Anticipation pulses through me as we sneak forward on silent feet until we reach the edge of what looks like a massive clearing.
My jaw drops at what I find.
The river continues right through the clearing, it’s sparkling water casting glittering light over the beautiful city. Though,cityis probably not the right word. Buildings rise up from the grass in no discernable pattern, interspersed with trees and other smaller creeks that branch off from the main river. And the buildings themselves are works of art. Tall and round, with a peaked dome at the top and several layers, they look kind of like beige versions of those fancy cakes that Trevor talked about during that final meal before the end of the Atonement Trials.
Trevor, who with his stone magic made it all the way to the final competition in the Atonement Trials, actually dreamed of opening up a bakery. Since I was a fish cutter, I knew nothing of cakes, but he had apparently been trading for information about all kinds of pastries. His eyes practically glittered when he told us about the different cakes he was going to bake and eat if he won the Atonement Trials. And these buildings kind of remind me of those.
Each layer of the buildings is decorated with stone carvings in swirling patterns and round stones that look like buttons. With the sunlight bathing the beige stones in a warm glow and the river casting glittering sparkles on the surface, and the rustling trees adding shade, it all looks incredibly beautiful and peaceful and refined.
It also looks very fragile.
For a clan that has shield magic, I was kind of expecting more of a fortress.
Tearing my gaze from the beautiful buildings, I insteadquickly sweep it over the people who are strolling across the grass.
Surprise flits through me when I realize that they are all wearing the exact same type of clothes, which are decidedly not dragon scale armor. These garments are soft and flowing. Like long swatches of fabric that have been swept around the person in different layers. The inner layer looks to be white, while the part that covers their legs in a skirt-like fashion is more beige in color. Then finally, they all wear a broad golden sash across their chests.
All of them also have the exact same hair style. Long hair that has been braided around their head like a crown and then ending in a bun at the top of their head. Small gold decorations are set into that swirling braid, and a golden tassel flutters down from the bun at the top.
For a few seconds, all I can do is stare at them.
Thisis the Gold Clan? The mythical clan with the powerful shield and ward magic that will determine the outcome of this war? I was expecting a tough warrior society. Not… this.
“So…” I begin, still staring in complete bafflement at the members of the Gold Clan who are strolling along the glittering creeks. “Not a warrior clan, then.”
“No,” both Isera and Orion agree. They sound as surprised as I am.
“How do you want to handle this?”
Neither of them says anything straight away. Instead, they both just frown out at the strange society we’ve found. I consider in silence as well.
Just walking in there won’t work. They have been living here isolated for millennia, so if three fae suddenly just stroll into the middle of their city, it’s going to create chaos. What we really need to do is to locate the clan leader and kidnap that person without anyone else in this clan noticing. The only question is of course how we’re supposed to find that person.
In all other dragon clans, you can tell by their dragon scale armor. Draven’s black armor is much more imposing than the rest of his clan’s. Diana is the only one among her people who has carvings of animals on her purple armor. Rin’s orange armor is elegantly decorated, while the others in her clan keep theirs plain. And so on.
But here, if everyone is wearing the exact same clothes, how are we supposed to figure out who the leader is?
“I think we should try to circle around,” I begin. “If we can?—”
A gasp and a crash split the air behind us.
We whirl around to find a dragon shifter in flowing beige and gold robes staring at us with wide eyes. His mouth is open, and there is a broken clay jug on the ground before his feet, as if he dropped it in shock.
“You’re… fae,” he blurts out.
Goddess fucking damn it.
“We—” I begin.
He opens his mouth to scream.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Orion launches himself at him. Right before the guy can get the first cry of alarm across his lips, Orion slams his hand around the dragon shifter’s throat. With expert precision, he squeezes his fingers around the man’s neck, cutting off his air and making him unable to scream.
And the dragon shifter does… nothing.
Stunned surprise hits me as I stare at that guy in beige and gold robes. He just stands there, gazing up at Orion with wide eyes. He doesn’t try to shove Orion back or break his grip or defend himself in any way. He hasn’t even raised his arms.
