Heart thumping, I pushed a crate off my chest and blinked up to find a man looming over me. He was dressed all in black, wore a leather cloak, and had spiky, bright red hair—not natural but from cheap dye or a spell gone wrong. His eyes shone the color of a pale sky, which let me know he was an Azure Mage. A crackling spell erupted in his hand, and he pointed it straight at my face. My lungs froze, and a second cry got caught in my throat.
“You’re coming with me, little tracker,” the mage said as he pulled his hand back.
The hell I am.
Acting on pure instinct, I lunged forward, wrapped my arms around his ankles, and took him down. He fell on his ass, his spell shooting up into the sky. Cursing, he reloaded his hand with more magic and prepared to shoot.
This time I went for his balls and drove my fist right between his legs. He howled in pain, and his spell fizzled down to nothing, sputtering to tiny sparks as he cradled his package. I scrambled away from him, picked up my bag, and jumped to my feet. I started to run out of the alley, but Prince Kalyll appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path. I shrieked and froze.
The Prince stood staring down at my attacker as he twisted like a wilted earthworm. With one powerful arm, he grabbed the mage by the scruff of the neck, lifted him to a kneeling position, and pressed a dagger to his throat. The mage mewled and went still. Tears rolled down his cheeks, probably in honor of his lost progeny since his balls were now stuck in his kidneys.
The Prince sneered as the mage whimpered, then, without warning, whacked him in the back of the head. The man’s joints unhinged, and he went as floppy as a marionette, the light disappearing from his eyes.
Prince Kalyll eased him to the ground and carelessly sheathed the dagger at his waist.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Is he... is he dead?” I asked, hiccupping.
“No. Do you know him?”
I shook my head, surprised by Kalyll’s cool and calculated demeanor.
“Spells are forbidden here,” the Prince spat. “I have no tolerance for rule breakers. Are you hurt?” he asked again.
I shook my head, staring at the designs in Kalyll’s tunic, avoiding his intense cobalt eyes at all costs.
The Prince poked the mage with one boot. “Why would this man want to hurt you?”
“I... I don’t know.”
“Do you come here often?” Kalyll’s voice rang with suspicion.
Oh, crap! Would he blame me for bringing trouble into his realm?
“About once a month,” I answered, then hurried to add, “Maybe he was a mugger.” Though he’d said “you’re coming with me, little tracker,” which meant he’d known who I was. But why would anyone want to kidnap me?
The Prince inclined his head, his midnight-blue hair swinging to one side. “Mugger?”
“A thief.”
He took my sack, quickly peered inside, then offered it back. “I doubt it. Unless you have gold or lots of your paper money.”
I took my humble purchases and hung the bag over my shoulder. They seemed to be intact. “I don’t have either.”
Kalyll made a sound in the back of his throat. “Then you should take account of your enemies.”
I didn’t have any enemies—at least that was what I’d believed just moments ago. God, I needed to get out of here, go home. My nerves were wrecked. But would Kalyll let me leave? The Fae resolutely dispensed punishment to any visitor who broke their rules. Exhibit A: the unconscious mage.
“What is your name, human?” he asked.
I winced, imagining myself trapped in a Fae prison for the rest of my days. “Toni... Toni Sunder.”
“I will escort you to the exit point to make sure you get back safely, Toni Sunder.”
I heaved a sigh of relief.
As we exited the alley, I glanced back at the mage, wondering what would happen to him. Would they send him back to our realm? Or keep him here? If so, would anyone outside of Elf-hame be notified?
“My men will take care of him,” Kalyll said as if reading my mind.
He gestured toward a couple of Fae guards, who wore leggings stuffed into boots and black tunics with an embroidered shield in the middle. They’d been standing at either side of the alley and quickly rushed in and picked the mage up by the arms.
“We follow procedure when these things happen,” Kalyll continued. “They are part of our agreement with your kind. It will all be done according to our shared laws, I assure you. You can check with your authorities in a few days to report the attack and learn the man’s identity.”
I’d never been in a situation like this before, so I hadn’t known of these procedures. But knowing the incident would be reported put my mind at ease somewhat.
When we made it to the exit point, Kalyll inclined his head and left me without a word. I thought of ordering something at the tavern to help calm my nerves, but I was too worried to linger in Elf-hame, so I sat at an empty table, traced my rune on its surface, and materialized back in my realm.
Chapter 9
Darkness had descended in my realm.
I had been so bent on leaving Elf-hame that I didn’t think what would be waiting for me back here: a large park in the middle of the night. Clutching my sack, I left the pavilion and rushed back home. I walked at a clipped pace, glancing left and right, searching for would-be attackers, almost giving myself whiplash.
I made it back to my street in record time, sweating like a racehorse and fresh out of breath. Relief washed over me
