Crownless Heirs (Threadfire #2)

1. Danger in beauty

Danger in beauty

The Veil sealed shut behind them, trapping them in a world lost in perpetual twilight.

Above, the sky was a beautiful explosion of violet hues and bruised pink, while beneath their feet, pale greens intertwined with shimmering ribbons of gold, indigo, and lilac.

In that moment, Sorcha forgot the creeping rot that had twisted her world into a mere husk, lost in the sheer beauty of it all.

She let go of the weight on her shoulders and let the purple skies wash over her.

The scuttling sounds in the tall grass weren’t monsters lurking in the shadows, but the small feet of ruby-colored foxes adorned with luminescent mushrooms.

Just then, a sting pricked Sorcha’s leg.

She let out a yelp, swiping at the spot as a tiny, winged creature darted away, its laughter echoing as it zipped past. More of them flitted around, peculiar, butterfly-like beings with iridescent wings and mischievous grins.

Their laughter, both beautiful and strangely irritating, was high and musical.

Another pixie dove at Kyron’s ear, biting down hard.

He hissed, swatting at it, as another latched onto Cat’s tail.

With a flick, Cat whipped it from the air, sending it tumbling into the grass.

The little fae shrieked, flailing its arms and pointing accusingly at Cat, but quickly zipped away when he hungrily licked his lips.

Kyron rubbed his ear, muttering a curse. “If one more of these annoying pixies bites me, I swear I’ll feed them to Cat.”

Sorcha watched as the pixies flew away towards a river, its crystal waters winding a silver path through the lush landscape.

She walked to its banks, watching fish with gleaming scales loop through the currents in an elegant slow dance.

As she crouched, her hand drifting toward the surface, a sudden, violent grip seized her arm.

The force yanked her back so hard that the ground nearly slipped from beneath her boots.

She spun around, mouth open to snap at Kyron, but the words fell away.

He wasn’t looking at her; he was focused entirely on the water.

Following his gaze back to the river, her breath hitched.

Just below the shimmering surface, blending seamlessly among the fish, a woman’s face stared back.

A hollow smile spread across her lips. Her hair drifted around her head like oil on water, framing skin as pale as river foam with piercing eyes as cold and empty as onyx.

The merrow’s webbed fingers broke the surface, almost brushing Sorcha’s skin.

“Leaving so soon?” she purred, her voice rippling like a song. “Come swim with me; it’s so lonely.”

As she rose higher, her hair cascaded over her shoulders and trailed down her bare breasts.

Kyron didn’t hesitate as she approached; he yanked Sorcha back towards Cat, who responded with a menacing snarl.

In response, the merrow’s smile widened, exposing rows of jagged, shark-like teeth.

Her gaze remained locked on Sorcha even as a pixie zipped carelessly through the air between them.

With terrifying speed, the creature’s webbed fingers snatched the sprite mid-flight.

With a sickening crunch, the merrow tore the pixie in half, silencing her scream.

As she chewed, blood spilled from the merrow’s lips and stained her pale skin.

She offered one final, crimson-stained smile before slowly dissolving back into the river.

Kyron finally let out his breath, his grip still tight on Sorcha’s arm. “That was too close.”

The powerful, rumbling sound of flapping wings shook the ground as dragons wheeled and soared in the vast expanse above.

Sorcha eyed the magnificent creatures, their massive, copper forms slowly disappearing into the deep violet clouds overhead.

One dragon, larger than the rest, possessed three snarling heads.

Its central head twisted, its gaze locking with Sorcha’s as it passed overhead.

A prickle of fear traced its way down her spine as it watched her; its eyes widening as if it recognized her.

Then it shot up into the sky, rejoining the others before vanishing into the thick clouds.

Kyron stepped forward, his eyes scanning their surroundings, also watching the clouds before landing on a massive structure perched impossibly in the sky.

An upside-down castle. It loomed directly above them, suspended in the heavens, its courtyard waterfalls flowing in reverse as they cascaded upward into the clouds.

Shaking with adrenaline, her fingers trembled as she pulled a delicate parchment from her cloak. “Thanks,” Sorcha said softly.

“You need to be more careful here,” warned Kyron.

She nodded, keeping her eyes glued to the sky while Kyron muttered, “I don’t know where we are. I know the castle... but that doesn’t help us lay out a path.”

Sorcha frowned, glancing at him. “What?”

Kyron shook his head, scanning the landscape again. “You can see the castle from all over the Otherworld.” His brows furrowed. “The castle is massive; we could be miles from it, or just beyond those hills.”

She scoffed as her fingers traced the map, but before she could reply, Cat spoke up, “I think I know.”

“Great. Then which way do we go?” Sorcha asked, glancing over at Cat.

Cat hesitated, his eyes flicking toward the horizon and then to the forest in the distance. “I need to make a stop first.”

Kyron’s eyes grew wide in disbelief. “No.”

Sorcha returned looks to both of them. “What?” Kyron asked in frustration, crossing his arms. “We don’t have time for detours. We need to keep moving.”

“I know,” she said, turning to Cat. “What could be more important than finding the Tuatha?”

Cat’s eyes met Sorcha’s; there was almost a pleading look. “Trust me. It’s important.”

Kyron scoffed. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Sorcha studied Cat intently. Whatever this stop was, it was important to him, and that mattered to her. She folded the map and tucked it away. “Okay.”

Kyron snapped his head toward her. “What?”

Sorcha met Kyron’s eyes. “I said okay.” Then, looking at Cat, she gestured forward. “Lead the way.”

“Sorcha—” Kyron began to say but Sorcha cut him off.

“We’ll be swift,” she replied quickly. “If it’s important to him, we’ll go.”

Slowly Cat turned and led them forward; the inverted castle loomed against the sky. Stained glass windows gleamed, and artisans exquisitely crafted the structure, seamlessly integrating delicate spirals and elegant patterns into the stone.

How did it hang in the air? How could such a magnificent structure exist? Sorcha thought, transfixed on it, that it defied all natural laws.

However, as they continued their journey, the wonder of the castle gradually faded into the background.

Her gaze shifted and landed on a colossal snake coiled around a mountain.

Its massive form undulated with each slow movement, its scales shifting from emerald to deep gold, rippling constantly like waves.

Beside her, Cat observed the creature intently, his expression focused on its movements.

He didn’t look at her when he spoke, yet somehow he answered her questions before she could even ask them.

“It’s the Nathair,” he said. “It usually lives in caves or underground, but I suppose it came up for a snack.”

Cat gave Sorcha a smug wink. She huffed, leaning her weight into a playful hip-bump against his massive shoulder before turning toward the approaching forest.

Initially, the forest was as beautiful as the surrounding landscape.

Tall trees with luminescent leaves stretched skyward, their colors varying from violet and blue to a soft golden light that cast dancing shadows on the moss-covered ground.

However, as they drew nearer, the scenery changed; the forest’s vibrant hues began to dim, replaced by duller shades of ash and coal.

Gradually, the warmth in the air disappeared, and a growing chill started to seep under their clothes.

The further they ventured, the more things seemed to warp, as if the forest itself was dictating their path.

Creatures materialized and vanished mid-step, as if stepping through an invisible doorway.

The drone of insects and chittering of animals disappeared as an eerie silence enveloped the space.

Sorcha couldn’t shake the sensation that she was being watched.

She glanced at Cat, who was watching the trees and animals.

“It knows we’re here.” Cat said, watching the animals appear mid-step and then gone the next.

Sorcha turned to him, her mind buzzing with confusion. “Who knows we’re here?”

He gestured around them with his paw. “The forest.” His ears twitched as he observed the shifting landscape. “The trees are alive. They walk, they speak, and some feed,” he added.

Kyron’s expression was a blend of skepticism and curiosity. “I knew things about these forests, but no one has ever mentioned anything like this.”

Cat’s tail flicked as he spoke. “I know these woods better than anyone. When this happens,” he motioned once again to the twisting branches and the shifting ground beneath their feet, “it changes everything. The paths won’t be where they should be, landmarks will move, and the deeper we go, the harder it will be to navigate. ”

Sorcha was glancing around, trying to find their way back. Everything looked different already, and she wondered how they could tell if it had changed already.

Cat’s voice dropped lower, taking on a more serious tone. “We need to stay vigilant. We won’t be the only ones trying to find our way through.”

With a deep breath and a slightly obnoxious exhale, Kyron nodded and turned to Sorcha. “It’s not like we have much of a choice,” Kyron said, already walking past Sorcha as they ventured into the forest.