Wearing the colors I most often saw Byn, Teagan, and Margo wearing, I headed for the bedroomentranceagain. Throwing the door open, I almost caused Byn to fall over with the movement as I looked at Rayven and said, “Let’s go.”
Byn’s lips parted slightly in surprise, though I could feel the respect and gratitude he was feeling at my offer. Each member of theValwainwas vowedto me, yes, but I was also vowed to each of them.
And I wanted to help in any way I could.
“You don’t know what you’re walking into, Aviva,” Rayven warned, butdidn’tobject. Hewassimply giving me one more chance to turn back around and return to bed—if Isopleased.
In response, I stepped out into the corridor and up to Rayven’s side.
“TheRividianrulers are not going to be pleased if we’re notboth hereto give our well wishes before we depart,” Byn said, though we both knewI’dalready made up my mind.
“Good thing they already signed the contract. Theywon’tback out now,” I reassured him, then stood up on my toes again as I planted a kiss on his cheek. In the blink of an eye, though, he cupped my jaw and tilted my face to align withhisas he kissed me passionately—and quickly.
I forced down a gasp when he released me seconds after our lips met and had to force myself into turning away from him to face Rayven instead. Every fiber that made up my form could feel the distance growing between us as I began walking out of CastleAvyerwithRayven.
I may not have been thefaeRayvenhad been expecting to join him, butby the way hisshoulders were a fraction more relaxed, I could tell he was grateful for my presence.
Once we passed through one door that led outside, Rayven reached out a hand toward me.“Wedon’thave time to walk, run, or shadow wield.I’llhasten us there—ifyou’restill up for coming.”
I frowned at the uncertainty on his face, but gripping his gloved hand in mine, I quirked up one side of my mouth. “Let’s get this bird in the sky.”
Rayven nodded once, and then we were nothing and everything all at the same time.
Like it happened when we traveled to CastleAvyer, we moved faster than I ever had in all my years. The night surrounding us made usnearly undetectablewith all the shadows about, and I was sure Rayven was grateful for it.He wasn’t attempting to hop from shadow to shadowin an effort tobe sneaky—hewassimplyrelying on how fast we were going to be enough to keep us hidden.
That time, Ididn’tbother with trying to take in any details as we hastened. I trusted Rayven knew where we were going, and how to get back to where we needed to be. I just held tight to him and let myself enjoy the feeling of moving faster than evenflightitself.
Time felt like it had paused as we traveled through the darkness, but I knew some moments hadpassedand we were drawing nearer when Rayven began to slow down.
Since slowing, I could take in more of our surroundings.
And what I saw took me by surprise.
Itwasn’tthat Ihadn’tseen the dirty, poor sections of a kingdom or city before. It was just that the rest of the Isle was so beautiful, so charming, that Ihadn’timagined a place that looked like where we were then.
Structureslinedboth sides of the uneven dirt pathwe’dended up on. They were little more thanshacks, ifIwas beinghonest. I imagined most of them only had one room in them.The roofsmore often than nothad tarps over them, as if to keep out any bad weather.And notably, there were no torcheslit outside.
Even though I knew the Isles were home to manyfaewith Southern blood andzirilium, it seemed like the part of the Isle we stood in nowdidn’tshare those abilities—whether theyweren’tallowed or simplycouldn’t, Ididn’tknow.
Rayven stopped at the end of the dirt road, releasing us from the shadows as his eyes locked on oneshack in particular.
Itdidn’tstand out from the others—it looked as though it was barely holding itselftogether, andseemed to be crafted of whatever could be found around, just like the rest of them in the area.
It was so,sodifferent from the crystal castle we’d just come from, or even The Haven back in Cairnyl.
And yet, the shack before us was where Rayven had called home, once upon a time.
“What is this place?” I asked, my voice coming out quieter thanI’dintended.
“The North isn’t the only kingdom that shuns those withoutzirilium,”Rayvenanswered, not removing his gaze from the structure down the path.
That explained why the shacks were made with scraps instead of chunks of earth, and why there were no torches lit anywhere.
None of these fae held those abilities.
In the North, they’d be consideredcrids.
“I haven’t been here in twenty years,” Rayven said, his voice an octave deeper than usual. “I was six when they sent me away.”
