He nods. “She donned human clothing for the first time ever and learned to nurse her son. This changed her. Not only was she forced to make good on the bargain, but she found she wanted to rid the isle of war, to make the land safe for her newborn son. As Queen of the Sea Court and Regent of the Autumn Court, her vote on the council was substantial. When she turned seelie during that final council meeting, the war was over. The seelie vote won and they were able to forge the treaty we follow today.”
“Considering the name of the fae council,” I say, “Faerwyvae must have eleven courts. Aside from Autumn and Sea, what others are there?”
“There are three other seasonal courts in addition to Autumn,” Cobalt says. “Spring, Summer, Winter. Then there are three elemental courts in addition to Sea; Wind, Fire, Earthen. The final three are celestial courts; Solar, Lunar, and Star. Sea, Winter, and Lunar have remained firmly unseelie the past few hundred years, with a couple others varying from time to time, based on the political climate. But no one has shifted sides as much as my brother.”
I let his words sink in, awed over all the new information. Growing up, I only ever heard about the human side of the war, not the fae side. We were taught how the fae presented us with a treaty and that both our kind and theirs worked to finalize the terms. There are still a few things I never understood, however. “Do you know why the Hundred Year Reaping exists?”
“It’s a demonstration of peace,” he says. “When the war ended, the fae agreed to show our goodwill by exiling the King of the Fire Court. He was the first fae to engage the humans in organized violence and was determined to eradicate them. We bound him in iron and shipped him off to what you humans call mainland Bretton. Being so far from the Fair Isle and the magic here is certain death. And since we banished one of our kings to die, humans were required to make a similar sacrifice, especially considering they spilled the first blood that sparked the unrest to begin with.”
More information I never knew. Was any of it true? Were the humans the ones to spill first blood? I always imagined it was the fae, creeping into human villages in the night, stealing children and slaughtering travelers. More proof this world is upside down from everything I knew. “So, my people chose human girls to be their sacrifice?”
He nods. “Likely to atone for that first blood they spilled. It’s said the Fire King took a human lover. Back then, human-fae pairings were forbidden. Humans were afraid any children born from such a union would become witches or demons. So when the Fire King’s lover admitted to being pregnant with the child of a fae, they executed her. In retribution, he burned her village to the ground. That’s what sparked the war. The Reaping is meant to repair that which was torn between the humans and fae, to maintain a balance of give and take between them. Two human girls are sent to a different court every hundred years, and at least one marriage alliance takes place. In exchange, the family is blessed with a gift from the court the girls are sent to.”
“Is that why the two girls are almost always related? So the fae only have to gift one family?”
He shrugs. “Perhaps. Although I’d like to think it’s so neither girl will be lonely.”
This last part almost makes me laugh. I can’t imagine the fae caring much about the emotions of their Chosen. I’m pondering everything else Cobalt said, eyes unfocused, when I remember the pear-like fruit in my hand. I’ve still yet to taste it. With a sprinkle of salt, I bite into it, finding the red spikes are soft and oddly flavorful after all, like ripe strawberries. But the flesh inside is even better, crisp, tart, and honey sweet. I take another bite and a wave of euphoric lightness floats to my head.
I only have a moment to realize something before my thoughts slip away into a chaotic jumble.
I never salted the second bite.
Chapter Fifteen
Istare at the fruit, panic rising inside me. It only lasts a moment, however, before I find myself laughing, giddy over…something. Everything?
“Oh no.” Cobalt sits upright, expression shifting between amusement and worry. “Did you take a bite of honey pyrus without salting it?”
The panic returns in a flash. “Yes. Is that bad?” My stomach churns, but not a moment later, my laughter is back. Cobalt is the one making me laugh. He’s so funny. His face is funny. Everything is…wow so pretty. “Honey pyrus,” I say slowly, my tongue feeling thick and heavy.
Cobalt’s face is spinning as he inches closer to me. He’s laughing now too, and it sounds like a thousand tiny bells. “Hey, I think it’s best you lie down for a bit.”
“Did you just say your words backwards?”
“Sure. Here, just lie back. The leaves will feel really nice. In fact, I’ll join you. Honey pyrus no longer makes me feel as euphoric as you feel right now, but it does make me sleepy.” He lays down next to me and pulls me down with him.
Or perhaps I fall down next to him. Either way, the ground is pulling me down and I’m sinking into an endless sea of vibrant red leaves. I could drown in it and I wouldn’t mind. The sky is a swirling vortex of color overhead, clouds passing in shapes that make me laugh louder than I think I’ve ever laughed before. The panic continues to swell now and then, but I chase it away each time.
No, I’m not chasing panic.
I’m chasing a butterfly.
A ladybug.
No, a sprite.
A sprite with glowing yellow wings is leading me to more honey pyrus, which I’m desperate for. It’s all I can think about. I just need more of that delicious fruit. Down the hill we go, and I’m laughing with every step, even when it leads me to tumble over roots and rocks. On and on we go, deeper into the woods. This is the most fun I think I’ve ever had. Why was I afraid earlier?
Afraid. Was I afraid? Should I be afraid?
The panic returns, and I come to a halt, looking wildly around me. I’m no longer on the leafy field next to Cobalt. I’m in the middle of a dense forest of oak and maple, and there’s no one else in sight. Wasn’t I chasing a sprite? I remember my craving for more honey pyrus, but it no longer has me in its grip. It’s fear I feel now. And a pounding headache.
My legs feel suddenly weak beneath me, and I wince, my muscles screaming from exertion. Did I run all the way down the hill from the cliff? How long have I been out here alone? And…where exactly ishere?
I look up at the canopy of orange leaves, finding daylight in the blue sky overhead. That’s something, at least. I turn in a circle, trying to see if the ground hints at the beginning of an incline, but the forest is too dense. In fact, I don’t remember going through a forest like this when Cobalt and I were on our way to the cliff. Our path from the palace took us through endless rows of slim white birches.
Panic rises further, sending my heart racing.Calm down,I tell myself.Panic won’t get you anywhere.I take a step and nearly twist my ankle on a rock. In doing so, I catch sight of my tattered hem. It’s torn in numerous places and pierced with twigs. I look at both arms, which are equally battered, tiny red scratches and blossoming bruises covering my flesh. What the blazing iron happened?
