Page 115 of A Cage of Crystal

Cora followed his line of sight to where the forest was beginning to thin. Thick tree trunks gave way to slim saplings, then disappeared into a gray fog. Where she stood now, a blue sky shone above the towering canopy of leaves, the sun comfortably warm, but at the edge of the woods, it almost looked like winter lay ahead. As they drew closer, Cora grew more unsettled. The saplings weren’t simply small. They were frail. Decaying. And the forest didn’t end in a fog; it lost color. Vibrancy. Life.

They emerged from the line of trees and stepped onto a gray path. From here on, there was no more mossy earth or glowing mushrooms. No more birdsong. No insects or pixies. The sky and golden sun were the only sources of color, and they did nothing to brighten the rotting landscape that stretched as far as Cora could see. The smell of rot filled her nostrils, making her wish her arms were free of their invisible restraints, if only to allow her to cover her nose and mouth.

She glanced at Garot. “This is the Blight?”

He gave her a somber nod. “It stretches all around the Veil and spreads farther into El’Ara daily.”

A dark shadow passed overhead, blotting out the sun and casting them in momentary darkness. She froze, turning her eyes to the sky. An enormous beast with a long, sinuous body and a wide expanse of wings flew above them. It let out an ear-splitting screech that had Cora’s shoulders shooting toward her ears. That, in turn, shifted her collar, causing its sharp tines to tear at her pierced flesh. She forced her shoulders to relax, eyes locked on the flying beast. In a matter of seconds it was far ahead, leaving Cora trembling with awed terror.

Mother Goddess, that was a…a dragon.

Don’t like those, Valorre said.I remember that.

Did they create this? The Blight?Based on the faerytales Cora had grown up with, she knew dragons could wield flame. That could explain why the land was suddenly devoid of color. Perhaps it had been burned.

Don’t think so, Valorre said.But don’t remember.

Cora cast her gaze back to the path ahead and found Fanon striding on with his hurried pace as if the dragon were no concern. Garot trailed behind him, his steps somewhat less buoyant than before. Only Etrix remained at her side, watching the tiny speck that was the dragon until it was gone entirely.

“I thought perhaps she would come for the unicorn,” he said.

“She?”

“Ferrah. The dragon. She’s been seen chasing unicorns, especially any wandering through the Blight.”

“Why?”

“We aren’t certain. The dragons have been restless for months.”

Do not like, Valorre said.

Etrix gestured for her and Valorre to proceed. Before she had to suffer one of Fanon’s irritating tugs, she started walking again. She kept her eyes on the sky for several moments, worried the dragon might come back. She had no desire to find out what the creatures did to the unicorns they chased. When she saw no sign of its return, she dropped her gaze to the gray landscape. A wash of color and movement caught her eye.

Half hidden behind a patch of gnarled stumps was a cluster of humanoid figures. They crouched on the ground, palms pressed flat to the colorless earth. They were petite in stature with pointed ears, their skin in every shade of brown and tan, their hair and clothing in the richest earth tones. One was a male with long hair as black as midnight and a tunic of woven moss. Another had hair and eyes in shades of rich green, her leather dress adorned with sparkling beads of morning dew. The nearest figure, a male with hair made from autumn-colored leaves, lifted wide gray eyes to watch them pass. That was when Cora glimpsed the black patterns marking his arms and neck. In fact, all the figures bore such markings on every inch of skin not hidden by clothing. The symbols were more intricate than her own tattoos, but she recognized theinsigmora.

“Faeryn,” Cora said.

“They try to heal the Blight,” Etrix said, “but their use ofmoradoes little to help. They merely manage to slow the Blight’s inevitable course.”

“What is the Blight from?”

“The Veil,” Etrix said and nothing more. She almost wished Garot was nearby again, for maybe he’d have given a more substantial answer.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the Faeryn as they walked by. Unlike the Elvyn, whom she knew little about, she’d heard so much about the Faeryn from the Forest People. The commune’s very way of life was dedicated to preserving the Faeryn’s ancient ways, their traditions, their harmony with nature. In a way, these figures were like family to her. Not by blood, of course, but an unseen bond.

A sudden spark of hope ignited in her chest. Perhaps if she ran to them, showed them herinsigmora, and implored them for help, they’d free her from her captors. But as each turned to watch her pass, she caught the ice in their collective gaze, the curl of their lips as they studied her human form. It was enough to tell her they thought no better of her than Fanon did, regardless of the markings on her arms.

She cursed under her breath. It was clear she’d find no allies here, in this realm where humans were feared. Hated. She couldn’t fully rely on her own knowledge of the fae either, for the stories the Forest People had told were obviously wrong. The fae weren’t extinct. The Elvyn and Faeryn hadn’t killed each other in a war five hundred years ago. They werehere. Alive. Just in another realm.

She could only rely on herself and Valorre, and their primary hope was to get to the Veil and pray to the Mother Goddess there really was a way to cross through.

Only then could she get back home and find some way to save Teryn—and her world—from Morkai.

46

After Morkai left the king’s study, Teryn rested his ethera. He had no desire to add more strain to his already failing body. But as soon as he awoke, drifting from his state of floating unconsciousness to bright awareness, he had but one thought. One need.

He opened his eyes and found himself in the illusion of Emylia’s temple bedroom. She sat cross-legged at his side, expression resigned as if she knew exactly what he was going to say.

---