by Lucy Auburn
Studying me, Petyr walked over and took my hands between his, not only warming them but also bringing me a steady kind of comfort. “There are other things we can do to try to help you control your powers. You can train with another fae—I was actually going to suggest it to Leon.”
I scoffed. “The detective doesn’t like me very much.”
Petyr smiled. “He can be prickly, but Leon is a good teacher, when he chooses to be. And there are other ways you can learn to use your powers: meditation, a few hedgewitch brews that mimic the sexual energy you get from others, even a few fae who might be willing to let you feed off them.” At this last sentence, Petyr took a small half-step towards me and looked at me with something deep in his eyes. “After all, you don’t have to be engaged to be a succubus.”
I swallowed, unsure if I was misreading his intentions. “You would... let me feed off you?”
His mouth twitched up in a lopsided smile. “I would love to kiss you, if that’s what you meant.” There was a hunger in his voice that echoed the one in me. I longed to fill the dark place inside me by pressing myself against Petyr. But before I could close the space between us and meet his lips with mine, he dropped my hands and stepped back. “I’m an ambassador, though. I’ve sworn an oath to be impartial to the fae I serve.”
Twisting my hands together, I bit my lip and tried to tamp down my disappointment. “Right. So you can’t...”
“If I were to get involved with you, Selena, it would surely look like I was playing favorites anytime I helped you out,” he said, voice gentle and tinged with regret. “Fae politics are a tricky beast. There are alliances that only work because they are equal. Not that long ago, many of the fae families were at war—and the peace we live under is relatively new and fragile, at least as far as fae lifetimes are concerned. That’s why it’s best that we not get involved.”
Swallowing, I nodded quickly, feeling like a naive fool for even thinking the ambassador would kiss me. “Of course. I understand.”
“Good.” Reaching out, Petyr put his hand on my elbow and guided me towards the steps of the grand building that rose from the ground in front of us. “You’ll get a hang of all this fae stuff before you know it, Selena. I believe in you. And once you meet whomever the Elders set you up with, I’m sure that you’ll be very happy with their choice.”
Though I tried to hide it, the words he spoke only made me feel bitter. Because I didn’t want to be just another new fae Petyr guided into the world of magic and powers. I wanted to be the woman who made his voice go husky, who he kissed in reality and not just theory.
He was right, though. I didn’t understand how things worked yet. And for all I knew, kissing Petyr would start a war. So I folded the part of me that was attracted to him deep down inside, and told myself that an engagement of convenience was the best way to satisfy my new, alarming hunger.
The building, Petyr explained to me, was the seat of the capital of the Realm of Light. We were standing in the city Illyrium, also called the city of lights by the fae. “This building is named after the illustrious family who built it,” he said, his eyes meeting mine, “the Lightbloods.”
Looking around, I marveled at the beauty of the carved stone, which seemed to flow and curve with life. “So my family built it.”
“Part of your family,” he corrected me. “Though we don’t know yet which part. The Lightbloods moved to an uninhabited part of the realm not long after they built it. No one here in Illyrium has seen a Lightblood for centuries—though there are rumors of them, in the outer edges of the realm.”
“I guess that means you can’t tell me anything about my parents... and neither can anyone here.”
“Ah.” Stopping, Petyr turned to look at me, regret on his face. “I guess I shouldn’t have mentioned the Lightbloods at all. I thought maybe knowing a little bit about your history here would help you feel more... at home.”
“It is nice to know,” I said, thinking of the peculiar birthmark on the inside of my thigh, one that I’d only recently realized was shaped like a flame. “It’s just that it’s tough, being so close to the truth but somehow still so far away.”
“Well, not to worry.” Turning back around, Petyr gestured to the arching ceilings above us. “We’re in the Realm of Light now, about to meet the Elders. If anyone is able to give you any information about your parents, it’ll be them—not that I can guarantee anything,” he added. “But you never know. Stranger things have happened.”
As I walked along behind him, a thought occurred to me. “How did everyone know I was a succubus?”
“Not everyone,” Petyr corrected me. “But some fae, like dark hunters, can smell or sense fae phenotype. Sometimes it’s just a matter of deduction—like the fact that your irises turn almost white when you feed.”
“They do?” I blinked, startled.
“Maybe one day you should try it in the mirror.” Petyr added, “There’s also power of deduction. But if you’re asking how it was known to bind your powers when you were born, I’m honestly not sure. Your adoptive parents were among those who were assigned to take care of that task, and they were secretive about your powers and your whereabouts in order to protect you.”
Thinking of them, I marveled, “I never even suspected I might be different from the other kids. The whole time I was growing up I thought that I was normal.”
“That was their goal. From what I know, you were dropped off with a fae who was told what you were and saw how powerful your abilities were. That person brought you to a coven of witches and you were ultimately placed you with your adoptive parents—and then vanished. But if we’re ever able to find them, we may get a clue as to who your parents were.”
Thinking of the letters Maggie had showed me from my parents, I resolved to read them for myself. It was time I confront what the people who raised me had known about me—and kept from me about my heritage.
We turned a corner, and passed two fae in breezy white cotton clothes relaxing on a bench and feeding each other yellow berries. One of them had thin gossamer wings that pulled my attention. Remembering Maggie’s warning not to stare at the fae, I ripped my eyes away and walked quickly to catch up with Petyr.
“Whoever your parents are,” Petyr said, continuing our conversation, “I’m sure that they’d be proud of you for coming so far. And I’m sure that no matter what their reason was for giving you up, they did it to protect you. We;ll find them somehow, Selena—and they’ll be overjoyed to meet the woman you’ve become.”
I hoped that he was right, because the darkness inside me whispered something else. It insisted that my birth parents had given me up not to protect me—but to protect the world, and maybe even themselves, from me.
They must have been afraid of what I would become.
We came to a stop in front of two grand doors carved with flowing pictures of various fae engaged in combat. Raising his fist, Petyr knocked three times and gestured for me to stand next to him. In a low voice, he murmured, “Stand up straight, and only speak if they ask you to. Hopefully, this will all go well, and be over with before you know it.”
As he finished his sentence the grand doors swung open, smooth as butter on their hinges. They moved as if by magic—something I had only seen before with Petyr’s doors. I tried to fight my nervousness as we walked through the open doors, but the majesty of the hall that we walked into didn’t help. It was the most magnificent thing that I’d ever seen or imagined, a hall of splendor without compare, the ceiling arching above us so high that I felt dizzy when I looked up.
The first area we stepped into was a half circle about ten inches below the level of the main hall, inviting us to prepare ourselves before stepping forward. Beautiful tiles spread out beneath my feet, colored in bright washes of paint. Petyr took his shoes off and motioned for me to do so as well, and we took the shallow steps up from the entrance of the hall to the main chambers.
“Some of the greatest artists in fae history have paintings ha
nging here,” Petyr said, motioning towards the canvases hanging on the walls. “It’s considered a great honor to be among those showcased here.”
“They’re beautiful.” Nervously, I glanced around, eyes skittering across the empty raised dais at the other end of the hall. “Are we here early?”
“The Elders wait for no one,” Petyr said, voice apologetic. “But the time they’ve given us will let you prepare. See those screens over there?” He motioned towards two sets of opaque painted screens to our right, tall enough and wide enough for several people to stand behind them and not be seen. “There are attendants waiting behind them to prepare you to meet the Elders. They’ll fit you in your first proper fae dress.”
“Oh.” Glancing down at my T-shirt and shorts, I blushed. “I guess I should’ve dressed up.”
“Not to worry. No one comes here fully prepared for their first time. If we’d had more time I would’ve instructed and prepared you more properly—but your powers have come on more quickly than any of us imagined.” Petyr led me towards the painted screens, hanging back from them a bit. “The attendants are waiting behind them.”
I glanced over at him. “Thank you for all your help.”
“It’s my job,” he said plainly, which was the truth. “If one of the attendants pricks your hand with a knife, don’t be alarmed. They must check your blood before they let you meet the Elders, to make sure you’re fae—and that you’re powerful enough to be in the presence of ancients.”
I hesitated. “Am I powerful enough? Maggie just bound my powers the other day.”
Petyr gave me a bland politician’s smile. “Your powers are more than enough to meet the Elders, Selena. I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he bowed his head in a diplomatic gesture as he retreated, “I have other meetings to attend to.”
There had been something peculiar in his voice when he told me my powers were more than enough, but I couldn’t place it well enough to decide what it meant. In the end I supposed it didn’t matter—I had my hands more than full with the engagement I was about to face, and I hadn’t even decided yet if I was going to accept it.
Chapter Nineteen
There was a large porcelain tub behind the painted screens, filled with water so hot that steam came off of it. A wicker chair sat nearby. Three women in long gossamer gowns of pale silk stared at me with strange, wide eyes, hands clasped in front of them. They each had different skin tones, from dark to medium to light, but somehow I could tell just by looking at them that they were sisters. Maybe it was their identical pale golden hair, or the glimmering tattoos that swirled up their arms, but they seemed to be cut out of the same cloth.
“Hello,” I said nervously, feeling large, clumsy, and altogether the opposite of delicate standing in front of them. “I’m Selena.”
The one in the middle stepped forward and motioned towards my outfit. “Please, if you could,” she said in a bell-like voice. “We will help you bathe and prepare yourself.”
I stripped slowly, eyes cast down towards the tiles beneath my feet. I’d never bathed in front of someone like this before, so I couldn’t hide my nervousness. But the efficient, no-nonsense attitude of the women as they helped me undress somehow made me feel more comfortable. Soon enough they were helping me into the bath, one on either side of me clasping my hands and lowering me into the hot water.
Little flowers floated along the surface. The water itself somehow smelled like nothing I’d ever bathed in before. The scent was absolutely heavenly.
I closed my eyes and let tranquility take over. Nimble hands worked a sharply scented soap through my hair, massaging my scalp until I was completely relaxed. One of the fae women took my right hand out of the water and began to clean my fingernails and shave them down. She used an unfamiliar gel-like ointment to remove the chipping paint from my nails, then buffed them until they gleamed.
The fae woman at my head murmured, “Into the water,” and I obediently dipped down to wash the suds from my hair. I wondered idly how they knew English; I would have to ask Petyr. They spoke it with a strange but clear accent, implying that it wasn’t their native language.
When I came back up out of the water, the fae woman pulled my long hair over the edge of the tub and began working a viscous oil through it. Soon the smell of some strange and unfamiliar herbs were in the air. Finished with my right hand, the fae who’d removed my chipped polish moved to the other side and took my left hand.
I opened my eyes to see what the third fae woman was up to while her sisters fixed my hair and nails. She had a large basket full of cloth in her arms, which she deposited next to me. Pulling out each colorful silk in turn, she held them up in front of her and narrowed her eyes at me as if she was imagining what I would look like in each.
“Is that for a dress?” I asked her.
She smiled, nodding shyly. “I will sew one for you,” she said in a quiet voice. “This color, I think.” Holding a dark blue piece of silk up, she nodded in approval of the color. “It will be very beautiful.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you. What is your name?”
Glancing at her sisters, the fae said, “We are Yalla.”
“Talla,” said the one cleaning my nails.
“Xalla,” said the one now combing and braiding my hair.
“Well. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Once they were done with my nails and hair, they handed me a sponge to scrub myself off with. I did so, marveling at the flakes of skin that peeled away with ease in this strange, magical water. Somehow when I got out of the water my skin wasn’t even pink from the scrubbing.
Talla wrapped me in a large, soft towel that was made of some strange unfamiliar fiber. She rubbed me down with it until I felt dry as can be, but also somehow moisturized. Motioning for me to sit on the wicker chair, Xalla took my hair in her hands again—and this time she began to steam the water away with heat from her palms. I marveled at the feeling of it drying in mere moments, and she smiled when she saw my wonder. “It’s a skill of mine,” she murmured, showing me her still-glowing palms. “I used it to make the water hot, too.”
“Wow.” Carefully touching her palm, I noticed how the skin was still hotter than normal. “Do you all have the same ability?”
Talla and Yalla shook their heads. “We are one, but different,” they said in the same voice. “Sisters, in your language. Ashra in ours.”
Pulling out the dark blue silk she’d picked for me, Yalla showed me how swiftly she could sew a dress. Her hands moved quickly with the needle and thread. She had me stand as she wove it around me, slicing certain bits away and tightening others as she sewed me into it effortlessly. When it was done the thin blue silk hung around my frame in artful layers, seeming to cascade down to my legs. I marveled at it, and at the intricate braids in my hair, and the subtle way my clean new nails glittered from whatever lacquer had been worked into them.
Clasping their hands together, the fae women looked me up and down, murmuring to each other in a language I didn’t understand. It must’ve been whatever fae language they spoke here—I wondered if I would need to learn it. Finally, Xalla broke out from the rest and told me, “You need one last thing. Wait here.”
She disappeared to the other side of the painted screens and came back with a net of jewels. I gasped at their beauty, wishing for a mirror as she put them over the crown of my head.
“There,” Xalla murmured, standing back to admire her handiwork. “Beautiful.”
“I wish I could see it.”
At my words, Talla smiled and held up her hands in front of her, palm out. A reflective surface shimmered and grew from her fingertips, elongating into a standing mirror that was without imperfection.
“Wow.” I marveled at my hair and dress, gently twirling back and forth so that my skirts floated around me. Yalla’s handiwork was exquisite—and the way Xalla had braided my hair into thin delicate strands made the net of jewels look almost like a tiara.
“I look so beautiful.”
Yalla smiled at me. “Now, you are ready to meet the Elders and meet your intended.”
The reminder of the engagement brought butterflies to my stomach. “I’ll have time to decide, won’t I?”
Talla moved her hands, and the mirror disappeared. “The ancient ones will choose an intended for you so perfect that time will not matter. The match will be as if from a dream. Just one more thing.” Reaching out, she grasped my hand and made a silver knife out of light, holding it above my palm. “We need your blood.”
I inhaled sharply as she sliced a shallow cut across my palm. Xalla moved in then, a small wooden bowl in her hands. Her sister tilted my cut palm towards it and squeezed so that the blood fell in large, fat drops. I breathed through the pain as they filled the bowl halfway.
“There.” Talla smiled at me sympathetically and let go of my hand. “All better now.”
I stared down at my palm, which was already healed. “But how...?” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, I guess. I have to go meet the Elders now, don’t I?”
Xalla looked inside the bowl at my blood and nodded. “Yes.”
I didn’t know what she saw there, but apparently it was enough for me to meet the ancient fae.
She moved back to make a path out of the little corner for me, and her sisters joined her, their heads bowed in perfect harmony. I walked past them with my hands clasped in front of me, heading back out into the hall to face my fate. At least now I matched the beauty that surrounded me, instead of sticking out like a ragged thumb.
As I walked out on quiet feet, Petyr turned and saw me. He was quiet, so quiet that I worried I looked foolish in my new dress. Maybe fae clothes didn’t look right on me—I wasn’t as delicate as the other fae women I’d seen, at least the ones that weren’t Naomi.
When he opened his mouth, though, there was something like awe in Petyr’s voice. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you.” I blushed, licking my lips as I joined him in the center of the grand hall, before the empty dais. “Are there any chairs for us?”