Authors: Amanda Hocking
Ridley saw my resistance fading, and he smiled before turning around and opening the
door. His cottage was built half in the ground, almost like a rabbit burrow, and that’s
why it had such a squat look. Only a few feet of it actually sat above the ground,
and I had to go down several steps when I went in.
Inside, it was cozy, with a living room attached to a nice little kitchen, and the
door was open to his bedroom in the back. As soon as we came in, Ridley kicked off
his shoes and peeled off his scarf, then went over to throw a few logs in the fireplace
to get the place warmed up.
“Sure I can’t interest you in a drink?” Ridley asked when he went into the kitchen.
“I’ll pass.” I took off my jacket and sat back on his couch before sliding off my
own boots.
I’d been inside his cottage a couple times before, but usually only for very brief
visits to ask him a question about work. This was my first real social call, and I
took the opportunity to really take his place in.
The coffee table was handmade from a tree trunk, made into an uneven rectangle with
bark still on the edges. The bookshelf on the far wall was overflowing with books,
and next to it he had a very cluttered desk. On the mantel, there was a picture of
a grade-school-aged Ridley posing with his father, who was all decked out in his Högdragen
uniform.
“Have you ever had to make a notification before?” Ridley came back into the living
room, carrying a large glass mug filled to the brim with dark red wine.
“This was my first,” I said. “It’s the only time I ever came back without a changeling.”
He bent down in front of the fireplace, poking a few logs to help get it going. “I’ve
done it once before. It’s never any fun.”
“This time must be worse.”
“Why do you say that?” Ridley sat on the arm of the couch at the far end from me and
sipped his wine.
“This time it’s kind of our fault.”
“It’s not our fault,” he said, but he stared down at his mug, swirling the liquid
around. “We left as soon as we got our assignment, but she was dead by the time we
even got to Calgary. There was nothing we could’ve done.”
“No, there’s nothing more
you
could’ve done,” I corrected myself. “But I should’ve taken care of Konstantin when
I saw him in Chicago.”
I said that, but I wasn’t sure if I meant it anymore. Even after we’d found Emma dead,
I felt more conflicted than ever. I didn’t know what Konstantin’s role had been in
her death, and although I was certain he carried some culpability, I also thought
things were far more complicated than either Ridley or I had realized.
“What happened with him, exactly?” Ridley asked carefully, giving me a sidelong glance.
“Back in the hotel.”
I pulled my legs up underneath me, leaning away from him. “I already told you.”
“No, you didn’t. Not really.” He slid down off the arm of the couch so he could face
me. “You told me that he’d been in the room, you’d fought, and that he must’ve knocked
you out. That was about it.”
“That’s about all there is to tell.”
“But what I don’t understand is, why was he there?” Ridley paused. “Was he waiting
for you?”
“I don’t know.” I ran my hand through my hair.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked with an edge to his voice.
“We fought, and he knocked me out, so yes.” I gave him a look. “But other than that,
I’m okay, and I got in a few good punches.”
“Why didn’t he kill you?” Ridley asked. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he didn’t. But …
he’s tried to kill your dad, he killed Emma. He obviously doesn’t care if he gets
blood on his hands, so why did he leave you alive?”
I lowered my eyes. “I think he does care if he gets blood on his hands. And I think
Bent killed Emma, not Konstantin.”
“Are you…” Ridley’s expression hardened, and he narrowed his eyes. “Do you have feelings
for him?”
I groaned, but my cheeks flushed. “Don’t be gross, Ridley.”
“There’s clearly something going on between the two of you—”
“Why?” I snapped. “Why is there ‘clearly something’?”
“Because he should’ve killed you, and he didn’t. And you should’ve killed him, and
you didn’t. So something’s going on, and I want to know what it is.”
“It’s not like that.” I shook my head.
“Bryn.” He set his mug down on the table and moved closer to me. “I’m just trying
to understand.” He put his hand on my thigh, and I chewed my lip.
“Konstantin Black is a bad man who has done bad things, who will do bad things again,”
I told him, willing myself to meet his gaze as I spoke. “I know that. But there’s
something more going on, something much bigger at play.”
“I know that you think he’s working for someone else, and you’re probably right,”
Ridley said. “But that doesn’t mean he deserves your sympathy.”
“I’m not sympathetic.” I sighed. “At least I don’t want to be. But I’m not ready to
completely distrust him. Not yet.”
“He’s done terrible things. He’s not to be trusted,” Ridley implored me to understand,
his eyes dark with concern.
“I know. I will take care of Konstantin. I promise.” I put my hand on his, trying
to convey that I meant it. “But please, for now, can you not tell anyone that I saw
him in Calgary?”
“You want me to lie to the King and Queen?” Ridley asked with exaggerated shock.
“You’ve done it before,” I said with a hopeful smile.
“No, don’t look at me like that.” He shook his head, then sighed. “Fine. I’ll keep
this between us. But Bryn, this is a very dangerous game you’re playing.”
“I know,” I admitted, and squeezed his hand. “Thank you for keeping my secret.”
“You can always trust me with your secrets,” he said with a crooked smile, and the
look in his eyes made my heart ache. “You know, that’s the real reason I went on this
mission.”
“What is?” I asked.
“I was afraid you’d run into Konstantin, and I didn’t want you to go up against him
alone. And then I wasn’t even there when you fought with him,” he said, and guilt
flashed across his face.
“I was fine. I took care of myself,” I insisted.
“No, I know.” He lowered his eyes for a second, taking a fortifying breath, as if
he were building up to something. His hand was still in mine, and he ran his thumb
across it. Finally, he lifted his head, meeting my eyes willfully. “On the train,
you questioned my commitment to the mission.”
“Ridley, I didn’t mean it. I know you did everything you could in Calgary—”
He held up his other hand, silencing me. “I know, and I’m sorry that things didn’t
work out better for Emma and for you in Calgary, and I’m sorry that we didn’t arrive
sooner. But I’m still glad I went. For you, I would lay down my life any day.”
If he’d leaned in to kiss me then, I would’ve let him. I would’ve gladly thrown my
arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to me as his lips pressed against mine.
But he didn’t. He just stared into my eyes for a moment, filling me with a heat that
made me feel light-headed and nervous and wonderful all at once.
Then there was a knock at the door, and he pulled his hand away from me, and the moment
was shattered, and I could suddenly breathe again.
As Ridley got up to answer the door, I looked up through the small windows near the
roof and tried to peer through. I got a glimpse of a girl, and I was hit by the painful
realization that I’d stayed here too long. That I shouldn’t have come to visit at
all.
“Oh, good, you’re home!” Juni said in relieved delight when Ridley opened the door,
and I was already hurrying to pull on my boots. She threw her arms around him, hugging
him tightly, and my cheeks flushed with guilt at the fantasy I’d just been having
in which I would hold her boyfriend in much the same way.
“I was so worried about you,” she said as she held him.
“I’m okay, I’m fine,” he tried to comfort her.
I cleared my throat as I put on my coat, since they were standing in the doorway,
blocking my exit.
“Oh, Bryn, I didn’t realize you were here.” Juni let go of Ridley and gave me a wide
smile. “I’m glad to see you made it back safely, too.” Her smile gave way to sadness.
“I heard about the poor girl in Calgary.”
“Thank you, but I should really be going,” I said, returning her smile with a lame
one of my own.
“You don’t need to go.” Ridley pulled away from Juni so he could turn to me.
“No, I do. You two need to catch up anyway.”
I couldn’t force a smile much longer, so I slid past them as politely and quickly
as I could. With hurried steps, I walked back to my loft, feeling more conflicted
and lost than I ever had before.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Ember stood over me looking down, so her bangs were
falling into her eyes. Her arm had a brace on it, but otherwise the medic had almost
completely healed her, and she spotted me as I did bench presses.
“Nope,” I said through gritted teeth and pushed the bar above my chest before slowly
lowering it back down.
“Well, I think you should,” Ember persisted. “You and Ridley got back from Calgary
yesterday, and you’ve hardly said anything.” She paused, waiting until I finished
my rep and racked the bar. “I know you must feel terrible about what happened with
that girl.”
I sat up, wiping sweat off my brow with the back of my arm. “I know you mean well,
but I really don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Okay,” she relented. “But I’m here if you need me.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at her, but it fell away when I saw Ridley enter the gym
behind her.
I’d been avoiding him since yesterday, and I had planned on avoiding him for as long
as I possibly could. But since he was walking toward where Ember and I were working
out, it seemed like my time was up. He wore slacks and a suit vest, so he definitely
wasn’t here for exercise.
Ridley stopped when he was near enough that he wouldn’t have to shout, and then he
motioned to us. “Bryn, Ember, you’re needed in classroom 103.”
“What do you mean, we’re needed in a classroom?” I asked.
“Yeah, and by who?” Ember added.
“It’s an impromptu meeting,” he said without elaborating, then turned to walk away.
“A meeting? With who?” Ember asked.
“Just come on!” he called without looking back to see if we followed.
Ember exchanged a look with me, and I just shrugged and took a swig from my water
bottle. My tank top was sweaty in a couple places, and my yoga pants were frayed and
old. I hoped whoever we were having our meeting with wasn’t super-important, because
Ridley didn’t imply that I had time to change.
We walked down the hall out of the gym, past the classrooms where trackers-in-training
were studying proper techniques, social etiquette, and human history. Room 103 was
one of the larger classrooms and was located right next to the Rektor’s office.
When we reached it, Tilda and Simon Bohlin were already seated at desks, along with
half a dozen other top trackers who had already returned with their changelings. Ridley
stood near the front of the room, and leaning against the teacher’s desk with his
arms crossed was King Evert.
He was dressed somewhat casually, in a suit with a black shirt and no tie. He hadn’t
worn his crown, but he rarely did, except for special occasions. Still, I regretted
not hurrying to the locker room to change.
“Are these the last two?” Evert asked as Ember and I slowly took our seats at two
empty desks near the front.
“Yes.” Ridley went over to shut the door behind us, and then he took his spot next
to the King. “This is every tracker that’s back.”
Evert stared out at the room. The light glinted off his slicked-back raven hair, and
one ankle was crossed over the other. I’d rarely seen him without his usual smirk,
but the expression he wore now was decidedly grim.
“My wife doesn’t want us to go to war,” he said finally, his words carrying a weight
they usually lacked. He looked as if he felt much more resigned to being a leader
than he ever had before. “She wants us to solve things peacefully and quietly, sneaking
changelings in during the night. And that’s why she doesn’t know about this meeting.
“An accused traitor killed one of our children, and if he has his way, I’m sure he’ll
kill more,” King Evert went on.
I lowered my eyes, but I could feel Ridley’s gaze on me, almost willing Evert’s words
to take hold in me.
“I agree with my wife on many things. She tries to be kind and fair.” Evert uncrossed
his arms and put his hands on the desk behind him. “But when someone is shedding the
blood of our people, that’s where I draw the line. That’s when I say fuck it. Let’s
go to war.”
“We’re going to war?” Tilda asked, too surprised to be afraid to speak out to the
King. “Against who?”
“Konstantin Black and Bent Stum and anyone they might be working with,” Evert explained.
“There’s no point in going after the changelings, because he’s one step ahead of us
every time. He’s anticipating our moves. So now we’re going after him.”
“How will we find them?” Ember asked.
“We’re coming up with a plan now.” Evert motioned between himself and Ridley. “But
since Konstantin seems to somehow be intercepting our highest-ranked changelings,
we’re going to set a trap. We’ll send all of you to one place, where one changeling
is supposed to be, and when you see Konstantin and Bent, you’ll swarm them.”
“When we catch them,” I began, choosing my words carefully and hoping that I didn’t
look as sick as I felt, “we’re supposed to bring them in to stand trial, right?”
“I’ve thought about it, and I don’t see the point. Why waste resources and time?”
Evert asked. “He’s enemy number one. You find him, you kill him. He hasn’t shown us
any mercy, and we won’t show him any.”
Ridley met my gaze, and the fear flickering in his eyes made me bite my tongue even
harder. I couldn’t tell the King about my fight with Konstantin, especially not now,
not if I didn’t want to end up in jail for aiding the enemy. But I could tell Ridley
was afraid that I would risk my own neck to defend Konstantin.