Chapter Thirteen
ABBY
THERE’S A WALKING path in front of the wall.
I drag my gloved fingers through my hair, so relieved, I don’t even care that my fingers snag on several knots.
There’s a suspicious number of men in all-black clothing walking the path, their outfits and large frames identical to that of the man I followed earlier, so I assume they’re guards. There are also women and occasional children, though. They’re regular citizens.
I wrap my hands around my backpack straps, nervously tightening them before approaching the walking path. It stretches as far as I can see, just like the wall. If I follow this long enough, I will surely find this elusive break Samuel was talking about.
Nobody looks twice at me as I step onto the cobblestone path, and I force myself to keep my chin high and expression confident as I begin walking. Two women are in front of me, both with intricately tied-up gray hair. They’re in long, cotton dresses, and the one on the left walks with a cane.
I quicken my pace, placing myself just close enough to listen to their conversation. I’m eager to learn whatever I can about this realm, and my eavesdropping hasn’t failed me yet.
“—with Prince Kieran.” I catch the tail end of the sentence of the woman on the right. Do these people talk about anything else? It feels like every conversation I overhear involves the princes and their plans to meet with the god Zaha.
“I heard he’s bringing the shifter,” the woman with the cane says. I hadn’t heard that. Who’s the shifter?
The one on the right snorts. “I’m not surprised. Where Prince Kieran goes, Prince Mason follows.”
I furrow my brow, confused. Is Prince Mason a shifter? I was under the impression the faeries and shifters don’t get along, and that the shifters live in the forest. Is Prince Mason acting as Prince Kieran’s escort? Maybe they have a tentative alliance or something.
The woman with the cane sneers. “It’s disgraceful. Prince Kieran should be ashamed to bring a shifter to his meeting with Zaha.”
I perk up. Everybody talks about Prince Kieran like the sun shines out of his ass, and I can’t lie and say I don’t enjoy hearing a negative opinion. It’s much more interesting than the bland praise the prince always receives.
“I don’t know…” The other woman’s voice trails off. “There’s no magic in Redstall, and having a shifter on hand could be helpful.” She blows out a loud sigh before continuing. “Besides, the portal is on troll land. Those angry, little—”
I tune their conversation out. Trolls ? There are fucking trolls, too? I thought Lill was kidding, and I didn’t sign up for this. Also, why is there no magic in the forest? That doesn’t bother me, but I see how it could upset the faeries. They need it to survive.
No wonder they allowed the shifters to move in. They have no use for the land, anyway.
The two women veer off the path, heading back into the city. I continue forward, mildly disappointed to lose them.
It takes two hours to find the break in the wall.
The city is well behind me, the tallest buildings now nothing more than a speck in the distance. There are still faeries on the path, but most are in various forms of exercise. They’re either running or cycling.
I’m surprised to learn that bicycles exist here, but I suppose even faeries enjoy exercise. They sure have enough energy to burn. I’ll never forget how active Lill was as a child.
Even Aaron couldn’t keep up with her, and he was two years older.
Despite the gravity of the situation before me, my lips curl at the memory of my older brother chasing after her. He was obsessed with everything and anything that had to do with Lill, and he practically had hearts in his eyes as he and Tommy Knocker stalked her around the neighborhood.
He’ll never admit it, but I’m pretty sure he still has a minor crush on her. It’s gross, but I wouldn’t blame him. Lill truly is spectacular. Anybody who can’t see that is an absolute fool.
The break in the wall is just up ahead. It’s a large gap, at least a half mile long, that leads right into the forest.
I wonder if it’s for military troops. If the faeries ever intend to attack the shifters, they’ll need to get several troops beyond the wall. That requires space. A lot of it, apparently.
I brush my hand over the covered waistband of my leggings, subtly feeling for the knife I tucked in there this morning.
The walking path veers away from the gap, leaving a significant amount of room between it and the open forest inside. The land between the path and the wall is leveled, too, making sneaking inside damn near impossible.
A guard is heading in my direction, his eyes trained ahead. He’s muscular, his biceps pushing against the tight black fabric of his shirt. I refuse to let myself be intimidated by it as I step in front of his path, capturing his attention.
“Excuse me?” I ask. “Is this the Redstall Forest?”
I gesture to the break in the wall—to the forest beyond. The faeries aren’t looking twice at me, and other than the one maybe creepy guy I ran into during my walk to Farbay, they’ve been friendly. I’m getting the impression that they don’t think much of humans, just as Lill always joked.
They think I’m a harmless, innocent pet, and I’m hoping this guard thinks so, too. I’m hoping he looks at me and sees a confused, inquisitive human.
The guard nods. “Yes. Why?”
His curt answer threatens to deter me, but I don’t let it. I keep my chin high, not responding physically to his tone. I’m new here, and I’m curious. There’s nothing wrong with that.
“It’s so…open,” I point out. “Aren’t you scared about shifters coming through?”
The guard glances at the gap in the wall, into the thick forest and giant trees beyond. I follow his line of sight, hoping he doesn’t dismiss my question. This is my best chance to gather information.
“The shifters know better than to enter faerie lands,” he says. “And the few who do wander through don’t make it far. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
I lick my lips. “I just fear it would be so easy to sneak through. I’ve heard they’re dangerous—and violent .” I shiver, hoping the action comes across as fearful.
The guard crosses his arms over his chest and shifts, subtly placing himself between me and the wall. Is he trying to protect me, or is he growing suspicious? I can’t honestly tell.
“Shifters aren’t known for their discretion,” he says. “On the rare occasion one takes it upon themselves to travel beyond the wall, they never make it far.”
Why? Because the area is so heavily guarded that they’re immediately spotted? That’s not good for me.
“Even at night?” I ask.
The guard laughs. “Even at night, human. The shifters are loud, impossible to miss.”
I don’t appreciate everybody calling me human . It makes me feel less than, but it’s not worth fighting about. Not right now.
“So, you spot them by sound?”
The guard nods, but he looks cautious. This is good news. It means he and the others won’t be patrolling with their eyes. If I’m quiet and careful, I might be able to get past them unnoticed.
I change the subject. “Do faeries ever go inside the forest?”
“Why would they?”
“I’m not sure. To explore, maybe?”
The guard hums. “It rarely happens, but it’s dangerous. I don’t recommend it.”
So, faeries do enter Redstall Forest. It’s not illegal or anything, just highly discouraged. That’s good to know. I’d march right in now if I didn’t already know the guard would stop me. The faeries can access the forest, but I’m not a faerie.
I’m a human—a weaker creature the faeries seem to feel the need to coddle and protect. Maybe that guy on the horse really was trying to help. Oh, well. There’s nothing I can do about it now.
I grab my backpack straps, nervously curling my gloved hands around them. “Well, that’s good to know. I should get going, but it was nice talking to you.”
The guard nods, his eyes trailing down my body in a way that’s just a little too heavy to be purely casual. “It was my pleasure.”
I’m sure it was.
The guard leaves, and I linger by the wall for a few minutes before beginning the long walk back into Farbay. This was helpful. Kind of.