“Wow.” Aida sighed. “This place is amazing…why are we only staying one night again?”
“Because that’s the time we were invited for.” I laughed, sharing my friend’s wish. One night just wasn’t enough time to properly enjoy the place.
“Look at the tub!” Vita exclaimed from inside one of the bathrooms. We both followed her in, sighing in amazement as we admired the grandeur of the white marble bathroom, with a tub sunken into the floor. Instead of a hand basin, there was a small collection of fire stones, and water gently trickled out of their cracks like a waterfall and collected in a small rock pool below.
“Fluffy robes!” crowed Aida, taking one off the back of the door. “This is going to be heaven.”
She whipped out of one bathroom and into the other, presumably changing. Vita walked back into the bedroom, picking up Aida’s high-heeled shoes from the floor and neatly lining them up next to her own. I smiled, taking the two other robes.
“We’re all wearing them,” I commanded. “We need to take full advantage of everything while we’re here, or it’s just a wasted journey.”
“Good call,” Vita agreed, grabbing the robe as I threw it over. As she took it, her face screwed up in pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah…fine. I think I’ve just eaten too much. I feel a bit odd. But I think it’s the journey over here as well.”
“So do I,” Aida agreed, emerging white and fluffy from the bathroom. “I almost passed out on the dance floor earlier. I thought it was just lack of food…obviously not.”
“Good thing you had Prince Charming to attend to you.” I smirked, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.
Aida ignored me, collapsing back on the bed with a theatrical sigh. “He was amazing,” she breathed, staring up at the ceiling. I quickly undressed and changed into my pajamas and then put on the fluffy robe. I didn’t know if now was the right time to tell her about Field and Maura. She was obviously into the fae, and from what I’d seen, the feelings weren’t unrequited…like they were with Field. At least for the moment.
“What was his name?” I asked, wanting to hear more about her admirer before I made my decision.
She sat up, looking guilty and confused.
“What?” I exclaimed, laughing. “You don’t know his name?”
“I do,” she retorted. “It was ‘Th’ something…Thantos! That was it! Thantos was an excellent dancer, and a very charming man,” she replied airily. I rolled my eyes, punching in the pillows on my tightly made bed to get comfortable before hearing the rest of the story.
“Did either of you see Field tonight?” Aida asked instead, her tone trying to sound nonchalant.
“I didn’t actually.” Vita shook her head and turned toward me. “Did you?”
“Yep,” I announced, pausing. Maybe now was the time… “There’s actually something I wanted to tell you about him.”
Aida sat up, her attention solely focused on what I was about to say.
“He and Maura have split up for good,” I said. “I heard him telling River about it. She broke it off earlier this afternoon, which is why she didn’t attend tonight.”
I waited for Aida to say something, but neither girl muttered a word.
“Poor Maura,” Aida murmured eventually, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. “And poor Field. He must be heartbroken.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I think he is. But he won’t be forever.”
Aida looked up at me, her eyes widening.
“He’ll never see me that way, Serena,” she replied solemnly. “I’ll always just be a younger kid to him—not a girl he’s seriously going to think about dating.”
“What makes you say that?” I replied, the objection obvious from my tone. I didn’t believe Aida for a second.
“Because he’s known me too long. I’m officially friendzoned—I think I’d be able to tell if he liked me, and I know for a fact that he doesn’t,” Aida replied, firm in her convictions.
“Sorry, Aida, but I don’t believe that.” Vita joined in. “You don’t know what’s going to happen. Obviously, it’s not going to be right now—he’s going to be hurting—but that doesn’t mean it’s a never.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, always pleased when Vita took my side, as she tended to be the voice of reason. “And if Field doesn’t notice you, then he’s an idiot. He won’t know what he’s missing,” I added stoutly.
Aida’s blushes increased, but before she could say anything in reply, she doubled over in pain on the bed, clutching her stomach with a grimace.
“What did you two eat?” I asked, immediately worried. “Shall I go and get someone—your parents?”
Aida waved her hand away. “No, don’t bother them, it’s probably just a stomach bug or something. The fae have rich food as well, it might be that.”
“I’m going to get you both a glass of water. Just stay in bed.”
Vita was starting to look even more pale than usual. I hurried into the bathroom, finding water glasses in a cabinet and filling them up from the fountain. I carried them back, hurrying as Aida let out a weak groan.
“Here,” I said, handing the first to Vita and then taking the other to Aida. “Are you sure I can’t do something? You both look terrible.”
“Thanks,” Aida muttered sarcastically.
“Don’t get anyone. I think I just need to sleep it off,” Vita replied, lying back on the bed. I felt her forehead. It was warm, but I couldn’t tell if that was just the weather or an actual fever.
“I’m going to open the windows,” I stated, and, not hearing any protest from either of them, I walked over to the glass arches and tried to find an opening latch. Once I did, I wriggled it free and the frames sprang open, bringing in a sudden gust of music and laughter from the remaining guests. The party was still in full swing below. We were high up, so I couldn’t see too much till I forced my True Sight to kick in. Then I could see the dishevelment of those remaining. I smiled to myself as I watched two fae chasing one another around the dance floor, adults behaving like children. As I leaned out further, I felt a wave of hunger running through me—not for food, but the strange and powerful energy that had been radiating off the fae all evening.
No one will notice if I just take a bit…
I tried to never syphon off someone without them knowing. It was a strict rule in our house never to use the other members of The Shade like that without them knowing, and the same would apply here. Of course, in the privacy of our home it was different. We would all syphon off one another if needed, but we had to be courteous; no one would borrow my energy before I had exams, or Phoenix’s before training.
But who will know?
I closed my eyes, ignoring the thoughts. It was just instinct, and it could be overcome. Thankfully, Aida groaned again, and the desire to feed was cut off abruptly.
“Do you need more water?” I asked, before noticing her still-full glass by the side of the bed.
“No,” she moaned. “Shut the window though, I’m getting cold.”
“Aida, it’s boiling out there and in here—if you’re cold you’ve definitely got a fever!”
I made sure she was covered in blankets, but when I went to feel her temperature, she didn’t seem overly hot. Next, I moved over to Vita’s bed. Her face was starting to bead with perspiration, and the blankets had been thrown aside.
“Vita, are you okay?” I ventured, hoping I wasn’t going to wake her. Her eyes were closed, but were moving rapidly beneath her lids.
“Mmm,” she murmured. “I’m fine—just need to sleep it off.”
This was starting to get weird. It wasn’t food poisoning; I knew that much. I began to make my way toward the door. I was going to get their parents and Corrine. Clearly there was something seriously wrong with both of them, but it was something that Corrine could no doubt sort out in a second.
Field
After getting lost in the maze about a hundred times I finally located the e
xit with my mom—we’d lost all sight of Grace and Lawrence in the process. Dad was waiting by the exit, rolling his eyes in amusement.
“Really, it took you that long?” he asked us both archly.
“Mom wouldn’t let me fly!” I laughed. “I’d like to see you do any better—without supernatural abilities, of course.”
“Yeah, tough guy,” my mom teased. “You can talk big, but you would have been just as lost as we were. I’m pretty sure there was jinni magic being used…I heard that the Oracle managed to create a similar experience in Nevertide.”
That made sense. No wonder Hazel had refused to join in. I could imagine that a Nevertide maze would haunt anyone for a long time.
“Did you find Vita?” Mom asked.
“I did. She was in the observatory. Curious kid, that one,” he remarked, looking pleased.
“Good,” Mom replied. “Now, will you please escort me to our room? I am absolutely exhausted and I am not waiting around for this party to end, because I think it’s going to be dawn before it does.”
“Of course,” Ben replied. “What are you going to do, Field?”
“I’m going to find Sky and the rest of them, and then do the same. I’m tired.”
I said goodnight to both of them, and made my way back to the place that I’d last seen them. They hadn’t gone far. Phoenix was gone, but the others were there, and they’d been joined by Jovi. There weren’t any fae girls to be seen, but they were all looking pretty pleased with themselves, draining glasses of some strange pink concoction that fizzed like soda when they placed it to their lips.
“Anyone ready to call it a night?” I asked.
“Already?” Rock cried. “The night’s just begun. The party’s just getting started!”
I sighed, rubbing my brow. I wasn’t going to be the one responsible for breaking up the merriment, and it was probably best that I just left them to it. It was most likely that they’d want to sleep outdoors anyway. I had a room waiting for me—one I was meant to be sharing with Maura.
“I’ll come,” Jovi replied sleepily. “I’ve had enough. See you all in the morning.”
He half-heartedly waved at the rest of the Hawks, before we both started to move in the direction of the castle.
“Good night?” Jovi asked.
I shrugged. “It was fine,” I replied.
“I’m sharing a room with Phoenix,” Jovi muttered. “I hope he’s remembered that… and he’s alone.”
I laughed. It was unlikely.
“You can use mine if you need a place to crash,” I offered.
We strode along the corridors, going up to the second floor where the rooms were located. Both of us were silent. The doors all looked so similar, the corridor almost impossibly long, and I half-wondered if it was some kind of fae illusion that made the interior of the palace seem even larger than it appeared from the outside.
“I don’t know how I’m going to find my room,” I mumbled, checking to see if I recognized any of the ornaments that hung on the walls, or the small stone sculptures that were suspended from the ceilings.
“They should have numbers on them or something,” Jovi replied. He smirked. “Maybe it’s designed for people to stumble in on the wrong rooms…”
I put my hand up to silence him for a moment. I’d heard some strange groaning coming from one of the rooms, as if someone was in pain.
“What is that?” Jovi replied, picking up on the noise.
We reached the door where the sound was coming from, and I could distinctly hear Serena’s voice. Before I could knock and ask if everything was okay, the door swung open and Serena stood in its frame. Her body was swallowed by a large fluffy robe, which would have looked comical if her face hadn’t been fraught with anxiety and distress.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The girls,” she replied, her voice pitched high.
Before she could say another word, a loud thump came from inside the room. Jovi and I moved past her, and I saw Vita, lying on the floor next to her bed. Her body tautened for a moment, the small frame of the human-fae stretched out, her muscles tensed. We rushed toward her as she started to jerk, her body contorting in some kind of fit.
“Roll her on her side!” Jovi cried out.
We moved her, trying to be as gentle as possible, but holding her firmly so that she didn’t hurt herself.
“Serena, get a pillow!” I told the girl, waiting till she dragged one from the bed and placed it beneath her friend’s head. Vita’s convulsing continued, her body jerking violently. I was about to tell Serena to start knocking on doors for help when Aida let out a howl.
Jovi looked over at his sister in astonishment, his face paling.
“What the hell?” he breathed, jumping up to race over to her bedside. It looked like Aida was experiencing a similar thing to Vita. Her body had arched upward off the sheets, her limbs stiff as the howl continued.
“It almost looks like she’s turning,” Serena exclaimed. “What is happening?”
“Of course she’s not turning!” Jovi replied, trying to soothe his sister and roll her over into the recovery position before she started fitting in the same manner as Vita. It was horrible. I glanced briefly at Serena—she was traumatized, and I half worried that she was about to succumb to the same mysterious state as her friends.
“Serena, go and get help—just run down the corridor, knock on all the doors!” I commanded her. The girl raced to the door, but before she’d stepped through its frame, the room was blinded in a flash of bright, yellow light.
Serena
[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]
I saw a blinding flash of light, and closed my eyes against it. A jolt in the pit of my stomach followed swiftly, making my insides feel like they were being squeezed, all the blood rushing from my head. The light vanished, and I slowly opened my eyes, turning around to see if the others had just shared the same experience.
They were gone.
Or I was.
I glanced wildly around the room, too panicked to fix my focus on one thing. It was different. I wasn’t in the fae palace, or if I was, it was a different location entirely to the one I’d just been in.
Where am I?
My brain just couldn’t compute that a moment ago I’d been about to leave my room, and now I was standing in a completely different one…and my friends! Vita and Aida… where were they?
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
Focus, Serena.
I tried to steady my racing heart. When I was ready I opened my eyes again, and started to properly observe the room I was now in. One of the strangest things, which indicated that I was no longer in the fae palace or even on the fae star, was the fact that outside it was daylight. I walked over to the nearest window, one of three dusty glass frames that ran alongside the room. Peering out, I saw a pale blue sky. Where it met the land on the horizon, I saw miles of rich, verdant forest—more like a jungle, if anything. In some places the green was so bright it was almost neon, the trees and plants wide-leaved and tall, growing thickly in some places, and in others parting to make way for streams and the natural slope and rise of the land. It went on for miles, bands of heated haze blurring its sprawl off into the distance.
Directly below me—I must have been on the second or third floor of a brick house—there was a lawn. It was wild and overgrown, some patches burnt by the sun, the grass growing tall and unchecked in others. Around the edge of the lawn, the grass was overtaken by swampland. Trees grew from the muddy earth, their thick roots dipping down into the murky waters, vines strangling their trunks and moss hanging limply from their branches, looking like wet rags.
Where am I?
This place looked like a strange dreamland, the colors and humidity far removed from what I was used to. Turning away from the window, I studied the room I was in, hoping it might provide more clues. It was old, that much I could gather straight away. The room had been painted white, once, and now was yellowing in p
laces with plaster coming away at the corners. The wainscoting, in a pale blue paint that matched the sky, was bubbling and peeling in the heat. The decoration in the room was simple and sparse, a large, iron-framed bed in the middle with mildew-stained white sheets. A cupboard stood in one corner, made of polished pine, next to an old-fashioned dresser. I inspected them, the creaking of the wooden drawers echoing too loudly for comfort, but both proved to be empty anyway. There was a small fireplace at one end, not swept clean—the ashes were so pale with age that they resembled little more than dust.
Finding even fewer answers in the room, I picked up an old poker by the fireside and decided to explore the rest of the house. My one small, iota of hope was that I wouldn’t be alone here… I couldn’t hear anyone, the silence had so far been almost deafening, but that didn’t necessarily mean I was alone. With a slightly shaking hand I held the poker as firmly as I could, and pushed the door to the bedroom open.
It opened into a corridor, about eight yards or so in length. It was gloomy here, with no windows opening out into the sunshine. It was cooler though, and I stepped out of the bedroom. I waited, trying to hear something, anything, that might indicate the presence of another.
When only silence remained, I moved further along. As my eyes became accustomed to the gloom, I started to notice more evidence of a once-grand home turned shabby and worn from neglect. I also became much, much more afraid.
The hallway was wide, and on either side of me objects and bookcases were piled high so that the house started to resemble a junkyard. I jumped as I caught sight of two beady-looking eyes staring down at me from a shelf, only to realize, in disgust, that it was an animal that had been preserved and stuffed—it looked like a fox, its body frozen mid-jump, its teeth and claws out and ready to pounce on its prey. I started to notice more examples of foul taxidermy, creatures that I recognized as belonging to Earth: snakes, lizards, owls, even a yellowed swan. I peered more closely at the books on the shelves. The volumes were thick and old, their pages yellowed. My heart sank as I made out the text. These were written in a language that I didn’t recognize, and didn’t perceive as belonging to Earth—unless it was some ancient text I wasn’t familiar with, like Sanskrit. I slid the book back where I’d found it, and froze.
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