“What’s so funny?” Diana said, her tone demanding like her mother’s.
The short guard composed himself and stepped forward. “Apologies. You each have your own rooms. But when Headmistress Wake brought you here to sleep off the effects of Faerie’s magic, you two refused to be separated from the other.” He smiled at us kindly. “It was sweet to see such a strong friendship. I have twin girls. I hope they might have friends like you two one day.”
I thanked the universe above that Diana and I were no longer mortal enemies and this was way less embarrassing than it could have been.
“Thanks. Where are the other champions?”
“We have taken them to the lounge to relax,” the guard said. “Once everyone is awake, you will meet Queen Tially.”
We would meet a queen?! My head swung toward Diana. She too looked stunned.
“Would you like to join the other champions now?” Another guard, this one with long, flowing, blond locks and pointed ears, stepped forward and gestured for us to follow.
“Please,” I said.
Blondie guided us through a pure white castle. Along the way a few works of art dotted the halls. A lot of them featured a snowy owl, which I figured must be the royal house’s emblem. Mostly, though, the castle was bare and pristine.
“If you don’t mind me asking, where are we? And why is it so white?”
The guard turned vibrant violet eyes on me, and I sucked in a breath. If I wasn’t happily with Alex, this guy would interest me.
“I apologize that no one has told you yet,” he said, his voice lyrical. “Often when people visit Faerie for the first time, we wait to fill them in. It can become a bit much for their mental faculties.” The guard motioned us to the window. “All that you see within the mountain range belongs to the Snowcap Court. You are in Winter’s Hall, the seat of House Frost.”
Wow. That was a lot of snow and ice and frost. I was getting cold just thinking about it. “And because it’s so snowy . . . the whole castle is white? Or close to it?” I gestured to his light silver uniform.
The guard beamed. “Almost everything. Some decor is colorful. Your rooms, for instance. And the royal family and those they invite to court often dress more colorfully. However, you’re correct in thinking that servants honor the Snowcap Court by donning its colors.”
I glanced out the window again. Just past the mountain range a verdant river valley spanned for miles, and then to the left, a swath of dark clouds. “What’s the green kingdom down the mountainside? And that expanse of black fog?”
The guard gulped, and discomfort flashed across his face. “The greenery past the mountain foothills belongs to the lovely Riverlands Court.”
“Oh! The Riverlands!”
The Torna sisters were close to their familial seat. I wondered if they knew that already.
“Yes. It is a beautiful place.” The guard turned to continue on his way, but Diana stopped him.
“What about the black expanse she mentioned?” She pointed to the fog.
The guard shuddered, and when he pivoted back to face us, his mouth was set in a wary line. “That, dear champions, is the Dark Court. Foul happenings have been occurring there for many years. We in the Snowcap Court rarely speak of the place.”
A pit in my stomach deepened, and feeling faint, I grabbed the edge of the window.
The Dark Court. We were next door to the demon’s allies.
After I assured the guard and Diana that everything was fine and I would not collapse at any moment, the guard showed us to the lounge.
Most of the other champions had already arrived and were enjoying little plates of snacks. Only Howley and Gregor remained in their rooms, sleeping off the fae magic.
I was starving, so I veered toward the snack table before saying hello to anyone. Diana followed, and we filled our plates with food, some familiar, most fae.
The massive golden apples that seemed to shimmer, and plump, red berries stood out most. I recalled Ms. Seeley showing us photos of the Faerie Fruit once. If a human ate the fruit, they would be trapped in Faerie until a fae set them free. Since I was a witch, that magic didn’t apply.
Thank the universe for that. It’s too cold here to be trapped forever.
“They’ll be so upset that I left our suite,” Dasha sighed as Diana and I joined a group composed of champions from every academy except Nightdwellers. “But Heath was up too, and we wanted to explore.” Her hand rubbed the shifter I’d secretly dubbed “the quiet one”.
“Shifters have the hardest time adjusting to Faerie,” Sana said as she offered both Diana and I something that looked and smelled like tea. “It will clear your mind. According to Queen Tially, our trial begins tomorrow, so they’re trying to hurry the acclimatization process along.”
