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As she moves toward the door, she stoops to snag her shoes, wobbling in the process. Even though I don’t know her, and she’s being rude, my heart aches for her. It’s clear she’s troubled.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
Her eyes narrow at me. “I’ll be better than okay once you leave.”
My concern mingles with irritation. “I swear, I want nothing to do with your… evil faerie boyfriend. Truly.”
She snorts in disbelief. “You’re an idiot if you think that’s why—just stay away.”
“Easy enough considering I’m stuck here.” I give an exasperated sigh and wave my arms around the room. It’s pointless arguing with Fern in this state. “I’m not your enemy.”
“You’re threatening what I’ve earned here. You are my enemy, even if you don’t want to be.”
Her eyes bounce around the room wildly. I know Das Celyn is waiting for me in the kitchens, and I’m supposed to be cleaning up the mess I made in the hallway, but right now my concern is solely for Fern.
I’m afraid to let her leave in this state.
Is she safe?
What if something happens to her?
“You said something about having a spot in the Umbra Court?” I ask, imploring her to stay and continue the conversation. She eyes me cautiously before nodding. “How many courts are there?” When she doesn’t respond, I continue, hoping to ease her mind that I don’t plan to stay here. “I’d love to visit the others—find a place to settle down.”
“Oh,” she says. She sniffles again, then smiles at me before plopping on the bed. “There are six courts in Avylon—used to be seven, but not anymore. Only Umbra, Terra, Ignis, Aqua, Aer, and Lux remain.”
“What happened to the seventh?”
“I dunno.” She shrugs. “Umbra and Terra are the only two on this side of the Illustris Sea.” She waves a hand toward the window, and I wonder if that’s the body of water in the distance. “Ignis and Lux are on the other side of the sea. Aer Court is atop the peak of Mount Altum. And Aqua Court is beneath the Illustris Sea.”
Under the sea?
I can’t imagine what that entails.
My mind spins, trying to comprehend the various courts and creatures living in each court. It’s beyond anything I’ve heard before. The fae were always lumped into one large group for me. It’s news to me that there are not only various subspecies of fae, but multiple courts and royals as well.
The Umbra Prince might not be as powerful as I first assumed, if Avylon has six royal courts, but he still must be important to hold such a title.
“And the Umbra Prince… what exactly does he rule over?”
“The Prince of Fear oversees all of the Umbra Court and its surrounding villages.” Fern takes a big inhale and lies back on the bed with her eyes closed. “Everything you see around here is part of his court—the forest, the village by the water.”
She mutters something else but I have no idea what she says.
“And what’s your role in the Umbra Court?” I ask softly, not wanting to rile her up again.
I want to know more about what she’s doing here, why she’s afraid of leaving. Fern doesn’t have the Tradeling mark, so I’d imagine she could return to Dovenak. Surely, if she’s not a Tradeling, she has family who misses her.
But the only response I get is a snore.
She’s curled up on her side, with an arm under her head and her mouth half-open.
Careful not to wake her, since it’s clear she needs to sleep off whatever substance she’s on, I fold the silky sheets over her. When I’m certain she’s not waking, I tiptoe out of the room.
“I’m going to the kitchen,” I whisper in the hallway, as if the magical barrier will hear me and allow me to pass.
Perhaps it’s because I mean it this time, but it works. Nothing stops me as I trek two flights down in search of the kitchen. It seems safe enough here. For now.
I certainly need to leave this castle, but I suppose I need to pay off my damn faerie debt in order to do so. And in the meantime, I’ll figure out how we can pay off Fern’s and get her out of here, too. I’ll be damned if I leave behind anyone else in a life of captivity.
