give you an edge in training, one you’re going to need.”
My heart thumped. I could read between the lines on that one. I’d screwed up with the bow and arrow, and this was my chance to get some important one-on-one training before classes started. I might have failed the challenge, but maybe this would keep me from failing the next. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t suck this time.
“Okay,” I said in a small voice.
His laugh only added to my terror. “Good. Then follow me.”
Chapter Eleven
The forest looked different at night than it did in the day. The brilliant, verdant trees had transformed into dark and twisting vines that choked out the sky above, and a heavy fog drifted through the undercurrent of leaves. Gone were the sparkling lights and the singsong of the birds. In its place, darkness had come.
Twigs snapped beneath my lace-up, leather boots as I followed Rourke deeper into the woods. He’d been quiet since we’d left the watch tower, and I couldn’t stop staring at the muscles in his back, and at the way he held his sword as if it were merely an extension of his arm.
Yep, he had a sword. For some reason, that unnerved me even more. He hadn’t given me one though.
“Shouldn’t I have a sword?” I whispered, trying my best to keep my voice as low as possible. I didn’t want that pooka creature to hear us coming. I distinctly remembered Rourke saying it liked to devour its prey. Much like the Redcaps I’d encountered.
“Not happening.”
“Why not?”
“I saw what happened with the arrows.”
A flush went through my cheeks. “Honestly, it’s not like I’d be throwing the sword.”
“Maybe not on purpose.”
I growled, fisting my hands.
“Shh,” he said sharply. “Just follow me. Don’t say or do anything.”
Right. Because I was really only here to watch and learn. As far as Rourke was concerned, I was a useless girl who had failed her first challenge. One who needed to be dragged into a forest so she could stand by helpless while he took care of the pooka.
My hands twitched. I really wished I had my own sword.
Suddenly, he stopped short and held up his hand. He jerked his chin over his shoulder, and his glittering eyes met mine. My breath caught at the look in his eye. He pointed at a spot just to my right. When I turned, there it was, lurking between two thick tree trunks, the color of its skin melting into the forest surroundings.
And it was staring straight at me with a pair of bright red eyes that were the color of blood. I swallowed hard, my heart trembling beneath my ribcage.
“What do we have here?” it asked in a hiss. “A girl who dreams of vengeance. A girl who doesn’t belong here. Well, then this is your lucky day, my dear. Take a ride with me, and I can return you to your native lands where I will give you the strength to smite your enemies.”
Swallowing hard, I glanced at Rourke, but he’d disappeared from my side. Heart shaking in my chest, I swung my head left and right, desperation and fear rising up from deep within my bones. Where had he gone? Had he left me here to face the creature by myself? Without a damn sword? Surely he wouldn’t. He was one of my instructors. He was tasked with keeping me safe.
My heart thumped hard.
Or was he?
He’d seemed chilly to me from day one. Maybe he didn’t want me around. Maybe this was his way of disposing of me quickly and easily, without any witnesses. I didn’t know these fae. How could I be certain they were trustworthy? I’d gone along with this whole thing without question. And maybe, just maybe, I’d only been walking straight into a trap.
The pooka’s sharp grin widened, and it scuttled forward. I yelped and jumped back.
“What do you say then, Norah of Manhattan?” it hissed. “Will you come with me?”
As it took another step closer to me, I bent my knees and fisted my hands. It had sharp teeth and claws, but it was small. It had no weapon but itself. Maybe if I gave it a good kick in the face it would leave me alone.
It scuttled forward. I shouted and swung my foot into the air. My boot made contact with nothing but air. Another dark form lunged from the depths of the forest. It all happened so quickly, and the shadows around me blurred at an impossible