Page 2 of Vale of Dreams

Tonight, we’re here to find a way to attack them in their own territory, to surprise them in the heart of the Fey kingdom—in Brocéliande itself.

And while I’m at it, I plan to rescue Raphael, too. I need him back so badly, I can taste it, like blood on my tongue. The problem is that Auberon has sealed most of the portals in and out of the Fey realm, and the ones that still exist shift location. Even when found, they require a special key to unlock them—a key possessed only by the highest-ranking Fey. And that’s exactly how we ended up here tonight, waiting in the shadows for a captain with a key.

There’s no sign of him yet, but two armored Fey guards are marching closer to Serana’s hiding spot. My fingers tighten, breath shallowing with tension, but as they pass, they don’t seem to notice anything out of place. I exhale in relief and push myself onto my elbows, teeth chattering from the winter chill that slips under my wool coat to bite at my skin. We still have a few minutes before our real target arrives.

Serana sighs. “You know where I’d like to be? Under a blanket, drinking a hot toddy.”

“Or jasmine tea,” Tana suggests.

“No. A hot toddy with plenty of whisky,” Serana says firmly.

“It’s like you’re reading my mind,” I whisper.

“In a warm room, overlooking Lake Avalon,” she continues.

“I don’t want to go back to Avalon Tower so soon,” Tana says darkly. “Wrythe, Tarquin, and all the Pendragon arseholes are out of control. And this human-only Iron Legion club they just started is so gross.”

I grimace, knowing what she means. Wrythe is power hungry and hates all demi-fey, me in particular. Tarquin, his nephew, is just as bad.

“I can’t stand their ‘pure human lineage’ shite,” Serana mutters. “Did I tell you that Tarquin described me as tainted and corrupted? I asked by what, and he said monstrous blood. The chinless twat. His family is inbred, and I’m the monstrous one because of too much genetic diversity?”

“Shh.” Someone appears at the edge of the street, and I squint, trying to see him better in the murky light.

Not our target. This man has red hair, and he lacks the brash arrogance of a military commander.

“Are you sure he’s supposed to show up now?” I whisper.

“The future is always shifting,” Tana says. “But I’m as sure as I can be.”

Time is running out for Raphael. This absolutely has to work. Because if this fails, I’ll be forced to get help from someone dangerous, violent, and deeply unhinged: my father, Mordred, who once broke into Camelot to go on a murder spree, then spent the next fifteen hundred years plotting more vengeance in isolation. He’s a revenge-obsessed Fey Heathcliff, a Poe story come to life, and I don’t trust him. Paintings all over Avalon Tower depict him sawing off women’s heads. Call me crazy, but I think working with him might be off the table.

I try not to dwell on the fact that his blood runs through my veins.

My heartbeat picks up as the captain finally staggers into view two blocks away, his silver hair gleaming under the lamp light. He totters along the sidewalk.

“Serana, I see him,” I whisper. “He’s turned onto this street. Two blocks away. Uh, two hundred meters, I guess? Get ready.”

He stumbles forward, and I hold my breath. He’s big, but I’ve seen Serana take down men twice her size.

The operation will be fast, and?—

A shout rings out behind him. He lurches and turns, then lets out a laugh. A large group of Fey soldiers turns the corner behind him, calling his name. Their voices carry on the wind.

My heart skips a beat. “Wait.”

“What’s going on? What are those voices?” Serana can’t look out without revealing her position.

I quickly scan the group. “He’s not alone. There are five Fey with him. All military. All armed.”

“How drunk are they? I can probably take them.”

Frustration sparks through me. For a moment, I consider telling her to risk it, but I quickly quash the thought. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to her. “Not drunk enough. They’ll cut you down fast. There are too many of them.”

One block away now. The Fey clap the captain on his back, and one of them slings an arm around his shoulder.

“We won’t get another chance,” Serana says. “You said it yourself, Nia. We have to do it tonight. I’m going for it.”

“No,” Tana and I say at once.

---