Beneath the Mask (30)

4 1 0
                                    

ROWAN'S POINT OF VIEW

The moment we dismounted, I could feel the weight of the Fae's gazes on us. Their eyes were everywhere—sharp, calculating, and not entirely welcoming. The stares were heavy, like I was an intruder in their pristine world. I couldn't help but feel like I was something to be dissected, something foreign.

The castle loomed ahead, gleaming in the midday light. White towers of stone, covered in clear crystals that caught the sunlight, glinted like they were made for gods, not mortals. It was beautiful, yes, but there was something unsettling about it too. The perfect symmetry of the place—the way it was so untouched, so clean. Like nothing in this realm had ever dared to disturb it. I had heard of the Seelie Court, but seeing it in person made everything I had been told about it feel far too real.

I wasn't sure if I was more nervous about being here or more out of place. The Faeries around us were too perfect, too graceful in a way that felt unnatural. Their pale skin and silver hair, their glowing eyes... they moved with a fluidity that made me feel clumsy and insignificant. The whispers were quiet, but I could hear them. Words I didn't catch, but the tone was unmistakable. They were talking about me. Watching me.

I quickly pulled my gaze away from the crowd, trying not to meet anyone's eyes. But then, something caught my attention—a massive, black wolf chained to the stone steps leading up to the castle entrance.

It was out of place. The wolf's fur was matted and tangled, its eyes wild and crazed, and it snapped at the air, its teeth yellow and sharp. There was something horribly wrong with it—its size, its rage, the way it struggled against the chains that held it in place. The beauty of the Seelie Court seemed to fade for a moment as I focused on the beast. This creature was everything the Court wasn't—untamed, wild, full of rage.

I glanced at Kael. I saw the sadness in him before he could hide it, a fleeting look in his eyes when he glanced at the wolf. It was only a moment, but it was enough for me to feel it—the connection, the recognition. It seemed like the beast reminded him of something—maybe even someone—lost. He quickly steered me away, keeping me just out of reach of the snapping jaws.

"Stay close," he muttered, his voice low. I obeyed, not daring to argue as we walked through the courtyard. I noticed how the other Fae parted for us, how their eyes flickered over me with interest. It made my skin crawl.

Before the stable hand could take the Kelpie away, Kael reached into the saddlebag and pulled something out. The flute. My stomach twisted as I saw it—my flute, the one I had been given by a strange Fae years ago, the one I used to control the Kelpies Kael's soldier's rode. I didn't understand why Kael had kept it, but I didn't have time to ask. His attention was already on me.

"While we are within these walls, only refer to me as Theros," he whispered in my ear, his voice cold and commanding. "Never mention my name."

I nodded, my heart sinking. It wasn't a suggestion, and I knew it. "Never speak to the King," he continued, his tone hard. "It would be best if you don't speak to anyone unless they speak first. Do not apologize about anything, don't thank anyone ever. And always keep your head down."

The weight of his words pressed down on me as we walked deeper into the castle, the smooth stone floors echoing under our feet. The halls stretched on forever, each one seemingly as perfect as the last, the walls glistening with the same polished white stone and crystal. There was no warmth here, no sense of home. The silence in the air was heavy, suffocating. Every step felt like it was being watched, and in a way, I knew it was.

I kept my head down, just like he said. I didn't dare to look up at the Fae that passed us, though I could feel their eyes on me, sharp and curious. I wanted to ask questions. I wanted to know what was going to happen. But the fear that twisted in my gut told me there was no room for questions in this place. Not now.

The Siege of Shadows: Book one Where stories live. Discover now