A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

Carrick tips his head to the little devil, then pulls me along the path by my wrist. When I look over my shoulder at the devious creature, he flips me the bird, confirming that some things are universal between the earthly realm and Faere.

“Would he really have done that to me?” I ask Carrick when we’re out of earshot, tugging my arm away from his hold.

“How many times do I have to tell you… it’s dangerous here. Humans are the enemy, and that’s been a well-founded belief for millennia. Any that you encounter, you need just to assume they hate you and would want to hurt you.”

“And you’re sure you can protect me?” I ask shakily because now I think I should have stayed back and gone to Adira’s funeral.

Carrick casts an annoyed look my way, but he doesn’t bother to justify my question with a response.

Instead, he gives me some last-minute protocol advice. “We’ll have to request an audience with the queen when we arrive, but when she does come in, you must curtsy, and you absolutely cannot look her in the eye. But you can’t look lower than her chin either. If you do, she’ll take extreme offense, and then all hell could break loose. It’s safest to stare at her forehead.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” I exclaim.

Carrick laughs, his eyes crinkling. He looks utterly charming. “Yeah… I’m kidding. Just stick close to me and don’t speak unless spoken to. I’m hoping we can get out of there without needing to socialize, because if there’s one thing the fae love, it’s a grand party where they can show off and gossip.”

“They sound lovely,” I mutter.

I dislike Faere more and more with every step I take.

CHAPTER 18

Finley

When we reach the palace, there’s a lot of bustle and activity—fae walking in and out of the main keep and using the drawbridge to cross the moat of blue-green water.

The drawbridge is made of some sort of smooth, white crystal and while it looks delicate, holds our weight fine. The inner keep is floored with more smooth crystal inset with tiles of marble, a far cry from the dirty, dusty ground you see in most medieval keeps. The castle is more texturized. Also made with white crystal, it’s rough cut in large chunks and boulders, stacked in haphazard order and bonded to each other with thick veins of silver.

It’s just so… weird.

My next shock is in seeing that fae come in all sizes. Back in the Earth realm, I’d seen mostly human-sized creatures except for the Concordia daemon, who was merely super petite.

As we walk across the bridge, drawing obvious stares and frowns, I’m stunned by tiny creatures we have to make sure we don’t step on or run over. Some are surly-looking gnomes such as we met just a bit ago, but there are also tiny flying fae, which I assume are what would be considered our equivalent of an actual fairy like Tinker Bell.

I’m fascinated by them flitting about, no more than five inches in height. They wear brightly colored dresses that are patterned with stiff-looking tutus that flare out at mid-thigh. Some have sparkles and gems dotted all over their outfits, others have ribbons trailing from sleeves and hips, and still others have silk flowers sewn onto the fabric. The tops of their dresses are all styled the same in that they are strapless and cut low in back to make room for four gossamer wings—long and oval—that give them flight.

Their facial features are delicate with thin little noses, big eyes, and heart-shaped mouths. They all have varying colors of hair of pastel colors—lavender, peach, mint green, and light blue, and it’s worn in buns on top of their heads so as not to interfere with the tiny wings beating at their back.

They look sweet and harmless, yet one buzzed by my ear and called out, “Nasty human”.

I was crushed, and I think Peter Pan and Tinker Bell are forever ruined for me.

It was a learning experience for me. I’ve had that sweet fizzy feeling with every Light Fae that passed me, but I’ve learned that doesn’t make them good or nice in the slightest. Luckily, I was able to start ignoring the sensation, pushing it to the back of my mind. As Zaid had made clear, just because fae are deemed light doesn’t make them good.

The human-looking fae who are regular sized run the gamut. Pretty to stunning for the women and handsome to gorgeous for the men. Zaid had told me that not all Light Fae are beautiful, just as all Dark Fae are not ugly. However, outside of the grumpy gnome, I feel like we’ve walked into fashion week in Milan.

Everyone is perfectly proportioned and beautiful in unique ways. What I find to be most fascinating though is the style of dress. I had no clue what to expect. Would they be wearing clothes that resembled modern earth?