Chapter-39 The Summons

The summons had been simple... an unmarked envelope slid beneath her door, sealed with the emblem of the Night Court. The black wax bore the imprint of a crescent moon eclipsed by a thorned crown, its meaning clear. A mission.

Frederique hadn't slept the night after receiving it. She'd read and reread the note, memorizing the words as if they might shift or change.

' Report to the provided address at sunset. No delays will be tolerated.'

The address led her to a desolate industrial block on the edge of the city. The scent of rain on concrete lingered in the damp air, puddles reflecting the dim orange haze of streetlights. Cracked asphalt and rusted shipping containers framed the abandoned warehouse looming before her.

Her pulse thrummed faster as she approached the sleek black sedan idling out front. The figure leaning against the driver's side door caught her eye immediately. Pale skin, frost-colored hair that shimmered silver-blue in the dying light, and a posture that spoke of both elegance and sharp-edged danger.

' Eirlys.'

Frederique swallowed hard. This wasn't the playful, teasing presence of Lira or even the silent, looming bulk of Groff. Eirlys was colder. Controlled. Dangerous.

She didn't wave. Didn't smile. Just watched.

"You're late," Eirlys finally said, voice crisp as ice.

Her arms unfolded from her chest, heels clicking softly on the damp pavement as she approached.

"Get in the car. We'll debrief on the way."

Frederique nodded stiffly, slipping into the passenger seat. The leather felt too smooth beneath her hands, the scent of something faintly floral... lavender, perhaps... filling the enclosed space as Eirlys shut the door and slid behind the wheel.

The engine purred to life. Smooth. Almost soundless.

They drove in silence for the first few minutes. Frederique watched the city melt away through the window, rainwater streaking like tiny rivers across the glass. The buildings grew older, emptier, as they approached the city's forgotten edges.

She broke the silence first.

"Where are we going?"

Eirlys didn't glance away from the road.

"A condemned theater downtown. The target is a group of cultists... humans. They've been capturing Changelings, bleeding them dry, and drinking their blood in some idiotic belief it will grant them power."

Frederique stiffened, the words hitting her like a slap.

"Changelings? Like… us?"

"Not quite." Eirlys's voice remained steady, matter-of-fact. "Possessed. Newbloods. Fragile. They didn't stand a chance."

Frederique's stomach twisted. Fragile. She didn't feel fragile anymore, not since Frideria had become part of her. She felt dangerous. But the thought of people... humans... doing something so brutal turned her stomach.

"Why do they think drinking blood will give them power?" she asked.

Eirlys exhaled, a sigh more exasperated than emotional.

"Mortals have always clung to myths they barely understand. It used to work. In ancient times, when the Veil between worlds was thinner, blood was power. Now? They're just delusional. But their delusions have cost us lives."

The rain intensified, streaking harder against the windshield.

Frederique shifted in her seat.

"So… we're stopping them? That's it? Is there..."

Eirlys's gaze snapped toward her, blue eyes narrowed.

"You're not here to question why. You're here to follow orders. Consider this your trial run. I'll be supervising. You're expected to handle this yourself."

Frederique bit back her protest. Her fingers curled into fists against her thighs.

' Orders.'

She felt Frideria stir within her... no words, just a faint pulse of hunger at the back of her mind. Quiet, but present. Watching.

"And if… if they're just normal people? Not mages or supernaturals?"

"They crossed a line."

"But..."

Eirlys's hand gripped the wheel tighter, the knuckles pale.

"You hesitate now, Frederique. That's dangerous. You're not being sent to slaughter innocents. These are people who have killed Changelings... your people. And they will do so again if we allow it."

Frederique nodded, the words sinking in like lead.

Wasn't this what she wanted? To feel strong? To stop being prey?

But killing...

Eirlys continued, calmer now.

"They're hiding in the ruins of the old Eclipse Theater. Dilapidated, half-collapsed. Easy entry points. No complex magic at work, just fools with knives and stolen ritual books. Should be easy. We even know their schedule. A rare luxury."

Frederique blinked.

"You mean...?"

The Sidhe's lips curled into a humorless smile.

"Typically, we have to find our targets before we deal with them. Someone delivered this information to us directly. Consider yourself lucky."

Frederique stared ahead. Rain blurred the streetlights, turning the world into smears of gold and gray.

Easy.

So why did it feel so heavy?

They arrived ten minutes later.

The Eclipse Theater was everything Eirlys had described... worse, even. Half the roof had caved in, the exposed rafters jutting out like broken ribs. A faded marquee still clung stubbornly above the entrance, the letters long since worn away. Mold crept along the cracked concrete steps.

Eirlys killed the engine but didn't move immediately.

Instead, she turned toward Frederique, voice softer but no less commanding.

"This will test you, Frederique. The Court isn't sending you here because they're certain you can succeed. They're sending you to see if you can."

Frederique swallowed. "I..."

"You'll be alone inside. I won't interfere unless there is danger."

Frederique exhaled, heart hammering.

This was it.

"You have your Art. You have your strength. Use them."

She nodded slowly, pressing her hand to the door handle.

"Frederique."

She paused.

Eirlys's eyes narrowed slightly.

"No hesitation. If you fail to act, they will kill again. Do you understand?"

Frederique nodded.

And with that, she stepped out into the rain.

The doors groaned open, the scent of damp rot and old wood filling her lungs.

Frederique could hear them before she saw them... low murmurs echoing from deeper within the ruins, the crackle of a fire. She flexed her fingers, feeling Frideria stir more strongly now, pressing just beneath her skin.

No fear.

No hesitation.

Eirlys was watching. Judging.

Time to prove herself.

She took her first step deeper into the darkness.