The Summer Marked Read online

  She giggled then twirled around, holding a severed leg in her hand. The snap of a whip caught my attention as a troll lashed out at Crazy Chick. She continued to laugh and sort her limbs.

  Holy shit. Was everyone like this? My gaze drifted down the line of girls. Some wore the same mystified, euphoric look, but most seemed frightened, like me.

  “Get to work.” One of the guards pointed at me.

  My legs trembled as I stepped toward the barrel of severed body parts. My stomach churned again. A dark-haired woman further down the line flagged me over. I glanced around then scurried to her side.

  “Here, help me stack leg bones.”

  “Okay.” The bones were hot to the touch as they came out of the boiling pots. But it was better than having to feel rotten flesh.

  “Don’t associate with the Charmed,” she said.

  “The Charmed?”

  “The ones who look like they are having fun. Stay away from them. They’re too far gone to be helped and will only go back to their masters to spill your secrets.”

  “Lovely.”

  “Not really.” The woman glanced at the two guards standing across the square from us. “What is your name?”

  “Kadie. And you are?”

  “Demetria.” She pulled out another bone and stacked it neatly inside a crate. Dark curls fell around her pale face, her brown eyes troubled. “You’re the first new girl they’ve brought to the Bone Yard in weeks. Lately we’ve had more going out than coming in.” She nodded at the pile of bodies littering the high stone wall that surrounded us.

  Chills swept up my spine. My chest tightened. Where had they gotten all those girls? Did they take them from the club like me?

  Turing my attention from the bodies, I glanced at Demetria. “How long have you been here?”

  She sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. “Too long. I have no idea how much time has passed. It was eighteen ninety-nine when I arrived.”

  “Oh God,” I whispered. “You’ve been here for over a hundred years?”

  She shrugged. “Time moves different here. Even if I get away, I have nothing to return to. It’s not to say I want to be stuck here forever, but I have nowhere to go. No family waiting for me.”

  “But the human world, it’s better than being here—I mean, being forced to do this.”

  A guard walked past, splashing through crimson puddles. The blood sprayed across my dress, making it look like it had polka dots.

  Demetria lowered her head. “If there was a way to leave, I’d go. But this place is surrounded by guards. Even if we made it past the gate, I have no idea how to get out of Faerie. If the creatures didn’t kill us, Winter would. You don’t understand, this land, Faerie as they call it, isn’t like our world. There are horrible things that lurk in those woods.”

  Goosebumps puckered my skin. Then I’d be stuck here forever? In this nightmare?

  A skirmish started down the line, and I watched in horror as two girls fought over a severed head.

  “This was in my pile—quit trying to take my parts.”

  It was Crazy Chick.

  “No, it was in my bin,” another girl argued.

  “You will not get more parts sorted than me. It’s my turn to be picked by the princes.” Crazy Chick shoved the other girl, knocking her against one of the boiling pots. Her head hit it with a loud clang. Her body crumpled to the bloody flagstones, her neck twisted at a sickening angle. Crazy Chick kicked the lifeless form several times.

  The trolls hurried over and pulled Crazy Chick out of the way. They picked up the other girl.

  “She’s dead,” one of the trolls said in a garbled voice. In one swift movement, he hefted her up and tossed her into the boiling pot.

  Crazy Chick smiled. “I made my quota for the day. They’ll be so pleased.”

  “What the hell was that?”

  Demetria shifted her sight on the ground. “That is what life is like here. Nightmares. Murders. Blood. Bones. Eventually, you will get used to it. You’ll become numb to everything around you. And eventually, you will be able to sleep again.”

  “I don’t want to get used to it. I want to get out of here.” Frantic, I glanced around the Bone Yard. There had to be some way to get out of this place.

  “Keep your voice down. You never know who is listening to you.” She turned to look at the guards as if to make sure they hadn’t heard me.

  But the others were nowhere near us. I fought the nauseous pangs prickling inside.

  Creak—creak…

  I turned to see an ancient woman sitting at a spinning wheel with piles of different colored hair all around her.

  “What is she doing?”

  “Spinning the deads’ hair into rope and yarn.”

  It was like I was in the middle of a messed up fairytale—the kind people tell kids to scare the crap out of them. But even in Salome’s grandma’s versions there was always someone who came to save the day. As the blood soaked my boots, I knew my days were numbered; there was no one here who could save me. I had to save myself.

  Please, just let me get through this. Let me find a way out of here.

  Hours later, a bell tolled from one of the high towers made of human skulls and bones. Women dropped the body parts they held and hurried across the courtyard, where they lined up. I dropped one last arm bone into our pile and wiped my hands on my skirt.

  Demetria clutched my arm, keeping me close to her. “Just keep your head down and talk to no one. Your sponsor will come retrieve you.”

  We stood waiting for several moments until members of the Winter Court arrived. Tall beautiful beings, with deadly smiles and looks too good to be true. Demetria released me as she was ushered into a small group and led inside. She gave me one last glance over her shoulder.

  I stood by myself, trying not to brush up against any of the others. No way in hell did I want to piss off the wrong psycho. Not that I couldn’t hold my own, but I didn’t want to chance a trip into the boiling pot.

  When most of the crowd cleared, Etienne sauntered outside. His eyes swept over my gross clothes. For a moment, I thought I saw sympathy. “Come along; let’s get you in and out of the cold.” He gestured for me to follow him.

  Servants and workers filled the hallways. Some carried trays of food, while others shoved prisoners toward a flight of stairs that went down. I swallowed hard, glancing at Etienne. Would he have me put in the basement? Not that I wanted to spend another night in the Red Room.

  We veered away from the stairwell and along the twisting corridors until we came to a thick ornate door. Carved roses outlined the frame, while trees interlaid with gold decorated the middle. Etienne produced a key and slipped it into the lock. He gave it a turn and the door swung open, revealing a gigantic bedroom.

  A bed with blue velvet drapes sat against the back wall. Flames flickered from a white marble fireplace. Already the warmth brushed against my chilled skin. No paintings hung on the walls as they did in the hallways. Here you could almost forget you were in the Winter Court. Blue oriental rugs covered sections of the floor. A mural of a sunrise over a lake was painted on the ceiling. Candlelight glowed warmly from a table at the center of the room. Steaming plates of vegetables sat on top of it, next to bowls of soup and goblets of what I hoped was red wine.

  “I’ve had the maids draw you a bath. You can change out of your garments behind that screen.” He pointed at the black panel. “I already have clean clothes set out for you.”

  He motioned for the servants to leave then shut his door, locking it behind him.

  I walked behind the screen and quickly stripped out of my bloody dress and boots. Crimson stained my toes where the blood had leaked inside my shoes. I stepped into the steaming tub and slid down, letting the warm water cover me. My fingers scrubbed at my skin. Tears trickled down my cheeks.

  I have to get out of here. I have to find a way.

  Steam swirled around me, and I dipped my head beneath the water.

  I could
end this all now. Just not come up for air. At least then I’d be free.

  A vision of Salome popped into my head. Then my family. I struggled to sit upright, rivulets running down my face as I gasped for air.

  A towel sat on a nearby chair. I stood, grabbed it, and dried off as fast as possible. Then I slid into the woolen nightgown that’d been laid out for me. When I moved around the screen, I found Etienne sitting at the table, his head in his hands.

  “I’m sorry you had to go to the Bone Yard today.” He lifted his gaze. “I really didn’t want this for you.”

  Tired, I plopped down across from him. “Then what did you want?”

  “I told you. To keep you safe.” He stood, walked over to the fireplace, and tossed another log on. Sparks sprayed the air like tiny fireflies.

  I stared at the broccoli, corn, and asparagus on the plate. Damn, what I wouldn’t give for a burger right now —although I guess I didn’t really want to eat any meat here, because I had no idea where it came from. At least the veggies looked safe.

  “You should’ve made me leave the club that night,” I said.

  “I doubt anyone could make you do something you didn’t want to do. Besides, once Teodor heard you talk about Gareth, he wouldn’t have let you out.”

  “So what happens now?”

  Etienne moved back to the table and sat across from me. “Now I find a way to protect you. But you’ll have to trust me. I know it goes against your nature, but do what I say. Don’t question me.”

  I snorted. “Trust has to be earned, buddy. And right now, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna do that.”

  He sighed. “At least promise to be careful in the Bone Yard. I can’t be down there all the time to monitor what happens. If I thought I could get you out of here on my own, I’d sneak you out tonight. But she has eyes everywhere and I’m never allowed out on my own. One of the Winter Princes always accompanies me.”

  I stiffened, dropping my fork back on my plate. “I have to go back?”

  “Yes. The queen has ordered you work there every day until you talk.”

  “And if I don’t talk?”

  “She’ll find other methods.” He frowned. “I can protect you, Kadie. But I don’t know for how long.”

  Fuck. Okay, I didn’t want to go to the Bone Yard again. But how could I get out of it?

  Think girl. You’re smarter than this. But you have no weapons and the one thing they want, you don’t really want to give, do you?

  I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand and watched as Etienne’s gaze followed my every move. Maybe I did have a weapon. A very powerful one: myself. I knew I was beautiful and desirable and could be damn sexy when I wanted. So why not use it? I could play seductive Kadie for a while, maybe feed enough information over to keep me from being killed and to keep me relevant—needed.

  “Why are you being nice?”

  I saw that flicker of something again in his eyes. “Because I’m not really the bad guy here. In front of her and Teodor, I have to act horrible, and for that I’m sorry. But if they think for one moment that I sympathize with you, they’ll take you away from me. They’ll kill you.”

  My heart thudded in my chest. I chewed my bottom lip, watching as his gaze softened. He ran a hand through his pale blond hair. There was almost something lost—broken—about him. Geez, I so didn’t need to feel sorry for this asshat right now. I needed to remember whose fault it was that I was there in the first place.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you. Trust me when I say I’ve dated enough jerks to know one when I see one.”

  He grimaced. “Fair enough. Someday you will know I speak the truth.”

  Dong—dong—dong

  My fingers clenched the side of the table. “What’s that noise?”

  “The queen’s way of letting everyone know that the prisoners are to bed down for the night.” He stood then grabbed my arm, dragging me toward his bed.

  I struggled against him. “You’re full of crap if you think I’m sleeping with you.”

  Panic coursed through me. I planted my feet.

  He chuckled. “Good thing you’re not going to be in my bed then.”

  Etienne showed me to a cage beside the wall. A mat and some blankets were piled up inside.

  “You’re freaking joking, right?”

  “You don’t have to sleep inside it, but you’ll need to lay close enough so you can climb in if someone comes to the door. I could get in trouble for not following the rules. I’m giving you some freedom, so don’t make me regret it.”

  My gaze shifted to his. “You’re not going to make me sleep inside it?”

  “No.” He swung the barred door open and pulled out the mat and blanket and laid it out next to the cage. “The queen insists that all of our humans be locked up until we have them trained. But I told you, I won’t force you to as long as you promise to go inside if someone stops by the room.” He watched me as I knelt down, grabbed the woolen blanket, and wrapped it about my shoulders.

  “Okay, I promise.” Could I sneak out while he slept? Or maybe start working on my plan?

  He raised his hand to pat my head, but I gave him a look that was equal parts fire and equal parts tempting. He looked away too quickly for me to be sure, but I swore I saw the hint of a smile on his face. At least I hoped. If seduction was my best weapon, I had to be on my A-game.

  He went over to recheck the lock on the door. Once he finished, he sat down on the edge of his bed, watching me.

  I felt like his pet, and my hands trembled as I gripped tight to my blanket. My plan to use seduction as my weapon was a double edged sword. The room was locked and I was trapped in here with him. His prisoner. If I took it too far, I’d be in more danger than ever.

  Etienne dowsed the lights, and I heard his bed shift as he got comfortable. I had to make a choice. And I had to make it now. With a sigh, I gripped the side of the bed and climbed to my knees. Before I could change my mind, I crawled up into Etienne’s bed.

  “What are you doing?” He sat up in the darkness.

  Time to turn on the tears. “I-I’m cold and scared. Look, I-I just don’t want to be on the floor, by myself. What if something tries to kill me in my sleep?”

  I felt him throw back part of his covers. “Fine, get under the blankets. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  My fingers felt around the bed until my palm slid across his arm. I moved closer to him, slipping under the comforter. Etienne pulled the blanket up until we were both beneath it. I pressed my body closer to his, the warmth radiating through my nightgown.

  I heard him suck in a deep breath. “Get some sleep.”

  “I’ll try.” I let my head fall against his chest. Etienne might be Fae, but I knew he wasn’t immune to my charms. In fact, tonight proved that I might just be able to get him to help me escape. Convinced my plan might work, I finally closed my eyes.

  Chapter Eight

  Salome

  My knees ached as I bounced in the saddle, trying to hold my grip on the sweat-lathered Adaba. We’d been riding for hours, which put more distance between me and Gareth—something I didn’t want to think about. But it was hard not to let my imagination run wild with gruesome images of his death.

  Please. Just let him be okay.

  The horse galloped through trees and brambles. Twigs, thorns, and gnarled overgrowth scraped at our skin, but we kept our frenzied pace. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Adaba veered left. Only when we approached a river did he slow. He hesitated a second, then stepped into the water, which rose to his underbelly. I glanced back at the bank and realized he was trying to hide our tracks.

  As we splashed further in, the cool currents soaked the bottom of my skirts and boots. My teeth chattered.

  How long will I last out here?

  My gaze shifted to the sun, sinking in the sky. Soon darkness would fall, and I damn sure didn’t want to be stuck out in the woods at night.

  Adaba slowly made his way upstrea
m, his movements stirring up the sand.

  “She’s com-ing…”

  I whipped around. My eyes searched the landscape, but no one was there. Just endless vegetation blowing back and forth. My fingers tightened in Adaba’s mane. Wind wailed through the forest like women screaming in pain. Goosebumps puckered my skin.

  Something’s here. I feel it.

  Bubbles and foam rose from the river floor as if there was an eruption below. Water sprayed my left cheek. A gurgled snort sounded beside us as a great black horse rose from the depths, river-weed tangled in its mane. This was no ordinary horse. It was a Kelpie. It turned to face me, eyes blazing like hot coals. The beast’s lips peeled back to reveal blood covered teeth. Crap. If I could reach the saddlebags, then maybe I could pull out the sword Gareth had gotten for me. I leaned to the side, reaching for the buckles. Moving at this pace and bouncing around, I couldn’t get hold of it.

  Come on.

  Adaba jerked to the side in an attempt to get to the shore. But it was too late. In one swift movement, the Kelpie latched onto my arm.

  “No!” Pain shot through me like a bullet. I fought to stay in the saddle. My horse kicked out his hind legs, catching the Kelpie in the side. Still the creature wouldn’t release me.

  Instead it tugged harder, ripping me halfway off my saddle. My knees tightened around Adaba’s sides, my fingers loosened as water slickened what grip I had. The Kelpie’s teeth sunk deeper into my arm. My hands slipped; my hold lost. Horror washed over me when I plunged into the dark, icy depths of the river. The coldness stung my skin. The creature dragged me deeper, and I kicked my legs, thrashing to free myself from it. Above me, all I saw were the distorted images of the sky as it faded from sight. Weeds tangled around my feet, as if trying to help the monster drown me.

  My lungs burned while nightmarish images of my last near-drowning played through my head.

  It isn’t supposed to end like this.

  My chest felt as if it might explode. Black dots danced in my vision. Down I went like an anchor speeding to the seafloor.

  I couldn’t let it win. From deep inside, I willed it to let me go. A burst of light blinded me. And then, in my hand was the Blade of the Four Kingdoms. Underwater, it was hard to maneuver, but I managed to get it in front of me, slicing at the creatures body. A cloud of blood darkened the water and the Kelpie’s teeth slipped from my skin, its grasp lost. A strong tug on my dress dragged me back to the surface.