Page 7 of Manor of Wind and Nightmares (Fae of Brytwilde #3)

While other servants took the remaining ladies in different directions, the pair guiding Callista and me started up a wide, shadowy staircase.

Though the paintings and tapestries we passed were lovely and grand, full of colorful depictions of nature or portraits of past royals, there was a cold austerity to the manor.

I had the strangest feeling that it did not welcome us.

As if it had emotions and thoughts of its own and felt closed-off and hostile.

Don’t be silly, I chided myself. I didn’t lack an imagination, but I had never let mine carry me away.

When movement out of the corner of my eye made me pause, I glanced toward the nearest painting of a stern-looking male. A cold sweat broke out over my skin, even though I knew it was impossible. It had been a trick of the lighting and shadows, surely. I had not seen his eyes tracking my movements.

Shaking off my unfounded worries, I focused on my more pressing one.

With my sister also keeping a slower pace, unused to exerting herself back home, we had fallen behind enough that I figured whispered words could go unheard by even fae ears.

“Callista,” I murmured. “Please be careful about letting others know I spent time in the fae world.”

Her brow scrunched in confusion, so I hurried on.

“I cannot give details, but Prince Kaede cannot know who I am. If he finds out...we could both be in danger.”

Her confused look left me fearful she’d ignore my warning, but before either of us could say more, the maids turned, noticing the growing distance between us.

“Don’t dawdle; we haven’t much time,” one of the maids snapped, and I hastened to follow her.

Overhead, something darted through the air, making my breath catch. But when I searched the darkness, unable to see the ceiling because it was so high above us, I found nothing. The shadows must have been playing tricks on me.

The servants showed Callista and me to a long hallway several stories up, where doors painted in colorful representations of nature lined both walls.

Along regular intervals, stoic-faced guards stood at their posts, each heavily armed with an array of weapons, from bows to swords to wickedly curved daggers.

My fingers twitched uneasily at my sides as I studied them, wondering if they were there to protect us from something—or to keep us within the manor.

“Hurry!” a maid snapped again, and I picked up my pace.

The maids took us to a door adorned with a winding river decorated with cherry blossoms floating along its surface.

Within, the vast quarters held an expansive four-poster bed that would easily fit Callista and me with room to spare, along with an adjoined washroom.

Everything was dark and elegant, with deep purple drapes framing the huge arched windows, rich gold accents in the bed linens and rug, and carved mahogany furniture.

The candles in the wall sconces already burned, and a warm fire danced in the hearth.

The maids wasted no time preparing washbasins full of steaming water to scrub our faces, necks, and arms.

One, whose skin had the appearance of tree bark and eyes were the color of moss, crinkled her nose as she worked. “If only we had time to give you each a proper bath.”

The other, who looked more human than the bark-skinned woman, snickered at her companion’s words. “Oh, Wisteria! Mortals do have a peculiar scent, don’t they?”

Callista looked affronted, but she had the presence of mind not to say anything.

Ignoring her insult, I allowed Wisteria to help me out of my simple day dress. She turned and snapped her fingers before the wardrobe. “Gown, please.”

At my curious look, Wisteria smiled, though it wasn’t a kind look.

“The manor is magical. It will provide us with dresses in your sizes for tonight’s feast, for it serves Willowbark, and this event is for our kingdom.

If you do anything that will harm our land, the manor will not take kindly to you. ”

My stomach curdled as I remembered the sensation I’d felt, that the manor didn’t welcome us. Or, perhaps more specifically, didn’t welcome me . I’d never heard of a building with a will or magic like a living being, but the fae world was a strange place I was only beginning to fathom.

Could Willow Manor sense who I was? What I’d done?

Wisteria opened the wardrobe, revealing the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen.

Frothed in black lace that climbed up the full skirt and bodice, it was a style one would never have seen in the human world.

The sleeves were long and made of sheer lace.

In stunning contrast to the dark piece, bright pink cherry blossoms adorned the skirt, like the fabric had been laid out beneath one of the trees to catch a shower of flowers and petals.

Wisteria removed it so the other maid could close the doors and request another dress for Callista.

When Wisteria finished buttoning me into the gown and started working on my hair, I realized the dress was a perfect fit. Just as she had said.

Nearby, Callista gasped in delight as her maid assisted her into a bridal-white gown with shimmering gold and pink beads. They caught in the candlelight as she twirled until the fae sighed in annoyance and demanded she hold still so she could tend to her hair.

Wisteria brushed a glittering powder over my eyelids and some sort of rouge over my lips.

As I stood waiting for Callisa’s maid to finish, I stared out the window at the deepening night.

A shape darted across the moon, and I looked up to find a bat fluttering through the sky.

The prickling feeling of being watched struck me again.

I glanced about the room, wondering if it was the manor itself, once again reminding me that I was not wanted here.

In the distance, a bell sounded.

“Time to go,” Wisteria said sharply, ushering Callista and me toward the door. Both maids guided us back down the stairs to join other women in elegant ballgowns, all streaming into a great hall. Strains of sweet music and toasty warmth greeted us, along with the mingling aromas of assorted foods.

Within, we found musicians playing in one corner, flames dancing merrily in the fireplaces along the walls and in the chandeliers and sconces decorating the room, and more arrangements of cherry blossoms and greenery above an enormous table laden with the most exquisite spread of food I’d ever laid eyes on.

My mouth watered from the tempting scents of roasted poultry and beef, an array of seafood, tureens of soups and stews, and overflowing bowls of fresh fruits and steaming vegetables.

On the far end, decadent sugar-dusted pastries, chocolates, and frosted cakes were heaped generously.

Ji and a group of other well-dressed fae men and women chatted together, already seated at one side of the table.

To my relief, Prince Kaede was not among them.

Guards, along with a few servants, stood vigilantly along the walls, studying the scene with impassive expressions.

Meanwhile, servants filed in through a separate door that I assumed led to the kitchens, all bearing trays with more food and drinks.

“Oh!” Laura breathed from where she stood just in front of Callista and me. She clasped her hands in rapture. “I’m famished. What a welcome sight!”

“It’s beautiful,” Hattie agreed, her eyes wide as she scanned the table.

The servants who’d been waiting by the walls stepped forward to pull out chairs.

Ji waved a servant carrying a tray of wineglasses over, seizing one and raising it toward the ceiling in a toast before everyone else had even had the opportunity to take their seats.

“Welcome, mortal guests, to Willow Manor, where you will stay for the duration of your time here,” Ji announced as we all settled in our chairs.

“We will explain our rules for winning the prince’s hand momentarily, but first, a toast to our fine Prince Kaede, who will join us shortly.

Rest and eat your fill. Later, we will dance and celebrate the fact that soon, we shall find a bride for our prince and a future queen for our kingdom. Enjoy the hospitality of the fae.”

Prince Kaede, who will join us later. The words echoed in my head and my blood roared in my ears, but I tamped down my desire to panic. Fear would get me nowhere. I had to keep a level head—to prepare for the worst while pretending as if I were innocent.

As servants deposited glasses in front of us so we could toast with Ji, I leaned toward my sister’s ear. “Callista,” I whispered. “We have to be discerning. Mortals can’t consume fae food or wine without consequences. Make sure whatever you eat you recognize.”

She frowned. “What do you mean? Surely they wouldn’t feed us anything that would harm us when one of us is to become their queen.”

I seized her arm. “Listen to me. You can never trust their intentions. Be careful.”

Biting her lip, Callista said nothing as she reached for the glass of ruby red wine a servant offered her. She swirled the liquid slowly, studying it as if mesmerized before glancing toward me. I nodded. Red wine was safe—it was the gold I knew to be wary of.

Together, we raised our glasses and sipped our wine.

The musicians in the corner started playing a new melody, one that somehow evoked both beautiful and eerie feelings all at once.

I focused on the way the wine’s warmth spread through my chest with each sip.

Servants began to offer us food, which thankfully was all recognizable and edible.

Though it felt like there was a rock in my stomach stifling my appetite, I forced myself to eat with the others.

Glancing about the room to ensure none of the fae were looking at me, I grasped the knife at my place setting and slipped it into my boot.

It was the sort of lesson King Wystan and his trainers had drilled into my head.

Always search for a weapon. Even if the thought of wielding one made bile slither over my tongue.

While Ji and the other fae who’d seated themselves near him—ones I hadn’t seen accompanying us on our journey from Riverside—began their own conversations, we mortals began talking amongst ourselves.

“Do you think we will be permitted to speak with the prince tonight?” a dark-haired woman across from us asked eagerly.

A woman with blonde ringlets arranged around her shoulders shrugged elegantly. “One would have to make quite the first impression to stand out from among nine-and-twenty other ladies.” She scanned the table shrewdly.

“Perhaps we should introduce ourselves?” a petite, grey-eyed woman asked softly.

The blonde shrugged again. “As if we will remember all these names.” Her eyes turned sharp. “Are we not in competition against one another, after all?”

The grey-eyed woman pressed her lips together and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Well,” Laura piped up bravely as she set down her fork, “I think it’s a grand idea.” She gave her name to the room and then gestured to her sister and introduced her.

Hattie turned to me, indicating it was my turn. Clearing my throat, I offered my name and then Callista’s, and so we went around the entire table in that manner.

“Molly Baker,” the petite woman who’d suggested we share our names offered, smiling shyly. I shot her an encouraging grin back.

“Charlotte Hart,” said the blonde beside her with a devious smirk.

The dark-haired woman who’d first spoken gave her name as Emily Winters. She picked nervously at her food, her plate looking mostly untouched.

Others around the table offered their names as well until they began to blur together in my mind. Verity Earnshaw, Audrey Hyland, Mary Beresford, Caroline Layton, Edith Williamson...

As we finished eating and servants cleared away our empty plates, Ji and the other fae stood.

The music came to an abrupt halt. Without warning, the servants also halted, dipping into bows and curtsies.

Heart thundering in my ears, I shoved my chair back and stood, urging Callista to follow my lead. The other women did as well.

A tall, lithe form stepped through the open double doors, clothed in rich black embroidered with subtle silver designs. The light caught his sharp jaw and cheekbones, making his face look severe, mysterious, and heartbreakingly handsome. His dark eyes were fathomless as he scanned the crowd.

After a full year, I stared into the face that had haunted both my wildest dreams and my darkest nightmares.

My churning emotions were almost unbearable, and as I dipped into a curtsey, I lowered my gaze to conceal the tears burning in my eyes. I doubted he would see them from his position across the room, but I didn’t want anyone else to notice and become suspicious.

“Ladies,” Ji announced after a long, heavy silence.

“Please welcome Prince Kaede. Over your time here, however long it takes, the thirty of you will be competing for his hand to prove who will be the best future queen. He is forbidden to interfere, but he can spend time getting to know you and observing the proceedings. Tonight, he will dance with each of you so you may become acquainted.”

I inhaled deeply to soothe my mounting worry. Kaede might not recognize my appearance, but what if he knew me when we danced? What if my voice or mannerisms were familiar?

I’d already been involved in a dangerous game with King Wystan—and lost horribly. I hadn’t thought my heart could break any worse, that I could ever lose more than I already had. Now I knew I’d been wrong.

Tonight, I’d begin playing my most dangerous game yet.