The Sacred and the Tormented (Fae of Alastríona #4)

Arianna

Perched behind one of the mountain’s jagged edges, Arianna stared down at the massive city below. City. Not village or town. The place was crawling with citizens and sentinels. Animals perched on the rooftops watched the crowd closely. The guards in their Fae forms were just as keen, their gazes catching every shadow that moved.

Her stomach twisted in knots as she watched the first few groups slip inside undetected. Someone from Pádraigín accompanied each small group, using their magic to blend them in with the environment. She’d been afraid of detection, but Conall had assured them the magic would blend in enough. There certainly wasn’t a shortage of it, despite the entire place reeking of iron.

The oily magic crawled all over her, like a parasite trying to leach its way into her body. She’d experienced it so much without even realizing it thanks to Niall. He’d made it seem pleasant, more like a butterfly’s wing beat. Now it felt more like the slime left by a snail.