Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(61)

“Take your kills Redcap, but do so outside. I don’t want the inside to be contaminated with the stench of mortal blood,” I warn.

“Yes, Master,” he replies happily.

The Redcap approaches the house quickly and I watch in fascination. Redcaps are brutal with their killings and it is always a joy to watch. He tears open the door and his heavy footsteps can be heard all the way to where I’m standing. Screams erupt from inside and they echo throughout the trees. This is why I love it when mortals live in remote places. There’s no one to hear them scream. The Redcap emerges from the cabin with both a male and a female grasped in his hands. He has them by the neck and they are trying with all their strength to get loose.

Mortals may be weak creatures with no magic, but they do know how to fight back. I can hear the sounds of bones crunching and snapping as the Redcap breaks both of their necks. Blood splatters across the snow as he rips both heads from their mortal bodies. He takes his cap and moves it back and forth between both mortals-absorbing the blood from each.

“I want you to dispose of the bodies when you are done, Redcap. I also want you to stand guard outside when you come back,” I command.

“Yes, Master,” he says with a gleam in his eye. His cap is pulsing with the life force of the mortals he killed and blood is dripping down his face and onto the ground. I nod my head at him, but then something grabs my attention. An idea spurs in my head and I know that what I have found will come to great use. I remove the chains from around the wheels of what the mortals call a ‘car’ because I will need them for what I have planned. Time is running out so I move hastily to get things prepared.





“Are ye sure ‘tis what ye want?” the Redcap asks.

I huff in annoyance.

“Yes, you fool. Now go stand guard and leave me be.”

He leaves the bedroom and shuts the door and I can hear his footsteps as he exits the house. The chains I grabbed earlier are now binding me to a chair. They’re tight and constricting making it hard to breathe, but I know I won’t be in this body for long. Prince Kalen will be the one sitting here tightly bound when I leave his body. Since I’m running out of time I believe it’s the perfect moment to have a chat with the prince before the lovely princess shows up. I fade out of his body and the moment I do he gasps for air. He looks around frantic and confused until his eyes settle on mine. I take my true solid form before him and he scowls at me while trying to get free.

“What the f*ck have you done?” he yells, struggling against the chains.

I smile wolfishly at him and laugh. “Oh, plenty of things your Highness. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching your princess go through hell to find you. She’s quite strong, you know, but now I have to see what she’ll truly go through to save you. Although, it’s not going to matter because whatever she does I’m still going to kill you.”

“Where is she?” Kalen demands.

I’m momentarily distracted when I feel the ground shake from outside. I believe the princess has arrived right on time, and bested my Redcap in the process. I knew he would meet his end once Meliantha showed up.

I shrug my shoulders at Kalen and sigh, “Oh, I would say she should be arriving right about...now.”

I hear her light footsteps as she enters and searches the house. I smirk at Kalen and he growls. Fighting his restraints his voice echoes through the house when he yells, “Meliantha, NO! It’s a trap! Get out of here, now!”

I laugh at his outburst because all it did was make her get here quicker. She’s now in front of the door, but the second before she kicks it open, I disappear into the shadows to wait for the perfect time to appear.





I’ve enjoyed doing things in the mortal realm, but this surely doesn’t qualify as one of those times. I groan as I step through the portal when the icy air blows across my cheeks. Why can’t I get away from the cold? Aki follows me through, but Prince Ashe stays behind. Once I step back through the portal he will be right there where I left him. Portals are easy to make because all you do is summon your magic and it can separate the veil between realms. Humans have been known to step through portals so we try to make them in not so populated areas, or at least most of us do. The Tyvar do this frequently in hopes of human women stumbling through. I don’t approve of these ways, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

I look around at my surroundings and once again I’m in a place surrounded by snow. There is, however, a light up ahead that appears to be coming from a cabin. I know the dark sorcerer is doing this to mess with me and to wear me down. Following him to a cabin in the snow is supposed to remind me of Kalen, and it does, but I’m not going to let it distract me.

Aki follows close by me as we approach the cabin. We are a couple hundred yards away when I notice two sets of footprints in the snow. Aki sniffs around and growls low. One of the sets belongs to a Redcap, and the other no doubt belongs to the dark sorcerer in Kalen’s body. This Redcap must be one of the ones that turned traitor when the dark sorcerer went through their village.

The closer we get to the cabin I see the Redcap standing guard outside the door. Blood is staining the snow and my heart fills with sadness at the thought of innocent mortals coming to their death by a Redcap. The terror and fear they must have felt had to be phenomenal. I wish I could have been here to help them. I clench my teeth while the anger begins to build inside me. I reach for my bow making sure I am as quiet as can be. The Redcap may a bit farther away than I am used to, but I know in my heart I will not miss. I load the arrow and I take a deep breath. I stretch my bow, pulling against the resistance, and I sight my aim for the Redcap’s heart. He’s standing perfectly still, eyes trained forward, and not knowing there is danger in his wake. I release the arrow and it flies swift and straight piercing the Redcap right through his armor and into his heart. If I wanted to surprise the sorcerer I think I just messed up. The heavy thump of the Redcap falling dead to the ground shakes the earth below making my appearance known.