Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 16 ~

MORGANA STARED AT THE crown with wide eyes. The Unseelie were known for being chaotic and mysterious and lacking of a moral compass, but the Seelies were no better. They worked quieter, sneakier, put up an act of mercy like it wasn't cruel justice they demanded. They led both worlds to believe that the Unseelie kingdoms were wicked and deceptive and didn't care who got in their way in order to paint themselves as the better ones, the kinder ones.

He knew how they worked after so long being around them. This crown wasn't just a message, it was a threat. The Seelies were coming, the Queen wasn't done with them yet.

"What could she possibly want?" Giselle asked aloud. "She's been up to something this whole time, I fear she's been involved from the start."

"She knows where we are," Morgana observed. "She's telling us she's following us."

Kit looked confused, with that adorable little crease between his brows. "Why would she be giving us a warning? What does she gain from that?"

Adorable?

He shook his head. Kit had a point. It had to be more than just a message or a threat, Titania didn't do things without a reason.

"We have to leave," Morgana said after pondering for a moment. "I would hate to put your friend in danger, Eurion."

Eurion furrowed her brow, less than happy with the thought of leaving so soon. But she clenched her jaw and nodded. "I think you're right," she said. "We'll go then, quickly. We need to find our clue, anyway."

They were fast as they gathered up their things and dressed to leave. Eurion said her goodbyes to Samma and they departed, taking the items from stranger's bag with them.

The streets of the city were lively in the day. Sun beat down on Morgana's skin, painfully averse to the heat. Kit thrived in the warmth, like he was immune to it, but the Unseelie felt he was on the brink of melting like the creature of ice that he was. The townspeople were clothed in colorful attire and golden jewels, thin and sparse enough to air out the heat, but covering enough territory to protect from the harsh rays. For the first time in his life, Morgana wished Giselle would've dressed him how she wanted instead of covering him in layers of modest, black fabrics.

Not only was he burning alive, but he felt dreadfully out of place. Though his skin looked more southern, his attire made him stick out like a sore thumb. Selene might've been red as a rose an hour into their journey, but at least she dressed like she belonged.

After some time, the port city gave way to the Capitol. It was more dazzling than Morgana expected it to be, filled with exquisite buildings decorated in careful engravings and details. The rooves were domes or shaped like fat teardrops, and everything around him was full of gold or bright, colorful stones. This was a rich, prosperous city.

"The Gem of Every Sea," Eurion breathed. Morgana could see why it was called such a thing, he'd never seen anything like it, not even in Faerie. It truly looked like a gem of a city.

A palace sat in the center of the city, a masterpiece comparable to the beauty of his own home and far more elegant than the rundown stone fortresses of Avalon. Before it laid a square, full of shops and music and children playing while their mothers spoke to each other and their fathers exchanged their riches. There was a mix of rich and poor, existing together in ironic harmony.

"It's gorgeous," said Giselle, echoing his thoughts. "Where are we meant to look for the clue? It's so vast."

"That's a good question," Eurion said, eyes drawn to the palace before them. "I have a feeling our target is somewhere fiercely guarded, which could be many of these places. We'll just have to hope we know it when we find it."