Page 46 of Beyond the Faerie Gate

“Stay still,” I breathe.

He freezes, becoming a statue under my gaze. Giving me a chance to see the male who took me from the woods.

He’s familiar, and I instantly recognise him from my vision in Danu’s cave.

“You’re my redcap.”

He beams, showcasing a mouth full of sharp teeth. With one hand, he pulls off his cable-knit hat—which is as blood red as his species suggests—and waves it in front of him with a flourishing bow.

“Lorcan, or Lore, if you prefer. Not Daddy, though, I’m not into that.”

I blink at him, confused. “Why would I—?”

But Lorcan has already blinked away. “I’ve got food. Are you hungry?” His voice is coming from beyond the door on the opposite side of the room, and I push off the chaise, determined to track him down. “My mother told me once that I should prove I can provide for a woman before I ask her to mate with me.”

I take one step, and suddenly I’m in a different room, sitting in a chair at one end of a giant table with a massive plate of steaming shellfish in front of me.

“Eat up!”

Goddess, he’s crouching on the table with his boots still on, watching me like a cat with his head tilted to one side. It’s strange to see a full-grown male in such a position. Like this, he towers over me, but I don’t mind because he’s stopped moving long enough that I can study him properly.

Sharp features frame a surprisingly delicate face, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his cheekbones could cut glass. His skin is so chalky that he seems to reflect the candlelight, and the white leather jacket he’s wearing only highlights how little pigment is in his skin. His short, messy hair is the same pale shade and under the jacket, he’s wearing a red shirt and black trousers, both of which are ripped in random places.

“Lore?”

“Yes, pet?”

“Can you slow down and tell me how you keep—?”

“Oh this?” He disappears again. “Blinking is my thing. Did they tell you about magic yet? I can go places. Don’t worry, I’ll take you. Here.”

In the next second, my meal is gone and I’m standing on a dockyard in the dark, staring at the sea beyond. A blink later and I’m on top of a mountain. I gasp, hugging myself as a bitter cold, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before, seeps into my bones.

Then, when the drain starts again, I know he’s brought me to the final court.

I fall to my knees in the snow, my glamour forgotten as the stress of forging the final connection between Danu and the land takes over me. My vision goes dark and I keel forward.

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