I'd read enough books to understand what a Changeling was in theory; however, my brain couldn't compute the reality of what Jones said. How could I be a Changeling? That would mean that the man that raised me wasn't my father, and that was a harder thing to accept than the reality of another realm.

"Luna—"

"Stop," I shoved Jones away from me with far more strength than I thought I possessed. It would seem Faerie quickly repaired the damage to my body, and I was grateful, even though what was left of my heart crumbled to ash. "You've lied to me my entire life."

"No! I sensed what you were when I met you. Most of us recognize each other, even if we don't know, that's why we're drawn to one another. Most don't even know what they are. Just that they're different."

"Oh, how convenient of you to be unlike most."

I walked in circles, searching for anything familiar. Nothing was recognizable. The trees were twisted and leafless, but the air was warm and humid, making it unlikely we were in the Autumn Court. Storm clouds rolled in, lightning flashing across the gray wall and threatening rain. Jones would tell me where we were if I asked, but I refused to give him the satisfaction.

"You are too," he insisted, walking behind me and dodging out of the way whenever I whirled about. "Most humans sense that the Changeling isn't theirs. Even the most loving people come to hate that child. They mistreat it. But we're different because—"

"I don't care!"

He grabbed me and shook me, forcing me to stay still. I'd never seen Jones look anything but kind or teasing. Now he was irate. "We are different because the woman who raised me was my real mother, and Kevin was your biological father."

"What do you mean? You said we were Changelings. That's typically a term for Fae babies left in the human realm in the place of a human baby."

"It's also a catch-all term for Fae children who are left behind in the human realm. My mother had an affair with a Fae from the Winter Court, and when he learned she was pregnant, he coerced her into coming back to Faerie. I was born here a day or two after arriving, and someone helped my mother take me and leave. They knew she didn't want to be there, and he never came back for us. Because the Vow."

"Jones..." I covered my mouth to hide my horror.

"We were lucky. My mother studied for years to learn everything she could about Fae mixed children. She was worried I would wither away like my father warned her she would, but we are children of both worlds. More than any. Born in one, blood of both, and bound to neither. It's a loophole the Vow didn't consider, I guess, because we can cross realms at any time."

"But what about the other half-breed children born here? Why can't they just leave and go to the human realm? Lorcan made it sound like almost all Fae today are half breeds."

Jones sighed. "It's only children born here and leave before the next full moon. Something about the full moon binds them to Faerie."

I had so many more questions. Like how had I been so affected by the Druil flowers if I was half Fae? And why hadn't the others sensed my true nature? Had being raised in the human realm snuffed out the Fae parts of me so well?

"When Lorcan took you, I felt the shift across the Ley lines. I rushed to the park, and you were gone. I went to Eira immediately."

"That's how she showed up so fast!"

"She was furious. Not because she was so worried about your safety, mind you. She's not exactly soft on humans like some, but she was never overly cruel. She was more upset because she thought the Summer Court figured a way around the Vow, and it would upset the power balance. When she discovered it was all above board, she told me not to interfere. You wanted to be there."

"But you were the one who rescued me?"

"I was."

Jones rubbed the back of his neck, and I caught a blue shimmer along his black skin. Faerie was changing him the longer we were here. I had no recollection of any changes to my form during my stay.

"How did you know I needed help?"

"I didn't. I knew you didn't know the truth about your heritage, so I suspected if you didn't return on the full moon, then had chosen to stay, but as it got closer, I realized it wasn't fair of you to make that choice without all the information. Once you bound yourself to the Coire, you could never come back. Me showing up when I did was pure luck."

"Then why did you lie to me? You could have told me the truth."

"Because you weren't getting better, and I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe you weren't a Changeling, and the only thing that would make you better was for you to believe it was all a dream. It was my last chance."

We stared at each for several long seconds, and finally, I drew him in for a tight hug. He returned it with equal ferocity, and when we broke apart, he didn't bother to hide the tears in his eyes.

"Where are we?" I asked, no longer too irritated to ask.

"Don't you recognize it?" Jones grabbed my hand and pulled me up a hill. He pointed through a break in the trees. A towering palace on a hill blocked out the light from the setting sun. Withered vines covered its crumbling surface, and the once crystal clear river running through the surrounding field had dried up.

"That's the Summer palace, but how?"

"There's a new king on the throne."

My skin turned clammy. Calix's name hung heavy in the air. "But how did it get bad so fast?"

"So fast?" Jones frowned. "Luna, it's been three weeks in the human realm, but here...it's been seven months."