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"…Shadow?" I say softly, squatting down. The shadow snake slithers up my arm when I extend it, wrapping around me like a gauntlet. It makes my skin crawl. "What are you doing here on my arm, snake?"
Of course, the snake cannot speak to me, but it flicks its tongue out as if it understands what I'm saying. Tulip is staring, mouth dropped open, at thecreature that has decided to take up residence on my skin.
"Shadow," she says reverently, reaching to stroke her finger down its head. "Does this mean Viola is near?"
"I think it means she wants us to know it won't be long until she is." I turn my arm around, looking at the snake glistening in the sun. "Why is she just now sending him to us?"
"Maybe this is the first time she's had the ability to," Plume says quietly. "Maybe she… hasn't had the magic."
We've all had that thought, that if Viola should've been able to use her magic to get to us. Unless... "Do you think she's been in the prison?" I ask Morrow and Plume. "Has she been locked up this whole time?"
"No telling, but I think this is a good sign. Let's get this over with so when she gets here, we can be done with this part of our journey." Morrow raises his fist to the door and bangs on it heartily.
Within a few moments, the door creeps open, and an elderly man stands there, his hair fully gray, his skin loose around his face. His eyes are so dark they're nearly black, and they're narrowed in suspicion. Despite his age, he doesn't look weak at all. He looks as dangerous as Xande's warning implied. His pants are form-fitting and solid black like my own, but he wears a green floral vest on his bare chest.
There is no telling how old this man is, and something about him is off. The way he moves, the way he sizes us up. Even his aura.
Thisman is no human.
"Well, it seems the fae have found me at last," he says, stepping back and holding the door open for us.
We step inside without bothering to introduce ourselves. His home is full of plant life, vines growing up the walls, flowers blooming on flat surfaces. Plume looks around wide-eyed, and green magic floats around her like mist, settling on the plants. Her head jerks towards the man, Brillian. "You're a Spring Seasonale," she says quietly.
He scoffs, sitting down in a comfortable brown leather chair. "I don't know what terms you use in Ytopie, but yes, I am blessed with the magic of Amaryn." I lean against a table while Plume and Tulip perch on the edge of a couch, and Morrow leans against the door with his arms crossed. Brillian examines all of us with keen eyes. "You came into my home. Introduce yourselves and state your business with me."
"I'm Plume, also fae blessed with Amaryn's magic," she says, using a small amount of magic to bloom a flower that is still unopened on the table beside Brillian.
"Tulip," the human says, leaning on the arm of the sofa. "Human from Pran."
Brillian narrows his eyes at the young woman but says nothing, swinging his gaze to Morrow. Morrow narrows his eyes at the old fae. "Morrow, magic of Helios." His words are short and choppy, and he summons a small ball of light to rest in his hand. Brillian nods, satisfied with his display, before looking at me.
"Mace Nightroot," I say, assuming he'll recognize the name, but there is no flash of it acrosshis eyes. "Head Patrician of Ytopie, magic of Avidor." Without effort, I Decay one of the vines that runs on the wall next to me. Brillian bares his teeth at me before flicking a green mist and restoring the plant.
"So, three powerful fae and their pet human…"
"Do not speak about my wife that way," Morrow grumbles, taking an aggressive step forward.
"Wife? Oh, forgive me, I didn't realize the fae decided to stoop so low as to breed with humans now." The man's grin is more of a baring of his teeth, and I have to put a hand on Morrow's chest to stop him from charging the old fae.
"We're not here to cause trouble, Brillian. We need something you may have, and then we'll be on our way."
He looks at me, eyes narrowed. "Now, what could you possibly need from me?"
"I need an artifact that would've been passed through the high priest of Spring's family. And the journal of said priest."
His entire demeanor changes, and he's on his feet, body held aggressively. "What could you want with that?"
"We need to bring the Gods back, and that's how we'll do it. Himureal is back, and he'll destroy Krillium if left to his own devices. We need to get the other Gods here, and we need all the journals to figure out how."
Brillian laughs, full-on belly laughs, bent over. "Get the fuck out of here. You'll bring the Gods back over my dead body."
I snarl. "That can be arranged." I step into his space, and he raises himself to full height. "I will not let you keep this toyourself when the rest of Krillium will suffer for it."
"My grandfather had every right to banish the Gods, and I will not play a part in bringing them back!" he snarls.
"Your grandfather?" Plume asks curiously. "The high priest of Spring was your grandfather?"
He nods tightly. "When the Gods were banished, the devotion that powered that magic blanketed the land. It killed one of the high priests, but it gave Tieron magic. It gave several humans magic—the ancestors of the fae. My family has been here since. I am the last of us."
