Page 99 of The Reaping Rose

Our room is at the end of the hallway on the third floor. The inn is small and quiet, tucked in the trees at the edge of town. Muffled voices come through the walls, hinting that we need to keep our own down so that we aren’t overheard.

When we step into our room, we find two small beds and a cot, as the innkeeper promised. Setting our bags down, Perame and I drop onto one mattress while Callum sits on the other, facing us.

“It has to be her.” I tug at the end of my braid, unraveling my hair and appreciating the relief on my scalp.

“What do you think she meant about the girl making the forest worse?” Perame’s eyebrows pinch.

“Even in a realm with little magic, there is still some. The void will mute what little the realm holds. I can imagine that’s what’s making the vegetation suffer.” Callum drags his fingers through his hair, glancing out the window. “This changes things. We came here assuming the void was an object, something we could carry back home. But a person?”

“Maybe she’ll come back with us willingly,” Perame says hopefully. “We have to try.”

“Then we need to find her and convince her,” I agree. “If it’s true that she’s traveling with this Overlord Farseth, then he may not stay here long. We need to locate her and talk to her before they leave.”

Callum stands, ringing his fingers in front of him and popping his knuckles. “There was a bar not too far from here. I’ll grab us food and see what rumors are spreading through town. If the innkeeper’s curiosity is any indication, she can’t be the only one talking about their visit.”

“Be careful out there,” Perame warns. “We don’t know the state of the realm or how they’ll react to finding out that Fae have wandered through the Arch. Things are clearly different from the last time I was here.”

“In what way?” I ask.

“For one, the trees were green then. But it’s more than that. It’s the humans. The towns. Everything is⁠—”

“Falling apart?”

Her lips press in a firm line as she nods.

The Mortal Realm was our hope. Salvation for the humans if the aeraliss fails. But if it’s true, and this realm is dying like the others in our constellation, there is imminent death no matter where they are.

My stomach sinks at the thought of what that might mean for Letia.

“I’ll see what I can find out.” Callum throws his hood over his head before leaving the room.

With him gone, Perame takes the opportunity to bathe. She pulls closed the sheet that sections off the tub in the corner so only the sounds of splashing water can be heard. Scents of honeysuckle and rosemary fill the air.

I move to the window, peeling back the curtain to peek through. Our room sits with a view of the main road, so I’m careful not to widen it farther. But I can’t help watching the humans bustling about.

Unlike on Alyssium, where humans had taken on many of the Fae’s customs, everything here feels like another place. A different culture and design.

The homes have sharper angles. They’re simpler, built with purpose in mind, not creativity. The clothing is a mix of Alyssium and the Ley Court, but the fabrics are thicker. The corsets have hard lines and bones that hug the ribs uncomfortably, restricting breath. Wool outweighs leather. Shirts hang with weight on the sleeves, barely blowing as they move about.

Horse-drawn carriages pull people down the road. With each bump, they jolt, so it doesn’t look comfortable. Everything is duller here, even the horses. They’re not like the ones in Tempest that had shimmering manes.

With a clear sky overhead and sunlight breaking through the trees, everything is dull in a way that is similar to Alyssium. There is color—in the fabrics and painted signs. But the lack of magic is palpable. It changes the air. And like when we wandered through the forest in search of the void, I continue to feel that pulse.

Summoning me.

Or does it summon my magic?

A man in a black hat glances up, and I shove the curtains closed before he sees me. Just in time for Perame to be done bathing.

“It’s bitter cold.” She shivers, pulling on a fresh outfit.

Clothes were another thing Perame slipped into our bags as we passed through town. Callum and I distracted the shopkeeper so she could replace our outdated wardrobe, helping us blend in better. Thankfully, not all women seem to wear dresses here, so the clothes Perame snagged look fairly comfortable.

“I refreshed the bathwater when I was done, but it’s no warmer than the first bucket.” Perame rubs her hands on her arms.

“A warm bath was something I didn’t know until the Ley Court,” I tell her. “After experiencing both, I can confidently say there is no going back once you know the comforts of warm water.”

Perame chuckles. “I suppose your fellow humans agree. They’ve claimed bathing chambers in that part of the palace.”