south of me, thousands of shimmery pebbles hanging in midair like frozen raindrops.

Vampires were known for having notoriously short attention spans and a tendency toward distraction. Mat and Liza didn’t debunk the stereotype. They sprinted toward the spectacle, gazes fixed on the beautiful lightshow.

As soon as they were past my hiding spot I bolted north. With their heightened senses, they must have heard the slap of rubber against hard ground, but they didn’t give chase. I stuck close to the highway, as Rican and his brother zoomed past in the opposite direction, hurrying to join their associates at the fiery display.

Adrenaline masked the pain in my legs, but the frigid air felt like shards of glass in my throat and lungs as I ran for my life—or at least my freedom. Still, I didn’t slow…until I reached the parked vehicles.

I’d made Sienna promise that she wouldn’t stop for anything. Not until she rang the alarm bell. That alarm bell was still miles away, at the top of Fae Canyon. And yet, I couldn’t tear my gaze from the trucks. Fae were inside. Fae who the vampires would sell into
service. Fae who needed help.

Sienna and Gregory need your help.

But my friends were still free. They still had a chance of escape. The fae inside those trucks did not. I couldn’t leave them.

Crouching beside one of the truck’s enormous tires, I peered around the rear bumper. All four vampires were
still standing in a semicircle around the suspended drops. Liza tapped one with
her nail and watched as it shattered in a million more crystalline orbs.

“Spread out, fools,” Mat
bellowed, though he seemed just as transfixed as the others. “The child must be
close.”

My hands and feet had a mind
of their own. I was standing on the back bumper of the truck, fingers fumbling
with the door latch before I appreciated what I was doing. By then it was too
late for second thoughts. The vampires must have been in a hurry because the
lock was undone.

Why
didn’t the captives just push it open and run?

Once the heavy doors were
open, I understood. Twenty fae, of varying ages and sexes, were chained
together in the metal compartment. Thick lassos were cinched around each fae’s
waist. Some of the captives were bloody and bruised, while others appeared
relatively unscathed. The sight made me heave.

“Do you have the keys?” a woman asked me, her voice high-pitched and tinged with panic.

With my hand pressed to my lips, as though that might help keep the bile down, I shook my head. I swallowed hard, and managed to say, “I can maybe melt the chains. I’m weak, but I’ll give it a try.”

“Won’t work,” croaked an elderly man near the back. Blood ran freely down his face from a gash in his forehead. “The chains are warded with strong caster spells. It’s going to take more than one fire faeling to melt them.”

Smooth metal brushed my cheek as the lasso slid over my head from behind. Pain shot from my navel through to my spine. I was jerked backward, my legs flipping up over my head as I somersaulted through the air. By some miracle, I landed on my feet and dropped
immediately to a crouch, prepared to charge at the first vampire I saw.

I barreled into Liza, catching her in the stomach with my shoulder. She emitted a surprised gasp as we fell to the pavement, me on top. The punches weren’t pretty or proper, but they were effective. I struck her over and over again, all the while thinking of Sienna sprinting for help. Buy her time. I thought of Gregory huddled in the cave where we’d enjoyed so many nights, with only the hope of help on the way keeping him from full-blown hysteria. Don’t let them find him.

I saw my brother’s little face, his thumb between his lips. He’s just a child. And my father, he was too proud to let any vampire take him anywhere. He would die before he gave his blood or his magic to anyone.

“You can’t have them!” I screamed, the words clawing at my throat. And then, my blows were no longer connecting. I was suspended in midair, just like the drops I had conjured, and staring down at Liza’s battered face.

“You are a fiery one, aren’t you, faeling?” Mat said, sounding almost impressed.

Below me, Liza’s split lip knitted back together, but blood continued to pour from her mouth. Mat bent low and stared back and forth between Liza and me. “You are the pointy-eared brat who killed my brother, yes? The fire faeling?”

I said nothing, afraid he might drain me right then and there, both as revenge for his brother and because drinking my blood would enhance his vampire abilities and his caster magic.

“I will take your silence as an admission.” He grinned. “So young and so accomplished.” He knelt so that we
were at eye level. “In one night, you kill one vampire and render another impotent.”

My glare faltered. Impotent? What did he mean? Liza’s bruises and cuts were healed. All she’d truly lost was pride.

Mat’s keen vampire eyes missed nothing. “Her fangs, faeling. You broke her fangs. A vampire is dead without her fangs and no one to hunt for her.”

“Mat, no!” Liza wailed. Her long, pointy nails flashed crimson in the moon’s glow as she lashed up at me. I braced for a blow that never came.

Mat’s fingers encircled her wrist, those razor-sharp nails millimeters from slicing open my cheek. “Sorry, love. The child is a precious commodity.” He grinned at me again, exposing his fangs. Instinctively, I recoiled. “Ah, so you do know fear. You are smart as well as gifted.” Shaking his head sadly, he added, “If Queen Lilli was not offering so much for one with your abilities, I would keep you for myself. The blood tribute will be a nice consolation prize.”

Queen Lilli?  

Her seat of power was an island in the Pacific Ocean, which was not the closest domed kingdom to Fae Canyon. That was Los Angeles. The realization brought on a fresh wave of fear.

How would I ever make it back to my family with a frozen ocean between us?

Mat’s long fingers transferred from Liza’s wrist to my throat. I felt a stab of pressure but had no trouble breathing. And then, I felt nothing.

Sienna and Gregory are safe at least, I told myself as consciousness faded.

It didn’t matter whether that was true. I needed to believe the lie if I was going to survive what came next.