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Mercy woke with a start, her body tense before her mind could catch up to the reason why. The faint morning light filtered through the thin curtains of her small, weathered cottage, casting soft shadows over the stone walls. She lay stillfor a moment, listening to the familiar sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the cliffs below, the steady rhythm soothing and constant.
But her mind refused to settle.
Her conversation with Adriana the night before played over and over in her thoughts, the weight of their discoveries weighing heavily on her.A fae-shifter.It still didn’t make sense. Fae rarely, if ever, left their realm, and the idea that one had not only crossed over but had been drained of her power was unsettling. There were still too many unanswered questions, and the fact that Hunter was tied up in all of this only made it worse.
Mercy sat up, rubbing her temples as she tried to shake off the lingering fog of sleep. The fire she’d left burning in the hearth the night before had died down to embers, casting a warm, flickering glow over the small room. Her cottage was cozy, a sanctuary she had carved out for herself on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, far away from the world of the abbey and the supernaturals that haunted her past. Here, she could just be herself without the burden of expectations or the weight of her abilities.
But that peace had been shattered the moment she laid eyes on the fae-shifter. Now, more than ever, she needed answers. She couldn’t help the woman if she didn’t understand what had happened to her, and the key to that understanding was buried somewhere in the ancient texts that lined the shelves of her library.
Mercy swung her legs out of bed and stood, stretching out the knots in her back from a restless night’s sleep. She padded across the stone floor, her bare feet silent as she moved toward the small kitchen. She needed coffee, something to wake her up and help her focus. The day ahead was going to be long, and she had no time to waste.
As she waited for the coffee to brew, her eyes drifted to the view outside her window. The morning fog still clung to the cliffs, swirling and shifting with the wind. The ocean was a dark, churning mass beneath it, endless and powerful. It reminded her of the fae realm, a place so vast and unknowable that even the most experienced shifters, witches, and vampires hesitated to venture too close to it.
She didn’t want to admit it, but the mystery of the fae-shifter intrigued her. She’d never encountered one before—hell, she’d barely even thought about them beyond the stories she’d read as a child. The fae had always been something distant, otherworldly. They didn’t belong in her world, and she’d never expected to cross paths with one. Yet here she was, standing on the edge of something bigger than herself, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
Her coffee finished brewing, and Mercy poured herself a cup, inhaling the rich aroma before taking a long sip. The warmth spread through her body, grounding her, but her thoughts continued to churn. She needed to get to the library, to dive into the texts and see what she could find. She had to know more—about the fae, about their magic, about the connection between their world and hers.
And about why Hunter seemed so intent on being a part of it all.
Mercy set her mug down, pushing the thought of the vampire to the back of her mind. She didn’t have time to deal with him right now. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t going to let him—or her growing attraction to him—get in the way. Heading back into the bedroom, she got dressed and ready to face the day and whatever it brought.
Grabbing her jacket, she headed out the door, locking it behind her as she made her way to her car. The drive into the village was quiet, the fog still hanging low over the windingroads. Her cottage was isolated, perched on the edge of the cliffs, but she liked it that way. It gave her space to think, to breathe. To be alone.
The village, on the other hand, was bustling with life as she pulled into the small parking lot behind the library. The morning market was in full swing, vendors setting up their stalls along the cobblestone streets, their voices carrying through the air as they called out to early shoppers. The scent of fresh bread and pastries wafted from the bakery next door, mingling with the salty sea breeze. It was a peaceful scene, one that stood in stark contrast to the turmoil swirling inside her.
Mercy unlocked the library doors and stepped inside, the familiar scent of old books and polished wood enveloping her like a comforting blanket. This was her sanctuary, her safe space. Here, among the shelves and the dusty old tomes, she could lose herself in knowledge, in research, in the stories of others. It was a world she controlled, unlike the chaotic mess that seemed to follow her outside these walls.
She moved through the quiet library, flipping on the lights and opening the curtains to let in what little light the fog would allow. The library was a small but charming place, lined with rows upon rows of books, with cozy reading nooks tucked into corners and a small coffee bar set up near the entrance. It wasn’t just a place for books—it was a place for the community, a gathering spot for the villagers to escape and immerse themselves in the written word.
But today, Mercy wasn’t here to relax. She had a job to do.
She made her way to the back of the library, where the older, rarer texts were kept. Fae lore wasn’t exactly something that most of her patrons were interested in, but over the years, she had collected a number of obscure volumes on mythical creatures and other supernatural beings. She’d never had muchuse for them before—fae had always seemed like a distant, mythical race—but now, they were her only lead.
Mercy pulled down every book she could find that mentioned faeries or the fae realm, stacking them precariously on the large wooden table in the center of the room. The books were old, their pages yellowed with age, and some of them were written in languages she would need help deciphering. But she wasn’t going to let that stop her.
She set to work, flipping through the pages, scanning for any mention of portals, fae magic, or the connection between the fae and the human world. As the morning slipped into afternoon, she lost herself in the research, her fingers skimming over faded text and elaborate illustrations. The fae realm was a mystery, even to those who studied it, but the more she read, the more she realized just how vast and powerful their magic was.
One of the books she found detailed the history of the fae realm, describing it as a parallel dimension to Earth, a place hidden from mortal eyes. The fae had once walked among humans, their magic interwoven with the very fabric of life. But as humans became more dangerous—more power-hungry—the fae had sealed themselves away, retreating to their own world to protect their people and their magic.
Mercy’s fingers traced the delicate drawings of the portals, the passages between the realms. They were rare, nearly impossible to find, but they existed. And it wasn’t just humans who sought to use them—other supernatural beings, shifters, vampires, and witches had all tried to access the fae realm at one point or another. Few succeeded.
As she read on, Mercy came across something that made her heart skip a beat.The blood of the fae holds immense power, the text read.In ancient times, it was said that fae blood could strengthen other races—humans, shifters, even vampires. But the fae protected themselves by sealing their world from thoseof other worlds, making it nearly impossible for others to find them.
Her breath caught in her throat.So that’s what they were after.The witch and the vampire who had captured the fae-shifter—Hunter had said they had been trying to siphon her power. Fae blood wasn’t just magical; it was a source of immense strength. But it wasn’t just their blood that was powerful, it was their very essence—their soul, their spirit, their blood—all of it. If they could harness it, they could wield a power unlike anything else.
Mercy leaned back in her chair, her mind racing as she processed the information. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but there was still so much she didn’t understand. Why had the fae-shifter crossed into the human realm in the first place? Was she running from something, or had she been forced out? And why had the witch and vampire targeted her specifically? Could it be that she held a special kind of magic? Or had she simply been more vulnerable?
Mercy rubbed her temples, trying to ease the tension building behind her eyes. She needed more information—more context. But the books were vague, filled with half-truths and legends, and she knew that finding concrete answers was going to be a challenge.
Still, she had made progress. She had a direction now, a thread to follow. The fae-shifter wasn’t just a victim—she could very well be the key to something much larger, something more dangerous than Mercy had initially realized. And if the witch and vampire were trying to harness the power of fae blood, then they were dealing with a threat far greater than she had anticipated.
As the sun began to set outside the library windows, Mercy gathered her notes and the most relevant books, tucking them into her bag. She had a feeling that the answers she was looking for wouldn’t be found in the library alone. She needed to talk toAdriana, to share what she had discovered and see if her friend could help piece together the rest of the puzzle.
But as she locked up the library and stepped out into the cool evening air, her thoughts inevitably drifted back to Hunter. He had been right about one thing—they were in this together, whether she liked it or not. And while she hated the idea of relying on him, of trusting a vampire, she couldn’t deny that their goals appeared to be aligned.
At least for now.
Mercy started to drive back to the abbey, thought better of it, and turned, instead, toward her cottage. The weight of the day’s discoveries was heavy on her shoulders. She needed to rest and try and get a better handle on what she was feeling. As much as she wanted to believe she could deal with all of this on her own, she knew she couldn’t. This was bigger than her, bigger than any one person. And if they had any hope of stopping the witch and vampire from succeeding in their plans, she would need all the help she could get.
