Sera peeks her head over the edge. “He’s taking a break or something.”
I shake my head. “You know, Sera, I don’t understand why you have to be so mean to?—”
“Shut it, Rae. I don’t want to hear it,” she interrupts.
“What does he want you to tell me?” I ask, a pit forming in my stomach.
“Why we came back.”
“Whydidyou come back?”
She takes a deep breath. “Lord Astoria is here. They’re laying a trap for Kyros to try and free you.”
Hope and panic flood my body. I’m terrified that something horrible will happen, but staying here indefinitely sounds unbearable. “Why didn’t you say so when you first got here?” I ask.
“I was trying not to worry you. Better to deal with one thing at a time.”
It feels like she’s hiding something, but I’m so tired . . . and panicked. Worrying about Kian . . .andCary despite my anger toward him.
“Fine. But I really do need a distraction even more now. I feel so helpless down here. Tell me one of the stories about the fae girl in the realm with two suns.”
“If you insist.” Sera clears her throat. “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful fae girl with long, golden hair and sparkling violet eyes . . .”
That sounds kind of like Sera . . .
“She was wandering through an enchanted forest in the realm of Lunesai when she came upon the most beautiful pool of water. The water was unlike any she had ever encountered before, because when she looked into its depths, she saw other realms instead of the reflection of the one around her. Every day, she would visit the water, staring into it and dreaming of adventure. One day, an enchantress wandered by and warned the girl not to get too close. ‘They’ll whisper to you, daring you to get in, but if you do, you could be lost from your home forever.’ This terrified the fae girl, for she loved her home and her family, but still . . . the pool called to her. It became an obsession. She would forgo chores and time with friends, continuously drawn to this magical pool in the forest. One day, she sat by the waters, reading, when the water started to ripple and churn. So startled by the occurrence, she jumped to her feet, dropping the book. She watched in horror as it slid toward the pool, as if it had a mind of its own. She couldn’t lose that book! It was her mother’s favorite. Without thinking, the girl lunged for it, but she was just one moment too slow. The book slipped out of her grasp and into the pool. A cry of despair left her lips, but the girl had made agrave error. As she reached, her fingertips had grazed the water, and an invisible force latched on and pulled her in.”
I’m lost in the tale, even though I’ve heard it before. Somehow, this part feels even more sinister after what happened to Sera in the lake.
“The fae girl was trapped within the magical waters, falling, falling, falling . . . Realms swept past her, and she feared she would be trapped in that endless abyss for eternity until, finally, she stretched her hand toward one of those lands and was spit out onto a field of flowers. Dazed and confused, she looked to the heavens, hoping for just a moment that she had somehow made her way back home, but there was only one sun in the sky. The fae girl wept and wept, for she was in a strange land with no way home.”
A deep, overwhelming sadness fills my heart at the tale. “But she does make it home eventually, right?” I ask, trying to remember how the story ends.
Sera’s voice is resigned, almost sad. “No, Rae, she never did make it home.”
“What happened to her?” I ask.
Sera props her head on her arms as she looks down into the pit. “She wandered the realm, using a glamour to hide her ears, learned the customs and language, and found a kind family that took her in as their own.”
“I don’t remember the story being this sad,” I say, looking up at her.
“Well, perhaps that’s because I tried to make it a happier tale for you, but this time, I thought you were owed the truth.”
Confusion flares through me. “But it’s a story, right? None of it is true.”
Sera runs her fingers along the edge of the pit. “I’m sorry, Rae. I’m sorry for so many things . . .”
“What are you saying, Sera?” I rise to my feet, if only so I can see her just a bit clearer.
She brushes her hair behind a distinctly pointed ear. I must be imagining things.
“What?” I shout, then start to pace. “Are you telling me you aren’t from this realm? Are you fae?”
Sera utters words in a lyrical tone in a language I have never heard before, but wait . . . My mind flashes back to when she regained consciousness after almost drowning, the nonsensical sounds coming from her mouth. Damn.
“What in the actual hells?” Alex’s voice echoes through the cavernous room. I second his sentiment.
I stop my pacing and look up, a white glow emanating around the pit.
