Page 23 of A Deal with the Shadow King

I grip the oak banister and crouch to sneak upstairs. About halfway to the second floor, a treacherous step creaks under my weight, and I hurry to the second floor landing. The filing system is easy to follow, but sweat beads on my forehead when I find the thin, black spine of the book I plan to poach.

I hook my index finger over the trim and pull, but the book remains resolutely stuck in place, like a spell prevents me from sliding it out of the stack.

With a frown, I tug on it harder and zap it with a flare of shadow magic, but it stays put. Of course. No wonder Lori was so serene when she explained the rules.

While she tends to the needs of the occasional High Fae customer, her presence is not needed to guard the books—nor would it be sufficient.

Crestfallen, I hurry back downstairs and turn to my second-best choice, “Seven Seasons, Eight Eternities,” and start to read. By the time my new friend returns to our shared reading nook, I’m the perfect picture of good behavior.

As dangerous as it is to lose myself for hours in Fae literature…it’s also wonderful.

The Faerie seasons last for one to eight weeks each and include different rituals that rejuvenate the land’s magic. Each court and kingdom are responsible for one of those seasonal ceremonies, and the courts themselves are divided into light and dark.

Alaveen, the festival of the Sun Court, is held at the beginning of the Fae year. Lanterns are released to the sky as a way to honor the Fae’s deceased loved ones—a lovely tradition.

The Spring Court celebrates the thaw of winter. Love is in the air, married couples renew their unions, and the entire season sees an increase in fertility for Fae women.

St-John’s Eve takes place in the Summerlands during the solstice, but I can’t find any details about it.

The harvest season is called Foghar, and big parties are thrown with all matters of excess.

Morheim signals the triumph of shadows over light, and the days grow shorter in autumn until the sun doesn’t rise in the Fae sky for seven to ten days.

Yule celebrates the winter solstice. It comes with a pageant during which the Winter King chooses a wife. He marries a new bride every year. Yikes!

The year ends with Scebaan, a mysterious ball hosted by the Storm Court.

So many exotic customs and intriguing details keep me awake until the wee hours of the night, my curiosity only growing as I uncover more details about these magical, eerie lands.

Chapter 10

One, Two, Three…

Another week passes, but the upper floors remain dark and untouched. A few demanding customers keep Lori busy for most of the evening of my eleventh day in Faerie.

A few minutes before midnight, she yawns on her way over to my table and slumps onto the chair across from mine. “God, I swear, most of the High Fae are more interested in you than the books.”

I arch a brow and peer at her over my latest read. “Hm?”

“Someone apparently shared with them that you’re from the old world, and now you’re officially an object of curiosity.”

“Now that you mention it, a few ladies did stop by my table today to exchange pleasantries?—”

Lori rolls her eyes. “Oof, they’re relentless. Don’t give them anything, or we’ll be swarmed before too long. Sure, they’re always eager to spy on the new seeds, but an old world seedling is a big novelty.”

My voice rises a few octaves. “Don’t they have, I don’t know…better things to do?”

The thought that they should be curious enough about me to alter their schedules feels laughable.

Lori stands and switches off the lights with a wave of her hand, only leaving on the glowing orange sphere over the librarian desk. “Don’t worry, Nell. Between the two of us, we can unravel their little scheme. We’ll play dumb and give nothing away, and within a month, it’ll blow over. You’ll see.”

After she locks the main entrance, she heads directly for the tunnels. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Lori doesn’t raise an eyebrow or ask questions when I leave in the opposite direction, and the scope of my newfound autonomy washes through me once more. I thought I was coming to Faerie to be a prisoner, and yet I’ve never felt so free.

I can eat what I want and go to bed whenever I please.

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