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“I don’t care,” Tilila said, her voice muffled by my dress. “I’m coming with you.”
I leaned down. “And what about mom?”
“She can come too,” Tilila said as she pulled away and grabbed my mother’s hand. “Please.” Tilila looked at our mother, who was shaking her head. “Please, mama,” she begged.
My mother picked Tilila up and hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry, my sweet child. But you have to stay here.”
Tilila cried, her body shaking with sobs. “No!”
“Be strong.” I leaned forward and kissed her on her cheeks. “Take care of mom and Souhir for me.”
Tilila sobbed. “I don’t want to.”
“I know, my sweet child. But you have to.”
She nodded and hugged me tightly. I squeezed her before letting go. “I love you.”
I plastered a smile on my face. I needed to be strong. “I love you too and I will come back, I promise.”
She nodded, and I turned around. It was time to go.
I took a step into the portal and paused. I looked back one last time, at my family and home, before the swirling colors consumed me.
Chapter 7
Aeglire
The Aeglire. A place I’ve only heard about in fairy tales and gossip. A place of wonder and a place of awe. But also a place of great danger. Only the Mentom was rumored to be more dangerous.
It was said that the Elves who built it used ancient magic to create its beauty. Golden tiles that always shone no matter the weather. Stone that sang when the wind blew through it.
The Aeglire was a place of great power and the Elven lords who ruled it were said to be some of the most powerful magic users in all of history. From what I saw, it lived up to its reputation.
The palace was made entirely of white marble, and it sparkled in the light. Stained glass windows depicted scenes of great beauty, and the doors carved with intricate designs.
Trees and flowers lined the path to the palace, and they inlaid gold tiles with intricate patterns in the marble.
It was huge, and it seemed to go on forever. Who needed a city when they had a palace like this?
As we neared, the massive fountain in the center of the courtyard came into view. Water sprayed high into the air, and it was lit from below by some unseen source of light. The surrounding statues were so lifelike, I half expected them to move.
And they did, as I got closer.
The statues depicted Elves, their faces etched in stone. But their eyes followed me as I walked by, and their mouths moved as if they were speaking. A shiver ran down my spine, and I quickened my pace.
I had to admit; that the Aeglire was impressive. But it was also creepy. I had seen nothing like it before. Spell crafters must be truly powerful if they could animate stone.
“It’s astonishing.”
I turned to Bers, who stood next to me, a look of pride on his face.
“It’s incredible.” I blinked. “I had no idea.”
“Nobody does.” Bers chuckled. “The Elves who built this place were master craftsmen. The most powerful spell crafters of their time.”
Tilila would love this. I didn’t belong in a place like this. All that shimmered and glittered was not for me. It was too bright, too perfect. No wonder they called it the Golden Court as an insult. It was too good to be true. The cold, hard reality was more my style.
I followed Bers as he led me to the Aeglire. He slowed his pace to match mine. “We’re sorry that there aren’t people to welcome you on your first day. We didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
