Page 28 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“Would you like a tour?”

“I would like that, yes, King Onyx.” My mouth quirks up on one side.

“You must’ve met Twig. For such a little fellow, he sure does have a big mouth.” He shakes his head but doesn’t seem upset by Twig’s forwardness.

“I like the little guy. He’s sweet and super fascinating. Don’t be hard on him. He didn’t mean any harm in telling me,” I say quickly, hoping I haven’t gotten Twig into any trouble.

“Don’t worry. I’m not upset. I would’ve told you. You were just hurt, and last night you were tired and upset. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you.” His eyes are soft and kind. “So what do you say, Lyra? Are you up to a little tour before we head back?”

“Yes, I think I’d like that, but I’m not really wearing appropriate shoes for a hike. Maybe just a short tour.” I smile but feel kind of funny for coming out here in these flimsy slippers, but I hadn’t planned on leaving the castle today.

“Don’t worry. We won't be walking.” He smirks at me. “Are you afraid of heights?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Okay then, I’m going to give you the best kind of tour from above, but first I’ll need to release my magic, revealing my true form. Second, you’ll have to allow me to touch you and carry you. Alright?” He gives me a reassuring nod, then the moment his magic drops my breath catches. I thought he was handsome before, but now he’s stunning. Undeniably beautiful. He has giant black and gray wings like a wyvern, slightly pointed ears, inhumanly flawless skin, and gray eyes. I thought his eyes were alluring before, but now they glow. I don’t know what to say for a minute because I can’t stop staring at him.

“I can understand why you might be hesitant to trust me. You’ve been hurt before, and I don’t blame you for being cautious. But I want you to know that I will never hurt you,” he says, holding out his hand to me.

Whatever essence Twig put on me today must still be working, because I take his hand and say, “I trust you.”

He doesn’t waste any time. Nyx takes my hand, pulling me close to him as he picks me up, cradles me to his chest, and lifts me up into the air. A rush of wind blows over us as we take flight, his arm behind my back and my face buried in this chest. I’m afraid to look out and afraid he may drop me.

“I can’t give you a tour of my land if you just stare into my chest the entire time. It might be a nice view, but it’s one you can see anytime.”

I loosen my hold slightly, looking up at him. Glowing gray eyes meet mine and soften, tugging at something in my chest.

“Look.” He nods toward an emerging vista. I don’t want to look away from him, but for a moment I do. Oh my gods, the Noble Vale is gorgeous. We are high above the trees; the air feels cooler and lighter up here. Chepi looks way too happy flying alongside us with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Poor guy has never had anyone to fly with him before. Now he has Twig and Nyx. The thought warms my heart.

The view below takes my breath away as I lay my eyes on a colossal waterfall that tumbles down from the Guri river. Majestic birds soar above, gracefully cutting through the billowing mists. Their wingspans are wider than my height, and their iridescent feathers shimmer in vibrant hues of blue, red, and green. As I peer into the forest, I catch sight of fiery red furry creatures effortlessly swinging through the vines from tree to tree, soaring through the air with lightning speed.

“What are those?” I point at the cute, furry creatures.

“Those are called Bearded Cheeks. I’m not sure why because their faces are hairless. They’re mischievous little creatures that’ll steal the jewelry right off your body if you’re not careful,” Nyx says.

I find my fingers grazing the bloodstone at my neck for a moment.

“That is Topaz Falls. It's the largest waterfall in the Faery Realm, and the giant birds circling above are called lyng-lyngs.”

“They’re beautiful,” I say honestly, still a bit awed by my surroundings.

“That they are,” he whispers into my ear before diving down closer to the falls. My stomach drops, and I let a little yelp sound come out of my throat. Nyx laughs but holds me tighter to him.

“All of this, this place I mean, it’s lovely. Why didn’t you want me to go outside?”

Nyx flies us further up the river. “It’s not that I don’t want you to enjoy being outside; I just don’t want you going outside alone. This is the jungle, and it may seem lovely because the few creatures you’ve seen are beautiful, but dark creatures lurk in these jungles as well. Not all Faeries are charming like me either. Some would seek to harm you.” Nyx circles around the castle, pointing out different plants and animals along the way before landing on my balcony back at the castle.

“So you think you’re charming?” I say, turning in his arms to look at him.

“Oh, I know I’m charming, Lewis. It’s why you’re smiling at me like that now.” I like the way my last name rolls off his tongue. He lowers me to my feet, and I step back, wiping the smile from my face. As soon as I look back at him, his wings disappear, and his appearance changes back to more human than Fae. His gray eyes no longer glow. He opens the door for me, and we head inside. The castle feels nice, not humid like outside. It's cool, and there’s a fire going in the fireplace.

“How is it cool enough in here to have a fire going when it's so humid outside?”

“It’s magic. I’ve always liked having a fire. It’s something that relaxes me, so I keep the castle cool and comfortable.”

I don’t know how the day went by so fast, but when we landed on the balcony the sun was already descending the sky. My stomach was growling, causing me to wonder what might be for dinner. Nyx must’ve heard my stomach or sensed my train of thought.

“You need to eat. You can wash up if you’d like, and I’ll fetch us some dinner.”