Wings of Winter

It’s the night before The Gleaning begins and all the competitors are gathered in the royal banquet hall, drinking fairy mead and reveling in what could be their last night alive. When Rowan spots you, a human, stealing a dagger from Orion he’s alarmed… and begrudgingly impressed. He must satisfy his curiosity: what has brought you to the deadliest game in all of Aurora? He follows you out into the courtyard and the heated confrontation quickly turns into something else entirely.

When the clock strikes midnight, and The Gleaning begins, all hell breaks loose. You and Rowan, caught in the crosshairs, form an unlikely alliance between human huntress and fae prince. He needs to sleep before the first competition starts and you have a very creative idea on how you might both be able to settle down…

The first challenge of The Gleaning has finally arrived. Each competitor is tasked with finding a golden amulet in Dreadmourne Grove, but there’s not enough for everyone. Thus, what begins as a game quickly turns into a deadly battle. The alliance between you and Rowan is put to the test—can you trust one another with your lives? And when you have to share a shelter for the night, you're forced to grapple with your differences, secrets, and the growing attraction between you.

You and Rowan awake after sharing the same bed, but gone is the passion from the night before—you must now focus on the dangerous task at hand. You both still require an amulet to move forward into the next round of the competition. So together you journey into the bog, intent to find a creature that Rowan suspects will have what you need.

The first challenge of The Gleaning has come to a close, but danger still lurks around every corner. Upon return to the castle, Rowan receives an ominous warning from his father: end your alliance with the human or there will be consequences. But in the alluring blue light of The Opening Fire ceremony, he can’t seem to stay away from you.

The next challenge is mere days away and Rowan is summoned to see his father. He tells the fae prince that in the next game each competitor will battle a magical creature of the game-makers choosing. He offers to tell Rowan what creature he will battle if he promises to end any and all relations with the human, but Rowan does not accept: he’s tired of his father’s cruel games of control. He storms off indignant, but secretly he harbors a great fear that without magic you won’t be able to survive this next challenge. The stakes have never been higher and his feelings have never been deeper…