And it might be worse for her if she gets caught disobeying.I was smart enough to know we’d only created more problems but not smart enough to think of a single solution.
“We just went in another circle,” I exclaimed as we entered a dining area for the second time, music growing louder.
“So we did.”
In the next large room, I scoured every single face we passed but recognized none.
As we circled yet another human zombie mopping up a spill while the fae around him laughed, a question burst out of me. “How do you do this?”
“Do what?”
“Just... walk by them when they’re suffering?”
His voice came out quiet, bitter. “Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of practice.”
It could’ve been a great opportunity to mention the two hundred contracts. To say something like, “I didn’t know you were freeing them. I’m sorry I thought the worst of you.” Except, that sounded terrible, and he’d already moved on down the hallway anyway.
We reached what felt like a basement. Dimly lit with orange-toned lights, it had pillars separating the space into smaller rooms with much higher ceilings. The walls spotlighted art in decorative cubby holes, but it wasn’t all eye level. Some displays were by my knees, while the occasional pot or painting was also placed above us.
“Are there trolls down here somehow?” I asked Soren, pointing at a strange-colored liquid in a diamond-shaped glass dangling high above our heads. I automatically searched for a large tunnel that would let them in. The ceiling was certainly high enough.
He shook his head. “No. Cosmo isn’t friendly with the trolls.”
Well,thathadn’t answered my question at all, but now I wanted to know. “Whoisfriendly with the trolls?”
“Come to think of it, ‘friendly’ isn’t the best term for their relationship with anyone,” Soren replied thoughtfully. “Since they tend to eat anyone small and defenseless.” My expression made him quickly add, “That’s actually one of the upsides of your family being sent here to Cosmo. They should be safe from the trolls, at least—”
When he cut himself off, I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I did anyway. “At least? Are you saying there’s something else that could hurt them here?”
Though Soren tugged at his vest like he wished he hadn’t said anything, he sighed and nodded. “There are many things here that humans should fear. Fae too, though not to the same extent. But at least there are no trolls within these walls.”
I scowled at the way he tried to distract me. “Tell me.” Glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was nearby, I added, “I’m human too. I should know what to watch out for.”
We reached a doorway. On the other side, the hallway split left, right, and up another staircase that probably led back the way we’d come. Or not. Hard to say.
Glancing at each other, Soren and I both shrugged a little and went left.
“I suppose to start, the fae wine here is dangerous,” he began.
“You’ve told me that already.”
“No, you misunderstand,” Soren corrected me. “Fae wine is generally unsafe for humans with a variety of different results that could occur, but Cosmo brews the most potent batch in the Hollow Court. It doesn’t merely lower your inhibitions—it annihilates them. King Mordeus and Queen Daja actually bargain with him for a collection.”
“It’s extra dangerous. Got it.” Hopefully if my family was serving here somewhere, they wouldn’t be allowed to drink anything.
“Extra dangerous,” he muttered under his breath, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose like I drove him crazy. “You certainly have a way with words.” After we passed a group of fae, he continued, “You know about the toddy wobbles and the toadstools, but you should also steer clear of hobgoblins and, you know what, regular goblins too.”
As if I could tell the difference.“Sure.”
“Within a dwelling such as this, it’s highly unlikely you’ll encounter a boggart, or a banshee either—though if you do, I suppose it’s too late.”
“Obviously,” I agreed sarcastically. My tone went right over his head.
“Then there are phookas and redcaps—”
“Okay, you realize I have absolutely zero idea what any of these fae look like, right?”
Soren’s brows rose. “Ah, really? I suppose that makes sense. Well, phookas have the body of a horse. You can’t miss them. And you didn’t know Gwen is a redcap? The tattoos give them away.”
