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There were containers littering the space, but they were easy to navigate. A scent hit me, something foreign and intoxicating that made my skin crawl. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was sickly sweet, like it was overcompensating to cover something foul.
We all spotted the figure at the same time. They were standing at the edge of the platform overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, their coat billowing in the wind. They wore a hood, so I couldn’t confirm they were indeed a woman; their shoulders were slim, but they were also pretty tall.
I stopped walking when we were within speaking distance. Before I could say anything, the figure turned to us and removed its hood.
We were right. Shewasa woman. A problem arose from the features I could make out of her, though. She looked almost…
“Fae,” Neo said, surprised. He’d stolen the word right out of my head.
“Observant,” she said dryly, casting a cursory glance over Neo. “It usually takes applicants longer to solve the riddle.”
I blinked rapidly to ensure that we weren’t all sharing the same illusion.
She lifted her hand and pulled the sleeve of her coat up to reveal a watch. “You’re the fastest to date. Sometimes, I give them a few days before I shove in the right direction.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Johnny gaping at her. I might’ve done the same if I wasn’t already stunned by the fact that she was a fuckingfae. We’d just spent over five hours walking in circles, andthathad been the fastest?
“Your kind doesn’t exist,” Neo blurted.
If this guy was good for anything, it was his bluntness, delivered with all the grace of an eighteen-wheeler slamming into a sedan.
The woman hummed. “And who told you we didn’t exist? Your Upper Council? Thoseparticularpeople?”
She made an incredible point.
“That’s… fair,” Neo admitted.
“Will the wolf be alright?” she asked, motioning to Johnny. He was looking a little faint.
“The fae is our version of the boogeyman,” I explained.
She looked nothing like they’d been described in those stories. She was tall and voluptuous, dressed in dark pants and a crop top that barely covered her breasts, leaving her midriff exposed to the elements. There was thick, dark liner around her eyes, and her lashes were so long that whenever she blinked, they brushed right beneath brows that had been shaved and drawn on in a single dark line that matched her eyeliner. Her dark hair had been braided down to her waist.
Her skin was perfect, like porcelain, and her eyes were huge in an almost uncanny way, gray and lacking pupils. The most distinguishing feature she had was her ears, however; they were long, pointed, and held jewelry from tip to the base, gold and silver hoops in varying sizes decorating the lobe.
“Do I seem scary to you, wolf?” she asked seriously. “Do I have nightmarish features? Do you think I will steal your young?”
“No,” he answered, clearing his throat. “No to all of that.”
“Good,” she said. “So, you passed the first test with flying colors. I’m impressed.”
Her accent was thick and odd, like a mix of all European countries in one.
“Why test us?” Neo asked.
“You have to pass the tests to make it to the next round, then the next round, and so on, until we are sure you are serious.” She shrugged, crossing her arms along her chest. “I am a recruiter for… what do you call them here? The colonies. I have been expecting you.”
“That’s not creepy at all,” Neo snarked.
“A recruiter,” I repeated. “And there are tests we have to pass? All of us?”
She shot Neo a smile that made his hairs stand on end. “Your mate and friends do not have to pass this test. The King and Queen expect you; they have cut my fun in half and vetoed all your other tasks. I am only to appoint you the final task.”
“How long is the process without their intervention, then?” Johnny asked.
I listened intently, my curiosity piqued. The fae were essentially smuggling people out of America and into Europe without the Council’s knowledge, after all; I wanted to know the process.
“Months. Consider yourselves lucky. Most groups have to pass so many tests, they drop out by the third one. They’re not even dangerous.” She huffed indignantly. “Even in emergency situations like yours, there are still tests, and you may still be denied.”
