The carriage stopped. Ethan took my hand and pulled me along another pathway. Soon, the rock became grass, and I reached out a hand to feel velvet flowers skimming my fingertips.
“Open your eyes.” Ethan took off my blindfold.
I gasped. Ethan had led me to a beautiful garden. White roses bigger than my hand bloomed in a circle around the fountain of a wolven shifter. Fireflies fluttered over the roses and glowed, while a small stream trickled by peacefully over smooth stones. A circular gate stood as the entrance, a low fence containing the area. Vines and ivy grew over the stone, bursting with fresh grapes. A willow tree suspended over the lawn as cherry blossom trees bloomed big pink blossoms, the petals floating down delicately and giving the area a sweet scent. Inside the garden, it was warm, like springtime.
Behind us rose the royal palace. As if the garden was contained by a glass dome, snow fell outside of it, but never touched the garden.
“How is this possible? It’s the dead of winter,” I gasped.
“It’s an illusion. One that never fades, even in the cold,” Ethan said. “The royal sorceresses tend to this garden and make sure it blooms all year round.”
On the other side of the garden was a wicker couch, flooded with cushions, and a stone table with a center that had coals blazing with fire. Ethan guided me to the couch, and we sat. The fire from the table warmed our skin as I heard crickets chirping in the surrounding night. Above, the stars shone brightly, sparkling like diamonds against a dark blue sky.
Ethan put his arm around me. I bristled, though I didn’t want to. I couldn’t help but want to get close to him. It was like trying to fight nature itself, avoiding the connection he had to my body. It just wasn’t fair.
There was a rustling behind the willow tree. I jumped, but Ethan laughed. “Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you.”
A creature cooed as it stepped out from the fronds. My eyes widened. The creature was twelve feet tall, with a whip-like tail that she curled behind herself. She had a long neck, and two beautiful butterfly wings on her shoulders. Her face was small and round, accented with pink almond eyes. All over her body were pink feathers, with darker fur. Another creature came out from behind her, though this one was blue, and male.
“What are they?” I whispered in wonder.
“They’re called windfarers,” Ethan said softly. “When we crossed over from Edinmyre, we brought some of our faekin with us. Not every creature in Malovia is a monster.”
The creatures came close enough for me to touch. The pink one put her head down and sniffed at me, curious.
“You can pet her,” Ethan said. “She won’t mind.”
I reached up to stroke the windfarer’s nose. She gave a low coo. Her nose was so soft— like stroking velvet.
The windfarer snorted, and the gust of wind from her nostrils blew back my hair. The pink windfarer turned to the blue, who I assumed was her mate.
“How many species of fae creatures are there in the world?” I asked.
“Dozens,” Ethan replied. “They’re quite marvelous.”
The pink windfarer let out a note, which her mate copied. Their voices sounded like songs. Ethan looked at me and asked, “Want to go for a ride?”
“Huh?” My head snapped to the side. “They’ll let us do that?”
“Fae creatures are friendly to those that share their blood. We’ll be fine.” Before I could object, Ethan swung me onto the pink windfarer’s back. I gasped as he hauled himself onto the blue steed.
“Do you really think this is such a good— ah!”
I startled as the windfarer beat her wings and took off. I fell forward, and grabbed her thick fur. Her butterfly wings buffeted the air, and before I knew it, we were rising over the castle.
I gasped and pressed myself to the windfarer’s body. Though I had my own wings, I’d never flown so high on my own before. We soared into the clouds, and I looked down. Past the windfarer’s feet, the city of Dolinska looked like a fairy-tale town. Its pitched roofs and winding cobblestone streets spoke of adventure, and new things to see. Below was the great span of the woodland, and beyond that, the backdrop of the Malovian mountains.
The snow fell around us, and I cast a glance at Ethan. His hair was blown backward, features invigorated by the breathlessness the flight brought to us both.
It was such a sad thing he didn’t have wings, because Ethan was meant to soar.
As the clouds swept around us, the windfarers hovered. They wound their long necks around each other, like they were performing a mating dance, and crooned happily.
I got a crazy fucking idea. I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, but screw it. I had the feeling I was capable. I summoned my wings to appear, and flew off the windfarer. Even as I saw nothing below me, I knew my wings would keep me safe.
I flew to Ethan. I reached out my arms for him, and he wrapped his own around me. I lifted him off the windfarer— I thought he might be heavy, but amazingly, he was incredibly light. I realized I was using my telepathy skills to keep us both aloft as my wings suspended us over the great Malovian landscape.
Ethan was speechless. “Gods, Emma. You are incredible.”
