Vampire Girl (Vampire Girl #1)(27)

The boat begins to glide through the water and Fen stays alert and focused until we are away from the city. It seems the canals have different paths depending on where you are going: direct paths to move through the realms quickly, and side paths to travel within them. We are back on a direct path when Fenris finally answers me. "Until I know who to trust, I have to be careful. You should too. I plan to find out the truth before our month is over, so you don't end up in the wrong hands, but if I fail, don't tell any of them what you've learned. It will only put you at greater risk."

The red drink we had is making me sleepy, and despite my best efforts to stay awake, sleep claims me. When I wake, we are slowing, having already arrived in Fen's realm. The sun is rising over the mountains, a large golden globe in the sky that doesn't seem to do much to warm the land we are now in. I hadn't noticed that the further we traveled the colder it got, but now I'm shivering and Fen hands me my cloak.

"Is it always this cold here?"

"No, we have four seasons. This is the beginning of winter. We haven't seen cold yet. But it's coming."

"So... is that when hell freezes over?"

The look he gives me is funnier than my lame joke and I can't help but laugh. He remains stoic, and I nudge him with my foot. "Oh come on, you know that was funny. Lighten up."

"I am the Prince of War. I do not 'lighten up'."

We climb out of the boat and hike up a winding stone path carved with glyphs reminiscent of the mark on Fen's wrist. Dark trees loom over us, and something shuffles in the shrubbery. A squirrel runs out from the darkness, cheeks stuffed with food. I say hello to the critter at my feet. Fen grumbles something about "squirrels" and "just meat". Baron licks his lips. In a second, the squirrel disappears back into a bush, leaving behind tiny prints in the snow. I chuckle, a slither of early morning sun hitting my face, and we move on. The forest begins to part, letting more light flow onto the steps. We reach a tall wooden gate, one sentinel on either side, clad in silver steel, wielding spears, their faces covered in white fur hoods. Large trees arch over the entrance to form a shaded path beyond the walls. When Baron walks up and scratches at the gate, the guards open for us.

The city beyond the walls is just waking up. There's a scent of freshly baked pastries and breads stirring on the air, and the sounds of stores opening and people greeting one another.

The castle is in the distance, beyond the city, a sharp and jagged extension of the mountains that surround the area, forming three of the fortress's four walls.

Waterfalls cascade down the sides of the peaks, pooling into ponds and lakes that line the outskirts. I hear them before I see them, feeling their deep rumbling. They give the air a clean, fresh scent.

We walk under the trees that stretch over us, and as the sun hits the bark, something catches my eye. I walk toward one of the trees and run my hand over it. The trunk of the tree, of all the trees, is embedded with crystals of all shapes and colors. My hand lands on one particular crystal that pulses with its own light, like a bursting star set aflame in opaque quartz.

"We call that a Shooting Star Crystal," Fen says from behind me. "Many of these crystals can also be found in your world, but that is one unique to ours. It's said that it brings great power to those who know how to wield it, and can bring out great power within one for whom it is trapped. Some say it's also the knowing eye of truth, seeing through falsehoods."

"It's lovely. Do you believe it's that powerful?"

He shrugs. "I don't fancy myself an expert on such things."

"Fen here is more a steel and brawn kind of guy," a woman's voice says.

I turn and find a tall, slim, graceful woman link arms with Fen. She is stunning, with long blue hair, striking silver eyes that are shaped almost like a cat's, and... pointed ears. She wipes a dirty hand on her leather apron and holds it out to me. "I'm Kayla, this oaf's sister. You must be Arianna."

His sister? I shake her hand, surprised at the strength in someone so petite. "Yes. It's nice to meet you."

I try not to stare at her ears, but clearly I'm failing, because she laughs and touches the tip of one. "I'm half Fae," she says, by way of explanation. "Our father had a dalliance with one of his slaves. My mother."

I nod, pretending to understand.

Fen puts his arm around his sister and grins. "Kayla here is the best blacksmith in the kingdom, and our official royal blacksmith at Stonehill," Fen explains. "Swords, knives, even jewelry. She's the best in all the realms."

"How fascinating," I say. "I'd love to see what you do sometime, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." Kayla tugs on her long blue braid, her eyes crinkling in genuine happiness. She points to a building not too far from us, where black smoke rises from it. "That's my forge. Stop by anytime."

Kayla turns to Fen, her smile slipping. "I came to let you know we need a larger supply of steel if you want so many swords prepared so quickly. I'm running low."

Fen nods. "I'll see to it you have what you need."

"Good enough." Kayla turns away from us, waving as she does, and heads back to her forge.

"So if you’re a prince, does that make her—"

"A princess? No. She's a bastard. A Shade. Everything she has in this life she's had to work for." His eyes grow dark. "My father... my father did not treat her kindly."