Lukas’s warm hand squeezed mine, and he lowered his head to whisper softly, “Breathe, li’fachan.”
His use of their nickname for me reminded me I was a hunter – a good one – and I’d faced much scarier things than this. I straightened my shoulders and smiled to let him know I was okay.
I turned to get my first good look at the courtyard I’d only seen flashes of. It appeared to be built into a rock wall with two open sides protected by a stone railing. On one of the inner walls was a pair of closed doors, and on the other was an arched doorway that led to a hallway.
I tilted my head back to look up at the blue sky and gasped softly at the rock wall above us. It was black like obsidian, and it reflected the sunlight as it went on for hundreds of feet.
I opened my mouth to ask about it, but I was cut off when a faerie in a pale blue tunic with silver trim approached us and bowed to Lukas. His long dark hair hung to his waist, and his green eyes flicked to my hand in Lukas’s before he addressed Lukas in Fae. The only word I could make out was Vaerik, Lukas’s real name. Lukas replied to him in Fae. The faerie bowed again and left.
Lukas met my questioning look. “My father asked for me to go see him immediately upon my arrival. I told him I will be there after I have seen you settled into your rooms.”
“It sounds important. You should go.” I hated for him to leave, but I understood why he had to. He wasn’t just Lukas here. He was the king’s son and the crown prince of Unseelie.
Conlan spoke up. “We’ll take care of her.”
Lukas looked undecided for a moment, and then he nodded. “I’ll see you for the evening meal, if not before.” He smiled, and his thumb stroked the back of my hand. Heat pooled in my belly at the tiny gesture.
“Okay,” I managed to say.
He walked to the arched doorway with Kaia padding after him. I watched them go before I turned back to the others.
“Vaerik has many duties and responsibilities when he is at court,” Faris said, reminding me that even his closest friends used his real name here. That would take some getting used to.
“I know.” I put on a cheerful face. “Guess that means you’re stuck giving me the grand tour.”
He bowed. “It would be my honor.”
We were interrupted by the arrival of another faerie dressed in a similar outfit to the first one. He spoke to Conlan and the others in Fae, and by their tones, it sounded like they were having a disagreement. Lukas had told me the language would come to me as my magic had, but it was frustrating not to be able to understand what people were saying around me.
Faolin spoke sharply, and the new faerie backed down with a small bow. He said something and hurried away without a glance in my direction. What a welcoming bunch.
“Is there a problem?” I asked them.
Faris smiled. “There was some confusion about your quarters, but it’s been sorted out.”
“Speaking of.” Conlan took my hand and laid it on his arm. “Let us show you to your quarters. We’ll save the big tour for later.”
The six of us left the courtyard through the same door Lukas had used and walked down the hallway. The floor and walls were as smooth as marble, but they appeared to have been carved from natural rock. From the ceiling hung glass orbs containing the same crystals I’d seen in Davian’s penthouse. I knew now that they were called laevik crystals. They gave off a softer light than the electric bulbs I was used to, but they lit the place well.
Halfway down the hallway, we reached a large open space with a wall of windows that made it look like an indoor terrace. It had high ceilings hung with delicate light fixtures, tapestries on the walls, and flowered plants and trees scattered around the room. Couches, chairs, and small tables were arranged to allow for private or group conversations, and the space had an elegant yet homey feel.
Conlan steered me toward a small alcove on our left that was guarded by two male faeries, who exchanged nods with my escort. The faeries were dressed in black and wore swords and daggers on their hips. Other than their brief acknowledgement of us, they stood at attention with serious, alert expressions that sent a little shiver through me.
We stepped into the alcove that could fit maybe four people, and I faltered when the floor moved beneath my feet. Looking down, I was shocked to find the floor was a large stone disk that appeared to float.
“You can think of it as our version of an elevator,” he said. “It has no buttons or doors, and you merely have to think of what level you want to go to.”
“You don’t have stairs?” I asked.
“We do, and we normally use them unless we need to go up or down many levels.”
The floor started to descend, and I looked at the others who stood outside the alcove. “You’re not coming?”
“We’ll meet you there,” Faris said as he disappeared from view.
We didn’t go far. The lift passed one level and stopped at the one below it. We got off and walked down another wide hallway past closed doors that Conlan said were personal quarters, slowing when we came to what looked like a large indoor courtyard. There were couches and small tables and at least ten faeries alone or in small groups talking. A male servant poured a beverage into several glasses at a side table, and I recognized the white-blond hair and pointed ears of an elf.
I looked at the assembled faeries. The males wore pants and tunics or shirts. The females wore pants and tops similar to what I was wearing or flowing dresses. They were all so elegant and refined, exactly how I’d imagined faeries at court, and I felt a bit like Eliza Doolittle in her new finery.
All conversation in the courtyard stopped as everyone watched me with open curiosity. I supposed I couldn’t blame them. New faeries were rare, and I wasn’t a child like the others. The first faeries to arrive in my world had been subjected to more intense scrutiny than this.
While most of the faces wore expressions of interest, one stared at me with undisguised dislike that bordered on hostility. I thought I recognized the blonde female from somewhere, and it took me a moment to remember where I’d seen her before. She had been with Lukas and Faolin the night I’d seen them across the street in Manhattan. She hadn’t been happy to see me then either. Whatever the reason for her animosity toward me, it was her problem, not mine. I met her gaze and held it until she looked away.
“There are many communal areas like this,” Conlan said as we continued past the courtyard. “As well as larger rooms on several levels for bigger gatherings.”
We walked down another hallway and passed a male faerie who tilted his head at Conlan. It wasn’t until after he’d gone by that I recognized him as the one who’d argued with Conlan and the others about my room.
Conlan stopped at a door. “Here we are.”
I looked at the door that had no distinct markings or numbers to distinguish it from any other door we’d passed. “How do you know? They all look the same.”
“To you they appear identical, but not to the trained eye.” He pointed to the door lintel where elegant script was etched into the stone. I’d mistaken it for design, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was Fae writing.
“What does it say?” I asked him.
“It’s your name in Fae. Place your hand against the door.”