A Gift of Three (A Shade of Vampire #42)(18)

Our journey sped up, and soon we were descending onto the star. I closed my eyes briefly as the jolt of the last part of the journey made me feel slightly queasy, and when I opened them, I was standing on the ground—the magnificence of the fire star sprawled out before me.





Aida





[Victoria and Bastien’s daughter]




After my feet touched solid ground, it took me a few more seconds to comprehend the sight that greeted me. There was so much to see, so many spectacular colors and sights and smells that it was almost a violent assault to my senses.

I stared, open-mouthed, as elegant dancers swirled across the lawn, swathes of delicate scarves being waved in tempo to a jumble of musical sounds, the beat languid and soft before picking up into a bursting roll of drums and pipes. There were at least five different bands all playing at once, ensembles made up of several fae, but somehow all keeping in tune with one another. Fae guards stood to attention in rich, red robes, their weapons gleaming in the amber light that emanated from stone sculptures at various points across the grounds of the palace. Everywhere I looked, ice fires shot up into the air, their blazes almost reaching the top of the palace. Each time one of them burst alight, the heavy bushes and bouquets of flowers that were draped on the backs of chairs and table-tops suddenly seemed to come alive, as if the petals themselves were dancing along to the music.

Rows and rows of long banquet tables were laid out, their surfaces heavy with more stone sculptures and elaborate decorations of berries and flowers, along with large pieces of silverware. Off in the distance, I could see clusters of hedges, some neat and orderly, some wild and overgrown. From within them, I could hear the raucous laughter of guests. After staring, puzzled, for a few moments, I realized they were small mazes—strange lights came from inside them, and fireworks were being set off at their central points.

“How is this even more amazing than I expected it to be?” Serena murmured. I turned to her in surprise, almost forgetting that my friends were standing right next to me.

I looked toward the palace and saw Sherus and Nuriya standing on the front steps—they were accepting gifts, all piled high on a table, and greeting guests who appeared to be other fae, perhaps from the neighboring elemental stars.

“Let’s go and say hello,” I said, realizing that the rest of the Shadian guests were already moving to greet the couple. My parents would have brought our gifts along, but I couldn’t see them in the crowd. The lights kept darting about, showing quick snapshots of one group of guests before lighting up somewhere else.

“Let’s go,” Serena agreed.

Before we could move, a fae appeared before us, dressed in the official livery of the fire star. He took our bags, telling Serena the directions to our room in the palace. I zoned out, too entranced with the scene around us. Serena was always better organized than Vita or I were, anyway.

When the conversation was finished, we made our way through the crowd, sticking close by one another so we didn’t get lost. We kept passing faces we knew, but in the next moment they would be gone, replaced by ones we didn’t—elaborately adorned fae, some dancing in abandon, some stern-faced and almost disapproving of our presence.

We waited on the steps to take our turn. Here at least the light remained constant. Small lanterns floated in mid-air, casting a warm glow over the new family. Nuriya held the child in her arms, wrapped in silk swaddling, her face beaming as she spoke with her guests, and then her smile broadening even more as she looked down at her child. Sherus stood with one arm wrapped around her. His expression was one of pride and happiness, and every other second he turned to gaze at his wife and their new infant, as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck.

“What do you think it’s going to be like?” Vita whispered. “A mix of fae and jinni…its abilities are going to be incredible.”

I nodded. There was no denying that. And a child of two royal bloodlines as well.

The couple in front of us, who I didn’t recognize, moved out of the way and we took the final step up the stairs to greet our hosts.

“Girls!” Nuriya exclaimed happily. “Thank you so much for coming. You all look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you for inviting us,” we gushed, all peering into the bundle that lay in Nuriya’s arms.

“Do you have a name yet?” I breathed, staring down at the cherub-faced little creature who stared back up at me, his mouth forming a perfect little ‘o’ as he waved his chubby fist in my direction.

“We’ll announce it later.” Nuriya smiled. “There’s a ritual that will name him for us—we let the fire element decide.”

I nodded, not really understanding what she meant, but utterly transfixed by the small child. I reached out my little finger, trying to stroke his impossibly small hands. My skin touched his, and the next moment—he was gone!

“What?!” I gasped, looking up at Nuriya in panic.

The jinni queen laughed softly. “He does that sometimes. Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a moment.”

The other two exhaled in relief, but I only felt reassured once I saw him again. Like his mother claimed, he appeared a few moments later, gurgling softly and reaching for my finger again.

I smiled weakly back at the couple, who were looking at us all in amusement. We made our excuses and left, rejoining the buzz and crowds of the party.