Page 12

Chapter twelve

A Friend Indeed

Two Weeks Later

“T here are three major courts in the immortal plane,” Cass was telling me two weeks after our hushed discussion at my first morning prayer ritual.

She had taken on the job of educating me about her people and their customs after Lark had apparently told her, in some conversation I had not been privy to, that it might be important for me to know this information if I was going to take part in morning prayers and holy feasts as I already had in the short weeks I had been here.

Lark had all but disappeared entirely. I hadn’t seen him once since the day he proclaimed he was doing what was best for his people, not even at the morning prayers. Whatever he had managed to say to the Queen seemed to exclude him from all the mundane rituals and rites that the rest of us had to abide by.

“The Court of Blood and Bone, their color is black, that’s us. The Court of Light and Life, that’s this court and white, obviously. And the Court of Peace and Pride, their color is brown. Our court is at the southernmost tip of our realm. This court is at the north. All the minor courts fall in line between us and the Court of Peace and Pride encompasses us all, wrapping around us on every side except the south.”

“What’s in the south?” I interrupted, looking up from the notepad I had sitting on my legs where they were crossed beneath me in the conversation pit of our room.

“Hellscape,” she answered.

I hesitated, my pen hovering over the page as my mouth fell open.

“Hellscape?” I repeated, stunned.

Cass nodded slowly from across from me where she was reclining, lazing on a mountain of cushions she had compiled for this very purpose.

“Yes,” she told me. “It’s a dark and desolate strip of land far to the south, even farther south than the Bone Court, where no Fae dwell. It has one entrance, the key to which is held by the appointed Warden, but no one ever comes or goes except to check up on things.”

“Things?”

“Cerberus, Hydra, Minotaurs, Dragons,” she listed and my eyes bulged more and more with every word she spoke. “All the nasty little beasts we banished from your world thousands of years ago and brought here with us to protect you from. They stay locked up in Hellscape and the Warden checks from time to time just to make sure they’re still there.”

“Who has dominion over Hellscape?”

“We do. The Bone Court always appoints the Warden and they always appoint one of their heirs. That’s why everyone else thinks we’re monsters, because we’re in charge of literal monsters,” she told me and then, a moment later, her head popped up and she looked at me. “Well, that’s not the only reason.”

I frowned. Right. Killing your own blood to take the throne might also have something to do with that perception.

“There are six minor courts between the Court of Light and Life and the Court of Blood and Bone,” she continued her lesson, dropping her head back down as she spoke. “They are a rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple. You know that orange is the Court of Wanderers. They are the travelers, the ones tasked with holding the portal to the mortal realm. As such, they’re also a big location for trade, specifically luxury goods like jewels and textiles. Above them is red. That is the Court of Rivals. You may have heard us talking about that being where Taurus is now. It’s directly below the Court of Light and Life because the Ivory Throne is always trying to keep a handle on what goes on there. If you think the Court of Bone is a place of debauchery…”

Cass trailed off, snorting.

“They fight to the death for fun there,” she said. “Just throw two Fae in the ring and let them tear each other apart. It’s barbaric. Though the pleasure houses can be fun if you know where to look.”

My cheeks colored and she grinned before turning back to stare at the ceiling and continue.

“The yellow court,” she muttered, as if reminding herself of where she had stopped. “That’s the Court of Blessings. They are known for their healing prowess. A lot of aura balancing and meditation in the yellow court. Very zen. The green. They are the Court of Friends. Quite the wholesome bunch, that one. And very bohemian. They’re all about nature and love and prioritizing relationships. You’ll never meet a nicer Fae than the ones in the Court of Friends. Below that is blue. That’ll be the Court of Scholars.”

I perked up at that.

“The Grand Library is there and a university of sorts though no Fae considers themselves a student. Anyone with something to research ends up there. They have knowledge gathered spanning millennia. They have the skulls of the very first Cerberus there.”

My lips parted in surprise.

“Then purple,” Cass said, moving on. “The Court of Dreamers. Those are the artists. The musicians and performers, painters and sculptors, and that’s where the Dream Weaver lives.”

“The Dream Weaver?” I asked.

“She’s this old crone who can interpret dreams. Puts you to sleep and walks right into your subconscious. I’ve heard she can be very effective but I’ve never gone to her myself. I’d like to keep my thoughts mine and mine alone.”

I smiled at that.

“So Rook,” I said then and Cass’ smile faltered as she glanced my way. “He was born here but he left and joined the Court of Blood and Bone. Is that common? Leaving the court one is originally born in?”

“It’s not uncommon,” she answered thoughtfully, sitting up to give me her full intention. “But his was. Giving up the light for the dark, that’s not a choice one typically makes willingly. It’s more common in the minor courts. Maybe a dreamer is born amongst the scholars. Maybe a healer is born among the Wanderers. Better to let them move than be miserable their whole lives. Better for them to find a place where they can be who they truly are, to use their fates-given gifts to their highest potential.”

“Did Rook find that place?”

“Rook should tell his own story.”

Cass stood up, readjusting her short skirt, and I took the hint.

“What’s your story?” I asked then, changing the subject from Rook.

“I’m a Princess of Darkness,” she replied with a shrug. “My story isn’t much more than that.”

“You have three siblings all trying to kill each other.”

“Allegedly.”

“Cass, there’s more to your story.”

She crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze.

“Is it my story you’re after or Lark’s?” She asked me after a moment.

My cheeks blazed red.

“Yours,” I informed her though I couldn’t deny that the realization that her story would likely be entangled with his, as his sister, had crossed my mind and she seemed to have sensed that.

“I’m the youngest,” she told me anyway. “And all I’ve ever wanted, ever, my whole life, was for my older siblings to get along. And for my father to be not so much of an ass.”

I snorted. She smiled too but then the light in her eyes dimmed and that smile turned into a frown.

“I’ve known, since the moment I was capable of understanding the words, that eventually my family was all going to kill each other. It’s our birthright. And I hate it. I hate it almost as much as I hate the stupid politics and the way we let everyone believe we’re so evil, so wicked. We aren’t,” she said and I waited for her to continue because it seemed like she had more to say. Not for me, but for herself. “Rook came to us, not because of what we represented, but because we allowed him to. The minor courts, they were afraid of making the Court of Life angry. The Court of Peace and Pride is overpopulated enough already. But my brothers welcomed him with open arms and fought my dad tooth and nail to let him stay. Even Ursa defended him when some emissary tried to put a hit out on him. Because that’s what we do in my family. We protect each other. Until we don’t. But now, because he came to us, because we made him a part of our family, now every Fae from every other court is going to look at him as though he’s got some secret withering away his soul. I just—I don’t want the same thing to happen to you. If you decide to stay, I mean.”

Stay.

There it was. The question she wasn’t asking me. The one I hadn’t even allowed myself to ask me. Was I going to stay with them? Was I even welcome to stay with them? For Cass, it seemed that I was. But for Lark? I might have said yes two weeks ago. But this new distance between us had me wondering and I wouldn’t stay where I wasn’t wanted. But even if I was, even if they all welcomed me with open arms as they had Rook…

“Could you get a letter to the mortal plane?” I asked her then. “If I wrote one.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion but she nodded.

Then I walked to the desk on the opposite side of the room, pulled out some stationary, and wrote a three sentence note to my uncle.

I’m safe. I’m in the immortal realm. I’ll write again when I’m able.

Then I wrote his name on the front and crossed the room and handed it to Cass. She took one look at the name and the note vanished into thin air. I jumped. I would never get used to how easy these things were for them. But then I met her eyes and reached out to grip her arm.

“You aren’t wicked, Cass,” I told her. “You’ve been kinder to me than most mortals I’ve met in my lifetime. You’ve welcomed me as if I was one of your own. You’ve taken the time to teach me about your people, your world, and you’ve made me feel comfortable in a place I never even thought I could survive. I look at you and I see nothing but good. No matter what the others say about you, about your court and your family, you’re my friend and, frankly, you might be the best one I’ve ever had.”

She watched me for a moment, eyes widening a fraction at my honesty.

“Was that too much?” I asked, tensing and suddenly feeling awkward. “Humans have a tendency to be more forthcoming with their emotions. Short lives and all that. I didn’t—”

Before I could finish, she gripped me by the shoulders and pulled me in for a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered into my hair as she held me close, “friend.”