Whims of Fate Read online

  Whims of Fate

  Nissa Leder

  Copyright © 2018 by Nissa Leder

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Cover design by Nissa Leder

  Edited by Jessica West

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  www.NissaLeder.com

  Created with Vellum

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Also by Nissa Leder

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Scarlett rode up the elevator with a tray of breakfast in her hand. She'd adopted the role of servant today in hopes of getting Ashleigh to speak to her. Breakfast in bed—a perfect bribe.

  It had been over a month since they'd returned from the Winter Court. The first weeks had been filled with fear that the Winter Queen would retaliate. But, there had been no attack, nor news of one.

  Scarlett had decided it was best for her and Ashleigh to lay low at the Unseelie Court. Kaelem had offered them each a room in the palace—with every luxury imaginable and people to wait on them day and night if they so chose. But none of it won over her sister. Although the palace provided the best food, pools to swim in, the highest definition televisions, and the comfiest beds, it lacked the one thing Ashleigh wanted: her boyfriend.

  Carefully, Scarlett balanced the tray with her right hand and used her left to turn the doorknob to Ashleigh’s room.

  With her legs pulled against her chest, Ashleigh sat in a chair overlooking the city. She had pulled all the window curtains open. Normally, natural light would be pouring into the room at this time of day. But this court was a never-ending night.

  Bright lights filled the castle, but Ashleigh had kept the lights off. Scarlett used her magic to switch them on.

  “I've got pancakes,” Scarlett said as she set the tray onto the unmade bed. Ashleigh always made her bed, even as a kid. “With extra syrup and whipped cream.”

  No response.

  “C’mom, Ash. You need to eat.” Scarlett hovered behind Ashleigh, who’d kept losing weight ever since Kaelem released her from the mirror.

  Scarlett hadn't forgiven him, but she understood his willingness to do whatever it took to save his own sister, and Scarlett had few options when it came to safe residence these days, so she’d dealt with Kaelem.

  “I'll eat later,” Ashleigh said, her gaze unwavering. Once she’d realized she’d been trapped in a mirror, and, worse, couldn't go home, she hadn't even looked at Scarlett. She spent most of her time staring out into the sparkling city.

  “Please do.” Scarlett clamped her jaw. She’d done everything she could to make amends, but she was sick of the cold shoulder. Scarlett wasn't the one who kidnapped Ashleigh and trapped her in the mirror. Ashleigh could hate Kaelem for all Scarlett cared. It wouldn’t keep her from sleeping at night. But the anger Scarlett felt pouring from Ashleigh made her nauseated every time she sensed it, which was every time she visited her sister.

  Scarlett groaned, frustration oozing from her and into the air.

  She might as well give up. I will never forgive her.

  The thoughts stole Scarlett’s breath. They weren’t hers; they were Ashleigh’s. The better sense inside Scarlett told her not to do what she was about to do, but she ignored the voice of reason. Scarlett reached her mind out and grabbed on to the only living thing in the room: Ashleigh. Scarlett slipped through her sister’s broken mental wards like water sneaking through a crack. Maybe it was easy because her sister was human. Or maybe it was because what Scarlett found inside her sister’s head was as fragile as glass, threatening to shatter at any moment.

  Pictures of Ashleigh’s boyfriend swirled with flashes of Ashleigh’s college friends, her apartment, and her room at home. The first flicker of Scarlett and Ashleigh’s mother stabbed Scarlett’s chest like a knife to the heart. Their mother smiled, eyes squinted and head leaned slightly back.

  Then Scarlett’s face appeared in her sister’s thoughts. It was a memory from when Scarlett returned from Faerie. A sense of peculiarity struck Scarlett—Ashleigh’s reaction to seeing her for the first time after her fae nature took control. Although Ashleigh hadn’t known what had changed with her sister, she’d sensed that something was different. But she was too relieved to worry about it. Her sister had come home.

  A new memory appeared in Ashleigh’s mind. This time, Scarlett’s face appeared in her new form: true fae. Scarlett recognized the memory. It was right after Kaelem released Ashleigh from the mirror. Confusion tickled Scarlett’s senses—the confusion Ashleigh had felt when she realized her new reality. As the truth sunk in, rage took hold. Ashleigh saw Scarlett for what she now was: inhuman.

  Scarlett pulled her mind back into her own head, a pit of sorrow sinking into her stomach. Tears pooled in her eyes as she rushed out of the room.

  Ashleigh would never forgive her.

  By the time Scarlett had entered her own room, she’d regained control of her emotions. Although Kaelem had continued teaching her how to handle her new fae nature, she knew getting too emotional could be dangerous.

  As Scarlett fell back onto her bed, she used her magic to slam the door shut. Not as satisfying as the human way of slamming doors, but Scarlett’s magic had become second nature. Every day, she felt more fae.

  And less human.

  Scarlett sighed. She couldn’t keep Ashleigh with her forever, but she didn’t know how to let her go, either. Someday, she’d have to, and she knew when she did, she couldn’t protect her sister anymore.

  A slight breeze brushed Scarlett’s skin, a sign that someone had evanesced near her.

  Kaelem, most likely. Or maybe Aria. Since only a few could evanesce in the Unseelie Palace, the possibilities were limited.

  Scarlett sat up expecting to see a familiar face but, instead, met three pairs of dark eyes.

  Side by side, three women kept close to one another, all staring at Scarlett.

  “Interesting,” they said as one. “So, this is what the fuss is all about.”

  Scarlett thought about screaming. Who were they? And what did they want?

  As she opened her mouth to call for Kaelem, her throat tightened.

  “No need to call for the King of Darkness,” they said. “We want to speak with you alone.”

  The woman in the middle reached her hand out and gently touched Scarlett’s cheek. “We mean no harm.”

  Though the women had smooth skin, they didn’t appear young. Maturity sat in their eyes as they curiously watched Scarlett as if she were a parakeet in a cage. Their dark hair, shiny like raven feathers, fell past their shoulders. Clearly, they weren’t human, but they were unlike any of the other fae Scarlett had ever seen.

  “What do you want w
ith me?” Scarlett asked, surprised at her ability to talk again.

  “We come with a warning. Changes swiftly approach the fae world. Sides will be chosen. Best not to pick the wrong one.”

  “Okay…” What kind of advice was that? Of course, she wouldn’t mean to choose the wrong side.

  “You will lose someone, but not all will be lost.”

  “Who?” Scarlett’s stomach tightened. Who were these women and how could they predict the future?

  “That is still to be determined.” They craned their heads to the side. “But power is yours for the taking, should you choose.”

  “How? Can I protect my sister?” Gaining power is what had gotten her into the mess she was in, but maybe if she were stronger everything would get better.

  “Ahh, so many questions, child. But the answers aren’t ours to tell.”

  “Please,” Scarlett begged.

  “We’ll meet again,” they said and, within a blink, vanished.

  Scarlett was about to yell for Kaelem—surely, he’d know who they were—when she remembered their warning. Best not to pick the wrong one. If their prediction was true, Scarlett needed to be careful who she trusted. And although Kaelem had followed through on his promise by helping Scarlett learn her fae nature, he’d also trapped her sister in a mirror as blackmail. He would do what was necessary to protect his court, and Scarlett was nothing more than a guest.

  Thinking anything else would be foolish.

  Scarlett didn’t have a court. Seelie and Unseelie blood ran through her veins, and although she felt less and less mortal every day, she had been human for eighteen years. She didn’t know where she belonged.

  All she knew was that she needed to protect her sister. Ashleigh was the only family she had left.

  Scarlett touched the spot on her cheek where the woman’s hand had brushed her skin. The sensation was…odd. She couldn't put it any other way. Something about it felt familiar, almost as if she'd been in that moment before.

  Scarlett had experienced déjà vu, and, though similar, this wasn't that.

  Since joining the fae world, little seemed normal anymore. As she grew into her new fae body—like a child growing into longer legs—things got easier.

  She would keep the visit of the three strange women to herself. What if their prediction was true? Could they really see the future?

  Now, more than ever, she needed to figure out a plan to keep her and her sister safe.

  Chapter Two

  Raith peered ahead to a stone castle almost entirely covered in climbing vines. Green ivy and a red plant Raith hadn’t ever seen in the Summer Court twisted together up the castle walls with only fragments of the castle stone peeking through.

  Energy radiated from the castle grounds. Raith wondered if it was the castle itself or the abundant plant life surrounding it. Since learning more about the Autumn Court from Sage, Raith had become more attuned to his nature gift. He’d felt the power surge through him as he drained the life from a tree, and he’d felt it siphoned from him as he gave the life back. Even though he’d grown up in the Summer Court, his Autumn gift felt innate.

  “Are we going to keep going?” Raith asked Sage, who had stalled a few steps behind him.

  They’d traveled by foot for two days from Sage’s cave. Any time Raith had asked her about the Autumn Court castle, she’d changed the subject. Eventually, he gave up. He figured he’d learn about it once they arrived. She’d been there before, that much Raith could tell by how well she knew the way there.

  The path from the forest led straight ahead toward the castle, but a fence of green hedgerows blocked the way. Raith didn’t see any guards. It was unusual for a castle to not be guarded. There might not have been a war in Faerie for over half a century, but precaution was always necessary. The fae loved power and any opportunity to take it.

  Sage had ignored Raith, so he tried a different question. “Where are the guards?”

  “The Autumn Court doesn’t need guards to protect its border.” She stared ahead, arms stiff at her side.

  At least she replied this time.

  “Why not?” Raith glanced ahead. The hedgerows were only a few feet tall, low enough that any fae could easily jump over them.

  “They may look harmless, but those hedgerows are better protection than any guard would be.”

  Something rattled to their left. Sage’s attention snapped toward the noise. A large owl watched them with its yellow eyes. Its ears perked up like horns on its head as its focus shifted to Sage. After giving a deep hoo, it jumped from the branch and spread its wings as it flew toward the castle.

  “Great.” Sage groaned.

  “What?” Raith watched the majestic bird’s flapping wings straighten as it soared through the air.

  “Now he knows.”

  “Who? And knows what?”

  “So, I’ve never lied to you…” Sage’s stare shifted to the ground. Her hands moved to her hips, her elbows bent outward into triangles. “But I didn’t tell you everything about me.”

  What would have Sage so worried? Was she a criminal wanted by the Autumn Court or something?

  “The Autumn Court King,” Sage sighed, “is my father.”

  That would make her…

  “Yes, that would mean I’m a princess.” She looked up at Raith, jaw clenched.

  “Why didn’t you just tell me?” Raith couldn’t see what the big deal was. And it made sense since he’d felt such a strong connection to her. He’d told her everything about himself, including the bond that remained between him and Scarlett and what it could mean to his right to the Summer Court crown. Why hadn’t she told him the truth?

  “My family history is complicated.” Sage’s brows furrowed. “I prefer to pretend I’m not related to the king. We don’t have the nicest past.”

  “My little brother left me for dead because of some stupid Summer Court ritual. It’s not like my past is all sunshine.”

  “I know.” Sage sighed, dropping her left hand to her side. “I’m sorry, truly. I never wanted to come back to this place, but I’m here to help you.”

  Raith relaxed his shoulders. “You’re right, and I’m grateful. But we have to actually go in if we want to find my mom’s old servant.”

  With another long groan, Sage stepped out of the forest toward the hedgerow. She closed her eyes and inhaled. The hedgerow parted, forming an archway of greenery over the path.

  Before stepping through the archway, the path ahead looked empty. But once Raith and Sage crossed the invisible boundary, someone appeared in front of them.

  It was a tall male fae with ivory skin, bright auburn hair, and green eyes just like Sage. His expression remained still as he eyed Raith up and down then shifted his gaze to Sage. “Welcome home, sister.”

  Seeing her brother for the first time in five years sent a flood of memories rushing through Sage.

  A younger Sage, fifteen years of age, stood in front of a mirror in a mauve-colored dress, her hair carefully done in a braided crown by one of her mother’s servants. She hated all of it: the dress, the perfectly polished hairdo. It screamed princess. Special. Royalty. Someone to be admired solely on a birthright.

  How pretentious.

  A knock on the door bounced through her new bedroom, twice the size of her old one.

  “Yes?” Sage asked.

  “Your mother says it’s time for your introduction.”

  Ugh. At fifteen, Sage would be introduced to the Autumn Court as part of the royal council. True Autumn adulthood didn’t happen until age twenty, but as a young Autumn fae, Sage would be added to her father’s council and given a vote for court matters.

  It was silly since final say always fell on the king himself. A unanimous council decision could be overturned by nothing more than a whim of the king. Trying to use a council as a guise to hide the dictatorship was as pointless as pointless could be.

  “If I must.” Sage considered removing the braids from her hair. It would reveal her
long, wavy locks and free them from the confinement of the style. But then she’d have to listen to her mother lecture her about how important appearances were for a princess.

  She’d go to the stupid introduction then she’d flee the castle for a few hours to get the bad taste of the ritual out of her mouth.

  Sage waited on the balcony that overlooked the ballroom below. Vines of ivy twisted up the staircase banister. She placed her hand on a leaf and siphoned the magic from it. The bright green dulled to a drab brown.

  “Sage.” Her mother’s voice might have sounded calm to an outsider, but Sage heard the subtle rage reverberating through it. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Sage exhaled, releasing the magic back into the leaf. “Nothing, mother.”

  Sage turned to see her mother, as elegant as ever in a floor-length rust-colored dress. Its halter-top showed off the slightly-above-average broadness of her shoulders—a trait Sage had inherited. Her mother’s brows furrowed in a disapproving stare.

  So much for avoiding her mother’s discontent.

  Her mother nodded to a fae dressed in a brown suit.

  His voice spread through the room below, where the most powerful and wealthiest Autumn fae were scattered, all lucky enough to be deemed worthy of an invitation to the ceremony.

  “We welcome the fae honored today as she joins her family as a council member and protector of the Autumn Court.”

  Could he make it sound any more ostentatious?

  Sage let out her feelings with a final groan and eye roll then shifted her mouth into a big grin as she walked down the stairs to the cheers of everyone in the room.