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“Wow.” That was the only word I could utter. I’d been right. The islands had pulled away and left us with nothing but endless stars. They dotted the sky in all directions, and any trace of the floating islands of the fae realm were too far away to be seen.
It was just as it had been when I’d jumped off the edge of the island and Bash caught me, but this time I wasn’t in hysterics. This time I could enjoy it.
“It’s peaceful out here,” Thorn said. “No distractions, no games. Just darkness and light.” Thorn had kept hold of my hand and now stroked it with his thumb.
I leaned into his side as if this was all I needed in life. Encouraged, he wrapped his arm around me. “It’s nice to be away from all the noise,” I said.
“Anytime you need an escape, all you have to do is ask.”
Can you help me escape now? Take me back to my realm? But I knew better than to ask. He wasn’t buttered up enough. Instead, I said nothing at all.
To keep from begging him to take me home, I counted his breaths—seventeen of them—heard when they shifted, caught as if he’d had an idea. He faced the west. “I have something else I want to show you. Something your other alliances would never dare.”
The gleam in his gaze was extra mischievous. It stirred excitement within me. “What?”
“You’ll see. You’re going to love this.”
With a snap of his fingers, we took off again.
My hand tightened on the rails as everything distorted around us. Black melted into shades of colors as land came into view, until we were once more inside the realm—though it was impossible to track exactly where at this speed.
The vastness he’d just shown me was one of simplicity and peace. The place he took me next was the exact opposite.
It was lively and brilliant.
The chariot slowed at the threshold of an island and fluttered down toward it. A million colors burst in every direction, and my eyes couldn’t decide what to look at first. The best way my mind could label the view was as a carnival, but a more glorious one than what came through the center island every two years.
“Behold,” Thorn answered. “Illusion Point.”
The land before us was laden with goldbrick roads, narrow due to the endless tents parading their wares. The tents seeped with heavy necklaces, bright charms, rows of bottles and trinkets. Brick houses were adorned with banners that covered every side, announcing what lay within. Taverns, enchanters, games, arenas, shops, or exhibits.
The island was packed so full, some of the buildings teetered off the sides, as if they were one weight-shift away from plummeting.
“What is this place?” I marveled. The chariot set down on the only open patch of land near the middle and we stepped onto uneven stones, where the scent of jasmine bit the air and the bustle of fae surrounded us. A few tipped their heads at us, but most were too busy to give us any attention—their fingers in their purses and eyes darting every which way. Each had a look about them, as if they were either running from mischief or fixing to get into it.
“This is where the fun is,” Thorn said with a roguish smile.
I hesitated. “You’re going to get me into trouble, aren’t you?”
“I’d never let my queen get into trouble.” Despite his jovial tone, I didn’t believe him. Thorn bent his elbow, holding my hand against his chest to keep me close, and pulled me into the madness.
The fae world was one of grandeur, from the open sky to the majestic palaces. They had more space than they could ever fill. But this island looked like they’d tried to squeeze everything into one area, and it felt familiar. Narrow streets, bright colors, worn-down tents, and people yelling. Add camels and fig trees and I was home.
That comforted me. I recognized this place. It wasn’t much different from the realm I came from, and that gave me courage I didn’t think I’d ever really felt around the fae. I nodded back to some as they passed from street to dusty street.
“Games are held here,” Thorn explained. He lifted a low-hanging banner for us to walk under. Vendors on the street called out to us, selling fresh fruit and scaled fish. Thorn ignored them all. “The only rule of this island is that nothing is as it seems. You come here to be tricked and hope you can trick someone else better.”
Ah, so not like my realm, then. Still very much fae. My confidence faltered.
“Don’t worry,” he added when he saw the look on my face. “I will keep you in my protection today. But it would be a shame if you never got the chance to visit a place such as this.”
“A potion?” A large-bellied man brought a violet bottle to our noses where he swayed it. “It makes you irresistible.”
Thorn waved him off.
“I won my chariot from a bet here once,” Thorn said as we carried on. “And in another bet, I was able to send a fae off on my chariot at full speed for ten minutes and make him try to return on his own. It took the poor lad three weeks to find the realm again.”
My eyes widened, but he grinned. “He was fine, don’t worry. The chariot knew its way home, and I’d ordered it to not let the fae die.” He said it as if it was a kindness, but I shivered.
