I smiled at her, giving her a quick embrace. She knew I was only teasing her, but I knew how important it was to them both that I socialized more. A lot of people had been telling me the same thing lately, I thought – remembering Zerus.
“I know, mom.”
“Go, be with your friends,” she replied.
I hurried to join them, narrowly avoiding Aiden and Kailyn’s adoptive son Hunter commenting on how beautiful I looked. That was another thing—compliments just made me glow red. I smiled and waved at the werewolf as I rushed past, so as to not cause offense.
“Sorry I’m late,” I huffed, plonking my bag down next to theirs.
“Don’t worry,” replied Serena, “it’s given us a chance to people-watch. Everyone looks amazing—who knew my mom and dad could scrub up so well?”
Aida and I looked at her suspiciously.
“Err… Everyone, Serena. Your parents are insanely good looking,” Aida replied, shaking her head.
Ibrahim, Corrine and Mona (with her husband Kiev next to her) were standing closest to the edge of the port, the witches and warlock waiting for everyone to arrive before transporting us. The dragons would be traveling by themselves—some were coming from The Hearthlands, with those who lived at The Shade presumably having gone on ahead already. My great grandparents Sofia and Derek were standing with my parents, along with River and Ben. They all looked so sophisticated, and inhumanly beautiful.
“Oh, look!” Serena exclaimed, as Shayla appeared with Ash and Ruby and their two kids—the boy, Varga, who was seventeen, and Elonora, a fifteen-year-old who was the spitting image of her mom. Serena rushed through the crowd to meet them, and we followed. Before we reached them, Claudia and Yuri were there, embracing their daughter and son-in-law. Both Ash and Ruby were the same sentry-and-vampire mix that Serena’s parents were, but remained living in Nevertide, though they visited The Shade often.
“Serena, you’ve grown so much!” Ruby exclaimed, hugging her. “And where’s Phoenix? Where are your parents? Where are Benedict and Yelena? And Julian?”
Hazel and Tejus appeared from behind us, and I stood back to let the old friends talk. Benedict, Yelena and their daughter Fiona had to miss this evening’s event, due to an issue in the UK (Yelena’s birthplace), concerning some dodgy ‘Jack the Ripper’ style killings that were unnerving – but we weren’t entirely sure were supernatural-related, hence Benedict and Yelena going to investigate. While they were that side of the world, they’d taken Fiona to stay with Yelena’s parents. As for Julian, he should be here with his girlfriend Ariana… But where was Phoenix? I glanced over at Aida, who was searching the crowd for him, but neither of us could make out his tall figure. As I scanned the crowds, my eyes lighted on Jovi, who looked very handsome in a dark suit, his dark hair brushed back off his forehead, for once, and his facial hair trimmed down to a designer stubble.
Serena was standing nearby, and I noted how beautiful she looked with her head thrown back in laughter at something Ash had said, one arm slung over the shoulder of her mother. I couldn’t help but notice how many guys our age were watching her, but squashed the small flicker of jealousy I felt instantly. I loved Serena—I could hardly blame her for the fact that boys rarely noticed me. It was just because I was too shy, never appearing as carefree as Serena, or as approachable. I suddenly wished that Zerus was coming, but I already knew he had declined the invite. I could just see how the evening would go—fae princes and soldiers gathering around my friends like flies, while I awkwardly hovered by the edges of a dance floor, beyond irritated at myself for being such an introvert.
“Are you excited to be going to your birth star?” Aida turned to me, her eyes glowing.
“Yes.” I grinned, reminding myself why I had been excited about this trip in the first place—the fire star was linked to my primary element, and if there was anywhere in the worlds where my abilities might be at their strongest, it was there.
“I can’t wait to sleep in the palace,” Aida replied, “and eat fae food. The night’s going to be amazing, trust me.” She gave my hand a squeeze, guessing how I felt.
Ibrahim waved to get our attention.
“Everyone gather round—we’re going to depart in one minute.”
Everyone muttered their assent and did as Ibrahim instructed. Serena moved to stand next between Aida and me, grasping each of our hands.
“Wait!” Serena said to her parents. “Where is Phoenix?”
Before Tejus or Hazel could reply, Phoenix’s voice came from behind us. “Here.” We all turned and looked up at his grinning face.
“Where have you been?” Serena scolded him.
He shrugged, still outside the circle everyone was forming. “Just finishing something up—never you mind, little sis.”
Serena turned back to face her parents, who stood opposite us. “Whatever.”
“Get in the circle, Phoenix,” Aida muttered, and finally he did.
Corrine clapped her hands. “All right, all right. Ready everyone?”
“Ready,” everyone chorused.
A moment later, we were standing on the snowy peaks of Mount Logan. I shivered, hit by the sudden extreme drop in temperature, but it would only be temporary. We all piled into the portal walled by grayish blue mist, and started to glide along—our pace kept slow by the witches’ magic, to prevent the vortex from sucking us right down. Corrine gestured that we should start moving closer toward the wall of the portal, and soon we were enveloped in its thick mists, totally blinded and disorientated for a few moments until we broke through to the other side. The mists disappeared to reveal an expanse of blackness, small pinpricks of stars surrounding us as we floated through the dense silence. This part of the journey was a strange one; the stars and the great, black void were so awe-inspiring that it made me want to stay forever, but the crushing and absolute absence of noise also started to feel like it would drive me mad.
The fae planets came into view, the small spheres glowing brightly as we moved toward them. Their light bounced off the smooth skin of my friends, giving them an iridescent, unearthly appearance.
Our journey sped up, and soon we were descending onto the star. I closed my eyes briefly as the jolt of the last part of the journey made me feel slightly queasy, and when I opened them, I was standing on the ground—the magnificence of the fire star sprawled out before me.
Aida
[Victoria and Bastien’s daughter]
After my feet touched solid ground, it took me a few more seconds to comprehend the sight that greeted me. There was so much to see, so many spectacular colors and sights and smells that it was almost a violent assault to my senses.
I stared, open-mouthed, as elegant dancers swirled across the lawn, swathes of delicate scarves being waved in tempo to a jumble of musical sounds, the beat languid and soft before picking up into a bursting roll of drums and pipes. There were at least five different bands all playing at once, ensembles made up of several fae, but somehow all keeping in tune with one another. Fae guards stood to attention in rich, red robes, their weapons gleaming in the amber light that emanated from stone sculptures at various points across the grounds of the palace. Everywhere I looked, ice fires shot up into the air, their blazes almost reaching the top of the palace. Each time one of them burst alight, the heavy bushes and bouquets of flowers that were draped on the backs of chairs and table-tops suddenly seemed to come alive, as if the petals themselves were dancing along to the music.
Rows and rows of long banquet tables were laid out, their surfaces heavy with more stone sculptures and elaborate decorations of berries and flowers, along with large pieces of silverware. Off in the distance, I could see clusters of hedges, some neat and orderly, some wild and overgrown. From within them, I could hear the raucous laughter of guests. After staring, puzzled, for a few moments, I realized they were small mazes—strange lights came from inside them, and fireworks were being set off at their central points.
“How is this even more am
azing than I expected it to be?” Serena murmured. I turned to her in surprise, almost forgetting that my friends were standing right next to me.
I looked toward the palace and saw Sherus and Nuriya standing on the front steps—they were accepting gifts, all piled high on a table, and greeting guests who appeared to be other fae, perhaps from the neighboring elemental stars.
“Let’s go and say hello,” I said, realizing that the rest of the Shadian guests were already moving to greet the couple. My parents would have brought our gifts along, but I couldn’t see them in the crowd. The lights kept darting about, showing quick snapshots of one group of guests before lighting up somewhere else.
“Let’s go,” Serena agreed.
Before we could move, a fae appeared before us, dressed in the official livery of the fire star. He took our bags, telling Serena the directions to our room in the palace. I zoned out, too entranced with the scene around us. Serena was always better organized than Vita or I were, anyway.
When the conversation was finished, we made our way through the crowd, sticking close by one another so we didn’t get lost. We kept passing faces we knew, but in the next moment they would be gone, replaced by ones we didn’t—elaborately adorned fae, some dancing in abandon, some stern-faced and almost disapproving of our presence.
We waited on the steps to take our turn. Here at least the light remained constant. Small lanterns floated in mid-air, casting a warm glow over the new family. Nuriya held the child in her arms, wrapped in silk swaddling, her face beaming as she spoke with her guests, and then her smile broadening even more as she looked down at her child. Sherus stood with one arm wrapped around her. His expression was one of pride and happiness, and every other second he turned to gaze at his wife and their new infant, as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck.
“What do you think it’s going to be like?” Vita whispered. “A mix of fae and jinni…its abilities are going to be incredible.”
I nodded. There was no denying that. And a child of two royal bloodlines as well.
The couple in front of us, who I didn’t recognize, moved out of the way and we took the final step up the stairs to greet our hosts.
“Girls!” Nuriya exclaimed happily. “Thank you so much for coming. You all look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” we gushed, all peering into the bundle that lay in Nuriya’s arms.
“Do you have a name yet?” I breathed, staring down at the cherub-faced little creature who stared back up at me, his mouth forming a perfect little ‘o’ as he waved his chubby fist in my direction.
“We’ll announce it later.” Nuriya smiled. “There’s a ritual that will name him for us—we let the fire element decide.”
I nodded, not really understanding what she meant, but utterly transfixed by the small child. I reached out my little finger, trying to stroke his impossibly small hands. My skin touched his, and the next moment—he was gone!
“What?!” I gasped, looking up at Nuriya in panic.
The jinni queen laughed softly. “He does that sometimes. Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a moment.”
The other two exhaled in relief, but I only felt reassured once I saw him again. Like his mother claimed, he appeared a few moments later, gurgling softly and reaching for my finger again.
I smiled weakly back at the couple, who were looking at us all in amusement. We made our excuses and left, rejoining the buzz and crowds of the party.
“That was weird,” I murmured as we reached the banquet tables. “Scared me half to death.”
“I think they’re going to have an interesting time when he’s a toddler…” Vita replied.
“Can you imagine?” Serena exclaimed. “They’ll lose him every other second.”
Vita said something else, but her voice was lost in the music and a particularly loud group of dancing fae that crossed our path. They were all holding on to one another, like some exotic conga procession. I smiled, waiting for them to pass.
We were about to move on when one of the fae broke away from the back of the line. He stood in front of me, blocking my path. He wore a light blue robe with a large cowl hood that shaded most of his features, all except a full-lipped mouth that was raised ever so slightly into a smile.
“Good evening,” he announced, addressing me with a silken voice.
I was taken aback by the sudden approach, and it was a few moments before I could get my brain to function properly enough to muster up a reply.
“Hi,” I said, trying to smile.
“See you later, Aida!” Serena dragged Vita off into the crowds, and before I could smile apologetically at the man in front of me and follow them, he had taken my hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed it and held it for a few moments longer than necessary before finally releasing me.
“I’m Thantos,” he introduced himself, removing the heavy cowl that obscured his features. It was immediately obvious to me that he was fae. The delicate bone structure and luminescent skin couldn’t belong to any other species. His eyes were a bright, piercing blue, his hair an almost white blond, drawn back from his forehead and trailing down to his shoulders.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied, only just avoiding a stammer. “I’m Aida, I’m from The Shade.”
“And a werewolf,” he mused, his blue eyes sparkling with humor.
“What of it?” I asked. I knew that not all fae were as welcoming toward other supernaturals as Sherus and his kin were. His expression became instantly repentant.
“Nothing,” he replied. “I can just sense it. It’s curious to me, that’s all—I wanted to meet you. I didn’t know werewolves could be quite so captivating.”
“I’m part werewolf,” I corrected, heat rising up in my cheeks despite my best efforts to remain unruffled.
He nodded, the slow smile returning and lighting up his handsome face.
“Will you dance with me then, Aida of The Shade?”
I glanced around for my friends. They were gone.
Why not? I asked myself. I’d come here to have fun, and spending some time with an exotic fae was definitely the way to have it.
“All right,” I replied. He took me in his arms, one hand sliding around my waist and the other taking my hand. As if by design, the music slowed, and a soft, mournful tune echoed across the grounds of the palace. Thankfully, he led me like an expert. I wasn’t exactly skilled in ballroom dancing. Caleb had once tried to teach Serena, Vita and me, but we had made poor students, more interested in being twirled than actually learning any of the steps.
“You move beautifully,” Thantos whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my neck. I felt like we were dancing inches off the ground… then it occurred to me that with a fae, that was actually possible, and I looked down to double-check. No, we were definitely on the ground. I started to relax into his arms, enjoying the haunting notes of the music, almost growing drowsy from the spicy scents of the food and the balmy air of the summer night.
“Do you have a male companion, back at home?” the fae asked.
“Um…no,” I murmured, wondering why that answer suddenly made me feel sad when it never had before. I looked out into the crowds, thinking of Field. I hadn’t seen him before we left The Shade, and I couldn’t see him now. But perhaps I’d just missed him and he was off in one of the mazes with Maura. They could have been dancing mere feet away from us and I still wouldn’t necessarily have noticed him, thanks to the sporadic lighting.
“I can’t imagine how that can be,” Thantos murmured, his blue eyes searching mine.
Inwardly I scoffed. This guy was certainly a smooth talker, but there was only so much charm I could take. Still, I wasn’t ready for the dance to end just yet. The weight of his hand on my waist was comforting, and just being able to enjoy a few moments with a ludicrously handsome man—one who was actually being attentive—was a feeling I wasn’t willing to part with just yet.
We started to move faster and faster. The tempo o
f the music had picked up, and we spun around and around until I started to grow giddy. His long white hair flew around us, and I started to imagine it was the white sea foam that broke along the shore in The Shade on blustery days. I saw myself as a four-year-old girl, wearing the pink-spotted swimsuit I recognized from old pictures, carrying a plastic bucket in one hand, loading it up with shells and stones to bring back as ‘treasures’ to my mom.
I stumbled backward.
“Whoa,” I mumbled, the image vanishing and being replaced with the spinning lights of the celebration. The ground shifted and swayed beneath my feet. I held onto the arms of the fae, trying to regain my balance.
“Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I forget that we fae move too fast for others’ liking,” he replied, drawing me over to a chair. He handed me a glass of water, and I drank from it greedily.
“Don’t worry,” I replied when I’d finished. “It’s probably more to do with the journey here. The silence of the In-Between always gets to me.”
He nodded solemnly.
“And when did you last eat, little wolf?”
Oh.
It had been a while ago, stupid me. I was probably hungry and dehydrated. With all the excitement of the dress fitting and then getting here, I’d forgotten to eat anything since breakfast.
“Let me get you something. Wait here,” he replied, seeing my vacant expression. He left the table abruptly, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit smug that I’d found such an attentive dance partner for the evening.
Field
A distorted sense of reality had kicked in. I couldn’t quite grasp that the last few hours had actually happened, and my mind reeled from the speed at which I’d gone from a relationship break-up to the wild and elaborate celebrations taking place on the fire star.
From the moment I landed I realized that coming here was a mistake. It was crazy to think that I could join in and match the jubilation of everyone else. My mind was a million miles away, cursing myself for failing Maura—for just not loving her enough.