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“You left those tracks to play with them, but you didn’t expect me to be out here ruining your plans.” A pause, then, “You wanted to catch me before I caught you. But I already caught you.”
She flicked her fingers to wrap her glowing string around him, then squeezed him tight. The cloak billowed, then fell to reveal a face she didn’t recognize. It was a beautiful face but ordinary compared to the Fae folks, and that alone should have told her that he wasn’t a Fae. But she felt the warm hint underneath his skin, a deeper energy that no regular creature should possess. It didn’t correlate with the magic he used on her earlier and a sinking feeling slithered inside her.
“You don’t look like a Fae, but you are one. You have that crisp warmth inside of you. You’re also not full. You’re half. A half-warlock.”
This meant he could easily hide in that warlock identity, misdirecting the Winter Court—because only another witch or warlock could tell what he was.
The string tightened further…then, scrambled away as if scalded. Shock hit her when she felt the buildup of magic he was hiding before he was shooting it in her direction, gushes that were also restricted but still stronger than hers. Emerald ducked but couldn’t avoid the hard punch on her shoulder from an invisible fist.
She smelled blood and knew it was her own. She felt slices on her ankles but didn’t stop, desperation keeping her moving to survive—but also to continue leading him away. That meant she couldn’t hide, couldn’t recuperate. Emerald dealt with her pain by distracting herself.
“Your magic’s weak,” she called out. “Is that all you’ve got? It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic for thinking you could fool this court and me.”
For every insult she threw out, the figure was unfazed, shooting energy repeatedly and hitting her skin half the time. Her energy blocked some, covered her wounds, or numbed them enough so she wouldn’t feel them. She didn’t know how long she was running, but she felt tendrils of his malicious energy brushing her neck before it circled her. Emerald spun and jumped him before he could yank again, avoiding the choke he was attempting. Then they were rolling on the ground, and she prayed fervently that they were rolling in the direction she wanted them to.
She punched a few times and heard him grunt. She bit back a cry when he went for more slices until it felt like she was burning from the pain. Her vision blurred and her mind grew dim. Her physical energy waned, unable to extract more from deep within as she felt she was fighting a losing battle.
Rick. He will kill next.
There was a last surge from her until she was empty. There was a plunge to her stomach that had her vomiting red, the invasive magic intent on getting inside. Just as she felt her life about to end, Emerald felt another thing: a snap in the air, the Winter Court’s energy disappearing.
Out of court. Out of perimeter.
Magic gushed out of her, all restrictions crumbling. Then a scream erupted from Emerald’s throat, matching a male’s horrified, agonized scream.
Chapter 12
Finding Erin amid the current death had been Rick’s priority, but she interpreted it the wrong way.
“Are you trying to make sure my hands are clean, brother, and that I have no involvement in this?”
“No, I’m trying to get you to come with me so we can investigate it together. Are you coming with me or not?”
Erin had been astonished but had caught up to him fast, and the two showed a solid stand as they found the location of the death and listened to the guards’ interpretation of it. Renly was supposed to come back from a business trip yesterday, but his daughter assumed his trip was delayed and there was nothing to worry about. Ironically, it was the daughter’s fiancé who had stumbled upon the dead body today while he was sneaking away with a lover.
“His legs are gone and there are teeth marks all over him. There’s blood everywhere, too, but we can’t find the chunks of flesh missing from his body. We think he was mauled to death and we have men looking for either his remnants or the creature who did this.”
“Too simple,” Erin murmured. “Especially since…”
Rick gave her a warning look and she cleared her throat.
“Keep searching,” she instructed. “Report to me or Rick when you find a lead. And Billicent?”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Interrogate the daughter, her fiancé, and the mistress. Keep them somewhere so I can interrogate them later too.”
They left the scene on the pretense of going back to the castle. When they were alone, she turned to him.
“Are you thinking this is connected to your…?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He paused. “We don’t have creatures that maul Fae in our territory, Erin—at least, not ones that our folks couldn’t take. There’s never been that kind of breach here.”
She snorted. “Yes, well, there’s never been an attempt to get rid of you either, until recently. Where’s your witch?”
“Hush. She’s in the castle, lying low.”
“She needs to do her thing. The one she did with me and Merrell.”
