Not land.
Ocean.
This realm is a glittering turquoise ocean, except for the rising mass of sand in front of us in which the castle sits. An entire city rests on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean.
The fog is thicker in front of us, like a ward hiding it from outsiders. But from where we stand, half in the ward, and halfout, I can see the outline of a great, black stone wall flanked with guard towers, and the looming peaks of a castle.
Eira and Balthasar stand in front of us, shouting orders at the soldiers who land in the realm. She glances back over her shoulder to see me and my court. A grateful smile flashes across her face, but it’s the relief in her eyes that has me taking a step forward.
“Where is he?” I ask.
Balthasar answers. “We assume he’s inside. We’re waiting for them to lower the drawbridge now.”
As he finishes speaking, metal whines and stone rumbles. A hidden door cracks open and lowers slowly onto the sand in front of us, allowing us entry. Soldiers run towards it, lining the front of the wall. Their black scale armor blending in with the stone renders them invisible.
Balthasar turns back towards us and gestures to the ocean. “We have entire cities under the sea, but most of our realm’s inhabitants live behind this wall.” He nods at the soldiers standing guard. “It has never been breached.”
Eira takes a step onto the bridge and looks over her shoulder to ensure we follow her, but she pauses. Her eyes widen. The whites of them swallowing the turquoise.
A shrill horn rents the air. The fog swirls behind us rapidly and, with its movement, there are glimpses of the churning ocean behind us. The ocean and the giant black clouds on the horizon.
Fire erupts in the guard towers. A warning of what’s approaching. The black clouds rip apart into individual sails, hundreds if not thousands of them.
An invasion.
The ground shakes violently and I grip Lachlan’s hand, trying to stay on my feet. Behind us, Mathilda steadies Tane. His brow lowers, darkness settling over his face.
Harald scoops up Mina, clutching her to his chest, as he crouches low to not fall over. Luna reaches out a hand to Evander, who squeezes it, pulling her to him. Piominko closes his eyes, a slow breath easing from his chest as we ride the quake out.
But fear is etched onto Freya’s face as she clings to Odr.
“The giants are here,” she whispers.
There’s a thundering boom, and then another. Sand slides away from the castle walls. The sea level rises rapidly, reclaiming the land it once owned. Giants wade through the water towards us.
My jaw drops as great, towering men cut through the surging waves. Their heads clear the top of the wall and easily peer over its side and to the castle behind it.
“Run,” Eira says, turning towards the opening in the wall. “Close the gate!”
We hurtle over the drawbridge and through the hidden door.
Racing across the stone bridge and through the walls as the drawbridge below us rises to shut. On the other side of the wall is a wide arched bridge high above more water. Houses and shops are afloat on the wide river that snakes under the bridge we hurtle across.
The castle rises before us, towering peaks, and gothic arched windows. It’s beautiful and haunting at the same time. Like someone has encased a dissolving sandcastle in stone.
A massive shadow streaks on the ground between us and the carved oak doors of the castle.
Someone screams, “Duck!”
A ball of flame explodes onto the bridge before us. Mina screams. I almost skid to a halt, but Eira merely waves her hand and a deluge of water springs up from the side of the bridge and douses the flames.
Fae magic.
My heart strikes against my ribs with each slam of my feetagainst the stone. Pain spears through my throat with each breath that comes out in uneven pants. We keep pace hurtling across the bridge until at last we reach the palace doors.
Open. Open.
A sharp gust of wind comes out of nowhere, ripping the doors open in front of us as we tumble across the threshold and into the entryway.
