The Woods

Chapter Eighteen

From the seemingly blinding light when I opened my eyes, I could tell it was at least noon. I squinted, blinking rapidly so my eyes could adjust. Feeling a bit groggy, I sat in blissful silence for several moments, unsure of what to do with myself. It was probably too late for any of my lessons, but no one had been sent to wake me, so I could only assume they were cancelled.

And then everything flooded back. The Dance of the Stars, the paint, Cain. All of it felt like some sort of dream. But, when I slipped out of bed and walked over to the vanity, I could see the paint; blue on my shoulder and gold on my collarbone. My cheeks flushed as I remembered.

What had Cain meant when he took out the paint? Sure, he had shown affection, but he of all people knew that it would be impossible for us to be together. He was the immortal king, and I was just human. I would die while he lived on. It would never work out.

I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts away. He would explain himself later.

Without lessons, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do that day, so I decided to see if I could find Celaine or Drake. I was quick to dress and wash myself, but I was surprised to see the paint wouldn't be scrubbed off. I gave up on it swiftly; it was likely a magic of sorts.

The halls were oddly empty as I made my way down to the gardens – there weren't even any servants scurrying between rooms on their errands. Perhaps today was their day off.

It was a stroke of luck that I ended up finding both Celaine and Drake in the gardens, and they seemed delighted to see me. As I approached them, I smiled as I noticed they held hands.

"Good morning," Drake greeted. "Or, well, afternoon."

"Such luck that I found both of you," I smiled.

"Today is the day everyone rests. No one is supposed to work," Celaine explained. "Except His Majesty, of course. There is always something keeping him busy."

We ended up sitting in a wooden gazebo and having afternoon tea together. Everyone took that day off, so there was no worrying about either of them being dragged away by their parents.

"So, Fida," Drake said, grabbing a honey cake, "how do you like the Woods? You have been here a while, so surely you have an opinion."

"I was terrified when I was first brought here," I admitted, staring into my tea. "I was afraid that I would be chosen to die at a moment's notice. But now, such things don't bother me. I just can't get over how amazing this place is. Of course, it is filled with Fae who don't care whether I live or die, but other than that, I enjoy it here."

They both chuckled, much to my surprise, but didn't explain why. I brushed it off as nothing.

"So, why doesn't the paint from last night wash off?" I asked.

Drake placed his hand over his heart, a hurt look in his eyes. "You wound me, Fida. Why would you wish to wash off my paint?" I froze for a second, afraid I had actually offended him, but he grinned and went back to eating his cakes. "I was joking. The paint isn't designed to come off for a while. It will be gone in a few weeks or so."

I nodded, looking down at my tea to hide my glowing cheeks. I should have suspected he was messing with me, but the thought of my expression must have amused them.

We sat together and talked until the sky had begun to darken. I had almost forgotten the rule about having to stay inside after dark, and almost sighed when we made our way back inside. It had been weeks since I'd last stood under the stars, excluding the dance from the night prior, and the thought saddened me. Would I only ever be allowed to once a year?

"It was lovely talking to you both," Drake said when we reached the entrance. "I must be on my way now, so I will see you both tomorrow." He smiled to me and kissed Celaine's hand before wondering down the hall. Celaine, it seemed, also had somewhere to be, so with a hug, she was gone as well.

I smiled after them for a few moments before making my way back to my room. It wasn't long until dinner, so I ended up reading to pass the short time, before getting ready. Spending the afternoon with Drake and Celaine had cleared my mind, but as I headed to the dining room, all my thoughts from earlier in the day rushed back. I almost considered skipping dinner, but I couldn't ignore that I was hungry, so I reluctantly continued on.

Everyone was already in the dining room when I arrived, and I could almost feel the cheerful atmosphere. Casper was pouring flutes of an amber alcohol for himself and Cain, but I shook my head when he offered.

"You don't care for it?" he asked.

I made a face. "It burns." He seemed almost delighted at the response.

I remained silent for most of the meal, trying to figure out why they were in such good moods. Casper and Cain were drinking merrily while Merilyn laughed with them. She wouldn't touch the alcohol, but that didn't stop the big grin on her face.

"You haven't told Fida, have you?" Casper asked. She shook her head and he chuckled. "You're no good at hiding your curiosity, Fida."

I glanced between them, trying to see if I could read their expressions, but their amusement hid it too well. My eyes settled on Merilyn and she grinned.

"I'm pregnant." My expression matched hers in an instant.

"Oh, Merilyn, that's wonderful!" I exclaimed. Drake had mentioned how rare children were for the Fae, so Merilyn's news would be something of great importance to them. For the humans, it wasn't uncommon for women to have several children in a lifetime, but for the Fae . . . some were hundreds or thousands of years old and only had one child.

To my response, her expression shifted to something like relief and gratitude; an unusual combination, but I kept quiet about it.

When everyone had finished eating, Merilyn and Casper slipped away, presumably going to tell some of their friends the news. I was about to go back to my room when Cain grabbed my hand to stop me.

"Would you care for a walk in the gardens?" he asked.

I stared up at him, unsure of what to say, so I simply nodded. He smiled, albeit tentatively, and we made our way outside. The air was cool and crisp, burning my lungs as I took a deep breath. As we walked, I couldn't help but marvel at the flowers under the moonlight. They seemed completely different in the daytime; their petals almost luminescent as fireflies hovered around them.

"So," I said, "what happened to it being dangerous for me to be outside at night?"

"To attack while I am here would be their death sentence," he replied. He said it casually, as if talking about the weather. I let out a breathy laugh, which seemed to surprise him, but he made no comment.

We walked in silence for a while, stopping every few minutes as I examined flowers. "Is there a point in the life of the Fae that death is imminent?" I asked. His head tilted to the side, almost as if he was indicating for me to explain. "For humans, there is always a point of death later in our lives. Is it the same for your kind, or do you just . . . exist?"

"An interesting question," he murmured. "We can die of illness or murder, but we can simply exist, as you put it. The faeries will die after about a thousand years, give or take, but the Fae will not. Why do you ask?"

I remained silent, focusing on the flower in front of me. "I will die one day in life," I eventually replied. I glanced up at him, and his expression told me he understood what I was saying. "A rose can stay perfectly preserved in glass, but one on a thornbush will wither."

He took one of my hands and smiled, albeit sadly. "Neither is perfect," he replied. "In glass, the rose is secluded and cursed with coldness; on the bush, the rose has thorns. But both are very beautiful." He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. I had no reply to his explanation.

After that, he took me back inside, leaving me for the night. I made my way to my room, thinking over what he had said. I completely forgot to get answers from the night prior. And yet . . . I understood.

It was easy for me to sleep that night, and I found myself smiling. Perhaps I could truly be happy in the Woods.