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The wordFanonremained untranslated, so she assumed that must be the golden fae’s name.
“If she’s human, she’s guilty,” Fanon said. He folded his arms over his chest in a slightly more relaxed posture. The pressure eased from her forearm, returning it to a natural angle. She expected to be freed from his invisible magic altogether, but her arms simply snapped back to her sides. Even though he was no longer actively making that strange gesture, both she and Valorre were still trapped under his magic’s influence.
“But those looked like Faeryninsigmora,” said the stout fae. Belatedly Cora realized his lips had formed the last two words, matching up with what she’d heard.
“She’s not Faeryn, Garot,” said Fanon.
Despite the disgust and trepidation wafting off the three strangers, Cora saw an opportunity to forge some kind of understanding between them. “You’re right, they are Faeryninsigmora. Where I’m from, I lived with a group of people who are Faeryn descendants. They took me in—”
“There are Faeryn descendants in your realm?” the copper-haired Garot asked, his green eyes alight with renewed curiosity.
Fanon and the dark-haired fae exchanged a brief look. When Fanon returned his gaze to hers, it was no longer quite so cold. His throat bobbed before he spoke. “Are there any Elvyn survivors in your world? Or…descendants?”
Cora sensed a subtle spark of hope in him. Her heart sank. Why did he have to ask that? She knew her answer would only disappoint him. “I’ve never met anyone of Elvyn descent.”
Fanon’s dark glower returned, and with it came a string of clipped words that remained untranslated. Based on his tone, she could only assume they were expletives.
“How did you come here?” the dark-haired fae said. He was now the only one whose name she didn’t know. His eyes were a ruby-tinted brown, and the way they crinkled at the corners set her at ease. She got the distinct impression that he was the eldest of the three, despite their equally youthful appearances. Somehow, all appeared to be both young and ancient at the same time, but the dark-haired fae held a weight to his energy, one that bore centuries of life. Of wisdom.
She realized his question still hung between them. She was about to confess what had happened—or at least try to put it into words—when Valorre’s voice entered her mind.
Tell them I brought you here. Anxiety rippled from him.Do not tell them about your magic.
She glanced at him, saw his muscles quivering against his invisible restraints.Why?
Because itwasmy fault. I invaded your thoughts with my memory of home. I took a step and brought us here using your traveling magic. But…more than that, I’ve come to learn the value of a lie. If you do not lie, I fear…something. I don’t remember what, but I fear it. They will not like your magic.
He sounded so uncertain in her mind. So unlike the overly proud creature he normally was.
She returned her gaze to the dark-haired fae. “Valorre brought me.”
“What is…Valorre?” Garot asked.
“My unicorn companion.”
Fanon scoffed. “The unicorn is your companion?”
“More concerning,” said the unnamed Elvyn, “is that she’s suggesting he came from her world.” Then to Cora, he said, “Please explain.”
“Unicorns were considered extinct in my world for five hundred years. Only recently have they reappeared.” She tried to keep her voice level. It was easier said than done with the tremors racking her body, coursing with waves of panic over being restrained by a force she couldn’t see. Not to mention the fact that she was referring to where she’d come from asher world.
Mother Goddess, was this really happening? All her life, she’d thought of the fae as creatures who’d once existed and had simply gone extinct. Now she was supposed to reconcile that they’d come from another world. But how?
“And you befriended this one?” The unnamed male glanced at Valorre.
“Yes,” she said, “and we came here by mistake. He accidentally brought me to his home.”
Fanon’s eyes went wide. He whipped his face toward the dark-haired fae. “What does this mean for the Veil, Etrix?”
Etrix. The final name.
He rubbed his jaw. “It might be torn.”
Fanon took a forbidding step closer to Cora, leaving only a foot of space between them. She wanted to flinch back but she still couldn’t move. Valorre released a guttural whinny, but he too remained trapped in place. All Cora could do was tilt her head and meet his gaze. She swallowed hard, realizing he was even taller than Teryn. And Teryn was one of the tallest men she’d met. Fanon’s build, however, was leaner. That didn’t make him any less intimidating.
“Did you cross through the Veil?” he asked with clenched teeth.
“I don’t know what the Veil is.”
