CHAPTER3
“Welcome to Citlali,” one of the guards said next to my window just before riding ahead of the carriage.
I scrambled to the side of the carriage so I could see the city that I had heard about since I was a child. Cobblestones thrummed beneath the carriage wheels as we hit the city streets. It should have been shrouded in darkness, but it was alive with bright lanterns that hung from the stone townhouses and candlelight that adorned almost every doorstep.
The residents of the capital city stood at their doorsteps and along the street as they watched our procession pass them by. Some waved while others simply tried to peer inside the carriage to look at me.
Some tossed flowers in the path that we took, but instead of white flowers of honor like those of the Starless realm, the Citlali people tossed red poppies as they cheered.
And that reaction shocked me.
Almost all of the faces staring back at me were fae, but I noticed one man who bore the markings of starlight on his left shoulder. The marking was much smaller than my own, but he was the only other Starblessed I had ever seen.
And he currently had his arms wrapped around the fae woman in front of him.
He looked nothing like me. His skin was much darker than mine and his mark was so light that it almost looked white. My markings reminded me of the soft glow of the sun as it fell below the hills near my village.
Both of his eyes a light blue that matched my father’s.
We were so different yet the same.
But he looked like he was happy to be here. Like he was in love.
I didn’t take my eyes off him as the carriage continued through the city, and his gaze stared back at me as well. He had a gentle smile on his face, but I didn’t return it. I didn’t even know this man, but for some reason, I had the overwhelming urge to call him a traitor.
He was nothing to me, a complete stranger, but I still felt betrayed by the way he fit in so well with our enemies. I couldn’t stop the deep ache in my chest even as the carriage turned the corner and the man disappeared from my view.
I had always imagined how the Achlys palace would look in my head, but my imagination hadn’t done it justice. Even at night, the large building was striking, yet daunting.
The dark towers loomed over the town below, but most of the castle was hidden behind an imposing stone wall that reached higher than anyone could climb.
The carriage slowed as we approached the black iron gate, and my heart raced as the loud grating of metal rang out around us. I watched as the gate slowly opened to allow us through, and the urge to run hit me full force.
I knew once I passed beyond that wall that there would be no turning back. This was my fate, the fate decided my men and fae, not the gods. Only I could change it.
I could run, but I knew that they would find me. I shivered at the thought of what fate would wait for me then.
The fae soldiers I had met so far hadn’t been what I expected, but I knew better than to provoke the fae of my childhood fairy tales. Evil, lethal, venomous. I didn’t know if I had the courage to face those nightmares.
But the carriage moved forward again before I could truly consider it.
I was on edge, and I couldn’t believe that it had only been this morning when I was taken from my home.
It had already felt like a lifetime ago.
The gate closed behind us with a loud clang, and my fingers edged toward my dagger as I searched out the window. The palace grounds were grand and beautiful, even though I had expected it to look like something else entirely.
The dark stones rose high into the sky, but glass windows were intricately weaved into the structure in a way that made it feel almost dazzling in the lanterns that hung within. Flowers caressed every inch of dirt that remained inside the stone grounds. Splashes of white and red everywhere to be seen.
The carriage stopped before a set of grand stairs that led up to the even more imposing set of doors. I quickly checked my boot for my dagger before pushing my hair out of my face. I wished I had thought to bring my cloak. I felt desperate for the solace and privacy a simple piece of fabric could bring me.
The guard opened the carriage door, the same guard who had first approached me in Starless, and he once again held his hand out to help me. This time I took it. My hand trembled in his as I climbed out of the carriage and pressed my back against the smooth dark wood.
“Welcome to the Achlys palace.” He bowed his head, but I wasn’t really looking at him. I was too busy searching down the line of guards in the red and white uniforms, and I was only looking for black.
But Evren was nowhere to be seen.
The door to the palace opened with a deep groan that spoke of its age, and three fae women stepped outside. The youngest one with blonde curls that were thrown into a mess on top of her head, hurried down the stairs and kneeled before me.