Page 21 of The Divine Shallows
Elowyn cast one final glance at the magical gateway before taking a deep breath and stepping through the feylight pillars. As she passed through the portal, a gentle breeze caressed her skin, carrying the sensation of thousands of feylight starbursts. In the blink of an eye, she found herself standing on the solid surface of a stone landing, facing the monumental marble stairway leading to the entrance of the Temple of Caena.
With a triumphant smirk, Elowyn silently congratulated herself fornotaccidentally transporting herself to another realm. She was relieved to have arrived on time for the ritual of the First Day, practically ready to skip up the hundred marble stairs awaiting her.
A voice interrupted her thoughts. “What’s got you smiling?”
Elowyn turned to see a claret-haired warlock from House Darkmaw standing behind her. Meeting her gaze with his golden irises, a sense of familiarity washed over her, and she vaguely recognized him as the young fey prince who had waved at her during the last Ceremony of Caena. The same prince she had dreamt about in a feverish state that morning.
“Uh, nothing,” Elowyn replied, caughtoff guard.
“Somehow I don’t believe that,” the Darkmaw prince teased, dimples forming with his smile.
“I remember you from last season’s Seventh Day,” Elowyn admitted, her words lingered with uncertainty.
“And I remember you,” the Darkmaw prince replied confidently, waving at her just as he had done years ago cross from the Divine Shallows.
“Princess Elowyn Fangwright,” she introduced herself with a casual dip of her head. “I suppose now that we’ve formally met, you can call me Elowyn.”
The Darkmaw prince returned the gesture with a slight bow. “Nice to officially meet you, Elowyn. I’m Prince Draeden Darkmaw, but you can call me Draeden.”
“Ah, a fellow member of the ‘sacred seven’,” Elowyn joked.
“What’s that?” Draeden asked, confused.
Elowyn looked at him incredulously, her attempt at banter falling flat. Before she could respond, Draeden flashed a grin. “Kidding, kidding. So, are you going to tell me why you were smiling earlier, or will I have to begin guessing?”
“Oh, very funny,” Elowyn retorted sarcastically. “And no, you’ll just have to wonder, I suppose.”
“You wound me,” Draeden clutched his chest. “Keeping secrets from a stranger you’ve just met is no fun.”
Elowyn’s lip twitched upwards. “Fine. I summoned a moongate here.”
Draeden tilted his head in anticipation, expecting Elowyn to continue her sentence. However, his expression faltered when he realized thatwasall she had to say.
“You’re serious?” he asked, bewildered. “All that fuss over summoning a moongate?”
“You asked,” Elowyn replied with a nonchalant shrug. “Repeatedly.”
“I only asked twice!” Draeden scoffed. “At least tell me it was an extraordinary moongate.”
“Hmm, no. It was quite ordinary,” she admitted shamelessly.
Draeden looked incredulous. “Should I expect you to be thrilled when you enter the Heart of the Temple, too?”
“Perhaps. There’s just something about portals, don’t you think?” Elowyn countered sarcastically.
She had no intention of revealing the truth about her less than exceptional magical abilities. Even now, feylings ten years her junior wouldn’t mistakenly portal to another realm like she did in the past.
“The seven feylands could learn a thing or two from you about finding joy in simplicity,” Draeden laughed.
“Are you calling me simple?” Elowyn’s tone bristled.
Draeden stumbled over his words, “Goddess, no. Of course not! I’m just?—”
“I’m just teasing,” Elowyn confessed, softening her tone. “Now that we’re even... This moongate business stays between us. Promise?” She raised a pinky finger to his eye level.
He let out a brilliant laugh as he complimented her, “You’re just as funny as I’d imagined you to be.”
Elowyn couldn’t explain why she offered him a promise or why she felt so at ease around the Darkmaw prince, but her cheeks flushed deeply as he wrapped his finger around hers, intertwining them.
