to patrol the area. It was annoying, but as long as they didn’t trespass my property and get into my face, I’d pretend they didn’t exist.
My siblings were oblivious to the presence of the Fae.
At the end of the alley, I pulled the van into our driveway, killed the engine, and hopped out of the vehicle first, so I could watch all my siblings get into the house safely.
My fingers twitched at my sides as I alternately watched the kids and scanned the perimeter. I hoped I didn’t need to pull out the dagger from my boot and toss it at anyone in front of my family. To my relief, they all filed into the house as fast as their little feet could carry them, eager to order the pizza.
Fawn, my youngest sister, lingered by the door and gazed beyond the trees.
“Go in, angel,” I urged her.
“Those men here aren’t a threat to us,” she said, her big, gray eyes turning glassy for a second. “But you’ll need to prepare for tomorrow’s attack. They’ll all be gunning for you now, Evelina Greene. A mage, a wolf, and a bear walk into a bar.”
A chill climbed up my spine. What did that mean? And how could she know those things?
Fawn blinked, her eyes resuming to normal. She beamed at me as if she didn’t recall her ominous prediction. “Are you coming, Evie?”
“In a minute,” I said, watching her go inside with an uneasy feeling knotted in my stomach.
I surveyed the surroundings, pushing my senses as far as they could reach. Fae milled around. They didn’t bother to hide from me. I tried pushing my senses further, searching for the familiar energy signature of Baron and Rowan, but I didn’t find them.
Feeling somehow disappointed, I pulled my senses back. Then I remote locked the van and strolled into the house.
My siblings sat around the kitchen table. Emmett was writing down what every team wanted. Cassidy and Safiya still glared at each other, though they seemed to have reached a compromise at the twins’ urging.
I went upstairs for a nap while Emmett took care of the orders. I slipped under the covers and relaxed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
A woman of stunning beauty with pointed ears and an intricate jeweled crown glared at me. She pointed a long, sharp fingernail, and three mighty kings—Baron, Rowan, and Rydstrom—wrapped me in chains and hauled me upon an iron cross.
I struggled against the heavy chains and screamed as the first nail pierced my palm. “You cunt!” I cursed at the black-hearted queen. “This dark, twisted version of Alice in the Wonderland is poorly written. Rewrite!”
This was too bizarre to be anything but a bad dream. That was why I shouted for a rewrite. I wasn’t going to let those fucking fairies take me as their tithe. No one sacrifices me to their ancient gods, even in a dream.
The second nail drove through my other palm, and I screamed again. Writhing in pain, I blasted the traitorous kings with curses that would make a sailor’s ears bleed.
“Silence, abomination,” the queen shrieked at me. “I hated you the second you were born. Now drive the long iron nail into her heart, Rydstrom, and fulfill your promise to me—your one true love!”
I trained my fiery, disdained gaze on the hesitant nightclub boss, his face torn in agony. Baron and Rowan watched in silent horror. I fumed, shadow fire twirling around me and hissing. “I dare you, Rydstrom.”
“I’m very sorry, Evie,” he whispered and rammed a nail into my chest. Agony exploded in me. That bastard was a poor aim. His iron nail missed my heart by half an inch.
While pathetic tears flowed from his sapphire eyes, the queen laughed.
I gasped for breath and fluttered open my eyes as someone banged on the door.
I wiped beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of my icy hand.
Marvelous. Just marvelous.
I got so tangled with the three Fae that now they were haunting my dreams.
Could that dream be a warning? To show me that the Fae would break my heart if I ever fell for them? I wrinkled my nose. Like that would happen! I might lust after them, but falling for the monsters? Hell no.
The urgent knocks continued.
“What now?” I shouted, throwing the thin cover off my legs.
“We’ve got a situation, Evie,” Emmett said outside the door.
“The pizza guy refused to deliver?” I stood, muttering darkly. Was it too much to ask for one thing