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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ellery

Unlike the king’s coronation, most immortals arrived via a portal at the earl’s ball. The earl’s castle wasn’t as big or sprawling as the palace; it would have been impossible for him to house all the carriages and horses.

Besides, if the earl tried to show the same kind of pomp and circumstance as the king, it would have angered Ivan, and none of the nobles were willing to piss off the spoiled brat. I was happy about traveling by portal as we could get there faster and leave earlier.

Dusk was descending when my mother and I emerged from the portal she’d created outside the castle’s walls. With a wave of her hand, she closed it behind us.

Standing on the grassy knoll outside the castle, I craned my head back to take in the turrets rising high above the land. The earl’s castle was smaller than Ivan’s palace and the duke’s newly built fortress, but it was still impressive as it towered over a hundred feet into the sky.

Like all buildings in Tempest, dozens upon dozens of lightning rods decorated the castle’s roofline. They were a deterrent for lightning bearers and the magnetic storms that ravaged our realm at least a few times a year.

A dozen or so immortals strode across the grass toward the main dirt road leading into the bailey. The women held up their dresses to keep their skirts from dragging across the ground.

Their dresses, made by the finest tailors in the land, were assorted colors and styles, but none were any better than the ones Scarlet designed for my mother and me. I wish she could be here to see how her designs compared to the others.

Some men stopped to help escort the women, but my mother waved away the two approaching us. I didn’t have to ask why; I’d prefer not to have a stranger touching me either, even if it was in kindness. My skin and nerves still felt too raw from the events of yesterday.

A yellow carpet—one of the earl’s colors—had been rolled out from beneath the portcullis to stretch hundreds of feet down the road. Music drifted out from within, but I couldn’t see the band beyond the thick, gray walls.

I lifted my skirt and, with my mother, walked across the ankle-high, thick, green grass toward the road. Once on the carpet, we released our dresses and strolled forward with the rest of the crowd. The firelight from the flickering torches illuminated the way and danced across the yellow carpet.

As we walked, more immortals arrived and fell in behind us. I was glad we’d arrived a little early, as the crush of amsirah behind us grew. I would have to deal with a crowd once inside, but at least I got these last moments of relative peace.

Above the portcullis, two gargoyles sat perched with their hands between their legs and their bony wings spread open. Their animalistic faces were almost serene as they gazed down at the entrance, but their postures spoke of creatures ready to spring into action if necessary.

I shuddered at the idea of those stone monsters coming to life. Their claw-tipped fingers, curled around a piece of the castle, could eviscerate someone with one swipe. I couldn’t see any teeth, but I was sure that, imaginary or not, they could easily rend the flesh from someone.

Stepping into the bailey, my attention shifted from the gargoyles to the large snowflakes lazily falling from the sky. They sizzled when they hit the fires from the torches and melted when they hit the ground.

As they spiraled downward, they reflected the light of the torches. I smiled as I held out a hand to catch a flake. I could create snow too, but it was still beautiful as it fell from the sky on this hot August night.

The snowflakes, carpet, and torches created a colorful wonderland up the stairs to the open double doors of the earl’s home. We passed a three-piece band playing their instruments on a small stage halfway across the bailey.

I’d never been to Oakley Estate before, but my mother had attended other parties here and had told me it was a beautiful place. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we stepped through the double doors and into the giant stone structure.

Two more gargoyles, perched above the doors, watched over all who entered, but I was sure the eyes I felt on me were just those of the servants behind us. A row of servants bowed as we walked past them.

They spoke about a magical night no one would forget, but their smiles didn’t reach their eyes. Most seemed as devoid of life as the stone gargoyles.

However, they did speak the truth as I was sure I would never forget this night, and not because it would be an extravagant, memorable affair. It was because I was about to be in a room with monsters who were intent on destroying me.