“What—another portal?” I frowned.
“They’re a common way to travel in the Realm,” Lachlan told me. “It saves time. But before we go, I think we’d better change clothes.”
I had to admit, the three of us looked out of place, wearing our Nocturne Academy uniforms but what else could we wear?
“I didn’t bring a change with me,” I protested. “Did you guys?” I thought maybe they had some extra clothes in their tree house that we would have to go back and get.
“No, but Lachlan can work a transformation spell on our clothing,” Bran told me. He nodded at Lachlan. “Go on—do it.”
“Just hold still—this will only take a moment.” Lachlan closed his eyes and the clear crystal on his staff began to glow a soft gold. I stared at it, wondering when something was going to happen? Would a bolt of light shoot out from it and zap my uniform to make it change into something else?
I didn’t feel anything but when the crystal stopped glowing, I looked at Bran and saw that he was wearing a kind of long, white tunic which fell to mid thigh and loose white linen trousers. A white cloak, a wide leather belt, and tall black boots completed the outfit.
The new clothing appeared deceptively simple. But when I looked closer, I saw that it was embroidered all over with silver thread in intricate patterns that shimmered when Bran moved.
Looking at Lachlan, I saw that he was dressed in a similar fashion except his clothing was black, with a pattern of ruby threads that winked like fire when he turned to face me.
“Oh—you two look amazing!” I exclaimed. I stepped towards them and was surprised to hear a rustling sound.
Looking down, I saw that my pleated school uniform skirt had been transformed into a long, flowing gown of deep purple. Like the guys’ clothing, my new dress was also embroidered with threads that caught the light—golden thread that glimmered richly with my every movement.
“You dressed her in the royal purple?” Bran sounded wary. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“She’s royalty—the Obsidian Portal wouldn’t have lit up for her the way it did otherwise,” Lachlan said. “She deserves to wear the royal purple.”
“Well—” Bran began but Chrisanther’s high voice interrupted him.
“Enough lollygagging!” he piped sternly. “I am opening the portal to the Summer Court now!”
As he spoke, he whizzed in a circle—or actually, it was more of a large oval—in front of us. A line of light seemed to follow his path and an opening in the air was outlined in silver.
“Take hands again,” Bran advised, reaching for me. I took his right hand and Lachlan’s left. “We must enter the Summer Court together and let everyone know that Emma is protected.”
I squeezed their hands tightly as apprehension filled me like murky water. What was I going to see in the Summer Court? What would happen to me there?
Nothing, if Bran and Lachlan can prevent it, a little voice whispered in my head. I felt very slightly better as I drew comfort from the fact that both of them had promised to stand by me. They wouldn’t leave me, no matter what happened. And I promised myself I wouldn’t leave them either.
We were going to stick together, no matter what.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped through the silver portal and into the Summer Court.
76
We came out in front of a tree that made the one that housed Bran and Lachlan’s tree house look like a sapling. It was enormous—as big as one of those giant skyscrapers that takes up an entire city block—and its bark was snow-white.
There was an entrance in the front of it—an elaborately curled golden gate that looked big enough for several big SUVs to drive through, side by side. And inside, past the gates, I caught glimpses of a vast interior.
Forget carving a studio apartment into a tree—this tree had an entire palace carved into it! And yet, just like Bran and Lachlan’s hideout, it was still alive and flourishing. When I looked up, I saw people walking along its massive branches as though they were normal roads. There were whole houses carved into the larger branches and other branches, that were slightly smaller—though still massive—had houses hanging from them.
At first, they looked like bird houses you might see in a regular tree in the human realm. But then I saw people going about their business in the windows and realized they only looked small because they were so high up.
“Wow—this is…” I shook my head, at a loss for words. “I can’t even describe it!”
“The first time you see the Summer Court, it takes your breath away,” Bran remarked.
“It really does,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful!”
“You will not think the dungeons so beautiful, I think, prisoner,” Chrisanther piped, whizzing around my head.
“You talk like I’m already convicted,” I protested. “I have to at least have a trial, don’t I?”
“You will indeed, be brought to trial—by Lady Starchild herself!” he announced in his tiny voice.
“What? But what about the Queen?” I demanded. I still remembered what Headmistress Nightworthy had said about the Queen of the Summer Court being bound to listen to all sides of an issue and give a fair ruling.
But Chrisanther shook his tiny head.
“The Queen’s councilors will not allow her to be bothered in the sentencing of a lower Fae such as yourself, prisoner.”
“Mind your tongue, Nixie!” Lachlan said sharply. “You saw yourself how the Obsidian Portal reacted to my Lady Emma’s touch. You’d best be careful who you call a ‘lower Fae.’”
“True…true,” Chrisanther buzzed. “I shall put it all in my report,” he said decidedly. “But for now, we must go.”
“I don’t know that I want to go, if I’m not going to be given a fair trial!” I said.
But at that moment the golden gates at the front of the massive tree swung open and ten tall guards with golden brown hair marched out. They were all armed to the teeth and they surrounded me and Bran and Lachlan, who both refused to be parted from my side.
“You are the Fae by the name of Emma Plunkett,” one of the guards said to me—it wasn’t a question. “We are to take you to the Sentencing Hall at once.”
And then there was nothing I could do but go with them.
77
The Summer Court palace was lavish—all the structures inside seemed to be carved of the snow-white tree trunk, which kind of made me feel like I was inside an ultra expensive home where the owners could afford to have white carpets and drapes and furniture because they had a full-time, live-in maid to keep them all spotless.
Only the palace was on a much bigger scale.
We passed by impossibly tall staircases carved of the white wood which led up in infinite spirals towards the top of the tree, and vast halls filled with chatting Fae. Though we were much too deep inside the tree for any kind of windows, there was no lack of light. Magical glowing spheres—some as big as houses—hovered high in the air everywhere we went, shedding golden radiance across everything like a shimmering blanket.