A Court of Blood and Desire

Chapter 6

Theresa POV

If there was one thing I hated more than the smell of fish, it was floating beside them.

The first three days I spent violently throwing up in my room. The constant swaying and dipping made both my stomach and head spin, leaving me very much as helpless as a pig waiting to be slaughtered. I had a constant, pounding headache and I could still taste the bitter aftertaste of bile in my mouth. Clearly, I had evidently inherited none of my father's piracy skills.

My stomach finally got a hold of itself, but I had no intention of leaving the room unless it was to use the shared bathroom or take food from the daily buffet. It was more food than I'd ever had access to; it took a great effort on my part not to stuff my face in the middle of the dining hall. I made sure to get there few hours before or after everyone else had arrived.

I used most of the two week journey memorising the only book I had- The Night Court: Creatures and Customs. The spine was tediously held together with linen strips and a good chunk of the pages were damaged, but I took a small comfort in its words. I'd bookmarked pages of interest and scribbled my own notes in the margins- I learnt that burning sage deterred evil spirits and dabbing raven blood on your neck stopped dark faeries from eating your flesh. Where I would find a raven, let alone kill one was another question, but I underlined it anyway. From what I read, my biggest threat was the Illyrains and the winter snow.

Obviously, I was no stranger to the cold or mountains but I needed a steady food source. I knew the basics of fishing and foraging, but in the middle of winter, both of those things would be impossible. I did have my small bag of coins with which I could purchase oats or grain in villages, but as soon as I reached the uninhabited Night Mountains, my luck and money would've run out- if I wasn't dead already. I would probably resort to stealing from other people or eating tree bark. 

In the meantime, I ate my large- but not suspiciously large- portion of mushroom and trout stew in a corner. Despite the fish, it was easily the best thing I had ever had. I combed through Creatures and Customs for the ninth time, trying to remember if selkies were native to the Night, Day or Winter Court. I wouldn't be near the seaside that much but if-

"I haven't seen you here before."

My head snapped up to reveal a faerie with skin that glowed like liquid silver, accompanied by a muscular male with yellow eyes and ram horns. They must've sat down with that deadly fae grace that no glamour could even attempt to recreate.

They must've worked out that I was a human, that I was not supposed to be here and they were going to deliver me to the kitchen for tomorrow's soup. I opened my mouth to say something- anything when Silverskin laughed- it was a high, lilting sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Don't worry, we just want to sit here. All the other tables are full and staying in the cabin all the time is so dull!"

I looked around- she (he? they?- with faeries you never know) was right. The noise level rose as more people entered the cramped room, fighting for a rickety seat. I gave them a half smile, half grimace and gestured with my fork for them to sit down, telling my racing heart to slow the fuck down. 

Faeries can sense everything- from your heartbeat to your emotions. That was the first lesson that every human got taught from before they could talk. I'd hidden my emotions for twelve years working in the palace and I wasn't going to let that practice go to waste. I scrambled for an appropriate memory, eventually settling on braiding Claudia's hair last week, making jokes about the King's toad faced advisor. I focused on it, willing contentment into my scent.

We ate our food in silence, but it was quickly becoming awkward. I quickly rifled through all the conversation starters in my mind and picked the most casual one I could think of.

"What Court are you going to?" Thankfully, my voice didn't shake.

The ship -The Ruelle- went from the top of the Illyrian Mountains in the Night Court to the village of Cenia, just above the Wall in the Spring Court and across to the Faerie Realms before making its way back up to Vallahan, forming a twisted rectangle.

Horns looked at Silverskin, letting his partner answer the question. "The Southern Continent actually, but we're stopping in the Winter Court," they replied, spiking a mushroom with their fork. "You?"

Shit. Great thinking, Tessa, I scolded myself. Of course they were going to ask me the same question. "Night," I winced, biting off a large chunk of bread to avoid more questions. It was warm and fresh and I wondered if anyone would notice if I slipped some into my bag.

Silverskin gave me an slight smile. I looked into by bowl to avoid their gaze. "You're a hell of a lot braver than me. With everything going on in Prythian, the Night Court is the least place I'd like to be."

My spoon was halfway to my mouth when I realised their wording. "Everything going on? The War ended over a year ago!" I mentally cursed myself. Was this common knowledge for the fae? Is this why the King spent more and more time in meetings?

They looked at me strangely, as if I had grown a third eye. "The War hasn't ended yet, sweetheart."

The words simple as they were, sent shivers down my back.

"Dark forces surround Prythian- I advise you to gather your family and get as far away as possible before it strikes." Horns spoke in a deep voice that shook the rickety table, yellow eyes digging into my soul. "The Night Court will always protect themselves first, and leave everyone else to suffer. Remember that."

Silverskin finished their stew and stood up, Horns following suit. "Just watch out for yourself- there are worse things lurking in Prythian than males." They grinned and nudged their partner playfully, but I didn't miss the dark undertone to the words.  Be careful.

I watched them go, distantly thankful that my first encounter had gone smoothly- kind of. But their words played around in my mind, and I knew I would not be getting any sleep tonight.

The stew tasted like sandpaper all of a sudden.