15. Fifteen
Fifteen
The departure for the Summer Court was swiftly arranged.
Samira portaled ahead of them to make preparations, disappearing from the courtyard in a bright flash of lightning and an earsplitting crack that rattled Nova’s rib cage.
As Nova, Callan, and Bryn readied the horses in the courtyard, Thorn came to bid them goodbye.
Though Thorn may have warmed to Nova, if only by a degree, Lady Estrid and Lord Rowan were noticeably absent.
“The Noble Lord and Lady are otherwise occupied, I’m afraid,” Thorn informed them, tactfully dancing around the truth of the matter: Estrid and Rowan had refused to see them off.
Nova nodded, accepting their mistrust with a quiet stab of sadness.
Estrid had once asked her to think of the Autumn Court as home.
When she turned her face away from the others to compose herself, Nova spied Evander lingering beside Bryn’s horse a handful of strides away.
Though he appeared to have reined in his emotions, his mouth was a hard line as he toed the ground with his boot, casting furtive glances in their direction.
She couldn’t imagine Evander wished to speak with her, but perhaps he’d come to make amends with Callan before they left.
Nova turned her attention to the others for an instant, and when she looked back, Evander was gone.
Shortly after, they exited the gates of Pyralis.
The portal to Tundara wasn’t far—only a half-day’s ride under a somber, overcast sky.
Callan trotted ahead, leading Nova and Bryn through the autumn woods to the site of a second portal.
By midday, they passed, one by one, between two towering cairns atop a hill covered in tall, sallow grass.
The familiar sensation of a great weight pressed down on Nova from all directions, a low hum droning in her ears. Complete darkness greeted her when she emerged on the other side. She blinked rapidly, her vision slowly adjusting and latching onto a thin strip of light in the distance.
The hum in her ears soon faded, and she followed the sound of Callan’s voice rising above the rush of flowing water.
The source of the light, she discovered, was an opening that led out of the cavern.
A wall of water cascaded down over the mouth of the cave, warping her view of a dense green forest beyond and obscuring the entrance behind a breathtaking waterfall.
A narrow path led around the edge of the falling water, overlooking a deep pool.
The waterfall splashed onto large, flat rocks, churning white and sending ripples bobbing through the reflection of the lush greenery and vibrant flowers.
Cool spray misted Nova’s cheeks, providing a bit of relief from the humidity that enveloped her like a wet blanket as soon as she left the cave.
Blooms of orange and magenta, as large as her hand with her fingers spread wide, lined the path, and orchids grew nestled in the knotted trunks of enormous trees.
Birds with plumage as vibrant and colorful as the flowers flitted about the canopy above.
Delighted, Nova craned her neck and watched them darting from limb to limb as she followed close behind Callan, the horses carefully maneuvering over the thick roots crisscrossing the forest floor.
Finally, they emerged from the jungle, the view opening up along the horizon before them.
Though the air was less humid, the temperature was equally hot.
The Tundara Estate stood high on a hill, an imposing structure of sand-colored stone accentuated by the pinks and oranges of the sunset streaking the sky behind it.
A city of sun-bleached structures spiraled out in every direction around the base of the hill.
From above, Nova imagined it might look like a great seashell.
A cart road fortified with stone walls coiled around the hillside, leading to the entrance.
Nova and Bryn trailed Callan across an expanse of open field and through a grove of trees, the fresh scent of citrus, and other fruits Nova didn’t know the names of, drifting on the breeze.
By the time they reached the end of the winding path at the summit and passed through the fortress gates, their poor horses were spent, broad sides heaving and sweating through their coats.
The three travelers dismounted and were ushered inside to meet Lady Samira once again, leaving the animals happily drinking cool water from a basin in the courtyard.
They found the Lady seated upon a throne formed from the base of a live tree.
Samira was resplendent in a flowing coral gown and fresh flowers in her hair.
Above, the branches spread out nearly to the edges of the room, creating a thick canopy of waxy greenery.
Bits of golden sunlight speared through gaps in the leaves, dappling the stone floor with warm light.
The room itself felt alive, with vining plants climbing the walls and flowers sprouting from the cracks between the stones.
Butterflies and hummingbirds floated in the air over their heads.
Nova peeked through the leaves and realized there was no ceiling; the throne room was open to the sky.
She wondered what it would be like during a storm.
Samira rose and descended the steps to meet them. “Welcome, friends, to Tundara.” She reached out and grasped Nova’s hands in her own, her long, graceful fingers bedecked with golden rings.
“It’s good to be back,” Callan remarked, tipping his head to take in the living ceiling. He swiped a sleeve across his forehead. “Though I seem to have blocked out memories of the heat.”
“Rooms have been prepared so you might freshen up before the evening meal.” Samira crinkled her nose ever so slightly as she eyed the three visitors. Nova glanced down at her clothing and the ring of darkened fabric around her neck. She was drenched with sweat.
“That would be lovely,” Nova said.
“Come. We can begin formulating a plan of attack for Lotus Lake once you’ve eaten.” Samira breezed through the entryway, the airy skirt of her gown trailing behind her, and Nova gladly followed.
The sun sat perched high in the sky the following day as Nova hiked alongside Samira and Bryn through dense undergrowth and red mud, bound for Lotus Lake.
Insistent on accompanying them part of the way, Callan had convinced them to allow him to serve as a lookout.
He’d agreed to remain in a clearing with the horses, far enough away that he wouldn’t be at risk, but close enough, he argued, to get to them quickly if necessary.
His expression was stern when Nova left him, his jaw tight as he looped the horses’ reins loosely around a low-hanging tree limb and peered suspiciously into the surrounding jungle.
“Don’t pout,” she’d teased before giving him a peck on the cheek.
A short time later, sweat beaded on Nova’s forehead and upper lip as she tugged at the hem of her leather bodice, her shirt soaked through and sticking to her torso underneath.
A woven pouch hung from her belt at one hip.
She glanced over her shoulder at Bryn, who’d fallen behind, and caught the Wyldling staring at something cupped in her gloved hand.
“What have you got there?” Nova shouted.
“Nothing of interest,” Bryn replied, shrugging and dropping whatever it was into her own pouch. “A trinket, though I can’t recall where it came from.”
“We’re getting close.” Samira called out.
“I’ll go ahead to scout.” Bryn took a running start and leapt off the ground, shifting midair in a burst of iridescent black feathers.
Nova shielded her eyes against the sun, watching Bryn in her raven form climb higher and higher above the canopy before disappearing beyond the treetops. Samira resumed the hike, and Nova kept close to her, following in the Noble Lady’s sure footsteps over the uneven terrain.
“It must be incredible . . . to shift like that,” Nova remarked, slightly out of breath, hopping over a thick tree root obstructing the path in front of her. “Or to portal as you do.”
“It is,” Samira answered. “But portaling requires a great deal of control.”
“You’re the first Fae I’ve met who has the ability,” Nova said. She dared not mention the possibility that she, herself, could portal through shadow. Even so, she couldn’t squander the chance to gain some practical insight from an expert. “How does it work?”
Samira slowed her stride to match Nova’s pace. She was quiet for a moment, thinking before answering. Nova realized she may as well have asked Samira to describe the process of breathing.
“Portaling is different from other abilities,” Samira explained. “When you heal someone, for example, you’re calling Aurore’s gift to you. You wield it. To portal, you must surrender yourself to the power. Place your trust in it and move through it.”
She hastened her stride once again, and Nova had to jog a bit to keep up with the female who stood a hand taller than she did.
“For those with little experience, you’ve got to know where you’re going—to have seen the place before. Otherwise, you might end up somewhere you didn’t intend, or lose yourself all together.”
The pair emerged from the thick tree cover into a clearing.
Lotus Lake spread out before them, the center much farther than Nova could throw a stone.
Bryn soared in lazy circles overhead for several minutes more before alighting beside them, shifting into her Fae form just before she hit the ground.
“Everything looks fine from above. Water’s pristine. I could see straight to the bottom. There’s definitely something down there. At the center.”
“Well, then.” Samira grinned, rubbing her hands together. “Let’s not waste any time.”
In theory, the plan they had devised was simple. Samira would manipulate the water to create a pathway directly from the shoreline to the center of the lake. Bryn would keep watch from above while Nova scoured the lake bed for the Kinslayer shard.