eight
Silasshoweduptocollect me for the full moon event as evening descended over the island. He blinked when he saw me, then did a double take.
“I know,” I apologized. “It’s not exactly a party gown, but I wasn’t sure what to wear to a gnome full moon ceremony. Milliepromisedme it wasn’t formal. She told me I’d probably want an elastic waistband. Plus, if we’re going hunting later—”
“It’s perfect. You look incredible.” Silas tipped my chin up, gave me a kiss. He circled his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “Did you say hunting?”
After Millie’s lesson in the kitchen, it only seemed fair for me to spend time in a Hunter’s mind too. I’d decided I’d do it, and I could always back out if I got uncomfortable. I trusted Silas not to push me further than I wanted to go.
So I’d chosen a practical outfit for the night—black leggings and a tight black tank top. I’d added a black cardigan to dress it up a little, but I’d stuck with sensible shoes. Millie had reiterated a zillion times that half the gnomes showed up in their pajamas, and at least a handful of them lost most of their clothes bymidnight. She assured me I looked just fine. Silas didn’t seem to mind, which helped ease my mind.
“How are you feeling?” Silas asked as he took my hand and tugged me toward the path. “About hunting?”
“Nervous. But I think it’s important.”
“Just remember, at any time if it doesn’t feel right to you, we’ll stop.”
I squeezed his hand back as we made quick time toward the Grove of Gnomes, which was located just at the edge of The Forest.
“What’s in the bag?” Silas nodded toward the small rucksack I’d slung over my shoulders.
“A book,” I said after some hesitation. “Gus gave me a few old texts that have to do with Fae history, like I mentioned earlier. One of the books had something about a full moon in it. I can’t really read what it says yet, but I think it’s relevant to the history of the full moon stuff. I brought it along just in case.”
“I see.”
“Do you read whatever language the ancient Fae used? Would you be able to understand these texts?”
“No.”
“Do you know anyone who might have some sort of cypher that I could use to translate it? I think I found a spell, but I can’t say for sure. Gus didn’t think it looked like any spell he’d ever seen.”
“I’d trust your intuition. Gus might be one of the most knowledgeable men on this island, but nobody, Alessia, is going to be able to give you as much advice as you want about the Fae. It’s very likely that Gus—and pretty much everyone else on this planet—have never seen Fae spells before. If you think it’s worth checking out, it’s worth checking out. But no, I don’t know anyone who could help you translate it.”
As the stars sprinkled the sky above us, I wondered how I’d subsisted in so many loveless, lifeless relationships for so long in New York. Especially with Simon, but also with my parents. I’d never felt like my thoughts mattered. On the contrary, my parents had tried to squash all original thoughts from my head. Then they’d passed me off to Simon for him to do the same.
Here I was, just a few weeks in with Silas, and he believed in me more than I believed in myself. It was invigorating.
We heard the gnomes before we saw them. A live string quartet played music unlike anything that had ever entered my ears before.
“It’s gnomish.” Silas winced as the sounds grew louder. “It’s… grating.”
“How long does this part last?”
“Only until they get too drunk to hold their instruments.” Silas shrugged. “I give them about half an hour before they get some more tolerable music.”
“There she is!” Chuck scurried over to me, beaming. “The Queen!”
“I’m just here as a friend,” I said. “And to support the other gnomes. Nothing royal about me tonight.”
“Did you hear that?” Chuck’s red nose turned even redder, a tomato in the heat of the summer, looking around to make sure the other gnomes could hear him. “The Queen called me her friend.”
“Run with it,” Silas muttered into my hair. “You have plenty of people fighting you on the title. Accept the help where you can get it. Speaking of, Millie slipped me this.”
I suspected Silas to pull out a slice of bread or a parcel of food to share with the gnomes. Instead, he reached into the small sack he had slung over his shoulder and removed the small circlet that had been sitting by my bedside. Silas placed it on my head.
It took me a beat to notice the silence around us, the fact that even the odd music had come to a grinding halt. Eyes were turned on me. The ring where the circlet rested on my head felt warm.
I gave Silas a questioning look, but even he seemed speechless. When I looked into his eyes, however, I could see the reflection of the crown. The cerulean-blue crystals embedded in it were shimmering. Not fizzing with magic, but just glimmering gently as the moonlight touched them, like the very crown was soaking up the silver rays.
