Page 56 of Song of the Shadow Prince
I groaned. “Come on, Garrick. Get to the damn point! The suspense is seriously killing me,” I deadpanned.
“They come from the fae,” he said quickly.
“No!” Maeve said adamantly. “Absolutely not!”
Garrick sighed. “That’s what I thought.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “But either way, this is as far as I go. I will not go into Faelight Forest.”
“And you expectherto go instead?” Maeve shrieked and jabbed a thumb toward me.
Garrick shrugged. “I didn’t say that. All I said is that the songs originate from the fae. If she wants to learn more about it, that’s who she needs to seek. Other than that…”
“There are no other clues?” I nibbled my lower lip. I didn’t know much about the fae, but from what Maeve hinted, they didn’t seem like people I should fuck around with.
Garrick shook his head. “Sorry, my lady, none so far. If you had more information, perhaps I could investigate further but honestly, I don’t have much to go on.”
I sighed. He was right, but unfortunately I didn’t know much. The only thing I knew for certain was that the entrance was through the River Elara. Unless the river was just a fluke, but that didn’t make any sense.
“I’m sorry, Garrick. I wish I knew more, but I don’t understand how I got here, either,” I murmured.
He narrowed his eyes on me before sliding Maeve a cautious look and fixing his attention back on me. “My lady, if I may be so bold, I know your servant is hesitant, but if finding your way back is so important, then maybe paying a visit to the fae isn’t such a bad idea… If you’re desperate enough, that is.”
I winced. “How bad are they?”
Garrick grimaced, but it was Maeve who responded. “Really bad, my lady! You don’t have the faintest knowledge of theircustoms, and with your wayward tongue you might end up indebted to them or worse, in servitude!”
My eyes widened. “Say what now?”
“They have a way of speaking that can ensnare you if you aren’t careful.” Garrick leaned forward and whispered so only we could hear him. “You cannot thank them or apologize. You cannot accept any food from them. And whatever you do, never, and I meannever, make a deal with a fae.”
“This all seems quite complicated,” I murmured. “So you’re telling me I just need to be hella rude to them?”
Maeve vigorously shook her head. “No, my lady. They could take offense to that as well. It’s a delicate balance. Honestly, you should just stay away. You could get stuck there for an eternity and not even Lord Zacharia would be able to free you from them!”
I raised a brow. “What about the emperor?”
Maeve shook her head again. “Not even the emperor. Faelight Forest has its own set of rules. That’s why the fae are sequestered there and don’t venture outside its borders.”
This was a long shot, and I wasn’t one to gamble. However, Garrick said that the folk songs about travelers from another world originated from the fae, which meant there might be a glimmer of truth to them. I had to take the risk and see if the fae knew more about otherworldly travelers. If they could tell me how to get back home, it would be worth it. I just had to be careful.Verycareful.
Garrick looked at me curiously. “What are you going to do, my lady?”
I blew out a breath. “What else can I do? I’m going to Faelight Forest.”
“My lady!” Maeve shouted, catching the attention of the few patrons mingling in the tavern.
“Shh!” I swatted her arm and turned to Garrick. “Look, I’m not stupid. I know this is a serious risk. Is there any protection you could give me? I don’t know, like an amulet, a talisman, a funky potion? Shit,anything. I don’t know how magic here works.”
Garrick’s eye gleamed. “Are you sure, my lady?”
I nodded. “Positive.”
“Very well,” he sighed. “I can cloak your body with a protection spell. Any malicious magic will bounce off it… but there’s a catch.”
“What is it?”
“It’ll only work once,” he answered with a grimace. “If they attempt to hurt you again, they will succeed.”
I sucked in a breath. It made sense that even magic had its limits. “Okay, fine. That’s better than nothing, I suppose.”
