it?” Griff’s half smile slid into place. It was her favorite smile of his.
“It’s creepy.”
“We will reach the Villandi River before sunset. Vindur Palace is just across the river.
“Is the river like the lake? Should I prepare to fight the urge to dive in?”
“Not at all. The river flows north to Loch Villandi. Whatever phenomenon makes the lake so treacherous is not present in the river waters.”
“Good to know. How will we cross the river?”
“There’s a bridge, Brea.”
“Well, you all aren’t very modern, so how could I know if you’d discovered bridge engineering or not?”
“We aren’t imbeciles. We just prefer simpler ways of living.”
“You should think about getting cell service here. It beats the heck out of relying on messengers to carry your snail mail.”
“Oh, I’ve seen your phones and the way humans depend on them like a drug. It may provide a certain level of convenience, but I prefer to enjoy a well written letter rather than the instant gratification of emoji texts.” He smirked as if proud of himself for knowing what an emoji was.
“Whatever. I’d give my right arm for an hour at Dunkin Donuts with a large iced hazelnut latte, a smartphone, and a good pair of earbuds.”
“I have no idea what you just said, but I find you utterly fascinating, Brea.”
“I’m not all that complicated or deep, Griff.”
“I beg to differ.”
Sometimes the way he looked at her made her so nervous she couldn’t see straight. Good job, Brea. Crushing on the hot fae dude.
“So what’s expected of a queen’s niece? Do I get a title or something?”
Griff frowned. “I’m not sure, actually. Technically you’re a princess as the daughter of the queen’s brother.”
“Oh gosh, I was joking!”
“They’d probably just call you Lady Brea. But as the queen’s niece, you’d have certain privileges, and in time, certain duties I imagine. Nothing you can’t handle of course.”
“And after you deliver me to the queen, where will you go?”
“I will stay for a while, but eventually, I’ll return to my cottage where it’s quiet. It will be a lot quieter without all your endless questions.”
“You’ll miss me when I’m gone.”
“Indeed I will.” Griff picked up the pace, urging Mack into a trot. “Look there.” He pointed in the distance where the trees grew taller and wider than anything she’d ever seen. It reminded her of pictures she’d seen of the Redwood forest back home.
The path ahead ran in a straight line for miles and miles. “It’s a lot farther than it seems, but you can just see the other side of the forest. We’ll reach the river before sunset.”
Brea didn’t know what she’d expected of her first look at the forest city of Vindur, but she wasn’t prepared for how it crept up on her. They’d traveled the whole day and never once saw another living soul. Brea had become so used to their solitude that it took her by surprise when the first fae woman she’d seen since her arrival in Fargelsi seemed to appear from nowhere.
“Why are they just hanging out in the forest?” Brea looked over her shoulder to see dozens of fae going about their business.
“We’re on the outskirts of the city. Open your eyes, Brea. Not everything here is mere forest.”
That was when it clicked, and her eyesight shifted. Fae were coming and going from buildings, visiting businesses and returning to their homes—all sitting among the tree tops.”
“How?” Brea turned around in time to see a woman leave her home, skipping down the steps wrapping around the massive tree trunk.
“The Fargelsi fae draw their power from nature,” Griff reminded her. “They grow their homes this way.”
“Amazing.” Brea leaned forward in the saddle, and swore she caught a glimpse inside a home with moss carpet.
“Is the palace like this?”
“See for yourself. The palace is just across the bridge.” Griff pointed ahead.
Brea’s eyes couldn’t decide what to look at first. The bridge was made of thick, green vines that grew from a massive tree trunk into a twisting pattern of knots and leaves that extended across the river. The bridge was wide enough for the two lanes of traffic coming and going from the palace. Far below, the crystal waters of the Villandi River made their lazy way across boulders and over rocks, splashing and tinkling like a symphony of sounds.
The palace itself seemed to have grown up from the riverbed. Vine covered stone spires reached for the skies, and pointed archways rose up in tiers from the main gates to the highest point at