“Don’t worry, I'd never ridden one either,” Cassie said. “But it's different here.”

  My nervousness grew as I watched Esras and Revlen help saddle the horses. “How’s it different?”

  “Fae horses are really smart.”

  I glanced from the horses, to Cassie, and then back to the horses. “Aren’t all horses smart?”

  “Not like this,” Cassie said, “You'll see.”

  “Check it out,” Cade said. “It looks like you’ll be riding Andor again.”

  I couldn’t help but notice that one of the horses was staring at Cassie. Apprehensively, it seemed.

  “Yeah, I figured,” Cassie said.

  I turned to look at her. “Is that a bad thing?”

  Cassie shook her head. “No, I like Andor. He’s kind of my horse here. It’s just that we got off to kind of a rocky start.”

  “What happened?”

  Cassie sighed. “It was totally my fault. I should have been a little less demanding.”

  “As in, Cassie rode him for a day without giving him water,” Cade said. “We just figured it was common sense.”

  Cassie bristled. “How would I know?”

  Cade grinned gleefully. “Well, maybe you could have followed our lead when we stopped at ponds and rivers? Anyway, that’s all…”

  Cassie groaned, but then laughed. “Water under the bridge. Right.” She nodded to indicate Esras, who was leading a horse our way. And by our way, I really mean my way, since a moment later he brought the horse to a stop right beside me.

  Esras handed me the reins. “Julia, this is Thessa,” he said. “Thessa, this is Julia.”

  With that, he walked off to get the other horses.

  I turned to Cassie and Cade. “And that’s it?”

  “That’s what I’m saying,” Cassie said. “In Faerie, you don’t need much more than that. You sort of bond with the horse a little and the horse takes it from there. You don’t need lessons or anything.”

  I shrugged, taking her at her word. This was Faerie, after all, the land of lingualawks and truth lemurs. Not to mention centaurs, trolls and dragons.

  Cade gestured toward Cassie. “Just don’t make the same mistake that she did. You need to get things right from the start. Which was partly our fault, I admit. We forgot to tell Cassie about the pledge.”

  He looked to Cassie and she frowned just slightly. Then her eyes lit up as she remembered. “Oh, right! The pledge. Why didn’t you guys tell me about that?”

  Cade sighed. “Stress, I guess. This place was basically at war and we had like ten minutes to get out of Scintillia. You were being hunted by Vintain, remember?”

  Cassie nodded. “Kind of hard to forget, but you still should have told me about the pledge.”

  I was vaguely aware of Esras, Revlen and Kiaran joining us with the rest of the horses, but I tried not to get distracted. I wanted to make sure I got this right. “Okay, so tell me about the pledge.”

  “It’s easy,” Cade said. “You just look at your horse and recite a few words. It’s part of that bonding thing we mentioned. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  I looked at the giant brown horse beside me, and then back to Cade. “I guess now?”

  Cade nodded. “Yep, this does seem like the right time. Just repeat after me. Oh, and look at your horse. Lots of eye contact.”

  Geez, but okay. I turned and stared into my horse’s giant brown eyes as she stared back at me. At least, I thought she was female. I hadn’t noticed any features suggesting otherwise.

  “Honored horse, I pledge to be respectful,” Cade said, in a solemn voice.

  “Honored horse, I pledge to be respectful,” I said.

  The horse—my horse, I guessed—made a soft nickering sound. I figured that might be a good sign.

  “I pledge to be kind and aware of your intelligence,” Cade said.

  “I pledge to be kind and aware of your intelligence,” I said.

  This time, I could have sworn that my horse gave a slight nod of her head.

  “I pledge not to work you too hard or break wind upon your back,” Cade said.

  “I pledge not to work you too hard or break wind upon your back.”

  Wait, what?

  But it was already too late, since everyone around me burst out laughing. Cade all but doubled over as Cassie slapped him on the back. “Oh, my god!” she screamed. “That was beautiful.” She looked at me and said, “You should see your face right now!”

  “I pledge not to break wind upon your back,” Cade snickered. “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

  My face burning, I narrowed my eyes to slits. Not that it mattered. They were too busy cracking up to care, and I couldn’t quite bring myself to look at Kiaran and the others. I just stood there plotting murder until the chuckling subsided.

  “Ooh, that was good,” Revlen said from behind me.

  “That really was,” Esras agreed. “Cade, my friend, you truly have a gift.”

  “Okay, let’s get you on that horse,” Revlen said. “We should really get moving.”

  “Just remember,” Cade said. “Whatever you do, don't—”

  I stared at him and he stopped, but not before Cassie started chortling again.

  “Priceless,” she said. “Totally priceless.”

  Thankfully, Cassie had at least been telling the truth about the other part. Once I managed to relax upon Thessa’s back, she did the rest by following along with the group. She slowed and sped up when they did. She turned corners through the streets without prompting. All I had to do was keep myself in the saddle. And the fact was, I loved it. Riding a horse was just so different from being in a car, or riding my bike, where everything zipped by in a blur. While we didn’t exactly have time to waste, things weren’t so urgent that we were rushing either. The result being that, as we made our way through Scintillia, I felt like I was seeing Faerie for the first time.

  First, we crossed through the district surrounding the palace, a part of town once reserved for the Seelie elite. My understanding was that this was no longer the case, especially since so many of those nobles had fled when Vintain fell from power. I gazed around at grand old houses lining cobblestone streets, where trees of unearthly hues—some with leaves of azure, others of orange and purple—reached toward the violet-tinged sky. Thankfully, the wind must have shifted direction, since the smell of smoke was less intense and ash no longer fell upon us. Soon, fine houses and manicured lawns gave way to the more crowded, less affluent streets of Gorgedden. This was traditionally the Unseelie part of town, where the oppressed had once crowded into dilapidated tenements. It looked like a lot had changed quickly, since those old buildings now looked more like elegant, ornately-styled townhomes. Although, as I understood things, one part hadn’t changed. Music still played in the streets, sounding to my ear vaguely Celtic. People stood around laughing and talking, while vendors roasted skewered meats on open fires. Meanwhile, people rode past on horses of their own, while others traveled by in carriages.

  The effect was like going back in time to what felt like a strange mashup of our medieval and Victorian eras. Although, I couldn’t quite fool myself into thinking I remained in my own realm. Not when everyone around me had pointy ears, and quite a few had eyes as exotically colored as the leaves on the trees.

  Cassie rode up beside me. “Pretty cool, isn’t it?”

  “It really is.” I couldn’t help but smile, her prank from before forgiven.

  “They actually still talk to each other here.” Cassie gestured to a group nearby, where adults stood socializing as their children darted joyfully about their legs. “No one staring at their phone, no one wearing earbuds. It’s just so…”

  “Natural?” I said, when her words trailed off.

  Cassie laughed. “I guess so. In a way, it makes our realm seem like the weird one.”

  Strangely, it seemed true. Faerie was far from without its issues, but the scene around us just felt so untroubled. So simple and innocent. A reminder that there’d been a time in our own realm when people hadn’t been rushed and stressed all the time. I could only imagine how the fae would react to seeing one of our cube farms. Talk about unnatural. People spending their days hunched over computers, sitting in their little pens under fluorescent lights, emailing people sitting just a few feet away. No wonder Cade had opted for living here.

  As we rode on, I kept expecting people to turn and stare. After all, Esras and Revlen were co-regents these days. But they’d made a point of dressing down and didn’t really stand out very much. The feeling I got was that they wanted to blend in, that Tharnel’s comments might have left them feeling out of touch. That they were taking this opportunity to do a little anonymous reconnaissance of their own. In our world, it would never have been possible, but apparently things worked differently in a world without the internet, newspapers or TV. Our presence did nothing to disrupt the flow of daily life.

  We approached a tavern, the front door opening as more music spilled out onto the street. A man spilled out too, stumbling and staggering. After a moment, he managed to right himself and start loping along.

  Esras chuckled. “I have to wonder if that fellow might have been overserved.”

  “Good thing he’s not driving,” Cassie quipped. “Oh, wait. Super smart horses.”

  Cade grinned. “Exactly. With horses this smart, we can get as drunk as we please.”

  Revlen looked at us over her shoulder. “Notice anything else about our inebriated friend?”

  It took a moment, but then I saw it too. On the back of his neck, the tattoo still obviously new even from a distance, the colors bright and bold against his reddened skin.

  A sword wrapped in flame.

  “I’m guessing he must be a Zekestran,” I said.

  Revlen nodded. “It would appear so.”

  She turned to Esras, the two of them exchanging glances in silent conference. Evidently, no words were needed, since only a moment passed before Esras said, “Agreed. It might be interesting.”

  We started to follow him. Which, from upon our horses, wasn’t hard to do, especially since every so often he staggered sideways. If the Zekestrans were supposed to set some sort of example, this man didn't seem like much of an ambassador. And if he was supposed to be some sort of warrior, that too seemed unlikely. In his current condition, if he picked up a sword, the only person he’d likely hurt was himself.

  We trailed him for maybe another mile as he wandered through town. Soon, the last traces of smoke faded from the air, to be replaced by the distinct smell of salt. I heard the call of gulls and looked up to see what must have been the fae version, much larger than our own and dark red, although they flew in the same manner as they circled and called with their wings spread to the wind.

  Esras didn’t bother to look up as he kept his gaze set on our quarry. He turned to Revlen just long enough to say, “He’s heading to the wharves. What do you think?”

  She thought for barely a moment. “I have to wonder if it might have been too long since I’ve paid a visit to that part of town.”

  Esras nodded. “My thoughts, exactly.”

  Their decision made, we kept going, and soon it wasn’t just the call of the gulls filling the air. We heard a man’s voice booming out, his words not yet discernable as a crowd called back, some cheering and others booing. Apparently, at hearing these same sounds, our drunken Zekestran picked up his pace.

  From beside me, Kiaran said, “Get the feeling we might be going to church?”

  It took me a moment, but then I realized. If our boy was a zealot, where else would he be going? Sure enough, we soon came upon the crowd where they surrounded a man standing upon a wooden trunk—no doubt, the same man whose voice we’d heard from a distance.

  “The gods have been ignored long enough!” he cried, his face red and his arms spread. He was tall and thin, dressed in a plain brown robe, his long hair blowing in the breeze. “Look around you. The signs are everywhere! Have you not seen the glow of fire in the sky? Have you not seen the ash falling? I ask you, what did scriptures say about Mount Dolthanan?”

  From within the crowd, a man called out, “I don’t know about your scriptures, but the science ministry calls it a volcano! They make fire, just in case you didn’t know!”

  Laughter rippled through the crowd, followed by heated objections as tensions built between the factions. “You’re a fool!” a man cried, while a woman shouted, “You’re a heathen!” I couldn’t tell if those comments were meant for the man in the brown robe, or if those two were calling out to each other. Either way, the robed man waited for the crowd to settle down, and then resumed speaking. “This morning there were reports of scoura in the fields. Miles and miles of crops decimated. Do you know how long it’s been since we’ve had scoura?”

  I looked to Cassie, who shrugged.

  “Swarming insects,” Cade explained. “Like locusts.”

  I looked at Cassie to see her frown, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Right, perfect, let’s throw in a little more old time apocalypse imagery. Nothing quite like it to bring up those deep-seated fears.

  “I’ll tell you how long it’s been since we had scoura!” the zealot shouted. “Over a thousand years. And in case you think that’s a coincidence, Mount Dolthanan hasn’t erupted in twice that time! Are you starting to get the picture?”

  “I get the picture perfectly!” a man called back. “You’re insane!

  “Picture this!” another man cried. “Me punching you in the face!”

  Their heckling was met with another surge of anger. “You'll pay!” a man called back. And another shouted, “And soon! The time is at hand!”

  That catchphrase must have resonated with the zealots, because their voices joined to form a chant. “The time is at hand! The time is at hand!”

  “Exactly!” their leader said. “The time is at hand! Which means we must repent our secular ways! We must leave those ways behind! We must put our faith back in the gods!”

  I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Kiaran. The situation was just too ironic.

  His cheeks turned red as he shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with this.”

  I burst out laughing, which caused heads to turn. Not a great idea, all things considered, that point soon underscored by what the robed zealot said next.

  “It's said that the end times will arrive when outsiders come here! That allowing them into our realm will bring fire down upon us!”

  Cassie smirked at me that time. “Well, they at least got it half right. They’re just a little confused about which outsiders.”

  Then a man called out, “Like the Fae Witch!”

  His voice was followed by a woman’s. “Yes, like the Fae Witch!”

  “Exactly!” the zealot cried, “Like the witch from the human realm! She caused the throne to topple. She brought this down upon us!”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “Definitely time to boogie.”

  Esras and Revlen must have decided the same thing, since they started moving again. Not so quickly as to gain attention, but at a measured and even pace. Cassie fell in behind them with Cade by her side, while Kiaran and I brought up the rear. I paused, shifting in my saddle as I tried to get comfortable. Despite Thessa’s good nature, I was still trying to get the hang of keeping myself balanced. I only stopped for a moment, but that was enough time for a sudden gust of wind to blow my hair back. One of the zealots stared at my suddenly exposed ears.

  “Right there!” he said. “She’s not from here!”

  Beside me, Kiaran spoke in a low voice. “Just keep moving,”

  But we didn’t get far before more zealots crowded in around us, suddenly blocking our path. My eyes cut to where Cassie and the others kept riding. I was about to call out to them but stopped myself. The last thing I wanted was to make Cassie known to this crowd, never mind possibly put Esras and Revlen in danger.

  Then I heard a man's low growl. “What do we have here?”

  I looked down to see his ugly grin and narrowed eyes.

  “And who’s that with her?” Another man pointed at Kiaran. “Let’s see those ears, shall we?”

  The guy had to be a fool to mess with Kiaran, who was easily twice his size. Then again, courage always increases with numbers. We’d quickly become surrounded, our horses at a dead stop and penned in on all sides.

  A woman called out, “I told you this would happen if we let the half-bloods in. They’re like vermin, with their human counterparts trailing right behind them!”

  For such a righteous crowd, it sure included a lot of bigots. Anger boiled up inside me, my magic surging to the surface. It took everything I had to keep light from flaring at my hands. Part of me wondered if that might be exactly what we needed. Then again, the fae had magic too. Some more than others. You could never be quite sure who could more effectively wield it.

  As if reading my thoughts, Kiaran pressed his horse in beside my own. He spoke tersely. “Just hold on and follow my lead.”

  I nodded, holding back for now. If Kiaran had a plan, then he was two steps ahead of me. I just wished I knew what that plan was. Without warning, he turned to the crowd and thrust out his hands. Weirdly, nothing seemed to follow, and it only took a moment before people started laughing.

  “Well, isn’t that impressive!” one man jeered.

  “Looks like someone forgot to tell him he has no magic!” another called out, as those around him laughed even louder.

  Then I felt it, or at least thought I did. Something in the air around us. A pressure building, a prickling at my skin. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted, reminding me of the moments just before a lightning strike. Was that Kiaran’s intention? If so, what the hell was happening?

  In that same moment, a man lunged forward. He tried to grab the reins from my hands. Thessa reared up, whinnying and thrashing with her hooves to make him back away. I struggled to hang on and looked to Kiaran again, where he kept both hands spread to the air. “What are you doing?”

 

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