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The fae was just as intimidating in full daylight as he had been in the dusky light of dawn, perhaps more so now that I could take in more of his physical size and power and the sharp aura of danger that radiated from him.

“I will summon my men.” Greyson stroked the side of his horse’s neck while squinting at the horizon. “They will bring a horse for you. Your mother and Rue can ride with them, and I will take the child with me.”

My whole being revolted at the idea of Rue being that close to another male, any male. “Rue rides with me.”

“Do you think that is wise?” He narrowed his attention on me with far more intensity than I wished. “Approach mate bonds with caution.”

“I do.” I lifted my gloved hand. “My mother has taught me well.” I motioned to his own hands. “Though, I thought that I would be free of them once I found my mate. Is your wife not your mate?”

“She is.” A fierce light brightened his eyes for a moment before they returned to normal. “I don’t advertise that fact, hence the gloves. One of the easiest ways to control a Dullahan is to control his mate, which is why the security around her is of paramount importance.” Lifting his hand from his horse’s neck, he made a gesture in the air.

A few moments later, a fae with gossamer wings and curled horns arcing out from the midst of a wild mop of shaggy hair stepped from behind the nearest hawthorn bush. “My lord,” the fae said before bowing deeply to Greyson.

“He has agreed to the test. Once completed, we will leave for home. He will need a horse prepared for two riders. The naiad will need an escort. The human child will travel with me. Keep the party small.”

“And the other woman?” the fae asked.

“Rides with him.” Greyson nodded toward me.

“Understood.” The fae bowed again and then walked back around the bush and out of sight. I felt a prickle of magic before he was gone again.

“Now stand over there.” Greyson motioned to the middle of the space between our cottage and barn. “No need to damage anything by accident. How much magic training have you acquired?”

“What my mother has taught me.” Which was little. I knew enough instinctively to use it and not harm someone in a fit of anger. I understood the basics, but I didn’t have any training beyond that and only with a naiad’s inclination. Mother’s magic was tied to water and mine was not.

Greyson grunted in response. “Then you have likely never accessed the source of your power. Stand still and reach within. If you trace your magic back to its source, you should find a well of power. Touch it.”

Strange as those instructions sounded, they made sense. My magic was always readily available, but it was not intimate. I had never traced the source, though based on my mother’s teaching, I knew it was from within me, part of the fabric of my being. And standing there in the middle of our yard where I had spent most of my life, I reached within, tracing the nebulous threads of my magic back into myself.

They slipped through my fingers like water, or wisps of a breeze. The rustle of leaves filled my ears, and the rich scents of fertile dirt overwhelmed my nose. If I didn’t know for certain I was standing in the sun in the familiar open area between the house and the barn, I would’ve sworn I stood in the depths of a dense forest alive with magic and life.

Water trickled over my feet as a stream burbled and bubbled between them. The source—vibrant, joyful, and playful—lay not that far off. I could feel it with every nerve ending in my body. It called to me, beckoning like a siren’s song of temptation. Following the whispery summons, I turned my mind toward the water source. The sensations grew stronger with each step until belonging rose in a wave as I reached out to touch the source that pulsed with power.

“Close enough.” Greyson’s voice, firm and commanding, broke through my concentration. “I have my proof. Let go.”

Dropping my hand and releasing the vision turned out far harder than I expected. I opened my eyes and found the familiar world of my home suddenly feeling dull and flat.

“You are glowing,” Rue declared.

I turned to face her.

She blinked at me and frowned up at the air above my head. “Does the crown mean he is the future king?”

“What crown?” I asked in confusion, reaching up to touch my temple. Running my hands through my hair, I encountered nothing amiss.

“It is the sign we need to move immediately.” Greyson raised his hand and gave a signal.

Within moments the dirt yard around us filled with horses, riders, and a dizzying wash of magic. Rue gasped and stepped back into me as she whirled to face the newcomers. “Where?”

Catching her shoulder with one hand, I swung her around to stand in the shelter of my arm.

“The Wild Wood,” Greyson said and then whistled. The dark steed transported to his side in a dissolve of gray shadows that reformed at the Dullahan’s side as an animal fully tacked. “Mount up. We ride immediately.”

A horse’s muzzle snuffed the side of my head as a fae thrust the beast’s lead into my gloved hands.

Greyson swung up into the saddle. His stallion shook his head and stamped his feet with loud nickering. “Bring the prince a cloak,” the Dullahan ordered as he shook his own garments round his shoulders.

Someone appeared at my side, and the heavy weight of a fur-lined mantle fell over my shoulders. Sensations of moisture and wind protection blanketed my head and shoulders as the spells woven through the fabric brushed my magic senses and settled.