Chapter 18

From the loreI had read, I was under the impression that Elves and Fae were practically one in the same. Elves had the pointed ears that Fae did not. Their power was closer to what I would consider a Witch than an elemental, but otherwise, they were mostly the same. After all, Véa was queen of the Fae while Nix was the Elvan prince.

As we dismounted the dragon, however, Graham made it clear that that was not the case.

"We used to be pretty similar." Graham held Rain's hand, helping her to the frozen soil. "But that changed recently. Caeda is the reason why."

"Because she uses that spell?" I fastened my backpack around my shoulders and secured my coat while I was at it. Although there wasn't snow on the ground, the chill in the air here was all but unbearable, even for me. "The one that grants her immortality?"

"Kind of, but not really." He squinted at the conifer trees in the distance. "That's a big part of it. But she just doesn't act like our people do. We're matriarchal, and she lets her husband make way too many decisions. He's more of a ruler than she is."

Oh. Yes, I understood why that could be an issue for the Fae. Kings were titles. They were not rulers, not here.

"That's a little sexist, isn't it?" Rain asked. "I mean, is he a bad guy?"

Graham shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not from here. All I do know is that my mum and pa never respected Makora. That was the theme in every Fae village growing up. We don't like the Elves, and they don't like us."

"Because they're more patriarchal than matriarchal," Warren said, a bit of question at the edge of his voice.

"And because they don't believe in the gods. More than that, even. They openly reject them, hate them." Fixing his cloak around his shoulders, he nodded to the others dismounting across the field. "But they wanted us all together. Let's walk and talk."

As we continued toward the group, Rain's flock of ravens descended from above. They were almost impossible to see in the setting sun, just a quiet flap over us, behind us, until one fluttered onto Rain's shoulder. She gave its cheek a scratch, then found mine and Graham's hands.

"Why?" Genuine curiosity took hold of my voice. Granted, I hadn't finished all of my reading, but within the holy books, one thing was clear. Although flawed, the gods were good, decent people. "Is there something I don't know about?"

"Well, they never killed Lux," he continued, curling an arm around Rain's waist. I stood closest to Graham, hand in hand with Warren. Cold soil crunched beneath our feet with each step. "If they had, the war here never would've started. That's how the Elves see it, anyway. I disagree, but that's a whole other conversation."

"Yeah, but isn't that the premise of religion here?" Warren craned past me to look at Graham. "It's not that people are bad. Their actions may be, but they can change. They can do better. That's why they didn't kill Lux."

"And that's what the Elves hate. It's not even that I disagree with them." Graham shrugged. "When we met the guy, I asked Laila why she hadn't killed him. I don't blame the Elves for wondering the same thing. But it's just a difference of opinion. I think that at their core, they do what's best for their people. The Elves don't see it that way. They think that they selfishly kept Lux alive for Nix and Hana."

In the old books, Lux, Nix, and Hana shared a father. Later, Nix fell in love with Lux's wife, Véa. Véa then had a hard time convincing Nix to join her in overthrowing her husband, his brother.

As Graham had read it to me, I found myself torn on Nix's behalf. Lux was still, no matter how awful, his brother. He loved him. He knew that taking the crown would destroy their relationship forever, perhaps more than taking his wife. In the end, he chose Véa, but he still spared Lux.

"Well, I can't say I disagree with them," I muttered.

"Neither do I. But that's just it." Cloud of steam forming before his face, Graham looked my way. "Those are the type of moral qualms that those of us who worship the gods love about our faith. No one ever said that they were infinitely good or infinitely bad. It's all about the gray and forming your own moral compass from it."

"Touché," I said.

"And that's it. Religion." Rain arched a brow at him. "That's why you all hate each other."

"I don't hate them. I don't hate anybody because of something they can't control." There was an edge to Graham's voice. Not anger, but clarity. He did not want what he was about to say to be misunderstood. "I greatly dislike the queen and her husband. Using the dark magic our greatest enemy used to attempt genocide on our people for their own gain is disgusting. That magic is illegal for good reason. It was used to destroy worlds. But they use it anyway, because they would rather get eternity by killing than through the tree of life. Even if you don't love the gods, you should at least respect our customs, and the tree of life was around before Véa. They spat in the face of that. Practically rubbed shite all over our culture. The patriarchal aspect is just icing on the cake."

"Hey, good job, man." Warren leaned around me to smile at Graham. "Icing on the cake. That's the right idiom."

"See? I'm getting the hang of things." Graham's tone took on its usual giddiness. "All that to say, the Elves and the Fae separated culturally around the time Caeda became queen. The division she has caused between us all just makes me like her less."

"And that's the opinion of most Fae," Rain said, confirming.

"Some are more spirited in one way or another, but mostly, yeah, that's how most of us feel. But, like they said, I don't think that the Elves are a threat. We just don't look at life the same way." Now only a few strides from the rest of the army, Graham gestured to the other soldiers. "I just hope they can bite their tongues when we arrive."

So did I.

The domethat encased the city, Iliantha explained, was a shield. No Angels could enter. Neither could anyone else, unless someone with authority gave them permission. Unfortunately, that included us.

We were instructed to stay quiet as we walked toward the barrier, and to remain that way when we arrived at the gates. I never had much trouble doing as I was told, so that was no problem for me. Warren never minded staying quiet. Graham understood the gravity of the situation, so he bit his tongue. The biggest concern would be Rain, but she kept her mouth shut and didn't ask about every new species we came across. At least, not out loud.

Is that a bunny? she asked Graham, pointing to a rodent like creature tucked away in a pile of twigs.

Unlike I was used to back home, it wasn't afraid of us. We all made direct eye contact with the little thing. I couldn't make much out in the dim light, but its eyes glowed yellow, pointed ears perched high atop his head, little buck teeth glinting in the moonlight.

I think it's in the same family as a bunny,Graham said into the telepathic group chat. But bunnies won't hurt you, right? Because that little buggerhas abite like a rattlesnake.

That had gotten both me and Rain's attention. Turning that way with wide eyes, I said into his mind, You're serious.

Yep.

Should we run?Warren's voice. Or warn the others?

Nah, it won't mess with us unless we mess with it.

Suppose mothers say that on every dimension,I thought.

Shortly after, she thought to us all, Graham?

Yes?

Why hasn't the sun set yet? A glance at her watch, reading 11:35 p.m. Or is my watch wrong?

That one, I could answer. Oh, it's the Midnight Sun. It's because, the higher north we go, the closer we get to the Arctic Circle.

Aye, Graham agreed. Where I'm from, even higher up north, we go weeks without a sunset sometimes and weeks without a sunrise.

Oh, yeah, I remember learning about that in school,she thought. With a smile, she gazed up. It's so cool.

It was, until it set entirely another half hour into our walk.

A few moments later, we walked past a green bush. Nothing particularly special about it. Just a bush with some yellow berries growing on its stems.

Can we eat these?Rain asked.

Are you constipated?Graham asked.

Her nose scrunched up. It'll give me diarrhea?

Yep. Great to have around if you're backed up though.

Curling her lip, she continued ahead. Yummy.

I chuckled. To Graham's mind, I said, Like prunes? Or like a laxative?

Like, five minutes after you've eaten a berry, expect not to leave theblackwater stream for at least five hours.

Interesting.

Interesting?Warren asked. You're interested in the weirdest shit,darling.

You know, constipation is one of the leading causes of death inelderly patients in hospitals and nursing homes, I thought. It's also incredibly painful.To know there's a berry that works better than a standard laxative could be magnificent for modern science. We use things like pear juice and prunesand applesauce, but it's not always enough, and some of our artificial laxatives are dangerous if used more than once in a while. Natural ones are no different. Of course I'm interested in another alternative.

Squeezing my hand, Rain smiled. I don't think it's weird, baby. I think it's sweet that you're interested in other people's shit.

Bowel movements are not funny. I waved them off. They're an incredibly important part of life.

Of course they are,Warren thought. And Rain's right. I love how fascinated you are by science and medicine, even if a lot of it is fuckinggross.

Considering you regularly fuck us in the ass—I gestured between me and Rain—I don't think that you should be too grossed out by bowel movements, love.

That's different. This time, it was him waving me off. Nothing's gross when I'm horny.

In the distance, through the meadow ahead, the city walls became clear. I hadn't noticed them in the sky when Warren woke me, perhaps because the trees stood so close to them, but they had to have been at least three stories high. Unlike the palace in the center of the city, however, they were composed of Elvan ore. Which made sense. Apparently, it was a stronger substance than steel or diamond.

Straight ahead, Iliantha joined hands with Laila and Connor. They spoke quietly amongst themselves, or perhaps telepathically, and exchanged a few nods and head shakes. Jeremy must've been in on the conversation we couldn't hear, because he turned around and held up a hand.

We all stopped. He nodded, as if to say thank you. Then he turned back around.

Still nestled in the pine forest foliage, Laila and Iliantha continued ahead. One step out to the clearing, and a light as bright as day shined on them.

"What business d'ye have here?" a man's voice called.

Iliantha cleared her throat. "I am Iliantha of the Deep North. I have an urgent matter that I must discuss with Caeda."

"Fellow queens don't usually arrive with an army at their flank." The man was invisible behind that bright light, even more so when he shined it on us. "What might that be about, do gràs?"

"I didn't bring them for you." With an open hand, she gestured to us all behind her. "They came along to protect us from the air an tagadh. An enemy of us both, if memory serves."

A moment of silence.

"Who stands beside ye?" His light turned on Laila. "She's neither Fae nor elf."

"I'm Fae, Guardian, and Angel," she said.

He cackled. "And American."

"Look, man, I'm not too proud of that either," she said. As a Brit, I couldn't help my chuckle. "But Caeda has met with my friend here."

Connor raised an open palm, and the light turned on him. He spoke in Elvan, so I didn't catch a word of it.

Again, silence.

"I can't just let the lot of ye in," the man said. His voice was calmer now. Less tense. Whatever Connor said must've changed the stakes. "I'll have to wake the queen herself."

"We'd appreciate that very much," Iliantha said. "I brought her gifts as well. Tell her that first."

The man laughed. "Aye, that'll soften the blow."

These accents made it hard to tell when people were being sarcastic.