I followed Vivi to a room across the hall, where she opened the door for me to step in. Following me inside, she pulled a dressing screen from the wall.
“I’ll be right over here once you’re done.”
Stepping behind the divider, I quickly changed out of my uniform and pulled on the clothes she gave me. There wasn’t a mirror for me to look into, but the deep purple looked beautiful, and the fabric was soft and light. The shirt was long, reaching to my calf muscles, and the sleeves stretched down to my wrists, thankfully hiding my markings from view. The front and back panels grew narrower toward the bottom, and gold trim swirled around the edges. Two high splits on both sides came up to my waist, showing off the pants that flowed down my legs beneath them. Like Ivara’s, the pants cuffed comfortably around my ankle.
Slipping into the purple silk shoes, I stepped around the changing divider to show Vivi. She hummed her approval as she grabbed a black threaded belt to tie around my waist. “There. You’re absolutely beautiful!”
Vivi grabbed my hand before I could ask her for a mirror, pulling me back into the other room where Samian stood between Kieran and Daelan, who had changed into a dark gray outfit, all of them looking incredibly uncomfortable. But when Samian and Kieran saw me enter, their eyes widened in awe, their mouths opened slightly. Daelan whistled, making the other males snap their heads toward him with scowls on their faces.
My cheeks burned red, and I looked down, fighting against the smile that rose. But Vivi ignored the males, pushing me to stand between them. I bit the inside of my cheek, focusing on Vivi when she clapped her hands together. “Alright, so here is the plan. Aster, Orin, Ezra, and Ivara will all stay here in the camp. Aster,” Vivi said, turning toward the now blushing female. Aster may try to hide it, but I could tell by the way she bit herlip that she was excited to see her mate. “Bryony is gathering herbs, so I’ll have Orin take you to her.” Aster took a deep breath, nodding as she stepped to the table beside Orin, waiting for Vivi to continue.
“The rest of us will go with Sybil to meet with Solaris. Kieran,” Vivi paused, pointing her finger at him, “no fights, and I mean. No. Fights. Whatsoever. Same with you, Samian. Last time didn’t go as well as we would have liked, and I don’t need to worry about you two starting a war with whatever god makes you angry today. Play nice.”
The males grumbled but silenced themselves when Vivi gave them a harsh look. I held back my laugh, though I desperately wanted to know more about their visit. I knew they had gone; however, no one told me they had almost gotten into a fight with the gods. Though as much as I hated it, I knew now wasn’t the time to ask.
Daelan snickered in the background, catching Vivi’s attention. “I don’t know why you are laughing, Daelan Astaroth. Stop telling your stories and behave. I thought Zarina was going to have your tongue last night. She may have been lenient, but she is not known for her patience or restraint. And that’s even toward the other gods, including the king and queen of the Seelie Court.”
“What about me?” I asked slowly, apprehension now holding me tight in its grip. If Samian and Kieran had issues in the Seelie Court, I wasn’t too sure if my going was the best idea.
Noticing the wariness in my eyes, Vivi came up to me, grabbing both of my hands. Giving them a reassuring squeeze, she gave me a sweet smile that instantly calmed my fears. “You have nothing to worry about. If you are respectful toward them, they will be respectful toward you, except for Xandros. The God of War is rude to anything that breathes. However, we will keep you away from him.”
Taking a step back, Vivi checked over everyone once more before nodding her head. I swallowed hard, wiping my clammy hands against my thighs.
“You’ll be okay,” Samian said softly through our bond. “It’s not as bad as Viv’s making it out to be.”
“Then why did she give both you and Kieran a warning?” I shot back, unconvinced.
“Kieran’s warning is because he is an idiot. He and Edris met long ago and have been playing dangerous pranks on each other ever since. They both swear the other started it, and so their foolery will continue until they either die or apologize—which will never happen.”
I sent a small laugh down the bond but quickly let it fade. “And you?” I asked, noticing that Samian’s words had trailed off.
“My issues with them go a little deeper than that, but we can talk about it tonight when we return. It’s too long a story to be told now.”
I looked up toward Samian, though he kept his gaze hidden from me. I could see the deep sadness in his features, in the way his lips dipped, and in how his face grew pale and reserved. Taking his hand in mine, I held it tightly while he rubbed his thumb against my skin.
“Are you ready, Sybil?” Vivi asked softly, breaking my attention from Samian and the melancholy he wore.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess,” I breathed, my heart thumping with a mix of nerves and excitement.
Vivi chuckled and came up to me, putting her hand on my shoulder. The world seemed to spin around us, making my stomach drop. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would help fight against the nausea that rose. When I felt the hard ground beneath my feet, I slowly opened them, gaping at the city in front of me.
Trees with leaves of every color grew along the mountain and throughout the city before me. The buildings, large and magnificent, were built within the valley of the mountain. Multiple waterfalls cascaded around the structures, spilling down from the cliffs before us. A long stone bridge connected the two lands, its length carved with intricate designs. When I looked behind me, darkened trees that reminded me of the shadowy forest near the palace stretched out as far as I could see, although I couldn’t see much. Not with the mist hanging so low to the ground.
A shiver shot through me when I felt eyes watching me closely, and I quickly turned back, stepping a little closer to Samian and Kieran. But the air here felt lighter, and my magic seemed to hum as if it demanded to be set free.
“Welcome to the Seelie Court,” Kieran grunted, rubbing his stomach queasily. His throat bobbed, and I remembered what Samian had whispered to me last night about Kieran getting easily sick from transferring. Biting back a laugh, I looked back at the city.
“It feels different here,” I murmured to no one in particular. My wide eyes were still taking in my surroundings.
“That’s because the magic here is wild. The court and the woods behind us were part of the Shadow Forest back at the palace, though the people here had learned to thrive without interference from the creatures that lived within it.” Vivi explained quickly. “However, we shouldn’t keep Solaris waiting for much longer.”
Vivi stepped onto the bridge first, Daelan following close behind her. Samian gave me a small nudge, nodding toward Vivi.
“You go first. Kieran and I will be right behind you, making sure you're safe.”
Nodding, I stepped onto the bridge, my legs feeling unsteady, but I kept walking, taking in everything around me. Mist hung above the bridge, gently wetting my face as I crossed. Once we were in the city, Vivi slowed down, allowing me to gawk at the stone buildings towering over us. Beautiful carvings of fae, elves, and gods were scattered throughout the city, each more grandiose than the last.
“These are ancient warriors and gods from the time before the realms were split. They were the ones that helped shape the world as we know it,” Vivi explained, smiling up at the splendor.
