need to promise me that you won’t say a word about this to anyone else.”
My heart charged a little faster. “Why does that sound like Finn, Rourke, and Kael don’t know about this?”
“Because they don’t,” he said, jerking his chin over his shoulder. His gaze locked on mine, so intense that it made me shiver. “Look, I know you’re destined to end up as Kael’s mate, but you aren’t his yet. Can you do this one thing for me and not tell a soul about it? If one day, years down the line, you feel as though you do need to tell Kael, fine. But just not now. Not yet. Okay?”
My heart pounded in my chest, and I swallowed hard. This sounded serious. Yesterday, this quest had all felt like some kind of joke. Like he’d been playing around, almost. Like our mission wasn’t really a big deal.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
It sounded a hell of a lot like a big deal now.
“All right, I’ll keep it to myself,” I said after taking a deep breath. “But just so you know, you’re kind of freaking me out here.”
“Maybe you should be freaked out.” His voice rumbled beneath my hands. “Before I became an instructor at the Academy, I was a fighter in the army for the Queen. And no, before you ask, it wasn’t for the Summer Queen. It was for Marin, the Queen of all Fae, the one who was assassinated by Viola, the new Queen of Autumn. They kept me prisoner for several years until they decided that I was no longer a threat, only releasing me if I agreed to become an instructor at the Academy.”
My eyes widened. “So you were loyal to Marin?”
He gave a nod. “I was. And because of my connections, I’ve heard word that the Autumn Court has something else planned, though they’re keeping things very hush hush. Only Viola knows what I look like, so I should be able to get in and out without being recognized. Today’s trip will be an attempt to find out what they have planned, and I’ll stand out much less if I have a mate by my side.”
“Something planned...” I trailed off, skin buzzing. “You don’t mean they’re going to try to do something like they did before? Kill another Queen?”
“Well, that’s the question, isn’t it, darling?” Liam said. “If the Autumn fae are planning another assassination, the other Royals need to be warned.”
Chapter Thirteen
It was easy to tell when we moved from the free territory and into the lands of the Autumn Court. The sapling green forest morphed into a reddish brown, the sweet brilliant life of the trees fading into a tapestry of reds and golds and browns. It was beautiful in its own way, though I could tell by Liam’s grumbling that he wasn’t much of a fan.
Several hours after we’d left the Academy, we entered a small village set amongst the autumn trees. There were about thirty buildings in total, all made from the same dark branches that rose high into the sky. Fae bustled about, some carrying baskets of leaves or moss, others chattering in groups. When we approached, a plainly-dressed female glanced up from where she was gathering fallen berries, her long golden strands glistening beneath the dappled sunlight.
Her eyes were quick and intelligent, glancing first at Liam and then to me. “Her I can’t be sure of, but you’re a Summer if there ever was one. State your business.”
“I’m a half-breed,” Liam said. “Mother was Autumn and father was Summer.”
“Was?” The female arched an eyebrow, dusting her hands on her linen skirt.
I tightened my grip around Liam’s waist, questions piling on top of my tongue. He wasn’t a full Summer fae? He was part Autumn? And where were his parents? What had happened to them? But I pressed my lips together, swallowing the questions down. I knew I couldn’t ask them now, not in front of these fae.
“Both killed when the Courts split,” he replied. “This is my mate.”
She sniffed and gave a nod. “Nasty business that war, but it gave us a better way of life.”
“Aye.” Liam shifted on the horse. His back was toward me, but I had the strange sensation of knowing exactly how he looked in that moment. Smiling, slightly flirtatiously. He was turning up the charm as best he could, and by the softening look on the female’s face, it was working. “Anyway, my mate and I are just passing through on our way