Chapter 3

CHAPTER3

“Welcome to Citlali,” one of the guards said next to my window just before riding ahead of the carriage.

I scrambled to the side of the carriage so I could see the city that I had heard about since I was a child. Cobblestones thrummed beneath the carriage wheels as we hit the city streets. It should have been shrouded in darkness, but it was alive with bright lanterns that hung from the stone townhouses and candlelight that adorned almost every doorstep.

The residents of the capital city stood at their doorsteps and along the street as they watched our procession pass them by. Some waved while others simply tried to peer inside the carriage to look at me.

Some tossed flowers in the path that we took, but instead of white flowers of honor like those of the Starless realm, the Citlali people tossed red poppies as they cheered.

And that reaction shocked me.

Almost all of the faces staring back at me were fae, but I noticed one man who bore the markings of starlight on his left shoulder. The marking was much smaller than my own, but he was the only other Starblessed I had ever seen.

And he currently had his arms wrapped around the fae woman in front of him.

He looked nothing like me. His skin was much darker than mine and his mark was so light that it almost looked white. My markings reminded me of the soft glow of the sun as it fell below the hills near my village.

Both of his eyes a light blue that matched my father’s.

We were so different yet the same.

But he looked like he was happy to be here. Like he was in love.

I didn’t take my eyes off him as the carriage continued through the city, and his gaze stared back at me as well. He had a gentle smile on his face, but I didn’t return it. I didn’t even know this man, but for some reason, I had the overwhelming urge to call him a traitor.

He was nothing to me, a complete stranger, but I still felt betrayed by the way he fit in so well with our enemies. I couldn’t stop the deep ache in my chest even as the carriage turned the corner and the man disappeared from my view.

I had always imagined how the Achlys palace would look in my head, but my imagination hadn’t done it justice. Even at night, the large building was striking, yet daunting.

The dark towers loomed over the town below, but most of the castle was hidden behind an imposing stone wall that reached higher than anyone could climb.

The carriage slowed as we approached the black iron gate, and my heart raced as the loud grating of metal rang out around us. I watched as the gate slowly opened to allow us through, and the urge to run hit me full force.

I knew once I passed beyond that wall that there would be no turning back. This was my fate, the fate decided my men and fae, not the gods. Only I could change it.

I could run, but I knew that they would find me. I shivered at the thought of what fate would wait for me then.

The fae soldiers I had met so far hadn’t been what I expected, but I knew better than to provoke the fae of my childhood fairy tales. Evil, lethal, venomous. I didn’t know if I had the courage to face those nightmares.

But the carriage moved forward again before I could truly consider it.

I was on edge, and I couldn’t believe that it had only been this morning when I was taken from my home.

It had already felt like a lifetime ago.

The gate closed behind us with a loud clang, and my fingers edged toward my dagger as I searched out the window. The palace grounds were grand and beautiful, even though I had expected it to look like something else entirely.

The dark stones rose high into the sky, but glass windows were intricately weaved into the structure in a way that made it feel almost dazzling in the lanterns that hung within. Flowers caressed every inch of dirt that remained inside the stone grounds. Splashes of white and red everywhere to be seen.

The carriage stopped before a set of grand stairs that led up to the even more imposing set of doors. I quickly checked my boot for my dagger before pushing my hair out of my face. I wished I had thought to bring my cloak. I felt desperate for the solace and privacy a simple piece of fabric could bring me.

The guard opened the carriage door, the same guard who had first approached me in Starless, and he once again held his hand out to help me. This time I took it. My hand trembled in his as I climbed out of the carriage and pressed my back against the smooth dark wood.

“Welcome to the Achlys palace.” He bowed his head, but I wasn’t really looking at him. I was too busy searching down the line of guards in the red and white uniforms, and I was only looking for black.

But Evren was nowhere to be seen.

The door to the palace opened with a deep groan that spoke of its age, and three fae women stepped outside. The youngest one with blonde curls that were thrown into a mess on top of her head, hurried down the stairs and kneeled before me.

I jerked back at her action, but my body was still pressed against the carriage.

Her brown eyes peered up at me, and I could see the confusion on her face. “Welcome, Starblessed. I’m Eletta, your lady-in-waiting.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I was more than ready for the girl to get up off her knees. “Please call me Adara.” I reached my hand out for her, but her cheeks reddened, and she quickly stood on her own.

“You must be tired from your trip. I have prepared your rooms where you can rest until the king and queen are ready for you.” She motioned up the stairs, and I quickly looked back in search of Evren one last time.

He still wasn’t there, and I scolded myself for caring. He was a fae, a captain of a royal guard, and he would be no help to me here.

“I just need to grab my trunk.” I started toward the back of the carriage, but the guard stopped me.

“It will be taken to your rooms.”

My rooms.As if this was to become my home. I knew the reality of it was the truth, but it felt like the closest thing to a lie.

This palace would never be my home. It didn’t matter what waited for me inside.

“Okay.” I nodded and started up the stairs after Eletta.

She watched me with every step I took, but she didn’t speak. We walked through the large doors, and I was instantly hit with the heat of a large hearth that sat at the base of the room. The fire was roaring inside as if it was trying to heat the entire palace, and I shuddered as I watched the large flames lick up the sides of the stone.

“Your room is in the north wing.” Eletta nodded in that direction, and I followed behind her.

Everything we passed was gilded in gold or marble or beautifully aged stone. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life.

“How old is the Achlys palace?” I asked, and my voice echoed throughout the empty hall.

“It is said that the palace was built by the first fae king, Novak, more than three millennia ago.” Eletta absently ran her finger along the wall as she passed.

There was no way that could be right.

We finally reached my room, and Eletta opened the door before standing aside to allow me through. I did so hesitantly.

There was another small hearth at the edge of the room, and a much smaller fire danced inside and warmed the space. A large bed sat across from it covered in rich fabrics that draped to the floor in the softest shade of rouge.

As much as I hated it, my muscles begged for me to lie against it and feel if it was as welcoming as it appeared. There was a small desk perched next to the single window in the room, and atop it was blank parchment and ink along with a gold mirror that spanned the width of the dark wood.

“The washroom is this way.” She stood near the only other door in the room, and I quickly followed her inside.

I couldn’t stop the sigh from passing my lips as I spotted the large copper tub that took up most of the space. Eletta smiled.

“I shall prepare a bath for you so we can get you ready to be presented to the royal family. They should call upon you within the next couple hours.”

“Okay.” I nodded my head even though I was wholly unprepared for what was to come.

Eletta lifted her fingers and turned them in the smallest pivot, and water began pouring out of the stone wall into the tub. I shot backward and clung to the door as I watched her magic. The tub steamed with the heat of the water, and I couldn’t speak a word as she lifted a small bottle and dropped oil against the surface.

The smell of jasmine hit me just as she turned to face me.

“Are you all right?” She looked around quickly, reassuring herself that no one else was there.

“You used magic.” It was a question and an accusation.

“Of course, I did.” Her brows lowered, and she stuttered over her words. “Everyone here uses magic.”

I stared at her because I wasn’t sure what to say. Of course, I knew that the high fae would possess powers, but Eletta wasn’t high fae. She was my lady-in-waiting, and I couldn’t wrap my head around what I had just seen.

If Eletta could do that, what was Evren capable of?

“All fae have magic?” I finally managed the words as my hands tightened on the door.

“Most do.” She nodded. “It’s very rare for a fae not to possess any magic even if it is the simplest enchantments.”

I was dying to know more. “And the royals, they possess a lot more magic than others?”

Her eyes flicked to the doorway, then back to me. I could see her hesitancy staring back at me, but she still spoke even though her voice was barely a whisper. “The Achlys family has passed down a potent magical line for the hundreds of years that they have been in power, but some worry that power may be waning.”

I stepped forward, closer to her. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t like to speak of this.” She looked back toward the doorway.

“Please,” I begged, and her eyes flew up to meet mine.

“It is said that the magic that lies within you will determine the fate of the Achlys family and all of Citlali. You will either be the key to their rise or the catalyst to their fall.”

My heart hammered in my chest at her words. “I don’t have that kind of power.” I shook my head. “I don’t have any power.”

“Every Starblessed is born with the ability to awaken the dormant and lethal magic that hides within a fae. From what we’ve been told for years, you are the key to guaranteeing our safety.” Eletta fidgeted with her dress.

Safety.“Safety from what? What if you’re all wrong?” I clenched my fists at my sides as the weight of her words hit me.

Her eyes flashed with fear. “We should really get you into the bath, Starblessed.”

“What if you’re wrong?” I asked my question more firmly. If I was the one who was supposed to be such a vital role in the future of this kingdom, then I deserved to know the truth. Everything I had ever been told about my betrothal had been minimal and useless.

Never had I been told anything like this.

“If Prince Gavril feeds from you and he doesn’t gain the power that is prophesied, then I fear that the kingdom will be truly vulnerable to Queen Veda for the first time in millennia.” Her voice shook and fueled my unease.

I had never heard that name in my entire life. I had never heard of any other queen besides the one I was to serve. “Who is Queen Veda?”

Eletta turned and ran her hand over the rim of the tub. “She is the ruling monarch of the Blood Court, the vampyres, and it is told that she is ruthless in her power and her hatred.”

A chill ran down my spine. I had heard legend after legend of the vampyres, and none of them were good. But I had never heard of their queen. “And she wants what?”

“To rule all.” Eletta grabbed a towel from a small gold hook on the wall that looked softer than any fabric I had ever felt and set it beside the tub. “Queen Veda has wanted to overthrow Citlali for as long as I can remember, but this is the first time her threats have any real chance of coming true.”

She nodded toward the tub, and I slowly slipped off my boots and set them directly beside the tub where I could reach them. Eletta’s eyes widened as she watched me slide my dagger inside my boot, but she didn’t say a word. I started to undress as my mind raced. “And you all think that I am going to be the one to stop her?”

I stepped inside the tub, and even the heat from the water couldn’t cure the chill across my skin. I didn’t know what these fae had been told of me, but I wasn’t what they thought. I didn’t possess the power to stop a vampyre queen. I didn’t possess the power to stop anything.

“We pray to the gods that you are.” She dipped a cloth into the water before lathering it with soap while I hid my breasts with my arms. “If the foretelling is wrong, then I hope the gods are truly watching over us.”

For the first time in a long time, I prayed that they were too.