“Faunus has given me a great gift for helping his creatures, I cherish it, truly.” Her smile shifted from pride to something softer. Something like peace. Serenity.
I was a bit jealous of that, honestly. I had never known peace, not a day in my life. I wondered what such a thing felt like.
Faunus was the Fae’s god of beasts. All animals fell under his purview. He and the Goddess of Nature, Florus, worked hand in hand. They were said to be brother and sister. Created to work together. If Lilith had been singled out by them to be gifted her powers, I could certainly understand why she took such pride, and found such peace in it. Fae took nature and the balance of it seriously, and after my conversation with Calix, I was finally beginning to understand why.
Though it did make me wonder. My own gods, the Old Gods, were said to have been shoved aside by the Fae’s gods. But if that was indeed the case, how were the Fae gods gifted control of things like the nature of this world?
“What does your animal form look like?” I couldn’t help but ask Lilith, shaking more serious thoughts from my head. She smiled, something slyer than I imagined the tranquil, nature-loving Fae could conjure, and then she—shifted.
I gasped as a willowy female body rapidly changed until there was now a gigantic wolf in her place. And I do meangiant—the thing was taller than I was. Its fangs dripped with saliva as it sat back on its haunches.
“Uh…wow.” Was all I could manage as I blinked at her.
She was beautiful, still. Forest green eyes looked back at me, surrounded by black fur shot through with blood red.
“My parents were both able to shift into wolves too. It runs strongly in my family.”
I shivered as her voice echoed in my head. I’d heard rumors the Fae could speak telepathically while in their animal forms, but I’d never known for sure. The feeling was decidedly strange. Not quite invasive, but sort of like someone walked into my house without knocking, even though I didn’t mind the visitor. Unexpected and a tad off putting at first.
“That’s amazing.” I marveled, looking over her wolf form with wide eyes. “I wish I could shift into something fun like you guys.”
What I wouldn’t give to be able to turn into a dragon and fly the skies, to stretch my wings and soar as far and as high as I wanted. To be able to breathe fire and flambé assholes like Cyrus without blinking. It would be indescribable. As much as I wished I could shift into a dragon, I would honestly take anything—humans were already so powerless compared to the Fae, and this was just another thing I didn’t have in comparison.
Lilith laughed softly at my complaint as she shifted back into her Fae form. Her large, muscular lupine form slimming and narrowing until a Fae woman stood before me once more.
“You’re perfect just the way you are.” Lilith countered, obviously a joke made in response to my whining, but they hit me harder than I think she intended. Years of being sneered at by other females had its impact. To think that before Emmie and Pris, I’d never had female friends, and now I had Lilith, Harpina, Ilta, and Delia, who were quick to invite me into their circle. It was a bit overwhelming, but I’d never been happier.
Turns out, having friends is great. Who knew?
But I did wonder if the only reason we were becoming friends now was pure circumstance. Would they have scorned me like Verin and the other girls of Sonmathion had we met in a different way? It wasn’t fair of me to think that when they were friends with other humans already. Still—
“I mean it, you know.” Lilith insisted. “We wouldn’t want you any other way.” She must have read something of what I was thinking on my face. I sniffed, throwing my arms around her, and she hugged me back while I mumbled my thanks into her wavy hair. “I’m glad you’re here, Asteria. Truly. And I have a feeling that things are bound to get more interesting now that you are.”
Chapter 27
“
G
etout!” A glass shattered on the wall beside me, and I jumped as another glass hit the other side.
“Emmie—” I attempted, but couldn’t even get another word out before I had to duck a shoe.Fuck.
“Get! Out!” Emmie screamed again, and I quickly fled through the door, pressing my back against it as I closed my eyes.
Eris must have heard the commotion, her room being right next door. She came and sat down beside me.
“It’s not your fault.” Eris sighed heavily, leaning her head back against the wall. “She’s lost, Asteria. I’m trying to help, but she doesn’t want to see me either. She actually accused me of being jealous of her place with the king and taking her away because of it.” The incredulity in her tone is fierce, and my heart drops at the knowledge of how far gone she really is.
“Fuck.” I mumbled, burying my face in my hands.
“Yeah. Fuck.” Eris chuckled wryly. The two of us sat there until Emmie finished screaming herself hoarse. While we may never be best friends, we were at least united in our desire to help Emmie.
“I’ll have to think of something. Some way to get through to her.” I said mostly to myself as I thought about it. Eris sighed as she stood, heading back to her room.
“Let me know if you do.” She offered, looking resigned, and I hated it. There had to be something we could do. At least the other humans who’d left Dusk, Raziel in particular, were recovering well. Priscilla and I had gone to see them before I left to visit Emmie, and everyone seemed in high spirits, grateful to be out and finally free. Emmie was the only one clinging to her chains—what made it even more heartbreaking was she didn’t recognize theywerechains.
I made my way back to my room and showered before heading to dinner. It was being held in the casual dining room tonight, and Delia showed up to help me get ready and show me the way. We chatted about my trip through the menagerie, laughing about the different animals living there. When we reached the dining room, Delia had an excited smile on her face, and I cocked my head, wondering why she was so excited to go to dinner, but she just pushed me through the doors.
