Grave Destiny (Alex Craft, #6) - Kalayna Price Page 0,69

away.

I only half listened to these exchanges, most of my attention focused on searching the faces of the fae for Lunabella. That, and wondering if I could take my heels off without anyone noticing.

The trickle of fae entering the clearing slowed, a last few stragglers scooting in, and then they stopped. Theoretically, if the doors were working properly, all the independents attending were inside. I hadn’t spotted Lunabella, and she should have stood out among the other independents—almost no Sleagh Maith lived outside the courts. I glanced to Falin. He met my gaze only for a moment, giving the very slightest shake of his head. So he hadn’t spotted her either. That meant one of two possibilities: Either she wasn’t planning to attend or she hadn’t become an independent when she left the summer court.

A few last petitioners came through, including two who asked to fill the open seat on the queen’s council. The queen gave them quests to complete, which made me blink in surprise. One quest sounded far more impossible than the other, so I guessed that she favored one candidate more.

A chime sounded through the clearing, and everyone turned their attention to the break in the tree line ringed with hawthorns. A soft glow emanated from under the icicle-strewn branches, and then a pair of fae crowned in flowers stepped into the clearing. The spring monarchs. They were followed by an entourage of fae as colorful and varied as the blossoms their season was known for. I scanned the courtiers as they approached. One brown-haired fae in a flowing pastel purple gown caught my attention and at first I thought I’d spotted Lunabella, but when the fae turned toward me, I saw that her features were much sharper than the image in the locket.

“Hail, queen of the long slumber,” the spring monarchs said in unison as they reached the foot of the dais.

“Hail, king and queen of awakening life,” the queen said, smiling benevolently down from her throne at the other two monarchs. “The oak is sleeping, its sap sluggish, and its boughs weighted with snow. It is not yet time for you to wake it.”

The two monarchs inclined their flowered heads. “The time will come for the snows to melt, the sap to quicken, and life to reemerge from your frozen touch, but for now we are content to wait.”

“Then for this night and day, join our revelry. Be welcome in our court and make merry with us as we celebrate the longest night and shortest day.”

It was a variation on the ritual greeting I’d heard during the Fall Equinox, following almost an identical pattern with different players. Another cheer spread through the clearing as the queen finished welcoming the spring fae into winter. Fae rushed up to greet the newcomers, and the spring fae scattered, joining different groups who had already started celebrating the solstice. Some of the spring fae had brought instruments and spread out to begin playing, others joining to dance or sing. Those of us who were representing the winter court with the queen had not been released yet, and I saw a lot of anxious and envious glances from the winter handmaidens.

Another chime sounded, and the summer court entered next. Now that I knew to look for the division in their court, it was plainly obvious. The queen stood straight and tall, her gown more elaborate than the one she’d worn earlier, but still not as frilly as the Winter Queen’s. The courtiers who walked behind her held themselves stiffly, their clothing fine but conservative. The Summer King entered beside his queen, but there was more space between them than had been between the spring monarchs. The king had a much finer vest, complete with gold piping and embroidery, but he still wasn’t wearing a shirt. The fae on his side of the procession were lined up less orderly and their clothing choices were both more varied and often more risqué.

They repeated a very similar greeting ritual as spring had, only they spoke of long summer days. I scanned the courtiers during the exchange. I knew I was unlikely to find Lunabella among them, as it had been only hours since we’d been told she left the court, but I couldn’t help looking. Then the greeting was over and fall entered. Lunabella was not among their courtiers either. That left only two courts—besides the high court, who I’d been told never attended—and we knew she wasn’t in shadow or Dugan would