Page 24 of A Legacy of Storms and Starlight

She could feel Jilah’s eyes on her as she spun around to take it all in and didn’t make any effort to hide her sense of wonder as she pushed back her hood. She pressed her eyeglasses up her nose to resist tearing them off, hoping the movement seemed natural.

“Care for a tour?” Jilah asked, holding out his arm for her to take. “It’s not every day someone comes in here and lists off any of my plants by name.”

Zylah smiled and looped her arm through the old man’s, fighting the urge to tell him how much a job at the gardens would be a dream come true for her. More than that, it felt like her new life depended on it. She couldn’t keep relying on Holt.

Jilah led her through an archway of yellow crawlers, their tendrils brushing Zylah’s shoulders as they walked. The sound of trickling water and chirping birds filled the space, along with the occasional flap of wings.

“My owl would love it here. Well, he’s not really mine. He’s just my friend,” Zylah said, reaching out to inspect a dewglove petal.

Jilah picked at a lily stem and handed it to her. “Friends with an owl, aye? Are you Pallia in disguise, come to test me?”

Zylah inhaled the lily, wondering what to say to that. There were many tales of the gods coming to test the mortals, but then, she was only half mortal now, wasn’t she? Zylah hadn’t stopped to think about what that meant for her lifespan and made a mental note to ask Holt about it later.

Jilah pointed out some plants she didn’t recognise, as if he could sense her discomfort. Blooms of red and orange dusted a bed of blue cloud violas, but Zylah’s favourites were the wood strings hanging down from the winnow trees.When I die, I want to end up in a botanical garden just like this.

They left the first dome, the fresh air welcome on Zylah’s face, but she still pulled up her hood, just in case. Jilah didn’t mention it, just carried on pointing out his plants to her. They were between the two domes, in an open expanse of garden dotted with trees and shrubs. Zylah couldn’t help but study the trees for any signs of life, but it was just the two of them as far as she could see.

“Worry not, this is secure from the rest of the city,” Jilah said, ushering her down a narrow path between some trees until they reached a rocky opening. “This is my favourite spot in the gardens.”

The sound of laughter echoed from the rock within, and Zylah followed Jilah into the entrance. It was a grotto. A small cut-out in the rock revealed a small expanse of water, nothing but the occasional drip breaking the silence. And then more laughter. The lump in Zylah’s back ached, but she shoved the feeling aside as she stared in silent awe.

Kihlan darted by, followed by a smaller girl with the same dark hair, but even longer and more unruly. The girl tucked her hair behind an ear, an elegant, pointed ear, and Zylah realised Kihlan’s were the same.

“By the gods, they’re Fae,” she said with an intake of breath.

Jilah rested against the rough rock of the grotto. “I won’t have them hide themselves as I have, at least, not here. Here they can be themselves.”

That explained why Kihlan hadn’t looked that way outside; his ears had been normal. Zylah studied Jilah’s face. Inside the grotto, his ears were pointed, his features slightly sharper, grey eyes brighter, even his beard and hair seemed silver rather than the dull grey it had been moments before. “You’re Fae,” she murmured.

The old man nodded. “There are many of us still in the city. Many who would not give up their home.”

“Niara, come back! You can’t keep it hidden from me forever!” Kihlan yelled as the two children shot past.

Zylah watched the siblings playing as if they didn’t have a care for the outside world that hated all things Fae. “You hide in plain sight.”

“Yes. Just as you do. Do not think you can trick me, young lady.” He smiled reassuringly at her as he spoke.

Zylah tucked a piece of hair in her hood, but Jilah’s expression was still warm. How had he known? If Jilah could take one look at her and know she was half Fae, that meant others could, too. Or maybe Holt had sent him a message… but Holt couldn’t possibly have known she would find her way to the gardens.

The old man waved a hand. “Come, you’ll love the flowers in the second dome.”

They left the grotto—Zylah hoped she’d get to explore more of its dark corridors another time, if she returned. Her thoughts were filled with questions about the Fae and herself, but she refrained from blurting everything out to Jilah. She could tell he was kind, but he was still a stranger. She followed him into the second dome, Niara and Kihlan rushing by, their ears now soft and round, like a human’s.

“I’ve brought you on the shortest route, I’m afraid.” Jilah pressed a hand to his lower back. “The waterfall back in the first dome is my favourite, but it takes a while to reach it. This dome is for the plants that prefer the drier climate.” He waved a hand, and Zylah followed his gaze to the edge of the platform they were standing on.

Tiers of beds stretched out below them, and a winding staircase rose out of the middle. So many plants Zylah had never seen before covered every tier as far as she could see.

The children came rushing back in from outside, eyes wide, and Zylah knew at once that something was wrong.

“Guards,” Kihlan called out, dragging Niara back up the steps.

Zylah reached for her dagger, but Jilah caught her wrist. “There’ll be too many of them. Take the children to the grotto and stay out of sight.”

“But I can—”

“Go!”

She nodded once at Jilah, and ushered the children back out of the dome to the grotto, her heart thundering in her chest.You led the guards here. You put them all at risk. They ran into the grotto, and she followed Kihlan and Niara through the winding corridors she’d been wishing to search moments before. Kihlan ducked under a low rock that opened out into a larger cave, and Zylah followed the children under it. She tried not to grit her teeth at the ache in her back.

---