Page 68 of Crown of Briars
“But if you don’t comply, the shadowswilldestroy your kingdom.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “What do you mean?”
“Didn’t the king tell you?”
Slowly, I shook my head again. I thought back to Varius’s confession and my own angry retaliation. I had stormed out of the room before he’d been able to continue.
Guilt and shame crept into my chest.Shit.What had I done?
I drew closer to Enzira. “Tell me. Please.”
“The Necro Shadows are not bound to only our court,” Enzira said solemnly. “If left unchecked, they will cross the border to your lands and destroy them, too.”
My heart twisted with dread. Stones, how could I have been so foolish? I raised my hands to my forehead, my thoughts spinning. I was torn between utter humiliation from the hateful things I’d said to Varius and horror at the thought of my own kingdom being in peril without anyone knowing.
All this time, the Necro Shadows had been getting closer and closer to my kingdom. But in my mind, there was always that kernel of doubt that they would actually cross the border. A naïve part of me believed the boundaries of our kingdom would keep them away. As if some invisible line between the Earthen and Shadow Courts would ward off the Necro Shadows.
But of course it wasn’t that easy.
“Why didn’t hetellus?” I asked, my voice weak. “We could have joined forces against the shadows.”
“We are forbidden from speaking of the dark magic and where it has come from,” Enzira said. “The human royals would have asked too many questions.”
I stared at her, at the way her eyes were tight with concern and fear. “Were you there?” I asked. “When it all started?”
“I was a child. Too young to remember much. But my mother remembered, and she told me stories. It was… horrible.” She shuddered, and I didn’t press her for more.
Howhad this all started? Why was there magic like this in the first place? It had to have come from somewhere. I made a mental note to search the library again for answers. I remembered the silence after I requested a book about relationsbetween the Earthen Court and the Shadow Court. Was the castle also forbidden from leading me to these answers?
Perhaps I could find a way around that.
Enzira clapped her hands together, her expression brightening. “Do you truly wish to attend the revel tonight, my lady?”
The wordsmy ladyjolted me. I had forgotten, for a moment, that she was my maid. During our conversation, she had felt like a friend instead of a servant. And I preferred it that way. The castle staff in the Earthen Courtneverwould have had such a frank conversation with me. It was refreshing. And genuine.
I cleared my throat, still disconcerted about the idea of celebrating despite the horrifying uncertainty of these death shadows. “Can you tell me exactly what goes on during a revel? Will my life be in danger?”
“Most likely, no. But a revel is a time for us to unleash our wildest nature. For some, like me, it only involves excessive drinking of faerie wine.” She flashed a grin, showing her fangs.
I barked out a laugh at that. Stones, why hadn’t I spoken Agnarrish with Enzira sooner? I was growing to love this new personality that was emerging.
I looked at her, realizing she was including herself in this. “You attend revels?”
She grinned again. “Yes. All the servants do. It is a time to unite our people together, regardless of class or station.”
My heart lifted at such a beautiful notion, and I longed for the Earthen Court to do something similar.
“But for many of the Shadow Fae, it is an opportunity to submit to more… carnal urges.”
My face heated, and my eyes widened, as I registered her meaning. “Ah. You mean… intimacy?”
She nodded, unfazed. “Although, not quite intimacy, since it is very public.”
My blush deepened at the mere thought of engaging in such acts in front of an audience. But I couldn’t deny that I wasdeeply curious. “And, ah, will I be expected to… participate in these festivities?”
“Oh, no, certainly not. Not everyone does it. But please understand that we have no notion of privacy at revels.”
I nodded, my face feeling hot. “So, you’ll be there tonight?”
