Page 15 of #Resort Love
My mind blanked, and I swallowed hard. I had never thought there would be worlds beyond the one I came from. It was hard to process it all, to believe it was true, but here I was, in a different world, so I stayed silent and nodded.
“Great,” Ambrose continued. “When the rulers separated the realms, there were some creatures that chose to stay in Mide. They integrated themselves with the humans to keep an eye on human progression. However, some stayed so they could continue terrorizing the humans. That is why humans like you exist. Guessing by your magic, a faerie or someone from the Seelie Court came together with one of your ancestors.”
“A faerie?” I interrupted, leaning forward with wide eyes. My throat bobbed as I thought back to the fairytales and myths I had read as a child. Depending on the stories, faeries weren’t supposed to look like the men who brought me here. No, the stories showed them as brutal and wild. I fought against the shudder that threatened to rack my body.
“Yes, a high fae,” Ambrose stated with a wicked smile. He flicked his hand and the air around him rippled, revealing ears that were arched and slightly pointed. Blinking, I kept my focus on his ears as he continued. “Pointed ears, long life spans,devilishlyhandsome, and all with magical abilities. Samian and I are both high fae, as are most of those you will soon meet. Our magic is elemental-based, each of us controlling a different element. Take Samian, here. He can control the earth, while I control water and ice. However, there are fae that have unique abilities along with their elemental magic.”
“Like what?” I asked, looking at my hands, wondering which element I might show. I remembered a bright light, but after that, the only thing I could remember was the terrified eyes watching me closely. I pushed away the thought before the nausea could creep up my throat.
“You’ll learn that at a later point in time,” he said with a wave of his hand. “As for your magic, I believe you have the power of light, though we still need to confirm this. In the coming days, you’ll go through some tests. We will also have you do some blood work to find out if you are descendant of fae or the Seelie Court, and how much of their blood runs through your veins. You’ll spend your time with mentors who will train your magic, teach you more about our history and the types of creatures and magic you’ll eventually run into, as well as combat training.”
“I’ll have mentors?” I asked, perking up. I could learn. I could really learn to control this power. This could be my chance, my shot to prove to Liam—to my father—that I was more than the monster they saw me as.
“Of course,” Ambrose said with a laugh. “How else are you going to learn, my darling Sybil? Samian will be your main mentor. He will oversee your studies and will accompany you everywhere you go. Your other mentors should?—”
A quiet knock interrupted Ambrose. I looked to the door, finding a woman with long beautiful golden hair that curled slightly at the ends standing there, a hint of a smile on her full, rosy lips. Her piercing light blue eyes latched onto Ambrose as she moved gracefully into the room. She wore a fitted rosy silk dress, that delicately flared at her waist with a wide split to show off her long, slender legs. She glided toward Ambrose, her dress whispering softly behind her. Following her, an enormous bear of a man entered. My jaw nearly dropped at thesight of him. He had a rugged appearance, yet with his chiseled jaw, dark ash brown hair, and eyes that looked almost black, he was surprisingly handsome.
“Ah, right on time,” Ambrose mused, standing from his chair and offering it to the lovely woman. “This is Arianna. She will be helping you with your combat training, as well as court etiquette. Over here, we have Ezra. Ezra is our war general in the palace. He will oversee your combat and weapons training.” Moving behind me, Ambrose began twirling my hair before letting it fall down my back. I fought against the electricity that zipped through me at his touch, my eyes flicking to Samian whose gaze narrowed on Ambrose’s hand. “Arianna, Ezra, meet the newest member of our team, my darling Sybil.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, but I smiled, giving Ezra a small wave. My smile faltered when I glanced at Arianna. Her cold eyes darkened, and her lips formed a thin line as her gaze flicked over me, from head to toe and back up again.
“Do we really need a new member, Ambrose?” she asked flatly, her eyes cutting to him.
“Samian,” Ambrose sighed, still not breaking eye contact with Arianna. “Show Sybil around the palace.” Finally breaking away from Arianna’s gaze, Ambrose looked down at me, giving me a warm smile, though his eyes were sharp. “I have meetings for the rest of the day and during the morning tomorrow. However, I’ll find you once I am finished.”
I glanced back to Arianna’s impassive face, the tension in the air growing thick. Her eyes cut back to mine, her icy stare making me shiver. Giving her a tight smile, I found Samian waiting for me by the door. I quickly moved to Samian, following him into the hallway, hoping to find comfort in his presence.
“Don’t take Arianna’s words to heart,” Samian said gently,leading us away from Ambrose’s study. “She’s rude to everyone except Ambrose.”
I let out a weak laugh as I followed him through the twists and turns of the palace but kept quiet from the nerves curling inside of me. Samian had stayed mostly silent during all our interactions. I wasn’t sure how to act or what to say. Plus, being here in this new world—in Nemos—it still didn’t feel real. I felt like I was drifting in a dream—or nightmare—that I would hopefully soon wake from. My stomach twisted, my nausea returning as I stole a glance at Samian. His hair was now tucked the arched ear of a faerie—a real faerie. I flinched, my face paling when he caught me staring. Heat crawled up my neck and I quickly looked away.
“I figured you might be tired after everything that happened today,” Samian finally said, breaking the awkward silence. “Plus, with your magic returning, you’ll find yourself more exhausted over the next few days, at least until you can control it a bit better. I’ll take you to your room so you can rest. Tomorrow, I’ll show you around the palace.”
“That would be great, thank you,” I said quietly, already feeling the fatigue he mentioned.
The palace felt like a maze, each hallway looking the same with windows and sconces that lined along the walls. The only difference were the gardens or parts of the palace you could see through the windows.
After turning into yet another hallway, Samian stopped and leaned against a door frame. “This is it. My room is right across from yours, so if you need me for anything, I’m only a knock or yell away.”
Samian opened my door for me, allowing me to enter the room first. My eyes widened at the sheer size of it. It wasn’t just a bedroom like I had imagined, it was more like its own apartment.The front door opened into the living area, and to the right was a small dining space. There was a short hallway that led further into the suite, bringing me to a small study lined with bookcases and a beautiful mahogany desk. Further down the hall was a French door leading into the bedroom.
“Is every room in the palace made with the same marble and gold trimmings?” I asked. I cringed, not meaning for my voice to sound so disturbed. The palace and the rooms were beautiful, but it all felt too bright for what I was.
Samian gave a small laugh as he came up beside me. “Unfortunately, yes. It’s called the Marble Palace for a reason,” he shrugged.
“Will I ever be able to go back home?” My voice sounded meek, small, almost a whisper. But I had to know. I needed to know if I would ever get to see my friends’ bright and smiling faces again. If I would ever get to see Liam, though after today…
“I’ll let you look around on your own. The servants brought dinner in case you were hungry. I’ll be in my room across the hall, so just knock if you need anything.”
Not looking to see if he waited for a response, I heard the door close softly behind me, leaving me to myself. I went to my new bedroom, my body feeling heavy. Samian hadn’t exaggerated when he said my magic would leave me exhausted. I felt ready to topple to the floor, but curiosity got the best of me.
Opening the bedroom door, I took in the white-and-golden room, my mind still overwhelmed by the grandness of it all. This was a room fit for a queen, not for some cursed thing like me.
A plush bed sat in the middle between two tall windows overlooking a small garden, layered with soft, cream-colored blankets and piles of fluffed pillows. The room was filled withcozy rugs, soft velvet chaises, and silk curtains hung above the bed, making the room seem like something out of a fairytale. Another set of French doors opened, revealing the most glorious bathroom I had ever laid eyes on, including a large ivory tub with golden legs that sat in the middle. Floor-length mirrors hung on most of the walls leading to a closet with a bay window. Leaning against the doorframe, fatigue hit me hard.
Deciding to explore more tomorrow, I found some toiletries and brushed my teeth. Searching the closet, I spotted a silky set of pants and a matching shirt to change into. After braiding my hair, I padded back into the bedroom, slipping under the heavy covers. Settling in, I let the darkness take over, pulling me into a deep sleep.
Chapter 9
