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“There are cracks in the veil between your world and ours. Some call them portals, entrances, whatever. Since we don’t want just anyone slipping into the Otherworld, each court’s power extends to one of your mortal cities where the veil is thinner, where there are those entrances. Our magic is stronger there than other types of magic, too.”
“Other types of magic?” I murmured, feeling a little faint. I pushed aside my unease and focused on the information. Anything I learned would help me escape. Freaking out would not. “There’s more magic in my world?”
“Of course. Every creature’s magic is different.” She shook her head like she couldn’t believe I didn’t know any of this. I refrained from reminding her that until yesterday I hadn’t even known that fae actually existed outside of stories.
I was still thinking about it when Ciara stopped in front of two black doors, carved and gilded in that strange, ancient language that was inked on Gage’s skin. “Ready or not…”
Not.
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t a party. It was a spectacle.
I tried to keep myself from gawking as we made our way into a ballroom that looked like it belonged inside Buckingham Palace—although its size and opulence were the only similarities.
Chandeliers wreathed with ivy hung overhead, pillar candles in glass orbs sending warm light sparkling over silk-draped tables laden with platters of succulent fruits and vases of large, blooming flowers. A heavy perfume of rose petals and something sweet and herbal filled the air along with the melodic chatter of the gathered crowd and soft, luring music from unseen musicians.
Despite my best attempts, I kept catching myself staring at the other guests. The fae moving around the space radiated an ethereal unearthliness. Their skin was too polished to be human, their eyes glowing too brightly, their movements too graceful and otherworldly, making goosebumps ripple over my skin. My body instinctively understood that even with their beauty and grace, I was in the midst of predators.
“Stick close to me,” Ciara advised. I didn’t object, aware of the potential danger surrounding me. “Would you like something to eat?”
“I’m fine.” But my stomach grumbled at the lie, and she raised a coiffed eyebrow. I gave up. “Sure.” Then paused, thinking better of it. “I’m not going to be punished for taking your food, am I?”
“No.” Her forehead bunched like she was being tested. “You are my brother’s guest here.”
I didn’t bother to argue I was more of a prisoner. I’d lost that argument too many times already. But the mention of food had made me uncomfortably aware of how famished I was, the hunger gnawing at me for attention. I’d barely eaten breakfast. “Is it safe to eat?”
She only laughed and grabbed my hand as she led me toward one of the banquet tables. I stayed close to her as people watched us. I definitely didn’t want to get lost among the strange, beautiful creatures surrounding us.
Their attention faded as we approached the food. My stomach had been knotted this morning, making it impossible to eat, but there was something about Ciara that almost put me at ease. I refused to trust a Gage. But I was hungry.
If I managed to go through with this plan, I’d either be on the road by dawn or in a cell—because this place definitely had a dungeon somewhere, no matter what Gage said—and this might be my last meal. I grabbed a gold-rimmed plate.
Ciara dropped my hand and stepped to the side, seeming to sense she shouldn’t stand between me and the food. She chuckled softly and tipped her head toward the feast. “Help yourself.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. Some of the dishes were full of food I recognized. Bowls of ripe fruit, beckoning with their sweet scent, the aroma more pungent than I’d ever smelled. Chafing dishes full of roasted meats that dripped with juices. Bread and cheeses of every shape and variety. But among them were things I didn’t recognize. Fruit the size of an apple with nearly translucent skin that revealed purple veins in its flesh. Something that was definitely not chicken. And a sauce wafting a smell that was completely foreign. I avoided them all and piled my plate with the normal food I knew from the human world.
Ciara appeared beside me, picked up one of the strange fruits, and plopped it onto my already heaping plate. I gave her a questioning look.
“Trust me.”
No one else was eating. Maybe they were used to lavish buffets every night. Maybe food never ran out in the Otherworld. Maybe they never knew hunger. As I stepped away, I caught sight of the dessert table and whimpered.
Ciara tracked my gaze and laughed. “We can come back for another round.”
Appeased, I smiled. “Lead the way.”
She steered us to a small alcove off the main ballroom. She hadn’t bothered with a plate. Instead, she watched as I dug into my food. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted, like…magic. Each bite made me crave more, and I found myself eating so quickly that I was glad no one was near us. I made myself pause between mouthfuls. “Why is no one eating?”
“They will when they’ve had enough wine. There’s no rush. The party will go all night.”
Exactly like I expected. I just had to find Gage alone and hope they were all too drunk to notice he was missing until after sunrise.
“Do you want any?” I gestured to my plate, feeling a little rude for eating in front of her.
And for planning to kill her brother. Because honestly, Ciara was genuinely nice.
“I’m not certain it’s safe to take anything off it.”