Page 16 of A Legacy of the Light

Chapter 5

Outside the apartment I woke up in, this building seems old. The hallways are made of stone, with very little adorning the walls beyond golden light fixtures casting shadows on the bare stone floor ahead of us.

Reyne leads me down hallway after hallway, and I had hoped to remember the route to try and sneak out of here if I need to, but I’m soon lost. What is odd is that we’ve hardly passed any doors. It seems like this part is deserted and there isn’t much beyond the rooms we left.

“How big is this place?” I ask in a hushed whisper.

“The palace houses the royal family and some of the courtiers when they’re in the city, although most have their own residences about town and come to the grounds during the day. It’s big enough to house around one hundred guests and enough staff to see to their needs.”

I stop short. I’m in a palace. One that houses an entire royal family.

“Reyne, will you please tell me where I am? There isn’t a royal family in the US and I’m freaking out.” My voice is shaking and I hate how it betrays how scared I am.

Reyne faces me with a sympathetic look. “Elsie, you’re in—”

“Elfayne.”

I gasp at the deep voice behind me and whirl around to see it’s Tavish.

“Thanks, Reyne, I’ll take over from here,” he says over my head.

Reyne’s footsteps shuffle off behind me but I don’t turn to say goodbye to her.

So much for making sure nothing happens to me. That must mean Tavish is safe. I keep my eyes locked on him, my heart rate sky high after he scared the bejesus out of me.

“Elfayne? That doesn’t sound real,” I scoff, trying and failing to calm myself.

“I can assure you it’s very real.”

“Okay, where is it then? Geographically, I mean,” I ask crossing my arms.

A slight smile tugs at his lips. “It’s similar to what you mortals would call Scotland.” He mirrors my stance and crosses his arms over his impressive chest. “The world you know is far bigger than you could ever imagine. Very few mortals know of the existence of Elfayne.”

I must look a fool to him if he thinks I’m buying this bullshit.

“Scotland is Scotland. I would know, my grandmother was born and raised there,” I challenge. His face still has an irritating smirk on it that makes me see red.

“Yes, Scotland is Scotland. In the mortal realm. But you’re not in the mortal realm anymore.” The look on his face says, go on, keep challenging me, I’m enjoying myself.

I level my gaze at him and stand at my full height. “What realm am I in if I’m not in the mortal one?”

“The Seelie realm,” Tavish shrugs nonchalantly, as if he’s just said the most normal thing in the world.

My mouth hangs open, and Tavish moves round me and heads down the corridor, expecting me to follow. I turn and jog to catch up with him.

“Now I know you’re fucking with me, Tavish. Seelie are just fiction.” Granny told me the stories her mom, my great-granny, would tell her when she was little. Seelie are a part of Scottish folklore used to delight and terrify children. According to the tales, they can either befriend you, or unleash their fury on you if you don’t treat them with kindness. I always thought Granny used the stories to teach me manners.

Tavish pauses before a huge wooden door that stands at least a foot taller than him and looks over his shoulder at me.

“Elsie, everything that has come out of my mouth since the moment I found you in my private wing has been the truth. I wouldn’t lie to you, not about this.”

His tone seems serious for the first time. So far, he’s only teased and poked fun at me, but now the lightness in his eyes has gone. It’s replaced by something darker and infinitely more frightening. It’s like he’s trying to convey the meaning of his words and read my thoughts at the same time.

I open my mouth, ready to challenge him again, but my words fail me. Until he shows me the truth, I won’t believe him, I’m too logical for that. My gut tells me Tavish isn’t lying, though. A few pieces start to fit together in my mind.

“If I’m in Elfayne, in a palace that houses the royal family, and I woke up in your quarters. That means you’re . . .”

“Yes, I’m Seelie. My father is the king,” he says with finality.