Page 20 of Dark Night of the Soul

The Quiet Watch was awake. The first blood had already been spilled.

And she smiled at me like the world was still whole.

Chapter 8 | Anna

The man brought me coffee.

Something was wrong.

Not only that, but he knew how I liked my coffee? I’d never told him. But then, not much got by him. He paid attention. We’d shared enough breakfasts for him to see I dumped loads of creamer into my cup to make it brown, not black.

Also, he was dressed. Armed. Knife at waist. One in his boot. Preparing for war but pretending everything was situation normal. Sitting here with me on the side of the bed like we were some old married couple trying not to fight about our fight from yesterday.

No, it wasn’t a fight. It was a silent standoff.

So, I sipped my coffee and pretended to keep the pretense that everything was fine.

“Grace said breakfast soon,” he said.

“Okay.”

Then he kissed my forehead and was out the door, closing it behind him. Leaving me with the feeling that he was hiding something. Some crucial bit of information he intercepted without me.

I couldn’t decide if I was angry about that or if I was afraid of what I’d find if I pushed.

Especially after last night. How could I be angry when he—

Nope. Not going there. Can’t relive that right now.

I downed the rest of the coffee and placed the mug on the nightstand, then started gathering up discarded clothes from the floor. Shower. Dress, then business.

Perhaps a visit to the Fae king was in order. Call in those reinforcements before it was too late. I’d resisted this idea yesterday but now… I wasn’t so sure I should resist anymore. I could have a nice morning chat with Killian, see how things were going in the Fae forest.

And continue to lie to myself that everything was perfectly okay.

But after I dressed and was ready to walk across the estate, my stomach growled. Coffee was not enough to sustain me.

Food first. That would make Grace happy.

In the dining room, she was there with Natasha and Ophelia. No Kincade. Figured.

Natasha seemed clear-headed today. She chatted with Grace like they were old friends. Ophelia kept giving me guarded looks from across the table which meant she knew something she wanted to tell me but couldn’t in front of the other two.

I’d corner her later.

After clearing my plate, I headed outside into the fresh morning air. Sun glinted on the dew as I plodded across the estate heading for the woodlands.

But as I crossed the lawn, the air shifted. I halted, peered down the gravel drive toward the road that was blocked out by hedgerows. Something felt… off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

My fingers twitched, trying to reach for the lightning power I’d burned out months ago. It was no longer within reach. Neither was the Godlight. And my jade-handled dagger resided on top of my dresser, unused in months.

I was standing here defenseless. I may as well have a target painted on my chest.

I glanced back at the manor, but everything was as it should be. No looming threat.

So why did it feel like there was one?

I shook it off and continued across the grass for the woodlands. As soon as I crossed into the shadows, the world shifted again. I was in the Fae’s world now. And it was waking up.