Shadowlander by Theresa Meyers Page A

ever had before. He matched her, in intellect and humor, and was obviously as committed to caring for his people as she was to her sisters. He was made to command. Every hardened inch of muscle and sinew, every turn of his head and flex of his shoulders underscored that he was a warrior, a leader, a future king. He could take what he wanted and move on.
    He’d made it clear in more ways than one that he wanted her. But with Maya at risk, she couldn’t afford to linger in this strange new world or sample what he offered her. She found the world here strange and fascinating, and the analytical part of her hungered to know all the details of how they came to be, why they were at war with their own kind, and why her being a Seer was such a magickal, wonderful thing.
    The catamounts padded with slow, steady grace down the road that terminated in a wide stone bridge over the lake to the arched city’s gate. Fire licked against the black stone of the walls, reflecting from the enormous golden braziers that lit either side of the gate.
    It was imposing as hell. Cate shifted uneasily in her saddle. Up close the walls were two stories tall and constructed of solid black stone. There was no telling how deep the lake was, but in the night it stretched in a wide circle of inky liquid for a good two hundred feet on all sides of the city. Getting Maya out was going to be impossible.
    Then again, maybe not.
    Cate cast a cautious glance beneath her lashes at Rook. He looked like he could freakin’ move mountains—maybe he could order Kallus to let Maya go. It was a slim chance, but right now she’d take it.
    The walls of the city were thick, at least five feet of solid stone, but once they passed beyond them, Cate found she’d entered somewhere completely different than the rest of the kingdom she’d already seen.
    Just like in the human cities, this fae one came alive as dusk descended. Huge glass balls, filled with flittering, glowing bugs, were suspended in crisscross fashion over the streets between buildings, lending a festive air to the city. Along the cobblestone streets all manner of fae moved in a living, throbbing mass. Those that could jump from building to building or travel in the trees and lines of lights that crossed over the streets did so. Everyone stopped and stared as if she and Rook were some sort of spectacle.
    Cate brought her mount closer to Rook and leaned over. “Why are they staring?”
    “Not only are you a stranger, but catamounts are ridden only by the highest castes of fae. They know you’re important.”
    Cate wanted to shrink within herself. For so many years she’d tried to blend in, not see or be seen by the fae. It was disconcerting to suddenly be the focus of their attention.
    While from afar the buildings looked as if they were made of glass, Cate could now see they were created from crystal, the fractures and fissures within the stone producing a glittering effect in the lights of the city.
    “Your capital is very beautiful,” she said as she glanced at Rook.
    He was watching her too.
    “I’m glad you approve,” he said easily, but she noted a yearning in his voice, as if he wanted something more from her or held something back. She recognized the gesture after so many years of holding secrets back herself.
    They wound their way through the streets of the city, eventually spiraling up the sides of the hill toward the dark cluster of spires at its the heart.
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    Every step they took closer to the castle, Rook’s discomfort grew. He knew what was waiting for them. She didn’t.
    They would ask for proof of her abilities. Once her status was confirmed they would use her as a weapon first in their fight against Wyldwood, then in their plan to recapture Upland for the fae.
    In the shadows he could see the eager faces of the different castes of fae that had come to gawk at the Seer. He had convinced himself that having her here, on their side, would be for the best, but now he wasn’t so sure.