Page 46 of Manor of Wind and Nightmares (Fae of Brytwilde #3)
Now
A s we dressed for breakfast the next morning, I noticed how dark the circles under Callista’s eyes had grown.
“Were you able to sleep much?” I’d tossed and turned most of the night.
My sister shook her head, shoulders hunched, as I buttoned her into a dress.
“Nightmares?”
“Yes, awful dreams after...after...” She swallowed, her bottom lip wobbling. “I want to go home, Auri.”
I squeezed her hand. “I know. Me too. And we will. I promise you.”
The weight of that promise settled in my heart. I only hoped I could keep it.
When I swung open the door, Florian was already approaching, his hands tucked in his pockets.
“Oh, good, you’re awake.” His smile was warm, a welcome sight after the horrors of the night before. “I am here to escort you to breakfast. Ladies shouldn’t be wandering about the manor alone.”
I cast him a sidelong look. “After last night?”
He pursed his lips, his lighthearted expression melting into solemnity for a moment. “Indeed. I’d like to think that...” He cleared his throat. “Well, that the worst is over.”
I accepted his proffered arm while Callista took his other, and we strode together down the hall and toward the staircase. “How can we be sure more vampires won’t enter the manor? Or that more are not already prowling about?”
“There are many strange creatures in Willowbark, but vampires? Those are rare. It must have been a fluke—maybe it was drawn by the concentration of magic.”
I didn’t respond, wondering how many others—if any—were aware of the darkness plaguing Kaede.
How many more vampires were lurking within his kingdom because of his nightmares?
My mind was split over whether to share the information with Florian—to warn him of the dangers—or to keep it to myself and discuss it with a healer like Azalea first to avoid panic.
As we entered the dining hall, my stomach churned with memories from last night. All signs of the bloodbath had been cleared away, leaving the floor gleaming and spotless.
The gathered courtiers were more somber than usual.
A swift scan of the space told me that Bentley and Prince Kaede were both absent.
Hattie was poking listlessly at the food on her plate.
Her tangled hair and wan face told me she hadn’t slept at all last night and that she longed to be at her sister’s side.
However, she’d probably been forced to join this meal, considering the competition had not yet ended.
“We have a very special challenge, one that we cannot delay until tonight,” Ji announced without preamble, before Callista and I had even taken our seats.
With my hand still on his arm, I felt the way Florian stiffened. “We are not...postponing? What did His Highness have to say after last night’s incidents?”
Ji’s gaze was icy as he assessed the outspoken advisor. “He knows what must be done. Time is of the essence.”
A chill rippled over my skin. I studied Florian’s profile, but he gazed steadfastly ahead, frowning at the Chief Advisor and the rest of the fae.
“Immediately after breakfast, you are each to meet with Allvar, our esteemed warlock of Willowbark.”
“We did not agree to this.” Florian cleared his throat, emphasizing his next words. “The prince did not agree to this.”
Ji sighed loudly, as if he was being a tedious, rebellious child. “We cannot waste time arguing. The king has made his orders clear, and I, for one, refuse to dishonor His Majesty’s wishes while he is on his deathbed. We must all remember where our loyalty lies.”
Florian arched his brow. “Surely this is a matter in which each contestant could have some assistance? Especially since last night’s challenge went awry.”
Ji licked his lips, reminding me of a hungry predator. “Allvar will not permit that. They must be one-on-one meetings.”
Heaviness settled over the breakfast table, some fae continuing to eat unbothered, probably happy enough to see us humans be sent into further danger, while the remaining women seemed to have lost their appetites.
I swallowed thickly, worrying for Callista. “Is Allvar very dangerous?” I whispered to Florian.
“It is said that he can see into your heart to find your deepest desires and fears, and then he offers you bargains you cannot refuse. Ones that never end well for mortals. He feeds on the youth and strength of the magic-less. It is how he continues to live so long, gaining power in his own magic and life.”
I sucked in a heavy breath. “So we are to be your sacrifices again?”
Overhearing my words, Ji looked at me sharply. “No. This is to assess your wisdom and courage.”
Florian muttered something that sounded like a curse under his breath.
Shifting in my chair, I met Ji’s stare with calm fortitude. “What about Laura? Surely it is unfair to exclude her after she succeeded in wielding Prince Kaede’s magic last night. I would imagine if anyone were to be declared a winner of that challenge, it would be her.”
“And yet she lies unconscious, perhaps on her deathbed,” Ji said callously.
Hattie sniffled.
“And the challenges must continue. A winner must be chosen. I do not care what preferences the prince has shown, or how the previous challenges have gone. We will find a queen, one who is worthy of Willowbark. Prince Kaede knows his responsibility, and he cannot call off this contest for one wounded mortal.”
I lifted my chin, considering our options.
Given the warlock’s reputation, perhaps I could take the brunt of his greed and cruelty.
If I could not accompany my sister, I could pray that my meeting would encourage him to be kinder toward Callista and the other women.
If nothing else, I would be able to learn more about him and then convey that knowledge with my sister to prepare her.
“Then,” I said, “if I may volunteer, I would like to meet with Allvar first.”
As I stepped into the room Ji had led me to, I wondered if the manor had altered it to create an aura of mystery, or if Allvar had insisted on such arrangements.
The space reminded me of the washroom I’d visited in my dream with Kaede, in which the outdoors had seemed to merge with the indoors.
Here, everything was dark and immersed in shadows, with only faint hints of light from flickering candles buried within half-hidden alcoves.
The room was long, overrun with vines and trees pushing through the floor.
Ducking beneath a branch, I scanned the room for any sign of the warlock. Instead, a group of twittering birds flitted through the air while a squirrel chirped at me from the branch before flicking its tail and running further into the tree.
“Allvar?” I called hesitantly.
As I pressed deeper into the room, I began to wonder if I was still in the manor or somewhere else entirely.
The space seemed to go on endlessly. Soon the floorboards were spotted with dirt and moss and the sound of running water filtered through the air.
I drew a deep breath, inhaling the woodsy, earthy scents of a deep, ancient wood.
I paused, wondering which way I should travel next to try to find Allvar, when the floorboards rose beneath me, rippling like water.
Heart in my throat, I struggled to keep my balance while the manor lifted me as if carrying me on a wave, pushing me deeper into the room and depositing me before a shallow pool.
Here, the lighting was brighter, for a circle of flaming torches dotted the space, their smoke filling the air with a crisp scent.
This was also where the sound of running water originated, for a small stream poured down the wall and fell into the pool, stirring foam on its far edge.
On my side, the water lay calm and clear, reflecting the flickering orange light.
When I peered past it, I found a bed of dirt and pebbles.
Tiny fish darted about, nibbling at underwater vegetation.
Left in awe at the way nature had so effortlessly melded with the manor, I didn’t hear the approach of uneven footsteps until they paused right behind me.
“Heh,” a scratchy male voice said. “You humans are easily impressed.” He smacked a cane against the floorboards beside my foot, startling me backward, though I had enough presence of mind to sidestep and avoid a plunge into the pool. “What do you go by?”
I turned to find a hunched elderly man with wild, wispy white hair and a heavily wrinkled face.
As unused to seeing age in the fae world as I was, I had to school my features.
After all, I knew warlocks were different from the rest of the fae.
Their magic followed other rules, draining their own life, strength, and sanity.
It was, after all, why they—and their female counterparts—enjoyed meeting and bargaining with magic-less mortals. “Aurelia Sinclair.”
The man smirked, his yellow teeth flashing in the dim light. “Did they choose you to be the first sacrifice?” He released a wheezy laugh, swinging his cane about as he turned and hobbled further into the room.
Unnerved, I kept my expression carefully blank. “I volunteered.”
He paused, tilting his head to the side and squinting, as if truly seeing me for the first time. “To protect your younger sister, Callista.”
My heart skipped a beat. Though Florian had warned me that Allvar could see one’s desires and fears, experiencing it was an entirely different matter. It reminded me far too much of how King Wystan had read my mind.
“Come forward, Aurelia. I want to show you something.” He tapped his cane upon the ground, like an impatient tutor.
I approached on hesitant feet, wondering what the warlock wanted with me. With any of us. Did he care about Willowbark’s future and determining who would be a worthy queen, or did he only want to trick us into making bargains for our greatest wishes?