Page 14 of Realms of Shadow and Sun (A World of Sun and Shadow #3)

Grayden had felt her, he was sure of it. One minute, he was riding, trying to gauge how much farther until they left the protective canopy of the Twilight Kingdom forest, when a blast of deep emotional pain surged through him. He felt dizzy, and he actually thought he might pass out from the intensity of feeling that overcame him. He swayed on top of Damion before he caught himself and readjusted his balance, his heart racing with concern.

Selenia's sharp eyes missed nothing. "Grayden, what's wrong?"

Her voice was tinged with worry.

"I think–actually, I'm positive–I felt Renya."

The words came out in a rush, a mixture of relief and fear.

"That's wonderful. You haven't been feeling her much, have you?"

She spurred Honor on to catch up with him.

"She's hurting."

He couldn't keep the grief and apprehension out of his tone. The pain he had felt from Renya was unlike anything he had experienced before, and it terrified him.

Selenia's face fell. "Grayden–I'm sure she's okay."

But her words sounded hollow.

He hung his head low, unable to answer her. He kept his eyes ahead on the bright light just outside the line of trees, trying to focus on their goal rather than the ache in his heart.

Phillippe caught up and studied them both, his keen eyes taking in their tense postures. "What's going on?"

Selenia jumped in, saving Grayden the pain of responding. "Grayden could feel Renya, and she's in trouble."

"Grayden, we'll get her back. I know it,"

Phillippe said, trying to reassure Grayden as much as he could. His voice was firm, filled with a determination that Grayden wished he could feel.

"She's my entire life,"

Grayden said, in a small voice, hardly audible over the hoofbeats of the horses. The admission hung in the air, a testament to the depth of his love and the weight of his fear.

"We know, Grayden. She's a big part of our lives now too."

Selenia pushed her ringlets back over her shoulder and looked grimly ahead.

No one said anything until they reached the edge of the forest, knowing the pain Grayden was in was uncategorizable. The silence was heavy with unspoken worry and shared determination.

As they approached the Sun Realm, the temperatures increased and the horses, equipped and adapted for the Snow Lands, started to struggle in the intense heat. Selenia had shrugged off Grayden's fur and her gloves were long gone. Grayden's shirt clung to his back, and Phillippe removed his altogether. Their pace slowed significantly as the sweltering heat wore them down.

The trees thinned, and soon the forest floor transitioned from soft, earthy-smelling dirt to coarse sand. A vast desert appeared before them, hot and unforgiving, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"A desert? Phillippe, where are you leading us?"

Grayden grumbled while unbuttoning another button on his tunic. It was the first word he'd uttered in an hour.

"This is the fastest way to the Sun Realm. We could have come through the southern border, but you have to go around Gradis Lake in order to get there. It's an easier route, but it would add at least three days to our journey."

Phillippe dismounted and walked along his horse for a bit, grabbing his water pouch and drinking deeply.

Grayden nodded, and dismounted as well. He pulled a few small traveling cakes and passed them to his siblings. Selenia nibbled at hers, while Phillippe inhaled his without chewing. Grayden passed his rations to Phillippe, his appetite long gone. Phillippe accepted it hesitantly, worry etched along his forehead.

"Have either of you been past the Sun Realm?"

Selenia asked, her curiosity momentarily overriding her exhaustion.

"No,"

Phillippe answered. "But Father saw it in his youth. He said that it's beautiful–but at the same time, incredibly...chilling."

"Chilling?"

Selenia asked.

"He said that parts of it are destroyed, but other areas are completely untouched, as if any second someone is coming back to claim it."

"Do you think we'll find any clues as to how to defeat Cressida?"

Grayden looked at Selenia, his eyes haunted. "That doesn't matter. All that matters is freeing Renya from the blood magic."

"Grayden,"

Phillippe warned, his voice gentle but firm. "If there's any clues there as to how to beat her, we need to look. Getting Renya back, only to have Cressida take her again or destroy our entire kingdom, isn't much better. Renya would want us to search for anything in their archives that could potentially help us and our world."

Grayden knew his brother was right. He wasn't usually so self-serving, so selfish. But now that he was fated, everything else seemed to fade into the background. Food had no taste, and no amount of fireale could numb his pain. Colors were dull and sounds were nothing but noise. Loving Renya fundamentally changed him, and her absence left a void that nothing else could fill.

As they carried on, he found himself following Phillippe absentmindedly, thinking about the first time Renya traveled with him on horseback. She had tried to hold herself away from his body, but she had fallen asleep quickly and relaxed against his chest. He remembered the smell of her hair and the softness of her body. Then there had been that moment at the inn, where she gaped at his shirtless body, warmed by the fire. He smiled briefly, thinking about the pink in her cheeks when she was embarrassed.

The trek through the desert was rough. They watered the horses right before leaving the borders of the Twilight Kingdom, but there wasn't a stream or pond in sight. Nothing but scorching sand lay ahead of them, the heat rising up and obscuring the horizon. He looked at Selenia, her lips parched and her back slouched. She didn't complain, but Grayden could tell this journey was arduous for her.

Phillippe, on the other hand, ventured so much through their world that he was immune to the elements, seemingly unbothered by the humid desert air once he removed his shirt. Every once in a while he'd shake the sand out of his short hair, but he kept riding without complaining, like the dutiful soldier he was.

Grayden was no stranger to the harsh and extreme climates that made up their world either, but between his injury and the fact that he hadn't had a decent night's sleep since he woke up alone in their shared bed, was seriously impairing him. He wasn't the strong soldier he usually was. However, nothing, not exhaustion or injury, would convince him to stop moving forward.

At the hottest part of the day, Phillippe broke the silence.

"I think we need to camp now, and move again when the sun starts to set."

Grayden looked around, trying to see if there was any natural shelter. The tents would bake them to death in the intense sun. A little to the west, he saw a large outcropping of rocks. He nudged Phillippe and pointed, and Phillippe nodded.

"That'll work well. If we rest for a few hours, and travel through the evening, we could be at the Sun Realm before the next sunrise."

The outcropping Grayden spotted was actually a cave, hollowed out against a small, rocky hill. It was just big enough for them to spread out their sleeping rolls.

Grayden rubbed down the horses and gave them a bit of water from their stores to try and get them through the next few hours. Selenia and Phillippe rested easily, but Grayden sat at the cave entrance, looking out at the vast expanse before him. Somewhere out there, just beyond the rolling hills of sand, was Renya's birthplace. The place she should have called home, if she had grown up here. He wondered what their lives would be like if she hadn't been taken to the human world. Would they have found each other as soon as they came of age? Would he have been drawn to the Sun Realm, his heart searching for her across this very desert? Perhaps his mother and father would have met Renya before they passed, and given their blessing of their marriage.

It was a nice dream, but there was no use dwelling on it. His parents were dead, and Renya was a prisoner. He sighed, wishing for the thousandth time that Renya was beside him, sharing his sleeping roll. But instead, he stared off at the horizon and drifted off with his back against the hard, rocky wall in front of the cave.

Phillippe shook him awake, and Grayden could instantly feel the heat pulsating from his skin.

"What the hell were you thinking? Falling asleep in the direct sun like that? You're burnt to a crisp."

Phillippe took his water skin and poured some water over Grayden's head, dampening his hair and cooling his sizzling forehead.

"I must have dozed off,"

Grayden responded, standing up on stiff legs. "I closed my eyes for just a second."

Phillippe tried to hide his annoyance. "Look, I know this is hard for you, but you need to focus. You need to concentrate on our end goal here. If you don't drink, sleep, eat and think, you won't be alive long enough to save Renya. Enough is enough. Selenia lost Jurel, and she's handling her grief much better than you are, and your mate is still alive."

Grayden's face reddened even more. Selenia had every right to be grief-stricken, but it was he who slowed them down.

"Selenia wasn't mated to Jurel, but you're right. That's no excuse. I'm sorry, Phillippe."

"Don't apologize. Just look after yourself. Focus on what we need to do. We need to find the magical archives as quickly as we can when we get to the Sun Realm castle, and you need to have all of your faculties about you to do that. You know I'm not bookish, and I've spent most of my life outdoors, under the sky. You're the one who was holed up in Father's library."

Grayden pushed back his hair and nodded his understanding. He was in desperate need of a haircut and a shave. At this point, Renya would hardly recognize him.

He loaded up the horses while Phillippe went to wake Selenia. When she came over to help with her horse, Grayden noticed her eyes were puffy and swollen. She'd obviously been crying, but he didn't need to ask why. He hadn't even fully processed Jurel's death yet, he'd been too focused on getting Renya back. He put his arm around Selenia's shoulder and gave her a slight squeeze. She looked up at him, eyes watering.

"It'll be okay, my dear one,"

he said, patting her on the back. She nodded, and then squared her shoulders in resolve.

"Let's go get the answers we need to get Renya back,"

she said, her voice filled with a determination that matched his own.

Phillippe was right. The Sun Realm was breathtakingly beautiful, Grayden thought, as they approached the gate into the city. The realm was right at the foot of the desert, but it appeared so suddenly, and so brightly that Grayden thought it was a mirage at first.

A golden, ornate gate towered above, with angelic figures spiraling up the sides of the columns. The entire kingdom was enveloped in a tall, limestone wall protecting the city from the harsh elements of the desert. Spikes made out of gold lined the tops of the walls, and more carvings, some of animals, some of angels, decorated the wall.

"Oh my,"

Selenia said, stepping back to take in the magnificent structure in front of them. "That's...really something."

Grayden was equally impressed. It suddenly hit him that he was outside Renya's lands, her birthright. It was night and day different from his. Everything in the Snow Lands were covered in a soft, delicate blanket of sparkling snow. Here, the gleaming sun bathed everything in a warm glow. They couldn't be more different from each other.

"Well, are we just going to stare, or find a way in?"

Phillippe teased, walking directly up to the gate and giving it a big shake.

Unsurprisingly, the gate didn't yield to Phillippe's half-hearted attempt.

"You really thought that would work?"

Grayden said, an eyebrow raised in Phillippe's direction.

"You never know,"

Phillippe retorted, shrugging his strong and broad shoulders.

Grayden surveyed the gate and surrounding wall. There must be another way in. He started walking the perimeter of the wall, and Phillippe, knowing what his brother was thinking, started in the opposite direction.

Selenia walked back to the horses, leading them over to a small stream that was flowing out of a small gate through the wall.

"Grayden!"

she yelled excitedly. "Come here!"

Grayden ran back towards her, instantly alarmed. "What is it?"

"I think I found a way in,"

she said, pointing at the gate. It was partly rusted and crumbling.

"Good work, Selenia. Phillippe, come here. We need your strength."

Within minutes, Phillippe and Grayden had worked the gate off the hinges, allowing for a small passage through the wall.

"I'll go first,"

Grayden said, his heart racing with anticipation.

"Selenia in the middle, and I'll go last,"

Phillippe agreed as Grayden took off his boots and removed his shirt and then threw them over the wall.

He heard Selenia gasp behind him, and he realized this was the first time she saw his wound. It was healed, but the scar left behind was deep and an angry red.

"It's okay, Selenia. I'm healed,"

he said, while wading through the stream. He dipped below the surface of the water, swimming under the gate. He appeared quickly on the other side and then looked around him. The source of the stream was a serene lake, lined with palm trees and soft grasses.

Selenia emerged on the other side of the gate, swimming to the side of the bank. "Wow, it's gorgeous here. We'll need to find a way to get the horses in so they can graze."

Grayden looked around. They seemed to be in some kind of garden area, with greenery surrounding the entire lake, and lush flowers blooming. The most fragrant smell lofted towards his nose, and he inhaled deeply. The floral scent reminded him of Renya's skin, during those tender nights that they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms. He quickly shook the memory away, determined to focus on the task ahead of him.

"Oh Fates,"

came Phillippe's voice as he emerged from below the surface of the lake. "That's really something."

Grayden dragged himself to the bank where Selenia sat, attempting to wring the water out of her skirts. He looked around for his boots and shirt, and found his boots just alongside the bank. His tunic, however, was floating in the water. He grabbed it, and joined Selenia in trying to wring it out.

Phillippe trudged up to the bank, removing his boots and dumping out the water from them.

"I'm going to head back towards the gate and see if I can find a way to get the horses in. I left them tied to a small palm tree, but they won't stay put for long,"

Phillippe said. He stomped off, leaving a trail of dripping water behind him.

Grayden held out his hand to Selenia and helped pull her up off the bank. Another thick stone wall separated the lake and trees from the heart of the city. But this time the gate was unlocked. Grayden pushed against the iron barrier, and he and Selenia moved farther into the city.

"Do you think Renya has memories of this place?"

Selenia asked as they entered the city, her voice filled with wonder.

"I'm not sure,"

he said, his eyes quickly surveying the town.

Opulent, grand buildings greeted them as they emerged from the garden. Everything seemed to be made from either a creamy-colored marble or was gilded. Grayden found it incredibly strange that the city hadn't been looted long ago. He stopped to admire a particularly handsome building, with images of different fruits and vegetables carved on the stone door, entombed in a golden finish. He went to open the door, and a blast of heat hit him squarely in the chest.

"Grayden!"

Selenia exclaimed, rushing to her brother's side. "What happened?"

Grayden rubbed his chest and stood farther back from the door, his mind racing. "It seems as though there's some kind of protective spell upon these buildings,"

he said, his voice a mixture of awe and concern. "That explains why it's been untouched for so long. There's still some kind of magic defending this place."

"Do you think we'll be able to get into the palace?"

Selenia asked, frowning.

"I don't know, Selenia."

Grayden swallowed down the rising panic threatening to overwhelm him. What if they couldn't even get into the castle to find the scrolls? Before he could investigate the magic surrounding the building further, he heard the tell-tale sound of Damion's neigh and turned around to see Phillippe leading all three of the horses in the direction of the garden lake.

Grayden examined the next building along the street, his curiosity piqued. He peered inside the windows and found an ordinary home. There was a parlor, with cushions spread along the floor, and doors leading off to other rooms of the home. A fine sitar sat in the corner, and he could just make out some sheet music on the floor next to it. It did indeed appear as if the residents just disappeared. There was no sign of any kind of struggle on the streets and no damage done to the buildings. They were just...empty.

As he took in more of the city, he couldn't help but feel like someone was watching him. He turned around several times, expecting to see Selenia or Phillippe behind him, but they were both back at the lake, caring for the horses. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he felt a chill run down his spine despite the heat.

The unease followed him and grew more intense the farther he moved into the city. Finally, he decided to wait until Phillippe and Selenia were done with the horses. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into an ambush, even though none came.

As he was walking back towards the lake, he swore he saw a girl's face in the window of the vacant house he passed earlier. But when he looked again, the face was gone. He shook his head to try and clear his vision. His eyes must be playing tricks on him, he mused, but the unsettling feeling lingered.

He approached the bank and watched as Phillippe and Selenia brushed down the horses and unloaded them.

"I thought we'd camp here tonight,"

Phillippe said, unrolling the sleeping rolls. "The horses can graze on the grass, and it's close enough to the palace that we can spend most of the evening investigating."

Grayden moved over and started to tend to Damion. The horses were in rough shape after the desert, Grayden noted. They weren't used to the warm climate and instead, were bred and adapted for high altitudes and cold weather. As much as he hated to delay, it was a good idea to rest here overnight and most likely the next night, too.

"Are you ready?"

Grayden asked, once the animals were properly seen to, his voice tinged with impatience.

Phillippe slung his broadsword on his back and Selenia grabbed a saddle bag and threw it over her shoulder.

"What's that for?"

Phillippe asked, eyeing the bag curiously.

"You think we've come all this way and we aren't bringing the scrolls and books with us?"

Selenia replied, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Ah, good point,"

he said, as he started up the path.

They walked silently for a while, and Grayden still felt the sensation of eyes on him, the feeling growing stronger with each step.

"Do you feel that?"

Phillippe asked Grayden, his voice low so as not to worry Selenia.

"The feeling that we're being watched? Yes, but I've seen no one or any activity."

Grayden didn't mention the little girl he thought he saw. It seemed so improbable that anyone would be left in this abandoned kingdom. It was rumored to have fallen many, many years before. He wasn't even sure how Renya's ancestry was possible. He assumed that a tiny faction might have escaped and survived, hidden in another kingdom under false heritage.

A chilling thought suddenly entered his mind. What if it wasn't true? What if the Sun Realm hadn't fallen, and it had been inhabited when Renya's parents lived? If so, where was everyone now? The questions swirled in his mind, adding to his unease.

Phillippe gripped the hilt of his sword as they walked through the city, prepared in case the slightest noise or rustle came. Grayden followed up from behind, putting Selenia in the middle, his senses on high alert.

They moved throughout the city quickly, but every once in a while they stopped to observe a shop or building. Selenia gasped as she saw a clothier shop, brocades, silks and satins filling up the window in front. She looked longingly at the door and then down at her stained dress, still partially damp despite the heat.

Even Phillippe stopped as they passed a swordsmith's shop, with all kinds of swords and knives displayed proudly in the window. An intricate and ornate chess set caught Grayden's attention as they passed by a silversmith's workshop.

The marble streets twisted and turned, like a maze around the palace. It appeared to be built in the center of the town on a gentle hill. Every time they thought they were getting closer, the path they chose would take them in a different direction.

"We should have left a trail of breadcrumbs,"

Selenia mumbled, stopping to adjust the pack she carried. "How much farther do you think?"

"I think we're almost there,"

Grayden said, noticing how the streets seemed to narrow.

They turned a corner, and suddenly found themselves in an enormous courtyard. The area reminded Grayden of the spokes of a wheel, with different paths leading out in all directions into the city. The courtyard was round, with a large circular path connecting all the others together.

The palace was huge. Turrets jutted out from every corner, towering above. It was made of the same limestone material like the walls protecting the city, but even more carvings adorned every surface. There was gold everywhere Grayden looked, and he once again marveled that the city and its structures hadn't been looted.

"It looks undisturbed and perfect,"

Selenia commented, her voice filled with awe.

"Not quite."

Phillippe pointed to the eastern side of one tower. The entire surface of the tower was blackened, and pieces of rubble lined the ground under it. Easily half of the tower was missing, open and exposed to the elements.

"I wonder what happened there,"

Selenia said, glancing above and walking carefully around the rubble.

Grayden had an unnatural feeling the longer he looked at the spot. It was as if something significant happened there, something he should know. Almost as though he was there before, it felt oddly...familiar. Perhaps he had heard it described or seen it in a book? But even as he searched for the memory, he knew that wasn't it. The feeling of déjà vu was overwhelming, and he couldn't shake it.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

Phillippe moved towards the large gate. Grayden's fears about the palace being impenetrable were unfounded; the gate was wide open and they moved through it with no resistance. Easily the height of more than two men, the gate was huge and heavy. Had it been closed, Grayden wasn't sure how they would have managed it. It would have taken half a dozen men to move it even a fraction.

Beyond the gate was another small corridor, with a fountain in the middle. A golden eagle, perched on a branch, was prominently depicted, carved into the marble of the fountain. Water trickled down the branch and tree, falling into a reservoir.

More paths led to different parts of the palace, branching off in several directions.

"Which way?"

Selenia asked, looking to her brothers for guidance.

Grayden didn't answer, but his feet carried him to the eastern tower. He couldn't explain why, but he needed to see what transpired there. It was as if an invisible force was pulling him towards it.

Wordlessly, Phillippe and Selenia followed him through a passageway and up a spiraling staircase. Like most of the tower, the staircase was crumbling and they watched their footing carefully the higher they got. Burgundy tapestries lined the walls of the tower, with large valkyries decorating them. In the oldest of fae languages, the motto "the sun shall never set,"

was proudly displayed on them.

Ironic, Grayden thought, as they continued their way up the dilapidated tower. The closer Grayden got to the top, the harder his heart started beating and he felt his palms moisten. There was a sense of anticipation building within him, though he couldn't explain why.

He finally reached the landing, which opened up into a large suite of rooms. His boots thumped on the marble tile as he moved past the dark wood paneling and into the room on the far left. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was before him.

The circular room was painted a majestic midnight blue, with glittering images of the sun peppering the walls. A mural of a sunrise hung over a handsomely carved crib. Baby items were strewn about the room, and he saw tiny little clothes, blankets, and broken furniture. A lone baby bonnet, caked with dust, rested right next to his boot.

His heart knew what this was before his mind could catch up. He felt her here, felt the ghost of her presence in this nursery. The realization hit him like a physical blow, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs.

This was Renya's childhood room.