At the heart of the courtyard stands a statue so massive it commands attention. A woman in full armour, her blade raised to the heavens, face locked in a fierce, eternal cry. Behind her, majestic stone wings unfurl, vast and defiant. Flanking her, twocolossal wolves rear at her sides. Stone fur rippling as if caught mid-motion, fangs bared in silent, unwavering defiance.
My stomach flips.
Could it be… The Queen from Kai’s story?
The one who gave her life to save Elgar. I’m still caught in the daydream when Kai turns, leading us toward the stables. He dismounts with all the smooth confidence of someone who’s done this a thousand times. I, on the other hand, am trying to figure out how the hell I’m supposed to get off this horse without face-planting. My entire butt has gone numb. It’s like I’ve fused with the saddle.
And then, hands.Strongones, close around my hips and lift me down in one fluid motion. I land with a startled yelp, barely catching my balance as the world tilts.
“What the hell?” I quip offended.
“You’re welcome,” Kai tells me, his face close to mine.
Rolling my eyes, I walk past him, wincing as my legs acclimate to being back on solid ground, a sharp reminder that my sprained ankle is far from healed.
And a smack resounds in the barn, followed by a searing, fiery sting that spreads on the right cheek ofmyass.
Oh no, hefuckingdid not.
Quickly turning around, fuming with rage and all pain forgotten, I find myself chest to chest with Kai. His piercing blue eyes dance with mischief.
“Helps with the circulation, and it looks like you needed it.” He delivers his words with a wink, “Again, you’re welcome,” and he moves past me, as if nothing happened.
As Kai walks to exit the stall, my gaze catches sight of the water bucket tucked in the corner. Doing what I do best, I let my intrusive thoughts win. The bucket hits his head with a thud before the old, lukewarm, stale water spills all over him. At the sight, I can’t hold my giggle.
In an instant, Kai whirls around with astonishing speed and pins me to the wall. By the throat, leaving me breathless. Tension crackles as we stand mere inches apart, breathing the same air, water leaking down his temple.
"Careful who you piss off around here. This ain't your Mundane World anymore, and trust me, there’s wayworsethan humans lurking in the dark." A chill runs through me, leaving goosebumps on my skin. "Unless a monster is what you're hoping for, Princess?"
Kai’s words are laced with poison. For a fleeting moment, it awakens something deep in my belly. Urging me to let go of all control and just exist in this moment. But awareness comes back crashing, hooking my leg around Kai’s, I sharply pivot. Using his momentum against him. In a heartbeat, I’ve reversed our positions. My other arm gets control over his throat, this time.
Squeezing, I hiss in his face, "That attitude must be exhausting to carry around. You don’t scare me. Now get out of my way, I have better things to do than entertain your fragile ego.” A smirk slowly ghosts his lips before he rises to his full height. As Kai moves, my grip slips, coming to rest against his firm chest. In that charged moment, it’s clear who's in control. He leans in, closing the space between us.
“But you play the part so well, Princess,” his voice smooth with amusement, a lingering challenge beneath it, “veryentertaining”.
Before I can get a word out, someone clears their throat. Turning around, instinctively on guard, I find a tall, stunning woman standing in the stable entrance. She doesn’t need to say a thing to own the space; the way she holds herself says she’s used to being in control. Her hazel eyes scan the scene, framed by surprised arched brows. Feeling a sudden rush of shyness, I quickly put distance between my annoying travel partner and me.
"Oh, good," Kai interjects. "You can lead her to the council. I’m tired of babysitting," his tone drips with arrogance. All playfulness is replaced by hard lines and a frown, fitting back like puzzle pieces. With his dismissive words hanging in the air, he leaves me alone with the stranger.
"I assume you're Avilyna," she says, breaking the awkward silence. I nod, she continues. "Come with me; we’ve been expecting you," she gestured, “I’m Nalaka.”
“Nice to meet you.” That’s when I notice it, nestled among her braids, decorated with golden charms, the pointed ears that peek out just enough to give it away. Like that soldier, she’s also an elf; this is real.
Everything is real.
I inhale deeply, forcing myself to stay grounded.
Deep breath...deeeeepbreath.
"What the hell is going on?" I mutter, thoughts spinning in disbelief. Part of me should be thrilled. I mean, isn’t this every bookworm’s dream, to be thrown into a fantasy world? But the truth is a hell of a lot scarier than any book I’ve ever read.
"What's that?" Nalaka asks me, glancing sideways as she leads us past the statue.
"Huh?" I reply, momentarily confused.
"You said,'What the hell is going on,'" she clarifies calmly.
"Oh, um, yeah," I stumble over my words, amazed that she clearly heard me. "I mean, you probably already know this since you knew my name, but I'm human, so some of the things around here are, uh, well, really,reallystrange to me."
