“Hmm, or we should be,” he followed up.
Our carriage ground to a stop. The lead guard in charge, Nate, pulled his horse over to the window from where Ayden had been directing us and then looked at the open meadow.
There was a large weeping willow tree, as marked on the map, but no city where one should be.
One of the other guards cleared his throat. “Sir, I…sense something.”
Nate flicked his head to his guard. “What is it? Speak up, Hansen.”
The guard pulled his horse closer to us and projected his voice. “My magic is sensitive to shields and curses. I…sense something of that nature in the meadow,” he said.
That was all it took for every single soldier present to pull their blades. The steel tips erupted with flames, and half the Royal Guard dismounted their horses in tandem and crept toward the meadow.
“Whoa,” I said, looking at Ayden, who frowned.
“Which is it, Hansen? A shield or a curse?” Nate barked at his soldier.
He was looking from the map to the meadow and back at the guards fast approaching it. Suddenly, Ayden bolted into a standing position. “Stop!” he cried out, and the guards froze.
Ayden leaped from the carriage and hit the ground, and we all stumbled out after him. With large strides, he crossed the mossy forest floor and stood at the opening of the meadow.
“What is it, Prince Ayden?” Nate asked.
Ayden bent down and picked up a large rock. Reeling his arm back, he chucked the rock at the opening of the meadow, between two trees. It hit some type of a shield and burst into flames, pulverizing the rock into a pile of sand.
Oh fae.
“Retreat!” Nate yelled, and the guards huddled around Ayden in a tight formation, pushing him back to the carriage. Asthey did this, I watched in fascination as the air in the meadow opening shimmered and moved. One second, it was an empty meadow, and the next, it was like a mirage had fallen away and I was staring at a bustling city. A tall man in a cream robe stood in front of wrought-iron double gates.
“Ayden!” I hissed.
He turned and faced the man standing before the hidden city and balked. He moved to speak to the tall fae, but his guards stopped him.
Instead, Nate walked over and spoke with the man. I couldn’t hear what they said, but as Nate walked back over to us, he was staring at me.
“They will speak with Fallon and Fallon only. No one else is allowed inside the city,” he declared.
“No way!” Ayden roared, and Eden agreed.
I moved forward. “I’m going.”
Ayden reached out and grasped my gloved hand. When I turned back to look at him, fear swam in his gaze, and he whispered, “Fallon, we know nothing about the Ealdor Fae and their magic. They are secretive and reclusive. You could be marching to your death.”
I nodded. “If it will help get Ariyon back, then it’s worth it.”
He dropped my hand then, avoiding my gaze. I’d chosen his brother no matter the cost, and I hated that it still hurt him.
Yanric had been flying alongside us and staying out of the way, but now he landed on my shoulder.
‘Surely they will not deprive you of your protector?’he asked.
I reached up and rubbed his black-feathered neck.‘We can try.’
Hayes just gave me a head nod as I passed, and I took long strides over to where the tall fae patiently waited at the gates. Hehad long, brown hair tied into a thick braid that hung down his back. It was streaked through with silver.
As I approached, I noticed he looked older than I had originally thought. There were so many rumors about the Ealdor Fae, I lost count. Some claimed that they were immortal unless killed. Others said that they could regenerate and self-heal after an injury or that they didn’t need food. Some rumors were comical, like they didn’t poop, but I doubted that. The Ealdor Fae were a fantasy race of fae we talked about as kids, but now that I knew they were real, I wanted to learn whatever I could about them. Especially since I suspected and Clarke all but confirmed that Hipsie was one after she’d been arrested when the Royal Guards came for me.
“I’m Fallon Bane.” I bowed to him, unsure of his station but wanting to show the proper respect.
