Chapter 10 #2
The dull roar that I’d mistaken for a waterfall was actually the chatter of a crowd. Close up, voices grew more distinct, some high, some low. Arguments mixed with laughter. A distant scream stiffened my spine, but no one else reacted.
My stomach bottomed out at the sheer number.
I’d known there were fae, plural, but I hadn’t really allowed myself to dwell on how many.
Definitely hadn’t imagined them in large groups, much less the hundreds gathered here.
Some looked nearly human, like Soren, with only those pointed ears to give them away, while others reminded me of animals, or in some cases, horror movies .
. . My eyes slid past those creatures, unwilling to linger.
A patch of pale brown mushrooms beside us unexpectedly shifted as one popped up. It spun around, revealing black oval eyes, spindly arms, and long legs. I jumped back when it ran across our path at a startling speed. “Was that—”
“A toadstool,” Soren confirmed.
I had the strangest urge to call after it, “I think I saw your house!” Because, of course, that cute tiny door we’d passed would’ve been the perfect height for the adorable little guy.
“Steer clear of their kind,” Soren warned, following my gaze. “Toadstools in particular have razor-sharp teeth they’re more than willing to use, and they’re extremely unfriendly.”
My brows rose. “More so than other fae?”
He frowned. “I take offense to that. I’ve been more than polite to you—”
“I’m kidding!” I laughed. “It’s like you’ve never heard of a joke before.”
Lips pursed, he shook his head. “I have heard of them, actually, but they typically involve the need to lie.”
I didn’t have a chance to tell him how ridiculous that sounded because a bulky fae whose head came up to my shoulder elbowed past, knocking me sideways. Soren caught me before I could fall, setting me back on my feet more gently than I would’ve expected.
“Don’t block the path,” the fae grunted before melting into the crowd. His hair color made me think of a greasy Ronald McDonald who hadn’t had a haircut in a couple years and who’d eaten way too many of his own hamburgers.
“What—?” I started to whisper to Soren.
“That’s a toddy wobble,” he answered before I could ask, pulling me to the side with a sigh.
“They might not look dangerous, but they can smell a lie. Technically, even the fae can lie by omission, though the smell is faint. This ability, combined with how few of them exist, gives them a high status in the Hollow Court. It’s good to know he’s here, actually.
I can only imagine how strongly a human lie would smell.
Be cautious of what you say if one of them is nearby. ”
I leaned in to whisper, “Nearby as in . . . a couple feet away?”
He turned, and his breath tickled my ear as he replied, “Try ten. Maybe more.”
“Got it,” I whispered back, fascinated. “And what about—” I started to point to another unique creature to one side, but he grabbed my finger and pulled it down.
“Not only do we not have time for a history lesson on the fae, but pointing at that particular breed will get you in some serious trouble. Now . . .” He paused to tuck my hand under his elbow like a gentleman. “Follow my lead.”
We sashayed across the room as if Soren and I were royalty. Some fae seemed to recognize him, eyes landing on us curiously, tracking our progress. I clutched his arm tighter, trying not to let my nerves show.
Every so often, I saw a human. Some were easy to spot based on their clothes alone, while others I couldn’t tell for sure unless I caught a glimpse of their ears. I searched every face for my family, including Mom, and it hurt every single time it turned out to be someone else.
We strolled through a garden as a handful of humans watered the flowers and plants beneath pale trees.
Though I studied their faces, they didn’t seem checked out.
Another group of humans played lively music with multiple violins, a cello, and a drummer.
By their expressions, they were 110 percent invested in their art, grinning brightly at one another as they tapped their feet.
Another human even carried a fae baby, following after the rest of the family like a hired nanny.
None seemed to be here against their will, though I had no way to know for sure.
Though the court had looked like one large room at first, it twisted to the left and continued on, as if even the walls themselves liked to keep secrets.
A riot of colors blurred together where fae danced.
Others lounged at dining tables along the sides.
Some leapt across tall tree stumps in a strange daring race.
In all the chaos, I almost missed the three elaborate thrones on the far end.
Made of velvet and intricately carved wood, they could only be reached via three sets of short, wide stairs. It set them apart, both in distance and height.
Above and behind the thrones, wider than all three put together, a huge stained glass depicted red roses.
The whole space sat empty.
Soren seemed to be leading us there, but as we drew closer, the room opened up once again into yet another large space, forming the court into an unnatural S shape.
As we passed close by a solid stone wall, part of it moved.
I squeaked, pressing against Soren as I stepped back, eyes trailing up the side of the gray creature, which stood taller than my house. If I’d thought that blue hulk that stole my family was large, this one made it look like its baby brother.
“Is that thing safe?” I hissed in Soren’s ear.
“Not particularly,” he murmured back, though he didn’t seem nervous. “That’s a troll.”
A troll. “As in . . . ?”
“Eats humans,” Soren said, finishing the gruesome sentence for me like he was talking about having a sandwich.
I scooted even closer to him. “How did it get in here? There’s no way it would fit in the tunnels—”
Soren nodded to the far side of the room, the tip of the S. Naturally, they had a troll-sized tunnel. Of course.
He seemed to take pity on me. Maybe he could hear the way my heart pounded so wildly it almost jumped outside my body.
“They’re only invited on their best behavior.
Don’t make trouble or give them any reason to notice your human scent in the midst of all the other smells in here, and you’ll be fine. ”
An outburst close by led to a fae with antlers laying another fae out flat on the floor, but the troll lumbered on past. If that didn’t count as trouble, what did?
I tried to slow my rapid breathing. Blend in, I reminded myself. You look like a fae. They don’t know any better.
When we passed another dance floor, Soren took my hand. “Are you ready for your next task?” he asked as he unexpectedly spun me out and around, into his arms, joining the dance.
I frowned. This was what he wanted to use his two hours for? Distracted by the way he pressed me close, I forgot to answer for a moment. He moved me effortlessly. I didn’t even need to worry about tripping over my feet.
“You brought me here to dance?” I asked a bit breathlessly.
Those dimples from a held-back smile appeared. “You’re going to talk to the prince of the Hollow Court. His name is Caius.”
“Me?” I squeaked, eyes darting around in search of a nearby prince.
Encountering a fae royal had not been on my “Rescue the Family” bingo card.
“You want me to talk to him by myself?” I really regretted not asking for more details—or, at the very least, putting more clauses in our contract.
Should I be excited that I could ask someone powerful for help?
Or terrified, considering royals usually abused that kind of power?
My instincts screamed at me to get out of this.
“I don’t think this is going to work. For one thing, how would I even find him? I don’t know what he looks like, and—”
“You won’t need to go anywhere,” Soren reassured me. “He’ll come to you.”
He twisted our arms above my head, and when they came down, my arms were crossed over my chest as I leaned back into him. I gave him a side-eyed glare before he swung me out and around again.
“Really.” I dragged out the word. “What makes you so sure?”
“Trust me.” He allowed a small smile as he brought me close again, staring down into my eyes. To anyone looking on, it was deceptively romantic.
I dropped my gaze to the buttons on his shirt. “So, you just want me to talk? That’s it?”
“Actually, I want you to casually drop into conversation that you were with me all day yesterday and that we stayed in since you arrived—after you make sure a toddy isn’t close by.
Fortunately, there aren’t too many in this court.
” He spun me around again, subtly pointing toward a different yet equally vibrant redhead on the far side of the room. “They’re usually easy to spot.”
“I wasn’t even here yesterday,” I reminded him, dizzy from trying to search for toddy wobbles, royalty, and humans who might be my family in the midst of all this spinning. Also, I didn’t know how to talk to a prince. I really should’ve listened to Soren’s etiquette lessons earlier.
“That’s not really the point, is it?” Soren murmured.
My head twisted in his direction. “You want me to lie for you,” I mused out loud. “If you need me to do this badly enough to make a deal, that must mean you really can’t lie.”
He pressed his lips together.
I grinned. “I knew it!” Then my face fell. “One problem.”
“What’s that?”
“Did you forget? You said yourself that I’m a terrible liar.”
“Did you forget”—he pulled out a pocket watch to show me the time—7:34 p.m.—as he spoke—“that you promised to help in any way that didn’t cross the line, between now and nine o’clock?”
It occurred to me, belatedly, that he could ask me to do a hundred things in the span of two hours. I probably could’ve made a dozen different deals instead of one. “This is all you want me to do?” I stalled.
“For now.”
It was still just the two of us dancing near other couples, no royalty in sight. Though my body was practically vibrating from anxiety, I tried to relax. “Most people would consider lying to be crossing a line.”
He gave me a level look. “You specified in the contract that crossing the line meant hurting someone.”
Shoot. I had said that.
Standing this close to him felt intimate, like those sharp blue eyes could see right through me. His calm face was only a few inches from mine.
Pursing my lips, I searched for another argument. “This fancy dress and glamour aren’t going to be enough. I don’t know anything about the fae. He’s going to see right through me.”
“I’ve already thought of that,” Soren said with a gracious smile, as if I’d told him something entertaining. “You’ll tell him you’re visiting us from the Shadow Court. That’s where I’m from. It will make him think you’re Unseelie and should excuse any odd behavior.”
Squinting at him, I tried to understand but came up blank. “Why?”
“Because in the eyes of folk here, the Unseelie are uneducated creatures of poor breeding.”
“Why will he even want to talk to me, then?”
Soren didn’t answer right away, though he didn’t seem uncertain, so much as unwilling to tell me.
He sighed, adjusting his hold and dancing slower.
“Caius has a penchant for wanting anything that I have. Now that he’s seen us together—seen us dancing and potentially getting along—he’ll be dying to steal you away. ”
I’d just raised a brow, ready to tell him how crazy that sounded, when a male voice spoke up behind me.
“May I have this dance?”