23. Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Three
Astrid
Excitement skitters under my skin, my heart thumping against my chest as buildings start to line the street. I lag as the others move ahead. It takes all my self-control not to run up to the windowed storefronts and press my face to the glass. The buildings are few and far between at first but as we continue on, the three-story buildings grow in number until we can hardly see the grass anymore. A cozy warm feeling settles into me as the road turns into uneven cobblestone. A small wooden picket sign sticks out of the ground. “Welcome to Star Vale” is scrawled across the wood in white curling calligraphy. I breathe deeply, recognizing the smell of coffee in the air.
“I thought we were going to Myrr?” I study the town around me. The buildings are three stories tall at most, which isn’t as impressive as Demendia’s skyscrapers. Each building boasts store fronts, their flashing advertisements give me a headache almost immediately. I can’t believe the city is using so much electricity. In Demendia, when we use electricity, we must pay for it in our tithe.
“This is just a pit stop. We’ll have a bed and food we won’t have to hunt ourselves,” Effie says, her eyes unable to meet mine as she swipes a chestnut braid as it falls in front of her face. “We will only be staying the night.” The words sound more like a warning.
“Why do the shops have two entrances?” Embla asks, her voice soft. The early morning hour hasn’t woken the sun yet, and the town still sleeps. Not a single soul is walking the streets.
“It’s a gorgon-run town,” Effie’s response is just as quiet.
“What do you mean?” I ask, not knowing why that would carry weight.
“After Demendia abandoned the world, fae, faeries, and underlings harbored a deep hate for humans. Mainly because of Demendia’s actions. There were a few years when the magicals of the world considered enslaving humans,” Effie explains, unable to meet either my or Embla’s eyes.
“And separating from the humans was the only solution?” Surprise colors my voice.
“Some cities, like Myrr are forbidden to humans, some, like this one, are simply separated, and there are few that are strictly human, like Demendia.” Effie’s voice echoes through my head. My people did this, whether they meant to or not. How could I not have learned anything about this all those years I spent at school? Years that now feel wasted and empty. Shame burns in my chest, heating my ears and the back of my neck, and now I can’t meet Effie’s gaze. Instead, I return to observing the passing town. Black domed lanterns line the street spilling light from the bulb inside. I walk up to them, appreciating the difference in shape compared to the boxy mossterns of Demendia.
“It’s a light bulb, it’s elec—”
“Electricity, yes, I know. We didn’t completely live under a rock in Demendia, electricity was just a luxury the district couldn’t afford. We barely had enough each season to pay the tithe as it was.” I glance over my shoulder at Effie. She offers an apologetic smile while Embla tries to hide her chuckle in the crook of her elbow.
“We need to get to the tavern before the town wakes up; they can’t see two humans and a fae walking down the street together. They’ll strip my magic and turn you two to stone,” Effie says, picking up her pace down the street. I study every building and window display we pass. I don't want to miss a thing as I compare the differences to Demendia. The Farm district had nothing like this: the dresses hanging in storefronts are short with thin straps, their furniture is plush, every piece covered in fleece of some kind. It's so different here.
Effie stops in front of one of the larger three-story buildings. The lawn is manicured, and the flower beds bloom with blue flowers. There's a sign indicating which entrance belongs to humans. It's crooked, missing a nail and ready to fall on an unsuspecting patron’s head with the slightest whisper of wind.
“Which door do we use? The human one right?” I ask, my eyes darting between the two options. Effie’s hands grasp my forearms, spinning me until we face each other. Her round silver eyes squint in concentration as she rearranges my hair before turning to Embla and doing the same. When she’s finished, our ears are hidden.
Effie scrutinizes our appearance before giving a nod of approval. “I’ll let them see my ears.” She tucks her hair behind her ears. “They won’t question it. Humans and fae rarely travel together.” Without another word, she ducks inside the door with a large gold-plated sign that reads “fae”.