“Stop. None of you is to blame for this.” I picked up a pastry and sniffed it before taking a tiny bite. Mmmm. I ate the whole thing before I realized they were all silent and watching me. “What? Don’t tell me there is some weird etiquette about how to eat here.”
Everyone but Faolin laughed, and Faris said, “It’s good you have your appetite back. The color is returning to your cheeks.”
“I feel better already.”
Faolin stood and looked at Lukas. “The king and his counsel are expecting you to join them shortly.”
“Duty calls?” I said as disappointment pricked me.
Lukas nodded. “We are meeting to discuss the damage to the barrier and to see if we can come up with a solution. I’m sorry to leave you so soon.”
“Fixing the barrier is a lot more important than keeping me company.” I smiled. “I think I can occupy myself with exploring this place.”
He frowned. “Perhaps you should stay here and rest today.”
“I can’t stay cooped up in here all day unless you want me to lose my mind. I need to start finding my way around, and I really want to go outside.”
“I will escort her and give her a tour.” Faris shot me a sly smile. “And do my best to keep her out of trouble.”
I opened my mouth to tell them they were overdoing it on the protection thing, but Lukas looked so relieved I let it drop. Besides, I enjoyed spending time with Faris, and I didn’t want to go it alone on my first day here. Yesterday had taught me two things: there was a lot I needed to learn about Faerie, and not everyone was happy to have me here.
“Good.” Lukas gave me one of those smiles that did funny things to my insides. “I will see you for evening meal, and you can tell me all about your day.”
I almost said “It’s a date” but stopped myself in time to avoid an embarrassing moment. Instead, I went with, “See you then.”
He left, followed by everyone except Faris. Before the door closed, Kaia raced across the room and slipped out behind them.
I looked at Faris. “Do you guys go everywhere with him at court? I thought that was only something you did outside of Unseelie.”
“It depends. At court, Vaerik can travel around without us, but everyone wants to talk to the crown prince. We can be a great deterrent. Outside of court, he always travels with at least two of us.”
I’d never really considered what life must be like for Lukas in Faerie. In my world, he somehow managed to fly under the radar, but that was impossible here where he was the second most powerful person in all of Unseelie.
“I don’t envy him,” I said.
Faris shook his head. “Nor do I.”
I finished my breakfast and went to shower. It didn’t take long for me to decide that the rainfall shower was my new favorite thing. There was an assortment of soaps and shampoos to choose from that carried the mild, pleasant scents of flowers and rain.
After I dressed, I towel dried my hair and watched in amazement as it continued to dry on its own into soft, shining curls. No-frizz, manageable hair was definitely one of my favorite perks of being Fae.
I hurried back to the living area. “I’m ready.”
We left my quarters and walked at a leisurely pace down the wide hallway. I still couldn’t believe we were inside a mountain, and I felt a bit claustrophobic without windows. One more thing to get used to.
“What would you like to see first?” Faris asked.
“Outside,” I answered automatically. “I’ve always wondered if the real thing looks like the paintings and drawings I’ve seen.”
He smiled. “None of them do it justice.”
We took the magical lift to the ground level, and Faris chuckled when I gingerly stepped onto the floating stone. I’d grown up surrounded by magic, but technology powered most things in my world. It was going to take a while to get used to relying solely on magic for certain things.
I caught glimpses of each level we passed, and most of them looked the same to me. A few times, there were faeries walking by, and they gave us curious looks. None of them seemed unfriendly like Sereia or the female we’d passed in the courtyard yesterday, which was encouraging.
The first things I noticed when we stopped on the ground level was that the hallways were narrower, and the walls were rough stone without the polished surface of the upper levels. They had the same lighting, but it felt more confining down here.
“Is there only one way into the mountain?” I asked as we walked toward an open area with wide doors flanked by two male faeries. They wore dark blue pants, matching tunics with silver trim, and long slender swords. Their expressions were impassive, but they inclined their heads to Faris when we approached them.
“This is the exit to the grounds. The main hall is larger and more formal. There are other exits used mainly by the guards and servants.”
Faris opened the door, and we walked outside into a courtyard with thick columns and a few unoccupied benches. Beyond it, I saw trees, bright colors, and blue sky.
We crossed the courtyard and stepped onto a path of crushed white rock. I knew exactly how Alice must have felt upon her arrival in Wonderland. Faerie was exquisitely beautiful but so unlike anything in my world. Faris was right. The paintings did not do it justice.
The trees drew my gaze first, in particular the ones that resembled weeping willows but with silver leaves that glimmered in the sun. There were other trees with green or red leaves, but they paled in comparison. Brightly-colored birds flitted among the trees, calling to each other, and what looked like two tiny lavender monkeys fought over some kind of fruit on a branch.
Flowers of every color filled the air with their perfume, but the most stunning were the hydrangea-like blooms that had to be two feet wide. Something moved inside one of them, and a little blue face peeked out at me. It was a sprite that looked so much like Finch I almost said his name.
We left the path to walk on the grass, and I crouched to touch it. It was a deep mossy green, and it was so soft it didn’t seem real. I ran my hand over it and marveled at the texture that was like a thick chenille rug.
“Are you going to roll on it?” Faris teased.
I smiled. “Maybe tomorrow.”
A cute little creature the size of a chihuahua ran up to sniff my hands. It resembled a black fox with long silver-tipped black hair, silver claws, and beautiful silver eyes. I reached out to pet it, but it ran off toward a couple walking ahead of us.
“What is it?” I asked as I stood.
“A rika. They are popular pets here.”
We started walking again, and I jumped when a pixie flew past me, its wings brushing my face. Then I nearly stepped on a white ball of fluff that was almost invisible against the path.
“Cina,” cried a child’s voice. A little blonde girl ran out in front of us and picked up the hama, hugging it protectively to her chest. She ran back to an adult I assumed was her mother, and I realized she was the first faerie child I’d ever seen. Her skin was like porcelain, and her features looked like they had been carved by a sculptor. If I had to choose one word to describe her, it would be angelic.
The child’s mother hugged her and watched me as we walked by. She wasn’t the only one. There were other parents with their children who stared until we left them behind us.