Probably safe.

  I hopped down, then sprinted to the spot where I’d hidden my iron knife. This was the perfect time to have it. I was on earth, so I wasn’t breaking their rules, but I’d potentially be going up against Fae challenges, so it could come in handy.

  I recovered the dagger and returned to the carriages. The stags took me south. By the time the carriage stopped, the morning sun had burned the dew off the grass. The two stags looked expectantly back at me.

  “Fine, fine. I’m getting out.” I climbed from the carriage, and the stags took off, trotting into the distance.

  I spun in a circle, taking in Kilmartin Glen. It was flat and green and beautiful, with mountains on two sides and the water far in the distance at one end. There were tiny specs of gray along the landscape—probably the ancient stone monuments that the announcer had mentioned.

  But where to next?

  I turned one more circle, calling upon my seeker sense. It tugged me west, and I turned, finally spotting the thorn wolf about half a mile in the distance.

  I frowned.

  Why was this guy always turning up?

  He’d been with the king last night…

  Was he his emissary? Could the king perhaps see through his eye?

  Nah. The wolf seemed like his own creature.

  He was standing in the direction I needed to go, though. Was he leading me?

  He’d chosen to help me last night. And in the arena the day before, when he’d kept my horrible memories at bay while I’d climbed the pillar.

  I headed for the wolf, following my seeker sense and intuition. I had no idea if it was cheating that he was trying to help, but he was partially the king’s animal, so it had to be okay.

  And honestly, I didn’t care about winning fairly. I just needed to win.

  When I reached the wolf, I realized that he stood in front of a huge expanse of flat rock that protruded from the grass. It was dark from the last of the morning mist, but I was able to make out carved spots on the rock.

  I knelt to inspect them, noticing that most of them were circles with rings carved around them. A bit like Saturn.

  I looked up at the wolf, feeling like someone was watching me.

  But the wolf was staring off into the distance, his gaze nowhere near me.

  No, of course not.

  I was probably being watched by the audience. I shivered, uncomfortable. It sucked.

  I stood and spun in a circle, looking for some kind of recording device. It’d definitely be magic, but I saw nothing. All the same, I had a feeling they were watching, somehow.

  Annoyed, I turned back to the stone, my gaze traveling over the many carved inscriptions.

  I glanced at the wolf. “What do you think it is?”

  He looked at me with his one good eye. Bacon.

  I laughed and frowned at him. “Did you just speak in my mind?”

  Bacon.

  “Is that the only word you know?”

  Bacon.

  I laughed again. It was freaking hilarious that this noble beast who provided aid when I needed it also said, “Bacon.”

  “Funny enough, that’s my favorite food too. I’ll get you some when this is done, all right? To thank you for the help.”

  The wolf inclined his head.

  Okay, then. I owed the thorn wolf some bacon.

  Until then, I needed to figure out what these symbols were. I stared at them for a moment longer, then inspected the terrain around me. In the distance, I could see a hill fort, a stone circle, a pile of rocks. There were more gray dots in the distance—more monuments—but those were the big three. And when I stood on this side of the big flat rock in front of me, it looked like the inscriptions on the stone lined up with the main three monuments.

  “Is it a map?” I asked.

  Bacon.

  “Does that mean yes?”

  Bacon.

  “Yeah, it means yes, I’m going to guess.” I pointed at the map, where one long line had been carved. “If my theory is right, that is the waterline that we see over there, where the sea is.”

  The wolf just looked at me. He didn’t even say bacon. But I felt good about this theory.

  I knelt at the edge of the stone again, noticing that one of the carvings was glowing slightly. I looked up at the landscape, my gaze landing on the pile of rocks in the distance.

  “The glowing bit corresponds with the pile of rocks,” I said to the thorn wolf.

  Silence.

  “I’m going to take that as a yes.” I stood, then started for the rocks. They had to be a good two miles away.

  “Thank you for the help.” I looked at the thorn wolf. “What is your name?”

  Bacon.

  “Your name is bacon?”

  Bacon.

  That was neither a yes nor a no, so I’d have to decide later if he was named Bacon. Seemed unlikely.

  “Well, thank you.”

  The thorn wolf nodded.

  I called upon my magic, transporting to the pile of rocks in an instant. The wolf didn't follow, though I wished he had. I quite liked a sidekick.

  Carefully, I focused on the atmosphere. I could just barely get a sense of being watched. I could just imagine myself being displayed in the middle of the arena.

  “So what are you?” I murmured to the pile of rocks as I walked in a circle around it. The pile itself was about sixty feet across and ten feet high. There were thousands of head-sized rocks piled on top of each other. It looked like a mess, frankly.

  Then I reached the far edge.

  There was an entrance.

  Three huge slabs of rock had been used to create the frame of a door. The door itself was made of another slab of rock, wedged perfectly in place.

  It had to be a chambered cairn. My friend Cass had told me all about them, though I’d never seen one myself.

  I stepped back, studying it.

  Clearly, I had to get in.

  I approached the door, which had no hinges. Just two carved divots that might be handholds, placed right at the top. Reverently, I placed my palms on the stone, focusing on the feel of it beneath my hands.

  I could sense no repelling magic. It was actually almost inviting.

  I stepped back and inspected the ground. There was a small trench in the earth beneath the door, right in front. With the handholds at the top…

  An idea occurred. Maybe it was simple. I’d just pull on it like a drawbridge going down.

  I placed my hands in the two divots and pulled down. The stone creaked and groaned. I gave it a bit more effort, grateful for my enhanced strength.

  As I pulled, the bottom of the door fit perfectly into the little trench. It’d been carved there so the door would pull open relatively easily.

  I kept pulling, sweat dripping down my brow as I worked. This was definitely a multi-person job, but I kept at it. Finally, the stone door fell perfectly into place.

  Cold air rushed out of the dark tunnel in front of me. Not a single bit of light emitted from within, but slowly my eyes adjusted. The sun provided just enough of a glow, and I stepped in.

  Something in front of me made me stop abruptly.

  A little clay jar.

  Should I pick it up?

  I hovered my hand over it, feeling a slight pulse of magic. But also of reverence.

  No. I probably shouldn't pick it up. I withdrew my hand. There were other things in the tunnel as well. A bone comb, and a flute. Four more jars. I touched nothing. Somehow, it seemed important that I touch nothing.

  Each time I came across another artifact, I carefully stepped around it. When I reached the end of the tunnel, I stopped.

  Magic sparked from the ground, and I bent to touch it.

  A moment later, I stood in the middle of a field.

  I jerked upright. “What the hell?”

  The end of the tunnel within the chambered cairn had been a portal.

  Of course.

  I could no longer feel the tingle of the magic that indicated that the audience was watching. It was just me.

  I spun in a circle. The land around me wasn’t much different from the one I’d just left. The terrain looked much the same, with flat green plains bordered by mountains. A blue sky full of fluffy clouds and the sea sparkling in the distance.

  There were no stone monuments, but there was a grove of trees to my right. I used my seeker sense, commanding it to find me answers.

  It tugged me toward the grove. It was close enough that I didn’t bother teleporting—I should save my power, anyway. It was finite, and I didn’t know when I’d get to rest and recoup.

  Fairy lights sparkled around the tops of the trees, and birds called from the branches.

  Tension thrummed along my veins as I approached the trees. At the edge, I drew in a deep breath, then stepped into the grove.

  10

  I stepped through the trees into a clearing. A woman sat in the middle of the space, her gown as green as the grass that surrounded her. The copper of her hair glinted in the sun, and she looked up at me.

  Her blue eyes met mine, and I felt like she could see right into my soul. Slowly, I approached. As I neared, I realized that it was impossible to determine her age. She was inconceivably beautiful, but ageless.

  All around, animals moved between the trees. Rabbits, foxes, a badger. They seemed at harmony here, not afraid of anything—even though the foxes would normally eat the rabbits.

  Frankly, it was eerie.

  I stopped in front of the woman, who gestured for me to sit.

  I did as she requested, mimicking her cross-legged position.

  “Are you a seer?” I asked.

  She had to be. Her energy was so distinct. Sitting in her presence felt like sitting at the juncture between the past and present and future.

  “I am indeed. The Iona.”

  I searched my mind. Why would this competition put me on the path to find a seer? “Can I ask you how to find the final prize at the end of this journey?”

  There were more things I wanted to ask, but I needed to find out the parameters first.

  “Yes, that is a question I can answer.” She waved her hand in front of her, and a stone bowl appeared. A pestle appeared next. She looked up and met my gaze. “To answer this question for you, I must have something of yours.”

  I reached up and pulled out a long black hair, then handed it over. “Will that do?”

  “It will.” She placed it in the bowl, then waved her hand over the grass next to her.

  A collection of items appeared. A cluster of berries, two little rocks, a bowl of water, and a pile of dirt that rose up from the grass below.

  She picked up the berries and dropped them into her stone bowl. “Rowan berries for life.” She added the rocks. “For strength.” The dirt. “For balance.” Last, she poured the water into the bowl. “For direction.”

  She picked up the pestle and ground the rocks and dirt into the berries and water, then waved her hand over the mixture. Her palm glowed bright white, and the light filtered down into the bowl.

  The Fae were very into nature magic, and this definitely fit the bill. As her light glowed into the bowl, the bright sun around us faded to dark.

  I shivered.

  The Fae seer removed her hand with a flourish, and a burst of white mist exploded up from the bowl. It traveled toward the sky, filling it with night stars.

  The Fae dropped to her back and stared at the sky.

  I watched her, a bit confused, then mimicked her movement. I might as well look at the stars too. Maybe they’d tell me something.

  Except when I stared at them, they just looked like normal stars. The Fae seer muttered under her breath, and it had the cadence of a spell. Magic sparked along the air and my skin, then I felt her sit up.

  I joined her, meeting her gaze. It was vacant and strange, and when she spoke, her voice was deep with power. “You are on a path to defeat the darkness.”

  Shock lanced me. “The darkness in the Fae realm?”

  “You must not fail.”

  “What about the king? Does he know about the darkness in his realm? Did he bring it here?”

  She ignored my questions, the words flowing from her lips as if forced. “To get to the prize, you will need a key. It is drowned in the darkness with the Unseelie Mer.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She kept talking, her words rolling over mine. “It will open the gate to the Rowan Grove.”

  “What gate?”

  “It can be found at the ring where the sun will reset the world on the highest day of summer.”

  Oh boy, talk about esoteric. “Can you explain more about—”

  The ether sucked me in, the portal returning me to the darkness of the chambered cairn.

  I gasped, grabbing the stone wall next to me for support.

  Holy fates.

  My head spun as I adjusted. Clearly the Fae seer was done with me. But what the hell had that all meant?

  I had no freaking idea.

  I bent toward the ground again, trying to trigger the portal to take me back to her.

  It didn’t work.

  I tried again.

  Nothing.

  Shit.

  I drew in a steady breath. She’d been talking about Fae stuff. Their myths and lore were tied up with this entire task.

  Think. Think. I could do this.

  But not in here. It was too dark and close, and I was pretty sure that the clay jugs on the ground were full of the ashes of dead people.

  Carefully, I picked my way out through the tunnel, arriving in the bright light of day.

  I blinked, temporarily blind in the sun. When my vision cleared, I spotted Tarron. The king stood near the exit, leaning against a tree I hadn't noticed before. Had he made it grow there?

  He no longer wore the suit from yesterday. Instead, he was dressed in clothes more suited to the kind of danger I’d be facing out here. Leather boots, sturdy pants of a deep midnight blue, and thin green sweater with a brown leather jacket. Had to be modern Fae fight wear.

  “What are you doing here?” I demanded as I approached.

  “Did you learn anything good?”

  “Answer my question.”

  “I’m interested in you.”

  “Cut straight to the punch, don’t you?”

  “I’m the king. Of course I do. There’s no point in dancing around.”

  “Yeah, you’re the king. Which means you probably shouldn’t be here. Aren’t we being watched by the audience?” I couldn’t feel the prickle of awareness that meant we were being watched, but I’d felt it before I’d walked into the cairn.

  He waved a hand, clearly unconcerned. “I’ve created a bit of magical static. I’d prefer they not see me here.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re so interested. None of this makes sense.” Dare I mention the crystal obelisk I’d found in his grove last night?

  No. Not yet. I didn’t know if I could trust him.

  “I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said. “You’re beautiful. That’s enough reason for me to be interested.”

  He moved, skillfully managing to get me with my back to the tree. I gasped, trying to hide my reaction. He loomed over me, tall and broad. Sunlight glinted off his hair.

  “What are you doing?” My breath came short.

  “I’ve no idea what you mean.” He crowded me closer to the tree, his scent wrapping around me.

  Tension thickened between us, an awareness that made my heart thunder. My gaze moved to his lips, and memories of kissing him flashed through my mind.

  I want to kiss him.

  I ducked out and to the right.

  I didn’t have time for this.

  Was he here to distract me so I wouldn’t win? “I need to get a move on.”

  “Perhaps I can help you.”

  “Really? Is that even in the rules?”

  “I’m the king.”

  Uncertain, I chewed on my lip and studied him. He was here, interested in me. Whatever his reasons—and I didn’t buy that it was solely because he was attracted to me—did they really matter?

  “Do you want me to win this?”

  He shrugged. “Not particularly concerned on that front, no.”

  “Then why would you help me?”

  “Entertainment?”

  Did I believe that? Not really. There was something else at play here.

  But he was Fae, and I could use the help. He might be able to help me with the riddle from the seer. “Something is going to happen early tomorrow morning. It’s the summer solstice, correct? That’s the highest day of summer.”

  “Correct.”

  Good. I could already guess that the ring where the sun would reset the world in the morning was a stone circle. They were often built to align with solstices. It was very logical, in their magical Fae way. It would have to be the biggest one in the region. But the Unseelie Mer…

  “The seer said that I will need a key to access the gate, and it can be found ‘drowned in the darkness with the Unseelie Mer.’ What the hell are the Unseelie Mer?”

  “She must mean the Finfolk. Like the Merfolk. But dark. Often evil, like the Unseelie.” Disgust echoed in his voice.

  He really didn’t like the Unseelie. “They are an Unseelie version of Merfolk? Dark to your light, like the Unseelie and the Seelie?”

  “Exactly. But where is all of this supposed to take you? Where does the gate lead?”

  “To the Rowan Grove.” I watched him closely for any sign of surprise or interest. “Accessed by an ancient stone circle.”

  How much did he know about what was to come? Was he possibly trying to get information out of me? Maybe I should play it closer to the vest and stick to getting information rather than giving it.

  I turned from him, inspecting the terrain around me. “So I need to find the Unseelie Mer. The Finfolk.”

  Tarron strode up to stand beside me and pointed to the coastline. “They live in the ocean.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.” With that, he disappeared.

  Weird.

  I called upon my transport magic and let the ether suck me in and take me to the coast. The sea air whipped my hair back from my face, and I stood on the rocks, looking out across the choppy waves. Sunlight glittered on the waves, making it difficult to see beneath the water.

 

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