Page 8 of The Iron Vow

3

WARNINGS OF WOLVES

Outside the Skitterfolk city, we stood at the edge of a swaying rope bridge over the swamp. The tattered-looking structure, covered in algae and vines, hung twenty or so feet over the surface of the water and looked like it might snap at any moment. But that wasn’t the cause of the concern sweeping through me.

Beneath the bridge, a massive sinkhole had opened in the center of the swamp, swallowing trees, vegetation, and even buildings. I could see the tops of roofs and towers where structures had tumbled into the hole and had either gotten stuck in the middle or had lodged themselves against the sides. I couldn’t see the bottom of the sinkhole, but I did know that I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the idea of walking across a giant hole into the abyss.

“Oh, this looks fun,” Puck commented, peering down into the pit. “A rope bridge across an endless crevice, how quaint. Youknowit’s going to snap when we’re in the very center of it, right? It could have hung there, perfectly functional and safe, for hundreds of years, until you decide to stroll across it andboom, that’s the moment it decides to snap. Does that happen to anyone else, or just me?”

I looked around for our guide and found he had already fled, scurrying back to his city and his kin. I could still feel their eyes, watching us from hidden nooks and crannies.

Remember the Skitterfolk kindly, the Palefur had said.You might be the only ones who do.

I will, I promised silently.I will not forget your people, and the help they offered. I will remember.

Thankfully, despite Puck’s claims, the bridge did not snap when we were in the middle of it, though walking across it was nerve-wracking. I had no magic now. I had used the last bit of my power fighting the Nightmare. From here on out, we would have to get by without glamour.

A furry gray cat waited for us on the other side, curled up on a log with his tail over his nose, apparently asleep. Gold eyes cracked open as we approached.

“Finally.” Grimalkin sat up with a yawn and a flash of sharp teeth, before settling back to give us an impatient look. “I thought you might have gotten yourselves eaten by the rat things. Did you enjoy yourselves in the city of vermin? I was certainly not going to set one paw inside that place. The smell of filth was bad enough.”

“Aw.” Puck grinned. “Was our widdle kitty cat scared of the big mean rats? I guess I can’t blame you—if I were a cat, that’s the last place I’d want to go.” One hand rose to scratch behind his head. “Getting eaten by rats would just be embarrassing.”

Grimalkin sniffed. “I was simply trying to avoid acquiring fleas, Goodfellow,” he said, and Puck quickly dropped his hand. “Regardless, I assume you were able to discern where we must go next?”

“Yes,” I said, and glanced at Nyx. “The city of Hollownest, and its Great Library, is our next destination.”

“Hollownest.” Grimalkin thumped his tail in thought. “It sounds...familiar.”

I frowned. “How is that possible, Grim?” I asked. “You’ve never been here before. Until a couple days ago, no one had even heard of Evenfall.”

“Incorrect.” The cait sith gave me a superior look. “Until recently, no one couldrememberEvenfall,” he stated. “Because of the nature of the Lady’s ritual, the memories of Evenfall, the Nightmare King, and the Evenfey were erased from everyone’s minds. However, as I am sure our Evenfaery assassin has realized, some memories are beginning to return. This Hollownest does sound familiar to me. Perhaps I had heard of it before the Lady sealed off Evenfall and everyone’s memories were lost.”

“I keep forgetting how old you are, Grim,” I told him, and the feline sniffed.

“And I am constantly reminded of how rude and inexperienced you all are,” Grimalkin returned. “In any case, we know Hollownest is real. Whether or not it is still there is a different story.”

Puck frowned. “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t a normal city?” he asked. “Also, why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like the answer?”

“Because you’re not,” Nyx stated, and sighed. “The city of Hollownest is underground,” she went on. “Deep underground. And the residents there are... Well, one of the oldest, most common human phobias is a fear of—”

“Oh no,” Puck immediately said. “No. No, no, no. Are you telling me that this is a city full of giant bugs?”

“They are fey,” Nyx replied. “They’re Evenfey, so they’re not animalistic. Everyone in Hollownest is very polite, actually. Or at least, they were when I lived here. And their Great Library is supposed to be the greatest collection of knowledge in Evenfall. But...yes. Essentially, we’ll be going underground to meet a city’s worth of intelligent giant insects.”

“Oh,” Puck said, and he suddenly looked rather pale. “Great. You know, maybe I’ll stay here after all. That cozy cottage in the grove of screaming trees is sounding better and better.”

“How long will it take us to reach Hollownest?” Keirran asked, ignoring Puck.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Nyx replied. “Bear in mind, Hollownest is enormous. The actual city stretches for miles underground. There are multiple entrances scattered throughout Evenfall, but many of them are hidden. The entrances I know of might not be there anymore. And once we do find Hollownest, it might take us another day or two to reach the heart of the city, where the library is located.”

“But you can get us there,” Ash said.

The Evenfaery nodded. “I will get us into Hollownest,” she assured him. “And we will find the library and ask its keepers for the knowledge of the Nightmare King. I just hope they’ll have the answers we need.”

I hoped so, as well.

Not long after we crossed the bridge, the swamps came to an end, to the relief of everyone in the party. The forest beyond the swamp was tangled and dark, with an eerie, constant haze that turned trees skeletal and accented the bleakness of the woods. It was oppressive in a way I couldn’t put my finger on at first. Certainly, there were bleak, frightening places in the Nevernever. The farther I walked, however, the clearer the picture became. The forests of Faery, though they were still very dangerous, were alive, teeming with life and glamour. Even the human world had pockets of magic drifting around, glamour provided by the emotions and dreams of countless mortals. For most fey, being cut off or banished from the Nevernever was an eventual death sentence, as they would inevitably Fade into nothingness, but there was enough magic in the human world to sustain a faery for a while. How long depended on the faery’s own strength and will to live, and some very strong fey were able to exist in the mortal realm for years, sometimes centuries, finding ways to glean their magic from somewhere without returning to Faery.

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