“I know a great deal of things.”
“Not as much as you think, I’m sure.” Eyden’s eyes met hers as a small smile tugged at his lips.
“I know enough,” she said, keeping her face blank.
“Let’s hope you do.” He studied her for a moment, maybe waiting for a reply that wouldn’t come. “Okay then, let’s try to get some rest. We’ll have to get up early tomorrow to prepare and dress you up as fae.”
Lora shuddered at the thought. He didn’t know how close she was to being fae already.Fae.The word had always sounded dirty, shameful to her ears.
Suppressing the notion, she surveyed his flat again. “I don’t suppose you have a guest room hidden somewhere?”
“I have this sofa.” He gestured to the piece of furniture he was sitting on. “Is that not special enough for you?”
“I’d prefer a room with a lock.” There was no way she’d be able to sleep in the same room as him.
“The bathroom locks if you’d rather sleep in the tub.”
She actually considered the suggestion, but couldn’t stand the idea of him mocking her for it. “Such a charming offer. I’ll keep it in mind,” she said, putting on an obviously fake smile.
“Speaking of, I’ll take a quick shower. Feel free to make yourself at home. And by that I mean, don’t touchanything.” Eyden didn’t wait for a response as he got up and walked through the door next to the bedroom area.
Once he closed the door, Lora closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to sort through the spiral of her thoughts. She sat down on the sofa and opened her backpack, unpacking some essential items. As she took a sip of her water, her phone vibrated. Lora could already guess what awaited her. It had been long enough for Maja to have gone to her house and make good on her promise.
Sure enough, when Lora checked her phone, she had a new message in her family group chat. It read, “Be safe. We love you. Come back soon.” It was her father who had written the message. Simple words that meant the world to her.
She wrote back, “Love you too. Be back as soon as I can.”
Her brother replied, “I hope so.”
Lora couldn’t help but think his words had a double meaning. Did he solely hope she could come home soon? Or did he doubt she would come back as soon as she was able to?
She had decided to save her data when she received another message. This one wasn’t in their group conversation, but in a private chat from her mother. “Don’t tell anyone your secret. Stay yourself.”
If only her whole deal with Eyden didn’t rest on her secret. She hoped she’d be able to get away before he realised her deception. She didn’t know what he would do if he found out. Leave her for dead? Leave her stranded in Liraen?
She supposed they were the same thing. After the fae and humans had come to an agreement, humans had been saved from enslavement, protected by the magical border. Yet she knew some humans had remained in Liraen when the border spell had separated their worlds again. No one ever spoke of the remaining humans who still lived in Liraen, if any had survived this long. Rumours were all she had. But those were enough to make her wish she would never be in their place.
Lora was entangled in a web of lies and she needed to adapt to Liraen to succeed. To escape this place with a cure, she needed to play along.
The thought of what she’d have to risk frightened her. She could already feel herself slipping away. In the last 24 hours, she had found out her mother was dying, decided to risk her own life, and crossed over into enemy territory. That had to change a person, for better or for worse.
Chapter7
Amira
Amira opened her eyes to the sound of nearby bells ringing in her head. She didn’t know by which miracle she had managed to sleep. Her exhausted body was probably the cause, although she was used to not sleeping much in Amryne.
Amira looked around the room. Meeting her gaze in the mirror facing her bed, she could see why nobody took her seriously. Physically, she was beautiful, but she lacked the interior flame that powerful fae had. Everyone who looked straight into her eyes would understand that she had no powers—nothing to defend herself, nothing to bring to the world.
Of course Wryen was a high-level fae. He often bragged he was a level five with his fire power even though their father had said he was most likely a level four. Without being officially tested, Wryen could pretend all he wanted. Royals were almost always high-level fae, either level fours or fives, so no one would dare question him.
She was lucky that royals didn’t have to pass the Power Level Identification test. It had saved her the humiliation of being forced to acknowledge her lack of power in front of everyone. Instead, she only had to deal with whispers and rumours. Most people attributed her lack of power to her bastard origins.The bad seed is stronger than the good one,she would hear them gossip.
For the High King Contest, the selected fae would have to prove their power level in front of all the courts. If they appeared weak, they would not only lose the contest, but would also be humiliated in front of the most important fae in Liraen.
Karwyn’s power was well known amongst the courts. Amira had been told that with his air magic, there was no doubt he would follow in his father’s footsteps and officially become high king.
Putting her feet on the ground, Amira stretched a bit before leaving her bed. She walked around the room aimlessly. The cobalt blue wallpaper made her feel like she was inside a jewellery box, a beautiful cage fit for a princess. Two large windows overlooked the palace’s indoor garden. She glanced at the heavy foliage partly covering a large fountain before surveying her room.
