Luckily, due to our proximity to the wall, we cross no fellow travelers, save for several rabbits, a doe, and countless squirrels. Whether these creatures are regular animals or fae in their unseelie forms, I do not know. In Faerwyvae, is there even such a thing as aregular animal?
The sun is just beginning to rise, illuminating the early morning, when our scenery finally changes. At first, it’s a shift in the light. The blush of the sunrise dims, throwing our surroundings under a hazy filter. It reminds me of the sky before a lightning storm or the eerie quality of light that falls over everything during a solar eclipse.
Lorelei lets out a sigh of relief. “We made it to Lunar.”
The feeble hope that we can now rest sparks within me, but it’s quickly dashed to bits when Lorelei quickens her pace and shifts direction. With a deep breath, I try to connect to my inner fire and follow her.
We move away from the wall and deeper into the Lunar forest. Even the trees look different here, with tall, slim trunks that disappear high overhead where dark branches in shades of deep indigo and violet mingle with the more familiar browns and greens. Clusters of elegant brambles blanket the forest floor while dark vines of ivy snake up the trees.
There’s no obvious season, just a moderately cool temperature and the smell of night-blooming jasmine. As the sun rises higher, the forest grows somewhat brighter, but the eerie quality of light doesn’t diminish.
We continue on, going deeper and deeper into the forest. It’s quiet, as if most of the creatures here are asleep. In fact, I spot several animals in the midst of slumber. Tiny bats cling to branches, dozing upside-down, wings wrapped around their bodies like blankets. A feline purr rumbles behind a patch of flowers with glowing, bell-like blooms, revealing nothing but two black, pointed ears. Owls doze in the beams overhead, occasionally opening an eye to study us. Surprisingly, a few fully awaken when we pass, launching from their branches to take flight.
“Messengers,” Lorelei says under her breath. “Nyxia will know we’re here.”
I suppress a shudder. “Are we nearing the Lunar palace?”
She nods, the movement revealing the tenseness in her posture. Her eyes are narrowed as she stares into the distance, attention fixated on the path ahead. “We’ve crossed the axis and have been transported about an hour’s walk from the palace.”
My pulse begins to race. While our arrival will mean relief from walking, I feel only trepidation about everything else regarding the visit. Meeting the Lunar Queen, in particular. My only experience with Queen Nyxia was her involvement with Aspen’s challenge for his throne when she acted as mediator between Aspen and Cobalt. Even though she ultimately decided in Aspen’s favor, before that, she’d supported Cobalt’s claim. I’m not sure what to make of her. I swallow hard, preparing to keep my voice level. “Is there anything I should know about Queen Nyxia before we arrive?”
Lorelei seems uncertain of what to say. “She’s very powerful.” Her tone doesn’t reveal whether that’s a good or bad thing.
“Powerful in what way?”
“She’s quite...dominating in both her seelie and unseelie forms.”
I remember how she shifted into a towering shadow with red eyes and terrifying fangs when the fighting began after Cobalt lost. “What exactly is she in her unseelie form? I mean, I’ve surmised she’s a vampire, but what does she become when she’s a shadow?”
“In her unseelie form, she takes the shape of fear and can delve into others’ minds, finding their darkest thoughts and bringing them to the surface. That’s how she feeds. While she can terrify a victim any time of day, she specializes in feeding off nightmares.”
I want to know if she feeds off more than fear—blood, specifically—but I can’t bring myself to ask. What little I’ve heard about vampires always includes some tale of bloodlust and the sinking of fangs into an unwilling victim’s flesh. I rub my neck reflexively.
Lorelei grimaces. “I’ll warn you now that you might have odd dreams while we’re there.”
“That’s comforting.”
She halts, posture rigid as she holds an arm out for me to stop as well. “Someone’s here,” she whispers.
With my thoughts swarming with blood and vampires, I can’t suppress the shiver that crawls up my spine. A sound rustles in the brambles up ahead before a dark shape launches into the trees. I let out a heavy sigh. “A raven.”
Lorelei doesn’t seem nearly as relieved. She turns her gaze to the branches overhead, lips pulling into a frown.
“Well, Lorelei, don’t you look like the wrong end of a centaur.” A low, drawling male voice trickles down from somewhere above us, but I can’t locate its source. Is the raven talking? “And what is with that dress? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in pink. I do like how you’ve decorated it, though.”
My eyes move to the blood staining Lorelei’s torso, then to the layer of grime coating my corset and makeshift skirt.
Lorelei crosses her arms and bumps her hips to the side. “Did Nyxia send her dog?”
I hear a gasp. “Now that’s plain rude.”
“Rude? You just called me the wrong end of a centaur.”
“But I don’t even like dogs.”
“And I like centaurs?”
A dark shape falls to the ground. As it lands, shadows unfurl, revealing a male figure. His frame is lean and tall, skin pale, eyes the most shocking shade of silver-blue above chiseled cheekbones flushed the palest rose. His hair is a silver blond that falls in silken wisps past his pointed ears. He wears a black silk waistcoat and trousers, both patterned with silver threaded designs, but he wears no jacket. His white shirt is unbuttoned at the neck, free of cravat or tie. There’s something frighteningly seductive about his state of dress.
