"Never better," Eddie said. "My emperor has returned from the surface."
Elvira gasped. "By the Goddesses, hehas? That is grand news!"
"Yes, isn’t it? An Elvish Delight for each of my friends, please," Eddie requested.
"I’m sorry, but we don't have money," Ava told him quickly.
Innately, my guts twisted. I’d lived my whole life passing by street vendors because I couldn’t afford the food. The last thing I wanted was to miss out in Forevermore.
"That's not an issue here," Eddie told her. "Our ancestors spent centuries amassing their wealth. There is plenty to go around. Here, we exchange pleasantries for goods.”
My heart swelled with hope. What a marvelous thing it would be, to live without the need for money.
“Please, enjoy an Elvish Delight,” Eddie offered.
Elvish Delight, Oberi snickered in my mind.Sounds dirty.
I scowled at her.Try not to ruin this for me, would ya?
Eddie placed something in my palm that was as big as my hand, but weighed almost nothing. Beside me, Marcus moaned in pleasure as he took a bite. Kallie followed, moaning so loudly it almost sounded like she was having an orgasm. I deemed the food safe and brought it to my lips.
My tongue rolled over something light and sweet. It felt like a cloud in my mouth, but the burst of flavors was unlike anything I’d ever tasted before. I bit into the heavenly dough, and a sweet, fruity jelly oozed out of the center. Powdered sugar coated my lips, and I licked it up. By the ancestors, I’d never had a pastry that tasted so good. Ava sighed beside me, like she couldn’t find the words to describe the taste. We were all quiet for a while as we finished our pastries. Even Oberi had snagged one, though she’d swallowed it in seconds and was nudging me for a piece of mine.
Elvira laughed. “She’s such a beautiful creature. Here, sweetheart. Have another.”
Oberi tossed her fiery mane backward, shaking it so hard the wisps of Fire touched my arm. She happily scarfed up another pastry.
The pitter-patter of children's footsteps approached, and a young child cried, “Aunicorn!”
Ava bent to their level and spoke kindly. “Have you ever seen a unicorn before?”
“Never,” one of the kids answered, sounding so excited she couldn’t contain herself.
“Well, today’s your lucky day,” Ava said. “Would you like to pet her?”
Oberi’s excitement surged through the bond. She was obviously enjoying the attention.
Ava stood back and watched as the kids played with Oberi. She chuckled lightly. “They’re trying to put flowers in her mane, but they’re burning out.”
“This one is foryou!” a child said chipperly as they approached me.
“For me?” I asked. I reached out my hand, and the child placed a flower in my palm. I pressed it into my nose. It was unlike any flower I’d smelled before. It had to be some sort of Elvish plant, because it smelled like raspberries, which reminded me of Ava. “Thank you.”
Eddie laughed under his breath. “Come. We don’t want to keep the Emperor waiting.”
“You said he just returned from the surface,” I said as we followed Eddie. “How long has he been gone?”
Eddie laughed again, though I didn’t know what he was so funny— something I couldn’t see, I figured. “A very long time.”
There was so much to take in as we continued down the street. People nearby conversed in both English and Elvish. The Elvish language was beautiful, with smooth vowels and a soothing accent. I felt like I could meditate at the sound of the voices alone, even though I didn't know what they were saying.
“Kallie, look at the flags!” Ava cried in wonder. She squeezed my hand and described them in detail. “They’re like prayer flags, hanging in rows from one of the golden towers. They’re all different colors, with beautiful Elvish runes on them. I can’t translate them all, but that one for sure islove, and that one ispeace.”
Eddie said he worked for the Emperor, but it seemed that he was royalty himself around here. People paraded through the streets, singing and dancing around us. Cheers echoed through the cavern, growing in intensity as we neared the palace.
Someone grabbed my hand and twirled me around. Ava began singing along to a nearby flute, improvising the melody. Something rained down on me from above, and I thought it was flower petals, until I caught a piece and realized it was confetti, mixed with flower petals.
By the ancestors, this place was so full oflife. It was everything the Institute wasn’t. Ava was having so much fun that she took my hand and skipped alongside me.
