“This will only be temporary.”
“Yes, but—” I stared at him, willing him to understand so I wouldn't have to say it.
“But you're worried that after the war, I'll want to live there?” He asked softly.
“Yes.”
“I own property in Wynvar; it's been my home for many years, and it isn't cold all the time. Winter is merely a season, Shane.”
“I know, but if I'm miserable throughout it—”
Taeven let out a sigh that sounded a bit annoyed. “Why must you always worry about things before they happen?”
“What?”
“You've never seen snow or Wynvar.” He waved a frustrated hand at me. “Yet, you've already decided that both will make you miserable. You've taken it even further to a future that could change at any moment. I don't know where I'll want to live when the war ends, beyond it being in Varalorre, but if I'm living with you and Wynvar does make you miserable, don't you think that I would move us to somewhere you'd be happy?”
I gaped at him. “I . . . you'd move for me?”
“I wasn't born in Wynvar; I'm not that attached to it. I moved there from one of the valleys—a farming village.”
“You were a farmer?” My jaw dropped even further.
Taeven nodded. “Leeks and Carrots. My father purchased the farm after he retired from the Falcon Army. I was raised in a warmer clime like you. But I grew to love the cold. Seeing the snow coat everything is magical. There's a beauty inallthat nature offers; you shouldn't snub it before giving it a chance.”
“In my defense, giving you a chance meant a complete life and body transformation,” I muttered.
“Yes, you were right to be cautious about that,” he conceded, but his tone was a tad patronizing.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine, I'll give your city a chance; you don't have to be an ass about it.”
Taeven laughed, then looked up. “Az is back with your hat. Now, will you put on the damn coat so we can finish this journey?”
“Yes, Falcon Lord,” I huffed.
He leaned down and kissed me. And it was hot enough to keep me warm all the way to Wynvar.
Chapter Twenty-Six
We flew over spiky forests of pine, spruce, and fir (though maybe they were Varalorre versions of those trees and had other names entirely), wide valleys of farmland, and snow-capped mountains. The Falcons didn't seem bothered by the chill, but I was glad for the hat and coat as soon as we started gaining altitude. Not only would I have lost precious body heat, but my ears would have gone numb. I know this because my entire face nearly did; I had to tuck it down, into my collar several times to prevent it from happening. I should have asked for a scarf too, and, more importantly, a pair of gloves. I had to cross my arms and press my hands into my armpits to keep them warm. By the time we reached Wynvar, I was not in the mood to appreciate the view. That being said, the city was spectacular.
Taeven was right about the snow. It lay over Wynvar like a coat of fresh paint, reflecting the city lights to nearly blinding proportions. Poking out of that layer of brilliant white were the spires of palaces the likes of which I'd never even dreamed of. And I do mean palaces plural. There wasn't merely one but many of them, spotting the sprawling city that sat tucked within sheer spikes of glittering rock like a falcon in her nest. A glowing falcon. Wynvar was a beacon in the night, shining across the dark valleys below. As a whole, it looked like something out of a children's story—a place untouched by any of the petty traumas that the rest of the world suffered. And at its center, the largest palace of all dominated, its spires sporting pennants that gave spots of color to the scene, like drops of blood in the snow.
“Welcome to Wynvar,” Taeven called down to me. “What do you think of it, Falcon Valorian?”
“It's beautiful, but I think I'd appreciate it better on the ground with a hot beverage in my hand.”
Taeven laughed and it came out as a high-pitched falcon shriek. He angled his body sharply and circled the massive plateau. From up there, the plain looked unnatural, as if it had been carved out of the center of a single mountain peak, creating numerous, thinner and sharper peaks to ring it like a deadly necklace. Below us, warmly dressed faeries strolled down the sidewalks and magnificent carriages rolled down the streets, pulled by horses that snorted steam into the frigid air. There were fewer Unsidhe there—from what I could tell from the sky—and I saw no Pixies at all. I suppose their wings wouldn't do so well in the cold.
Tae descended toward one of the palaces, its gleaming spires connected by arching bridges with gold railings. One of its many towers was not a spire, but instead had a flat top bordered by a stone railing. He headed for that one, though it seemed too small a space for us to land. It turned out that it was merely my perspective. As we drew closer, I saw that there was more than enough room for all of us. Tae set me on my feet there, then shifted to Sidhe. He got dressed a lot faster than he had at Frehan, but when I offered him his coat back, he waved me off.
“I'll be fine once we get inside,” he said as he went to a hatch in the floor.
Taeven lifted the wooden panel to reveal a set of stairs. Down we went, into a dark corridor. I had to go slowly, with a hand on the chilly wall to guide me, but no one else seemed to have a problem with the lack of light. We made it to a landing and suddenly, there was light. I frowned as I watched a panel finish sliding into the wall, revealing a tiny room that was the source of the light. Tae led me into that little room, and I glanced up to see fae lights—magical stones that glowed brighter than any fire—set into a glass case on the ceiling. The others crowded into the room with us, to the point where I couldn't lift my arms without touching someone, then they turned to face the doorway.
“What are we doing?” I asked Tae as I turned as well.
“This is an elevator,” he explained as he hit a numbered button on the wall. There were many buttons, set in descending order, and he hit the ones labeled 15 and 1. “It will transport us to the floors we select via these buttons.”
