Laughing, I shook my head. “No. Honestly, that would be kind of weird, considering he’s been by my side since I was born. I guess you can say he’s my unofficial Guardian.”
“Why haven’t I seen him then? Aren’t Guardians usually around twenty-four seven?”
Thinking of Merrick made my heart heavy. “Usually, they are,” I said, “but Merrick can’t come to the mortal world?”
Kai regarded me curiously. “Why not?”
“Because he’s dead. He can’t travel from the Hereafter to this realm; he can only step through to the Land of the Fae. Only Keepers can see him in our world.”
Kai’s eyes widened in surprise. “He’s like a ghost, then?” I nodded.
“Yes. He’s also one of my most trusted friends.”
“Does he know about me?”
“Yes,” I confessed. “I tell him and my best friend, Marin, everything. When I claim my court, Marin’s going to switch from Spring to Winter. It just so happens she’s fallen for one of my warriors.” I looked over at the window where the snow had piled up in the corners. “I’m happy for them, but I’m also angry. Why can’t things be simple like that for us?”
Kai tucked my hair behind my ear. “Because we were born enemies, Ella. It’s not supposed to be simple.” He cupped my cheek and leaned over to kiss me. “We have to fight for what we want.”
The second his lips touched mine, I felt the familiar pull on my soul. Eyes wide, I clutched my chest.
“It’s time again.”
Kai stood and helped me up. “Is it always like this for you?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head, “I’m the only active Keeper right now. I don’t want any of the others dying because of . . .” I didn’t want to throw it in his face, but it was his idea in the first place.
Kai huffed. “Because of my kind. I know.”
There was venom in his words, but it wasn’t directed at me. Once he had his gun and I had my dagger, I summoned my magic and waited for the portal to guide me toward the dying fae. The second I locked onto the location, I stepped through and felt Kai’s shadowy presence all around me.
However, there was also another Shadow fae close by; I could sense it.
Screams filled the night air, and I instantly pulled out my dagger. It was dark and nothing was around except tall pines and muddy earth from the melted snow.
“Run!” someone shouted. I spun around to see a young blonde Summer fae, her sweater and jeans ripped, with blood pouring out of two gaping gashes, one on each wrist. “It’s not safe,” she screamed before falling to her knees.
If I could sense another Shadow fae around, I knew Kai could too. I ran over to the girl and looked at her wrists; they were cut clear to the bone. Her blood soaked through my clothes as I held her. There was fear in her eyes as she cried.
“Get out of here,” she sobbed, her voice growing weaker.
Laughter could be heard through the trees, and of course, when I looked at the darkened forest, I couldn’t see anyone. That was one of the perks of being a Shadow fae; they could blend into the night. But, it turned out Ididrecognize the laugh. It was Bane, Kai’s brother.
He appeared by one of the trees, leaning against it with his eyes focused on me. There was something different about him. I could feel his power, whereas before when I’d been around him, his magic was weak. But then, I noticed the black stone around his neck. It was the source of his strength. I could sense it siphoning the energy within me.
Bane stalked toward me, grinning wolfishly. “This is unexpected. Who would’ve thought the Winter princess would have darkness in her.”
I held onto the girl. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
He pulled out his dagger, his eyes clouded with lust and violence. “Let’s see what you got.”
A blast of wind blew by me, and Kai struck Bane so hard that he flew into the air and smacked into a tree. I thought it would knock him out, but Bane righted himself quickly and faced his brother.
“Son of a bitch. What do we have here?”
Kai stood protectively in front of me, blocking me from Bane. “Get the girl out of here now! I’ll handle my brother.”
I didn’t want to leave him, but I had no choice. The Summer fae slipped away fast and I watched as Bane shielded his eyes when the blast of light from my power took me away. When the girl and I appeared in the Hereafter, I was on the ground with her in my arms. However, this time, we weren’t alone. Merrick was by the lake and ran over to us.