by Karen Lynch
His use of their nickname for me reminded me I was a hunter – a good one – and I’d faced much scarier things than this. I straightened my shoulders and smiled to let him know I was okay.
I turned to get my first good look at the courtyard I’d only seen flashes of. It appeared to be built into a rock wall with two open sides protected by a stone railing. On one of the inner walls was a pair of closed doors, and on the other was an arched doorway that led to a hallway.
I tilted my head back to look up at the blue sky and gasped softly at the rock wall above us. It was black like obsidian, and it reflected the sunlight as it went on for hundreds of feet.
I opened my mouth to ask about it, but I was cut off when a faerie in a pale blue tunic with silver trim approached us and bowed to Lukas. His long dark hair hung to his waist, and his green eyes flicked to my hand in Lukas’s before he addressed Lukas in Fae. The only word I could make out was Vaerik, Lukas’s real name. Lukas replied to him in Fae. The faerie bowed again and left.
Lukas met my questioning look. “My father asked for me to go see him immediately upon my arrival. I told him I will be there after I have seen you settled into your rooms.”
“It sounds important. You should go.” I hated for him to leave, but I understood why he had to. He wasn’t just Lukas here. He was the king’s son and the crown prince of Unseelie.
Conlan spoke up. “We’ll take care of her.”
Lukas looked undecided for a moment, and then he nodded. “I’ll see you for the evening meal, if not before.” He smiled, and his thumb stroked the back of my hand. Heat pooled in my belly at the tiny gesture.
“Okay,” I managed to say.
He walked to the arched doorway with Kaia padding after him. I watched them go before I turned back to the others.
“Vaerik has many duties and responsibilities when he is at court,” Faris said, reminding me that even his closest friends used his real name here. That would take some getting used to.
“I know.” I put on a cheerful face. “Guess that means you’re stuck giving me the grand tour.”
He bowed. “It would be my honor.”
We were interrupted by the arrival of another faerie dressed in a similar outfit to the first one. He spoke to Conlan and the others in Fae, and by their tones, it sounded like they were having a disagreement. Lukas had told me the language would come to me as my magic had, but it was frustrating not to be able to understand what people were saying around me.
Faolin spoke sharply, and the new faerie backed down with a small bow. He said something and hurried away without a glance in my direction. What a welcoming bunch.
“Is there a problem?” I asked them.
Faris smiled. “There was some confusion about your quarters, but it’s been sorted out.”
“Speaking of.” Conlan took my hand and laid it on his arm. “Let us show you to your quarters. We’ll save the big tour for later.”
The six of us left the courtyard through the same door Lukas had used and walked down the hallway. The floor and walls were as smooth as marble, but they appeared to have been carved from natural rock. From the ceiling hung glass orbs containing the same crystals I’d seen in Davian’s penthouse. I knew now that they were called laevik crystals. They gave off a softer light than the electric bulbs I was used to, but they lit the place well.
Halfway down the hallway, we reached a large open space with a wall of windows that made it look like an indoor terrace. It had high ceilings hung with delicate light fixtures, tapestries on the walls, and flowered plants and trees scattered around the room. Couches, chairs, and small tables were arranged to allow for private or group conversations, and the space had an elegant yet homey feel.
Conlan steered me toward a small alcove on our left that was guarded by two male faeries, who exchanged nods with my escort. The faeries were dressed in black and wore swords and daggers on their hips. Other than their brief acknowledgement of us, they stood at attention with serious, alert expressions that sent a little shiver through me.
We stepped into the alcove that could fit maybe four people, and I faltered when the floor moved beneath my feet. Looking down, I was shocked to find the floor was a large stone disk that appeared to float.
“You can think of it as our version of an elevator,” he said. “It has no buttons or doors, and you merely have to think of what level you want to go to.”
“You don’t have stairs?” I asked.
“We do, and we normally use them unless we need to go up or down many levels.”
The floor started to descend, and I looked at the others who stood outside the alcove. “You’re not coming?”
“We’ll meet you there,” Faris said as he disappeared from view.
We didn’t go far. The lift passed one level and stopped at the one below it. We got off and walked down another wide hallway past closed doors that Conlan said were personal quarters, slowing when we came to what looked like a large indoor courtyard. There were couches and small tables and at least ten faeries alone or in small groups talking. A male servant poured a beverage into several glasses at a side table, and I recognized the white-blond hair and pointed ears of an elf.
I looked at the assembled faeries. The males wore pants and tunics or shirts. The females wore pants and tops similar to what I was wearing or flowing dresses. They were all so elegant and refined, exactly how I’d imagined faeries at court, and I felt a bit like Eliza Doolittle in her new finery.
All conversation in the courtyard stopped as everyone watched me with open curiosity. I supposed I couldn’t blame them. New faeries were rare, and I wasn’t a child like the others. The first faeries to arrive in my world had been subjected to more intense scrutiny than this.
While most of the faces wore expressions of interest, one stared at me with undisguised dislike that bordered on hostility. I thought I recognized the blonde female from somewhere, and it took me a moment to remember where I’d seen her before. She had been with Lukas and Faolin the night I’d seen them across the street in Manhattan. She hadn’t been happy to see me then either. Whatever the reason for her animosity toward me, it was her problem, not mine. I met her gaze and held it until she looked away.
“There are many communal areas like this,” Conlan said as we continued past the courtyard. “As well as larger rooms on several levels for bigger gatherings.”
We walked down another hallway and passed a male faerie who tilted his head at Conlan. It wasn’t until after he’d gone by that I recognized him as the one who’d argued with Conlan and the others about my room.
Conlan stopped at a door. “Here we are.”
I looked at the door that had no distinct markings or numbers to distinguish it from any other door we’d passed. “How do you know? They all look the same.”
“To you they appear identical, but not to the trained eye.” He pointed to the door lintel where elegant script was etched into the stone. I’d mistaken it for design, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was Fae writing.
“What does it say?” I asked him.
“It’s your name in Fae. Place your hand against the door.”
I did as he ordered, expecting to feel magic, but there was nothing. The door simply clicked and swung inward an inch. “Nice.”
“The doors are warded for the occupants. The royal guard can enter any room at court, but we only do that when it’s absolutely necessary.” He pushed the door open. “Welcome to your new home, Jesse.”
I entered the room and stopped so abruptly that he nearly collided with me. There had to be some mistake because there was no way this was mine.
The large room was bright and airy with plush couches and thick rugs covering the stone floor. The walls were decorated with colorful tapestries depicting nature scenes, and there was a doorway on one end leading to what I assumed was the bedroom. At the other end of the room was a small dining area with a table and chairs that could seat six. There was no kitchen, which meant all food was
prepared elsewhere.
Directly across from me was a set of open doors showing a wide expanse of blue sky. I crossed the room and walked out onto the private balcony, eager for my first real look at Faerie.
Spread out before me was a wide, green, horseshoe-shaped valley dotted with fields and hills. On the right, the valley was bordered by a thick forest, and on the left was a row of shiny black cliffs that gave me an odd sense of déjà vu. A sparkling river wound through the valley to meet the distant cerulean ocean that stretched as far as the horizon.
“Wow,” I murmured at a loss for words. I leaned out over the stone railing to look down, and the height made me dizzy. Below was a wall of sheer black rock with balconies like mine built into it. There had to be at least thirty levels, maybe more, and that didn’t count those above me. How big was this place?
Far below in the valley, there was movement in some of the fields. Through some trees I could make out buildings and roads. A town?
I straightened and caught sight of a dark shape against the sky, miles away. It dipped and soared with the grace of an eagle, but it had to be huge to be visible from here. I squinted, trying to see it better, and caught a glint of sunlight against it. My hand flew to my mouth. It couldn’t be.
“It’s a drakkan,” Faris said from behind me.
I turned to find him, Iian, Kerr, and Conlan watching me in amusement. Faolin was nowhere to be seen.
“But it’s so big!” I spun back to the rail to watch the winged shape fly to a distant cliff where others perched. “Gus was no bigger than a cat.”
Faris came to stand beside me. “That is the normal size for drakkans. Gus was born in the human world, and the lack of Fae energy stunted his growth. He will grow to his full size here if he hasn’t already.”
I tried to imagine little Gus as big as one of these dragon-sized creatures and couldn’t. A conversation with Lukas came back to me from the night he’d seen Gus at the apartment. He’d been surprised Gus stayed there because they were fierce creatures that protected the borders of Unseelie. I’d laughed, but that was before I’d seen them here.
“Is all of this Unseelie?” I asked.
“Only a small part of it.” Faris pointed to our right. “You can only see a little of the forest from here, but it is bigger than the valley. Beyond this mountain, there are plains and more mountain ranges all within our borders.”
I looked down at the wall of rock. “The people of Unseelie live inside a mountain?”
Conlan sat on the wide rail, making my stomach lurch. “The court is in the mountain. People also live in towns and villages and family estates.”
This whole mountain was just the court? “How big is this place?”
“There are forty levels if you include the two below ground. Those are used by the servants and house the kitchens and cellars.” Conlan’s eyes gleamed. “And the cells for anyone foolish enough to commit a punishable offense.”
Despite his grin, a shiver went through me. I didn’t ask what kind of offense got you sent to a cell.
“The royal family lives on the top level,” Faris said. “We – the royal guard – live on the floor below them. After that, occupancy is based on lineage. The closer you are to the crown, the higher the level you live on, but you can freely go to any level, except for the top one.
I frowned. By lineage, he meant how blue your blood was, and mine wasn’t close to blue no matter that Lukas’s blood had been used in my conversion. “Shouldn’t I be on one of the lower levels?”
“You don’t think we’d let you live so far from us, do you?” Conlan teased. “Goddess knows what kind of havoc you’d wreak if we let you out of our sight for too long.”
Kerr snorted. “Because she’d get into no trouble with you?”
“New faeries live with a guardian,” Faris explained. “You are old enough for your own quarters, but we thought you’d want to be near us.”
“I do. Thanks.” The argument they’d had with the faerie upstairs made sense now. He must have put me on a lower level, and they’d forced him to change it.
A bell chimed inside, and Kerr went to admit a dark-haired female. Behind her came a male with his arms full of clothes. Both of them looked surprised to see Kerr and unsure of whether or not they should enter the room.
Kerr motioned for me to join them. “Jesse, this is Sereia. She is here to fit you for your new clothes.”
“Hi.” I smiled at the newcomers.
Instead of looking at me, their startled eyes went to something behind me. I was confused by their nervous expressions until Conlan and Faris appeared on either side of me. I guessed she hadn’t been expecting the crown prince’s personal guard to be here.
Sereia said something in Fae, and Faris shook his head. “Speak English only. Jesse does not yet know our language.”
She nodded and smiled demurely at me. “Welcome to Unseelie. I hope your stay here will be enjoyable.”
Her English was perfect but a little stilted, which I suspected was from lack of use. Still, it was good to know that others here could speak it. Faeries had the ability to pick up any human language after listening to it for a few minutes. I hoped the same would be true for me soon.
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”
Sereia glanced at the others before her gaze landed back on me. “I have brought you some garments to wear until yours are made.”
“I think this is our cue to leave.” Conlan turned to me. “We’ll come back when you’re done.”
“Okay.” I brushed off an absurd stab of panic. I was a big girl more than capable of taking care of myself. I couldn’t expect them to stay with me every minute I was here.
The moment the door closed behind them, Sereia’s timid expression vanished, and she assessed me with all the warmth of the Hudson in January. I fought back a laugh because she was about as threatening as the two Texas bounty hunters I’d had a run-in with a few months ago. If her plan was to intimidate the new girl, she had a lot to learn about New Yorkers.
“Where do we start?” I asked cheerfully.
Her delicate brow creased as she appeared to decide what to say next. “I will take your measurements and show you a selection of garments to see what fits you. We will leave some with you to wear until yours are made.”
“Sounds good.” Except for my prom dress, I’d never been fitted for clothes in my life. Violet would love this, and I wished she was here to share it with me.
Sereia turned to the blond male with her who still held the stack of clothing. “You may put those on the chair and leave us.”
He did as she instructed and left without a word. She looked at me as if she was waiting for something, and when I merely stared back, she sighed impatiently. “Undress.”
I cocked my eyebrows at her. I had no idea why she was copping an attitude, but I wasn’t going to take it.
“Please,” she added, looking like she’d tasted something sour.
“Of course.” I stripped down to my underwear, and she made short work of taking my measurements. I would have appreciated her efficiency if she hadn’t tsked over my frame, which wasn’t as tall and willowy as all other female faeries, or made a sound of disapproval when she saw the freckles on my shoulders.
When she was done, she went to the pile of clothes and chose a pair of pants and a top, which she held out to me with a satisfied little smile. I knew the reason for her smile when I saw the linen-colored pants and pastel lilac top. The pants were fine, but most pastels clashed horribly with my red hair and made my skin look washed out.
I accepted the pants and refused the top. “I’d like a different color.”
Sereia’s mouth turned down as she selected another top. This time it was a tangerine one that would have looked amazing on her. Me, not so much.
“Do you have something blue or green?” I peered around her at the pile of clothes, seeing nothing but more pastels.
“No,” she replied a little too gleefully.
&nbs
p; I walked over to the clothes and picked through them, ignoring her indignant huff. She hadn’t brought much of a color selection, and I was certain that had been on purpose. I found one white top that looked like it might fit me and slipped it over my head. It had clearly been made for a taller female, but it didn’t look bad.
The pants were a different matter. When I donned the pair she’d given me, I discovered they were a size too small, and they bunched up at my ankles. Every pair I tried was the same. I gave up after the sixth pair and pulled on the pants I’d worn here. They were the perfect length and size, which meant Lukas had ordered them specifically for me.
“I’ll have to wear these until more can be made,” I said, earning an appalled look from her.
“You cannot wear the same clothes two days in a row.”
I shrugged. “Better than my pants bursting open in public, don’t you think?”
Her lips thinned even more. “This is not your human world. It is unseemly to wear the same clothes for more than a day. It’s also custom for us to change our outfits for the evening hours.”
The bell chimed. Sereia moved before I could and went to answer the door. A male elf entered carrying a tray covered with a white cloth, which he set on a small table. When Sereia motioned for him to leave, he looked at me.
“Prince Vaerik requested a midday meal for you,” the elf said timidly in English that was more stilted than Sereia’s.
“Thank you.” Warmth filled my chest. Lukas might be too busy to be here in person, but he was thinking of me.
The male left, and I walked over to see what he’d brought. There was a thick soup with colorful vegetables, some bread and cheese, a bowl of mixed berries, and a small carafe of juice. The soup’s aroma hit me, and I was suddenly ravenous. After my portal debacle, lunch had been forgotten in the rush to prepare for the trip to Faerie.
A sound reminded me Sereia was still in the room. I looked over to where she was gathering up the clothes she’d brought. I went to help her, but she waved me off.
“I will return in two days with several outfits, and you can decide on the rest of your wardrobe then,” she said stiffly. “You will have to stay in your quarters until your new clothes arrive.”