“We did not know how long healing sleep would last for a human, but do not worry, I have been taking very good care of you,” she informed me.
“You dressed me,” I said. It came out sounding like both a question and a statement.
“Mmhmm, yes,” she nodded. “And bathed you. You seemed to have been through quite the ordeal."
She bathed me? Oh. Great. Privacy is officially dead—even if I’m not.
"Oh my, where are my manners?” She gave me a small curtsy. “My name is Calpurnia, your handmaiden. And you,” she continued brightly, “I have been dying to tell you how pretty you are. Even the Dragon Master commented on your beauty.” She lifted her brows playfully.
Aurelius, the tall silver haired male who carried me to the healer, thought I was pretty? My own features felt so plain compared to theirs. All of them were ridiculously perfect.
“If you are feeling well enough, I am certain the Lord of Flame would love to dine with you tonight,” she said. “I am sure you have many questions.”
Lord of Flame. That title sounded like danger dressed up as royalty.
“Actually, I do,” I said. “What is, or rather, who are the
Fae? Some kind of supermodel elf species?”
“Oooh,” she hushed, though her smile remained. “Elf is kind of a slur, so I would not repeat that word,” she said. “Compared to humans, besides the obvious,” she said, flicking her pointed ear, “the Fae are slightly larger, known for their cunning intellect and their ability to wield magic.”
“Do you have magic?” I asked.
“Oh, pshh, no. Just the basics, I am afraid. Nothing more than moving small objects and things like that. But some Fae with royal or ancient heritage have immense power, like Lord Titus.”
She continued, “He wields the power of fire. Most high-born Fire Fae do, but not even close in comparison to our Lord of Flame. He could reduce an entire forest to ash with half a thought.”
Images of that eerie black steel throne suspended over the river of lava flashed through my mind. Titus, Lord of Flame, had to be the one who sat there.
“We are also immortal,” she added. “We age very slowly and can use magic to glamour any signs of aging. That is why we all look so young.”
“What about the healer?” I asked. She seemed older.
“Oh, Gleeda? Yes, well, she has been here the longest. But can I tell you a secret?”
Her voice dropped conspiratorially. “I think she uses a glamour to make herself appear older. Maybe she prefers it that way. Perhaps it makes her patients more comfortable.” She shrugged.
I decided not to ask what a glamour actually was. It felt a little too soon for scandalous secrets, and I made a mental note not to share anything I wanted kept private with her.
“You said Fire Fae. Are there other kinds?” I asked.
“Oh yes. There are us Fire Fae in the Kingdom of Flame. On the eastern border are the Water Fae of the Kingdom of Seas. To the west are the Earth Fae, the Kingdom of Terrain. And to the north are the Shadow Fae, the Kingdom of Night. But I would never go there. No one does. That is where dark magic and true monsters reside,” she explained.
It was the only time I had seen her smile flatten, just at the mention of the Kingdom of Night. I wondered if that was where I had been when I encountered the sea serpent, that nightmare made flesh. My curiosity sharpened. “The forest where they found me, what kingdom was that in?”
She shook her head, as if brushing off an unpleasant memory, then returned to her bubbly demeanor. “None. That is the Sacred Forest, right in the center of all the kingdoms. No one can claim it. It is a spiritual place where all kinds of Fae are welcome to retreat and reflect.” She clapped her hands once. “Now come, let us get you washed and dressed. It is nearly time for dinner.”
“Dinner?” I glanced out the window. I must have mistaken the setting sun for a rising one.
“You must be famished. Let us get you all presentable for Lord Titus. He is going to love you. Ooh, I cannot wait to do your hair,” she squeaked.
She led me to a ceiling high arched door within my chamber. When she opened it, a thin line of fire traced the room like glowing floor trim. Polished black marble veined with fiery orange and gold stretched before me. My eyes widened. The space was nearly as large as the bedroom itself. It felt like stepping into a living sunset, and above me hung more of those cruel firefly pendants.
At the center of the room, sunken into the heated marble floor, was the largest bathtub I had ever seen. It was carved from a single piece of volcanic stone, its rim polished to a smooth, dark sheen. With a clap of Calpurnia’s hands, the tub overflowed with thick, iridescent bubbles that piled high above the rim, catching the light with a soft, pearly sheen.
I sank into the water and felt the warmth seep into my skin, soothing my weary body.
The water itself carried a faint magical energy, a gentle thrum that buzzed pleasantly against my skin and tickled my nose. I felt like a queen. The amount of wealth the High Lord must possess to give a random mortal woman a room like this was staggering. I lay there, and for the first time since waking in this strange land, I felt truly relaxed.
