Isahn’s gaze bounced along the bevy of white-washed structures gleaming in the sunlight. Cascading down the hillside in tiers, each layer of buildings cut a jagged line across the mountainside. The wash of white was broken only by blue rooftops and lush greenery dotting the balconies. At the summit, overlooking the town, the palace stood: its domes, towers, and turrets reaching toward the sky. The effect was gorgeous, a pile of pearls atop the cobalt cloth of the lake.
“Gods, what a beautiful place.”
“I know.” George sighed, and Isahn could hear sadness dragging down her voice. “I want to share it with the world.”
“But you have to free it first?” he whispered.
She nodded solemnly.
“I’ll— What thefuckwas that!?” Isahn startled, pointing at the open air.
“What did you see?” George chuckled, following his gaze.
“There!” An enormous golden bug zipped by, disappearing somewhere toward the back of the ship. Was it a bird? It was too fast, he couldn’t tell.
“That, my dear lord, is a faerie.” George beamed up at him.
“They’re fuckingtiny.”
“Mhm.”
They disembarked not long after, the scent of sunbaked fish wafting in the air, welcoming them back to land. Isahn stood on the wooden dock, fighting the urge to faint from smell and shock. The same golden-winged faerie who’d zipped past the boat returned, buzzing to a stop before the princess. He couldn’t have been more than one foot tall—a boy, really—with unruly black hair, and a mischievous gleam in his eye.
“P Georgie!” he greeted, hovering some five feet in the air.
Isahn’s tongue moved awkwardly in his mouth as he tried to determine how the tiny faerie managed to roll his “r” so quickly.
She laughed. “How many times have I told you not to call me that, Ean?”
Isahn fought to keep his mouth shut as he realized this was her assistant, the one whose life she’d saved. He’d been picturing the boy on two feet the entire time... not one foot tall and flying.
“Sorry, Princess.” Ean flapped his feathered wings a moment longer before settling on George’s stack of luggage. He had an odd sort of brogue, an accent Isahn had never heard before. Every R was slightly rolled, and his vowels seemed to have been tossed in a bowl and mixed up. “Who’s yer new friend? Will ye introduce me?”
A pair of wealthy-looking men wearing a tunic like Isahn’s, without pants—unlike Isahn—and sandals laced up to theirknees sauntered up the dock to board theactuariafor its return trip to the—other capital.
Princess George flicked her eyes almost imperceptibly at the two passing men. An apologetic look flitted across her face before she barked at her fae attendant, “Send our belongings to the palace, immediately. See that my father’s notified I’ve returned. Tell him I’m travel-weary and will visit in the morning.” With her voice lowered to a whisper, she added, “Meet in my apartment when you’re done.”
“Aye, Princess!” The boy matched the official tone of her commands. “Right away, Yer Royal Highness.”
Their luggage, all of it, disappeared, one box after the other vanishing in a softtinkle.
Isahn side-eyed George, and she tossed her head back and laughed.
Burke offered to carry him, if he was feeling woozy from all the excitement.
He waved off the teasing, but it wasn’t far from the truth.
Where Nowosmont was full of colorful homes and people wearing simple white and pastel clothing, Hepikoru was the opposite. The people and fae moved from place to place, bright spots of color in dyed fabrics, with vibrant wings—those who had them—all set against the placid, white stone buildings.
Gods, faeries. Fuckingfaeries. Tiny things with little wings and vanishing magic.
Swallowing hard, Isahn vowed not to let the vibrance fool him into complacency. Looking closer, he spied the consternation on the tiny faces of two fae speaking in hushed tones outside a bakery window. One pointed inside, and the other shook their blue-haired head. On the street, a man passed with two mages in tow, another man and a woman, both wearing short gold tunics, following like lost dogs. He tried to side-eye George, but her chin was held high and her gaze trained straight ahead.
“You doing all right?” Hildy shoved Isahn playfully on the arm as they walked through the steep and narrow streets of the town.
“You’re looking a little...” Burke widened his eyes into two dinner platters, mocking him.
Isahn chuckled. Again, the jokester wasn’t far from the truth. Hewasin a godsdamned daze.
