“No need, Kade, no need,” Jerah said quickly, gesturing for him to sit back down. Kade paused, then nodded and sat back down to finish his meal.
They left the dining hall through a different door that led to the castle grounds. It was still dark out, though there was a slight streak of what might have been light from the rising sun on the horizon.
Jerah first led him through a different garden, explaining the differences between the front garden and the back garden that they had walked through before. Once they had completed the winding circuit, he led them back through the large main entrance, which opened into a spacious foyer with multiple corridors and hallways that lead in many different directions.
“I'll just show you the interesting parts,” Jerah said with a laugh, noticing Florian eyeing the many different routes.
“Sounds good to me,” Florian chuckled, following as Jerah led him up another staircase.
Again, Florian noted that overall the castle was on the minimalist side, contrary to his expectation. Still, it had a certain austere beauty that spoke to its status as the home of the fae king.
Jerah showed him a full library, much larger than his study, and a ballroom with huge stained glass windows on every wall. There were protective covers over some large instrument and various pieces of furniture, and Florian thought that it must have been a long time since the space had seen any use. Then he realized: they hadn't seen anyone else the entire time they'd been walking.
“Doesn't anyone else live here?” he blurted, and Jerah looked over his shoulder at him with a grimace.
“Well, not right now,” he confessed, looking uncomfortable at the question. “There are a few people who work here, of course—mainly in the kitchens and the grounds, since the spectral servants can't do anything quite so intensive. They live on the grounds or down the hill in town, where the rest of the fae live. Maybe I can give you a tour of that next time.” There was a lilting tone of hope as he saidnext time.
“Maybe,” Florian replied, though even as he said it he thought that he would certainly like to return. Eventually.
Jerah showed him around a few more rooms of the castle, before they ended up back on the floor with his study and personal quarters.
“Well, you've seen all this,” Jerah said. “But since we're here, I wanted to tell you a bit more about, well, everything that's happened. Is that alright? We can sit in the study, and I can have some refreshments brought up.”
“Sure,” Florian replied nervously, unsure what had brought on the conversation. But he followed Jerah back into the study, and they sat down across from each other in plush lounge chairs with a low coffee table between them. Jerah snapped, and a shadowy presence appeared next to him.
“Bring us some tea and snacks, please,” he said, and the shape drifted away to complete its assigned task.
As they sat across from each other, for the first time that day Jerah seemed at a loss for words; he went through a strange array of sighing and shifting uncomfortably in his seat before he spoke once more.
“I know you said you didn't want to stay,” he started. “And I completely respect that. But I did want to tell you more about the Veil, so you can understand why I sent you away, and why I came back for you now.”
That seemed tame enough. Florian nodded and gestured for him to continue.
“The Nova Blight came about because of Queen Soleil,” Jerah said, echoing what he had told Florian two days before. “But there are some things that I've been able to find out that aren't as well-known. The first being that Soleil created a way to end the Nova Blight. A failsafe, of sorts.”
Florian blinked, the admission taking a long moment to register.
“What?” he finally stammered, furrowing his brows. “She made a way to end it? But then why is it still here?”
“She made a way, and there was one person or perhaps a group that used it,” Jerah said, looking down at his hands folded firmly in his lap. “But they didn't understand how to use it, and something went wrong, and they failed. That's what caused the Blight to expand the way it did. So there's a specific way to use it, but it's unclear how.”
At that moment the door swung open, a silver tray floating in the air. Florian jumped, then realized the spectral servant had returned, its outline barely visible as it floated toward them and set the tray down on the table. Jerah chuckled but took a cup from the tray, bringing it to his lips and gesturing for Florian to help himself.
“Well, what is it? What stops it?” Florian asked, as the spectral servant faded away. The explanation seemed somehow more confusing than what Jerah had already told him.
“The seven Golden Arrows of Soleil,” Jerah said. “Powerful magical artifacts that are intended to pierce the heart of Soleil herself, if I'm understanding them right. They were scattered when the first group failed, but I've been searching for many years now, and I think I have a solid idea of where each of them are. I have a map I can show you, if you'd like.”
“And you need all seven?” Florian asked. Jerah nodded, taking a long moment to consider his words before speaking again.
“All I've been able to find out is that it's meant to pierce the heart of Soleil. That the arrows are supposed to have an inscription saying just that—pierce the heart of summer. I know that sounds straightforward, but there must be more to it, since her first rescuers failed so spectacularly. But I haven't been able to find any other information on it, so I don't know what I'm missing.”
Florian considered it for a long moment. If it had failed in the first place, then there must have been more to the puzzle that hadn't been considered; but it seemed that Soleil hadn't exactly made a user manual for her arrows.
“So they got scattered? But they're supposed to be used together?” he asked, probing.
“That's correct,” Jerah said. “I've narrowed down locations for all of them. I wanted to... I hoped to make things as easy as possible for you when you returned—if you returned.” He corrected himself quickly, but there was still the same irritating hope in his voice.
“And what's the second thing?” Florian asked, still mulling over the conundrum.
