Either side of the gates stood a dozen guards, half of them in black armour with Dusk’s insignia across the chest in gold, the other half in white emblazoned with Dawn’s rising sun. The six from Dusk turned and bowed their heads as we approached. Their armour caught the light as they moved, gleaming not black, I realised, but the darkest possible shade of midnight blue.
Across from them, the guards from Dawn studied us with narrowed eyes. It was only as we drew close that I realised they didn’t wear white, but a pale, pale grey like shadow on a cloud.
Beyond the guards, the graceful arc of a bridge spanned a gorge and the rushing river at its base, but before we reached it, one of the Dawn guards stepped forward, hammering her spear into the ground. “Marwood.” She cocked her head at him before surveying me. “And who is this?”
4
Kat
I could feel the calculation in her stare. She didn’t only want to know who I was, but why I might matter. I returned her look, keeping my face neutral. Dawn and Dusk cohabited this city and the palace, but I didn’t understand the intricacies of their arrangement. And hadn’t all the stories warned against offending the fae?
(Fairly sure almost poisoning one was considered offensive, though.)
“Amandine. A delight to see you as always.” With the flat line of his lips, Bastian looked anything but delighted. “Katherine is a guest of Dusk and will be staying in the palace until she’s ready to return home.”
“A long way for a human to come.” There was the briefest hesitation before the word “human” like she found it distasteful to say.
Behind her, the other Dawn guards stood at attention, but I caught their gazes snapping this way. To our left, I could feel the scrutiny of the Dusk guards and when I glanced over, I found one had stepped forward, both hands on her spear.
Clearly, it wasn’t standard procedure to stop the Night Queen’s Shadow from entering the palace.
Tension twisted through the air. Not only did I not fully understand the undercurrents here, but I had no power to do anything to defuse the situation or get Amandine to back down and let us inside.
Either she didn’t notice the Dusk guard’s approach or didn’t care as she went on, “Has His Majesty authorised her entry to Elfhame?”
Bastian’s mouth curved in what might’ve been a pleasant smile, but the way it made his eyes glitter reminded me of the murderous look he’d given me when I’d stolen his orrery. “Her Majesty has. We arrived by moonlight.”
Amandine gave a soft grunt. “Of course you did.”
It sounded as though that meant all was well and I should be allowed to pass, but she remained there, spear blocking our path. The hair on my forearms prickled against the silk of my sleeves.
The Dusk guard took a step closer and opened her mouth.
But with the slightest twitch of his fingers, Bastian silenced her before he met Amandine’s sharp gaze. “Was there something else?”
The guard’s jaw shifted from side to side before she exhaled and took a step back. “Not at this time. I trust you’ll warn your human to follow our rules, Marwood.”
“Of course.” He smiled blandly as we continued on our way. “And when she awakens, I’ll ensure Her Majesty understands just how helpful you were.”
I caught Amandine flinching as we passed. I didn’t know whether to revel in the small victory or reassess Bastian—even with his “diminished” power, he had more than I’d ever known in my life.
The bridge’s gentle arch made it look safe. It was perhaps wide enough for four people or two sabrecats to walk abreast, but it had no guard rails. A moment’s carelessness and splash—I peered over the edge—make that crash. Unless you fell from the very centre, you’d be lucky to avoid the dark, jagged rocks on the way down.
Swallowing, I shifted to the middle of the walkway. On the other side, a shimmering waterfall emerged from below the palace, feeding the river at the bottom of the gorge, and I fixed my attention on that.
When the tingle on my skin grew, I assumed it was my fear of falling over the edge, but as we approached the midpoint, the feeling peaked. It buzzed, like a whole swarm of bees, making me sway with the intensity, my brain foggy.
“Kat?” Bastian closed the distance between us like he might grab my arm.
Stopping, I warded him off and took a deep breath. With each second I acclimatised to the heavy feeling, less overwhelmed by it. “I’m fine, it’s just…” I managed to pull my back straight and continue on the path. “Is that magic I can feel?”
He gave me another long look, sticking close. “The river is enchanted to protect the palace. It feels… thick and humming.”
“Like bees.”
He gave a low grunt. “Something like that, but… angrier. Wasps.”
Frowning, I glanced back along the bridge as we stepped off its stone surface. The hum was intense but not angry.
But as we entered the palace grounds, surrounded by formal gardens, with a huge entrance ahead and a stable block to the right, I found myself walking alongside a stone-faced version of Bastian. One who didn’t invite argument. My mind was still swimming from the magic, so I kept my head down, ignoring the questioning looks that followed us as he led me to a side entrance.
So many questioning looks. They crawled over my skin, and I hugged myself tighter. This much attention wasn’t safe. Especially not in a place where I didn’t understand the rules.
My body was still recovering, a wave of vertigo sweeping through me at one point. I waved off Bastian’s help and pushed myself on.
At last, we reached a set of double doors that Bastian unlocked with magic. When we entered, the bergamot and cedar scent told me they were his rooms before I even lifted my head and took in the formal antechamber.
As the doors closed, the stone in his expression softened the barest touch, becoming sandstone rather than granite. He took off his jacket and hung it, then half turned to me. “Are you…?” He finished the question by sweeping his gaze over me.
I lifted my chin. I didn’t need looking after like a child, and I didn’t need him hovering this close like he was going to take my arm. “I’m not about to keel over.”
Nodding to himself, he stalked ahead into a grand sitting room. It made the space he’d been given in Riverton Palace seem not just small but gaudy in comparison.
Decorated in grey, black, and a dark teal like the deep sea on a summer’s day, the large space somehow managed to feel enclosed—safe, even. Add a few gilded accents, like the shooting star design of the fireplace and the celestial map covering the ceiling, and it was both tasteful and luxurious.
Voice clipped, he explained where the main bathroom was and his bedroom. A locked door led to his workroom, but he said his offices were elsewhere in the palace, so I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of work it was for.
Maybe for torturing humans who spied on him.
He herded me to the door opposite his bedroom. “And this is yours.”