Chapter 8

A valynn paced her room. Her father tasked her. The Sublander challenged her. Now Nia wanted her to think about her heart? Perhaps she could've added twelve more things to put on the list.

She fell face down on her pillow-littered bed. Her thoughts scattered every which way while she pictured Mateo. Eyes like a tempest sky. Hair, black as night. Beautiful, arrogant, infuriating…all things she was not expecting. She rolled over, grabbed her feather pillow, and slammed it against her face. Stop thinking about him. Stop, stop, stop. Focus on the hunt.

Whoosh .

She sat up. Her glance found a plain white envelope on the floor. She hopped off her bed, rushed over, and flung open the door. No one was there. Her eyes darted one way and then the other. "Hello?" The empty corridor echoed.

She returned inside and with a quick step, her hand swooped up the envelope. She pulled out the handwritten note.

Be brave, for a new path is on the horizon.

Another mysterious message. She rubbed her forehead, then pinched between her eyes. Who was doing this? She set aside the envelope and note. Her hand searched under the mattress and found the previous one.

Trust your instincts, not your past.

She placed them side by side. Same parchment. Same simple yet elegant black lettering. She raised both to her nose. Same woodsy, earthy scent. It wouldn't require an inquiry to learn they came from the same person. But who slipped these under her door? And why?

With all the excitement, she forgot to tell Nia about the first letter. Now she had two to tell her about. She shoved them under the mattress, walked over to the window, and sat on the windowseat. A gentle breeze tickled her cheek.

Trust her instincts ? She already did that. How was the past pertinent? Be brave ? She already was. Since birth, nothing scared or got the best of her. Yet, the reference to her new path troubled her most. Surely, it meant the hunt.

Avalynn gazed outside from her perch on the window seat. The large moon glowed, and the night stars glistened. She pulled her legs up to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her knees when movement in the bushes below caught her eye. Somebody was violating the rules of Stromm Palace.

She leaned forward and studied the shadows. A tall figure crept along the near-darkness, heading toward the back of the gardens. Her gaze followed the creeper along the path, then sped past, wondering where the person was headed—bushes, trees, fountains, benches. Her gaze stopped on the edge of the forest. There it stood—her beautiful white Enbarr—the one she had ridden only a few nights ago.

Avalynn's heart raced. The creeper… Her Enbarr …

She snatched her bow. She flicked an arrow from her quiver. Her aim fixed on the creeper. She pulled the string back. And then the forest darkened.

Thunderation.

She leaned out the window and glanced up. A cloud was passing over the moon, hiding her target. She lowered her weapon and waited for the slow-moving mist to finish its course. But the creeper would surely reach her Enbarr first. She had no time to waste. Her Enbarr needed her protection.

She snatched her black cloak. Quiver at her back, bow slung over her shoulder, she descended the lattice with ease. She darted across the gardens, taking the same dark path as the housebreaker. She knew all visitors were forbidden from roaming the grounds at night. What fool would have violated such a royal directive?

Dawning realization filtered through her. She paused her step and furrowed her brow. She knew the exact fool—the Sublander. He stepped in front of her for the procession. He declared himself the hunt winner. Well, his luck had run out tonight. If he touched her Enbarr, he would wear an arrow for a hat.

She picked up her pace. She slipped the bow off her shoulder and unsheathed an arrow. He was not getting anywhere near her Enbarr. Her heart thumped. Her muscles tensed. With each stride, she exhaled bursts of warm vapor into the chilly night. She was gaining on him. Soon, he would fall at her feet.

As the perfectly manicured gardens slipped past, she crossed into the wild area where tangled undergrowth and gnarled roots reached out to claim the path. Moonlight began filtering in from above. Finally, she could take the shot.

She slowed. She nocked her arrow. She pulled back the string. Her aim narrowed on the space between the Sublander's shoulders, then quickly redirected to his hand. She could not end him there and then. He still needed to compete in the hunt so he could take last. Her father still required appeasement. Worse yet, killing the Sublander would signal to her father that she, too, had violated the rules.

She let out a long breath, her hand keeping the string taut. As she was about to release her weapon, the Sublander spun and caught her eye. He crouched like a black panther with his dagger over his head, ready to unleash.

A standoff in the Summit Range forest. It came down to her or him. Her arrow versus his dagger. Avalynn, the bold Stromm princess and Mateo, the mysterious Sublander.

brAYYY!

An urgent whinny filled the air. Hooves thundered. The gorgeous Enbarr galloped between them, skidded to a halt, and reared up on its hind legs like a steed possessed. That silver mane sparkled in the moonlight. Its lavender eyes widened, ears pricked forward, and nostrils flared. brAYYY!

Avalynn stumbled and fell on her backside, awestruck at the display. "Okay, okay!" She lowered her weapon. "I see what you are doing."

The magical Enbarr continued stamping and stayed between her and Mateo, snorting and whinnying. From the ground, she saw Mateo, still on his feet, his dagger in hand. She said the only thing that made sense. "It wants you to put your weapon away."

Mateo's brows shot up. "Are you jesting?"

"No, I am not. Now, do as you are told, Sublander."

He muttered, then raised his dagger in a slow show of compliance. "I am sheathing my weapon now." He slid it in place at his waist. "There."

The Enbarr stilled. After a satisfying snort, it sauntered to a nearby cluster of clover and started grazing. Her tail flicked innocently as if she had not charged between them.

Mateo glanced at the Enbarr, as if worried it might stampede him. He approached Avalynn with an outstretched hand. "Let me help you."

She swatted him away. "I do not need your help, Sublander."

He furrowed his brows and stepped back. "I have a name. It is Mateo. Mateo Vela."

She rose and dusted herself off. "You are not allowed out here at night, Mateo Vela, lowborn of the Sublands. It is forbidden. You should know this." His lowborn brain had probably already forgotten.

He tilted his head and huffed. " You are out here."

Her pulse quickened. She gritted her teeth. She rested her hand on her bow, ready to jerk it into firing position. "Hold your tongue. I am the future High Queen. These are my lands." The lowborn needed a lesson in respect.

"Oh, I know who you are, ice princess." His hand wrapped around the dagger's hilt. "And I know where I stand…in unwelcoming Stromm land."

"What did you call me?" She clutched her bow and grabbed an arrow. She knew of this nickname, but hearing it spoken ignited a wildfire within her. He had no idea with whom he dealt.

He stepped forward and jerked his chin. "You heard me."

The Enbarr snorted. It pawed at the ground and backed up between Avalynn and Mateo. It shook her head and let out a low bray .

"Not now," she hissed to the creature, moving to the other side of the beast and coming face-to-face with the Sublander.

Mateo crossed his arms, and a small, irritating smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Even your horse knows you are acting ridiculous."

Every word out of the Sublander's mouth vibrated her insides and dug his last place grave deeper. "Name-calling will get you nowhere, Sublander. And it is no horse. It is an Enbarr! It does not belong to me but to the Sun, Moon, and Stars. A magical beast that transports people to the Passing Place and can only be ridden by the purest of hearts." That excluded him and his people in the Sublands.

A look of wonder spread across his face. "This is an Enbarr?"

The magnificent creature stamped her hooves. Its mane hung long and flowy. Those long lashes curled at the edges. While on the petite side, it still possessed the typical long legs and slender body. By the light of the bright moon, Avalynn saw the purple tint in the Enbarr's wise eyes. "You have never seen one?"

He approached the beast with slow steps. "I have not. We do not have much magic in the Sublands." He stretched out his hand. "May I touch it?"

"Sure. If it wants you to, that is. It might bite your hand off." Visions of the Enbarr attacking the Sublander brought a smile to her lips. It would serve him right.

He cocked a brow. "Now you jest with me."

She shrugged. "I am not jesting. It is up to the Enbarr if it allows your lowborn touch." If it were up to her, he would lose an arm.

He clenched his teeth. "Enough with calling me lowborn and Sublander." He double-tapped his fist over his heart. "I am Mateo Vela. A fae and a hunter like any other. My bloodline belongs here as much as any other bloodline." He raised his voice. "I share this land with you!"

She swallowed. Pain etched across his perfect face, his features tightening as if he carried the weight of a thousand crushed souls on his shoulders. Despite her softening heart, he was still lowborn, a Sublander, and she had a job to do. Despite all that, she wanted to say something to him but could not find any words for Mateo Vela from the Sublands…except that he was unexpected.

The Enbarr moved closer and nudged Avalynn. She stroked the beast's silky soft muzzle and cleared her throat. "You can touch it. The creature will not hurt you." There'd be no harm in letting the lowborn touch something so magnificent.

"I've changed my mind." Mateo shoved his hands in his pockets and started back to the palace. "Nice to meet you, future queen, current princess, Avalynn."

Her jumbled thoughts left her speechless. He and his kind were beneath her. They caused anguish and turmoil in Faevenly for as long as she had lived. Even before. Still, he had a point. They did share the land. Not Summit Range land, but Faevenly land.

With her head resting against the Enbarr's glimmering mane, she watched Mateo walk into the dark shadows. With no further light from the moon or stars, he slowly disappeared from Avalynn's view. Her heart twinged with a deep ache. She could not understand why.

Avalynn scaled back up the lattice. She plopped into her room. Her feet hit the floor, and a knock sounded at the door. She froze, bow in hand, and boots covered in grass and mud. If it was her father, she would as soon leap back out the window. "Who is it?"

"My lady, it is me."

Whew! She exhaled and opened the door. She needed her faithful maid servant and friend now more than ever. "Oh, Nia." Finally, someone she trusted.

Nia held a tray with oils and a glass of orange-tinted water. She looked at Avalynn's cloak, bow, and boots, then hurried inside and closed the door. "My lady, what have you been doing?"

"Let me show you." She tossed her things on the floor, then went to her bed and shoved her hand under her mattress. She rooted around, grunting, and then pulled out the plain white envelopes. "I meant to show you these earlier."

Nia set the silver tray on the table. "Oh my." She placed her delicate fingers over her mouth. "What are those?"

"Notes. Someone slipped them under my door. On two separate occasions." Avalynn pulled out the parchments and set them side by side. She folded her arms while Nia read them aloud.

"Words of guidance?" Nia asked.

"I guess." Avalynn shrugged with a sigh. "I wish I knew." She stuffed the notes back in the envelopes and returned them to their hiding spot. She sat on the edge of her bed, silent for a few seconds, sifting through her thoughts of Mateo and the Enbarr. He didn't seem so lowborn to her.

"Nia, can I ask you something?" Her tone was soft and low .

"Anything, my lady."

"Why do we hate the Sublanders?" She clasped her hands in her lap. "I know what I was taught about our realm and the human realm living peacefully until the humans wanted to take over. I know all about the Great Shimmer War and how our realms separated and then later how the Strongs committed atrocities against the humans." She played with her fingers. "But after all that, the Strongs united with the Sublanders, right? And if they united, then why do we still hate them?" The story made sense, but the resulting outcomes did not.

"They did unite. It was Queen Celyse who fell in love with a human. Then later, their daughter, Princess Gabriela, fell in love with a half-human, half-fae Sublander. But those love affairs did not change the hearts of the fae purists."

"But why? I do not understand."

"Who can know the reason why hate lingers?" Nia placed her head against Avalynn's shoulder. "Or why some think they are superior to others? I suppose it could be the inability to let go and move forward. Or the fear of history repeating itself. But there is one thing I have learned in all my years in this glorious realm. There is great power in asking these questions." She took Avalynn's hand and squeezed. "Great love in forgiveness, in pushing the pain away and looking forward to the future with clear eyes and open hearts."

Avalynn's chin quivered, and she could not explain it. "I saw the Sublander tonight. Out in the forest." She could not believe she told this to anyone, but she could trust Nia.

"You did?" Nia stayed calm, as Avalynn expected.

"I did."

"And? "

"There was no brightness in his eyes. Only pain." The silence in the room thickened as Avalynn's heart grew heavy.

Nia rubbed her arm. "I am sorry, my lady."

She scooted closer to Nia, feeling the comfort from her friend. "I am too."