It was on day two as Faryn laid on the bed reading some steamy romance novel Peter had picked out for her—maybe his magic thought she was too horny—that Cassian's feet suddenly slammed into the ground beside her. Faryn jumped, dropping her book and losing her page. The duchess and the rake had just finally brushed knuckles.

         Cassian held his throat. "I need air." It was the only explanation he offered before he stalked for the door.

         Faryn slung her legs over the side of the bunk and jolted after him, and before he could reach the door, she grabbed his arm. Was it her smell that was bothering him? Was she the only one who had grown used to the others scent?

         But perhaps it was more than that. He was a Fairy; he hadn't liked being underground. Surely, it must also be vexing for a Fairy to be able to see the sky through the window and not reach it.

         "What if someone recognizes you?" She needed Peter, but he was off getting food from the cafeteria.

         Cassian grabbed his cloak from where it hung beside the door. "It's dark. I'll be fine." He pulled the thick fabric around his shoulders. "You and Peter can have some alone time." He held her gaze, his eyes blank.

         "What?"

         He arched a brow. "Yesterday morning. When we left Sleet City."

         When Peter had slept in her bed.

         She flushed. "It wasn't like that. He came to check on me."

         Cassian finished fastening his cloak and took a step toward her. "Whatever you say, Faryn. Just remember, none of us can exactly trust each other." Before she could stop him, he was out the door.

         She slumped against the wall.

         The suite somehow now felt smaller with Peter and Cassian gone. She could go back to reading her novel, but really all she had been doing was reading since yesterday morning when they boarded. And the characters had only grazed knuckles. The banter between them was great, but how long until the man at least kissed her hand?

         A bath sounded nice. A short reprieve from the outside world, which to be honest already felt far away while she floated in the middle of the ocean.

         She entered the bathroom and was immediately met by her appearance. Her black hair was tangled but there were no signs of white at first glance. Still, she ran her hands through the strands. No white. That was good because she hadn't brought any hair dye. With the Morozkos being the ones to hunt her, should the white appear, she couldn't stand having her hair mock her each and every time she looked in a mirror.

         If having the white would actually aid in disguising her, she'd let it stay. Gratefully so.

         The white would come back though, and if she knew her magic, it would be at the most inconvenient time possible.

*****

         Faryn was still in the tub when Peter returned and then later when the Fata walked into the suite. Faryn sunk deeper into the room-temperature water, lips curling upward as Peter berated Cassian for leaving.

         Though later that evening when they had shut off the lights and Faryn was crawling between her sheet, Peter asked Cassian how he had enjoyed his evening. Content that a fight wasn't going to break out, she burrowed deep into the covers, listening to their voices go back and forth. Maybe she was desperate for sleep, but their voices soothed her, and the gentleness of their tones reminded her of the voices on a meditation app on her old phone.

         While the two talked, Cassian got out of bed. She couldn't see him but could hear as he checked the two locks on the door, just as he'd done the night before.

         On her side, she hugged the comforter to her chest as if it were a pillow and fell asleep among a prince of spring and a Fairy, and strangely she had never slept better.

*****

In the late morning of the third day, Reyarney's shores became visible. The waters that stretched between them were calm. The sky was clear, a pastel blue, and something tightened around Faryn's heart. If only this could be an omen that their mission in Ireland would be successful.

         When the afternoon came and they disembarked into the port, though not Sleet City, it was still cold enough that they could get away with their cloaks. The lining inside Faryn's cloak was a bit stifling though.

         She tugged down on her beanie and pulled her hair forward before readjusting the hood of her cloak.

         According to Cassian, he didn't plan to reveal himself until they reached Midas's palace. Arlo still didn't know to expect them. All of them had been too worried that their destination would have leaked. 

         The wind swept past them, catching their cloaks, but their hoods stayed in place.

         Faryn's first impression was that Reyarney reminded her of a coastal city torn from the pages of a fairy tale. The buildings had paved roofs either in a forest green or an orangish red, with bronze, gray, or black chimneys peeking out of them. In the distance, a bridge connected the city to the castle, gleaming and golden in its glory, perched on a cliff from the sides of which waterfalls flowed, sunlight glinting off both the water and the palace.

         Cassian led the way through the streets where snow had been swept to the sides. Pine and cinnamon mixed together in the air. There in the window of a bakery were sweet rolls. Faryn's stomach grumbled.

         Some of the Acurials they passed on the street were dressed in jeans. Others wore leather and fit the storybook setting. She scented Thorine, Fairy, and Elf. No one paid the three of them attention. When it came to the Leprechauns and Clurichauns they passed, she could only tell them apart by their eye color. All Leprechauns had green eyes while Clurichauns had blue.

         When Cassian announced they were halfway to the castle, Peter asked to stop by a restroom. They had been walking for forty or so minutes, and Faryn would gladly take the chance to sit for a moment.

         They followed the signs for a tavern, and the road grew narrower. Not quite wide enough for a car or carriage. She had only seen a few cars in the city so far. It seemed the preferred mode of transportation was by horse pulled carriage. How did the equine shifters feel about that?

         Peter slipped inside the tavern, and Faryn and Cassian sat on two crates in a stack of ten or so across the street. They were marked with having construction supplies. Inside her boots, she flexed her toes, stretching the ligaments in her feet.

         Scuffling made Faryn look up. Coming out of the tavern were three male Elves. Each had a mug of ale in hand. Faryn could appreciate walking down a sidewalk with an open bottle of wine, but she usually didn't intend to start shit when drinking.

         Their nostrils flared a moment before their heads jerked toward Cassian and Faryn.

         The two of them had their hoods up, but in a fight they would quickly come down around their necks.

         "Fae," the tallest among the Elves grunted while the others bared their teeth.

         Faryn stepped in front of Cassian. She was the one with Elven blood running through her veins. She was the one these men might listen to. 

         The one in the middle stepped forward. He was the only one with red hair among the trio, and it was shorn close to his face. A scar stretched from his eyebrow to below his nose. Her first thought was that it must have come from a fight but that might be giving him too much credit. He could have just as easily gotten it from slipping and falling on a pool deck.

         All three Elves wore brown leather pants and t-shirts of a band Faryn hadn't heard of. They were a mix of the old style and the new, embodiments of Reyarney.

         "We don't trust those who hide their faces," the one with red hair said. "Why don't you show us what's under yours, and we'll decide if it's worth enough to let you go?"

            Faryn recoiled, hearing the suggestion in his tone. Now was a rare time that she wished she had more of her family's magic running through her than only what was in her hair and kept her warm.

Cassian wrapped his hand around Faryn's, and knowing he was there made her shoulders loosen. The three Elves would be no match for Cassian's magic, but a Fata using his powers in Reyarney would bring attention.

Her dagger pressed flat against her leg. If she fought them and her identity was revealed, would that mean she'd have to kill them if she wanted to remain free of Winter? She wasn't prepared to do that.

How long did it take Peter to use the restroom?

"Can't you tell these folks are guests in our city?"

            The voice caused them all to look up, Faryn clutching her hood. Up on a windowsill above Faryn and Cassian, a Leprechaun crouched, her green eyes watching them in a way that made Faryn think of a falcon. Her long brownish-red hair was pulled back in two interconnected braids. She wore brown leathers, and a bandolier sheathed with knives was strapped to her chest. A knife was in her hand, emeralds peeking out from between her fingers where they were embedded in the hilt.

The three Elves growled in unison.

Faryn caught Peter's scent, a hint of fresh laundry and cactus blossoms. He stepped out of the tavern, his hood pulled up. The Elves had yet to give any notification that they were aware of him. If he was able to incapacitate them with his magic before they turned around, then he would be their saving grace. But if they saw what kind of power he wielded, it may just doom them.

The Leprechaun leapt off the windowsill, landing on top of the crates. "I suggest you run." Faryn didn't know who the warning was for. The Leprechaun hopped from the crate to the cobblestone road.

Two of the Elves tossed their mugs aside, ale sloshing across the cobblestone forming streams in the grout. The third Elf chugged his ale and chucked the mug behind him, forcing Peter to step to the side or be smacked in the head.

            Hands now free, the Elves reached for their weapons, but the Leprechaun had already set herself in motion. Two knives flew from her, landing in the upper thighs of two of the Elves. They screeched while she slashed at the third. It was as if she were lightning, her movement just as unpredictable, her steps darting and exact.

            She was no more than four feet tall while the Elves all had at least six feet, but it was clear that body mass wouldn't decide the outcome of this fight.

A blue fog spread from Peter, stretching out toward the fight. Faryn's eyes narrowed. The alley reeked too much of alcohol for her to scent the fresh smells of spring that came with his magic, but still, he was treading on dangerous ground.

She stole a glance at Cassian's whose eyes were focused on the fight. They should be running. Shouldn't they? It wasn't as if she and Cassian were doing anything to help the Leprechaun.

It was then she realized his hand was still covering hers. She tensed. It was no longer there to remind her that the Elves wouldn't harm her. He was making sure she didn't flee.

She yanked her hand from his, a growl slipping out through her lips.

Cassian released one in return.

The spring magic circled the red-haired Elf, and Peter closed his hands into fists and jerked his arms toward his center. The magic tightened like a rope, sending the Elf sprawling to the ground and landing on his face. Peter drew his magic back into himself.

Faryn reached for her dagger, but in a flurry of blades, the Leprechaun had the two remaining Elves on the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

Slipping her bloody blades back into her bandolier, the Leprechaun turned to Faryn and Cassian, leaving her back exposed to Peter. It was possible she believed him to be an innocent bystander, or she had noticed his powers and just didn't see him as a threat. "Welcome to Reyarney."

Cassian stepped past Faryn. "Is it that obvious we're tourists?"

She arched a brow. "Tourists don't usually hide behind hoods. And Fae who live here know that at this tavern they're more likely to find piss in their drinks than beer."

"What's the difference?" Peter quipped walking over.

A muscle in the Leprechaun's jaw twitched. "Who on the Court is it that you are here to see?" It was only a matter of time before she determined who the three of them were.

Peter drew closer. "Ziva."

"I asked who on the Court."

"We were told she was here." Cassian pushed back his hood, and the Leprechaun's eyes widened. Cassian's and Peter's magic combined should be enough to stop her should she try to run. It was the only comfort Faryn had.

The Leprechaun shifted her eyes to Faryn, as if trying to see through the shadows cloaking her face. Faryn resisted the urge to adjust her hood.

"I don't believe she's here," the Leprechaun said at last, and it was like the ground opened up underneath Faryn. Ziva had to be here. Because if she wasn't, Faryn was nowhere closer to clearing her name.

"Is Arlo in the city?" Cassian asked, and the Leprechaun nodded.

"He's the only member of Midas that is."

"My mother is a member of the Court."

The Leprechaun's lips inched upward. "I know who you are, Cassian Etend."

Somehow that made Peter comfortable enough to push back his own hood, but while the Leprechaun now must assume who Faryn was and the road was empty, any second someone could turn onto the street or walk out of the tavern; Faryn was leaving her hood in place.

"I'm having dinner with Arlo tonight."

"You know him?" Cassian asked, sounding surprised.

"He's a friend." She examined her nails where blood had splattered. "I suppose I could ask if I could bring you along."

Peter finally looked wary. "How do we know you wouldn't just be leading us into a trap?"

Her green eyes sparkled. "That's the fun of it."

He tilted his head. "Who are you?"

"Clíodhna." She pulled out a phone from one of her pockets—it was a wonder it hadn't gotten cracked in the fight—and held it to her ear. After a moment, she said into it, "Hey, Arlo. Hope it's okay I'm bringing guests to dinner."

I'm so excited that you've now gotten to meet Clíodhna!

I don't know if you've heard of Lightlark by Alex Aster, but her book came out yesterday, and last night I ended up going to the first stop on her tour!