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At some point, he stops, and then makes a sound like a bird hooting three times, pauses, then repeats it. He’s calling someone.
Whoever that is, they must be busy, as minutes and minutes go by. I lean on a tree trunk, trying to get some rest, feeling the rough bark behind me. Wasn’t I the one who wanted to step into a fae forest? Here I am—waiting.
Eventually, I hear steps approaching. Marlak stands in front of me, as if to shield me, but then steps away, and I see clearly that the newcomer is Ferer’s sister. She has the same dark brown skin tone and puffy hair, the same ethereal fae elegance, and looks around fifteen, but fae might look younger than they are. I don’t notice any gills, but then I realize her hands have webbed fingers.
She smiles at both of us. “There you are. I thought you weren’t coming anymore.”
“Here I am,” Marlak says, then points at me. “And this is my wife, Astra.”
“So I heard.” She approaches me and extends a hand. “I’m Lidiane, and I assume you’ve met my brother.”
“I… have heard of him.”
Lidiane rolls her eyes. “Come. If you don’t hurry, you’ll have to go naked. I’m sure you’ll look good. We could spread some glitter?—”
“We need a glamour.” Marlak interrupts her. I’m glad he’s not on board with me going to this party naked. “Now.” Right. That’s what he means. “I don’t want us recognized, not even her.”
The fae tilts her head. “You know it can’t do much.” She stares at him. “But it can avoid gossip, at least.”
The fae raises her hand, and I feel a ticklish sensation on my face and scalp, as if someone was caressing it with a feathery brush. I look at Marlak, and notice that his hair is turning brown, and he no longer has a bald side. His scars are faded too, not completely, but I suppose enough that he won’t be recognized from a distance. I check a strand of my own hair and notice that it’s dark blond.
“Let’s hurry,” Lidiane says. “This glamour will last five minutes at most.”
“Really?” Marlak asks. “I thought… Well, it should be enough.”
Lidiane is walking fast ahead of us. “Don’t forget I’ll need to save my skills for dressmaking—in record time.”
“Fair,” Marlak says. “And apologies for not coming earlier.”
The fae waves a hand. “I know, I know. It’s not easy to stop by when you’re running away like that.” She turns to me briefly, her face playful. “You’re one brave woman.”
I don’t know what to say to that, and thankfully I don’t have to, as Marlak replies for me. “She is.”
Lidiane winks at me, then turns.
Brave. I don’t think I’d call myself that, but I’ll take it. It’s not as if Marlak was going to tell her that being here is not really my choice.
Would I want to be back in the Elite Tower? Training so that one day I could become an assassin? I don’t want to examine such traitorous thoughts, and as I look around, at least I’m distracted enough that the tangled threads in my head won’t disturb me.
We’re still in the forest, but there’s more distance between the trees. Among them, I can see a few houses made of wood planks, with clay tile roofs. There isn’t any paved path connecting them, as if this was still part of the forest.
I bet this is a lovely place for families. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to grow up in a house, to play with neighbors, to go to the market with my parents. What it would be like to have a life outside the thick walls of the castle. And I guess I’m back to traitorous thoughts.
Marlak walks close beside me and whispers, “This is the edge of Serenade.”
Serenade. I had never heard of this city before today, but we don’t study much about the north of the Crystal Court and the small courts in this area, as if this part of the world didn’t matter, or maybe because the borders change so often that Krastel scholars don’t want to go through the trouble of updating and then re-updating books and maps.
We reach one of those houses and Lidiane opens a thick wooden door. Inside, it’s not as cozy as I imagined. It’s one room with a bed in a corner, a wood stove in the other, a door to a small washing room, and a table by a wall, with only one window providing light. By the bed, there are shelves with sewing materials, many patches of fabric, and a few rolls with silks and velvets.
Marlak looks around. “I thought… I thought we were going to your shop.”
“I…” She looks down. “I had to close it.”
“Close it?” His voice has an explosion of power that startles me. “Isn’t Ferer helping you?”
Lidiane sits on a chair and fiddles with her hair. “He is, but… I was tired. I found stable employment elsewhere.”
“Where?” He voices it like a demand.
