Page 34 of Somber Prince

“That…doesn’t sound right. And you agreed to that?”

He nodded. “It’s a great honor to work in the sarai with Joy Vessels. The clips are just a minor inconvenience. Their use has a good reason behind it. The Keepers have unrestricted access to Joy Vessels. Some may be tempted to take advantage of that. It’s best to eliminate the temptation from the start. This way, we also can no longer transform into shadows, which further puts the Joy Vessels at ease. Most of you seem to find our transitions unnerving.”

I definitely was one of those who found their dissolving into shadows unsettling. Still, having Sigid’s natural abilities restricted because of that didn’t seem fair.

He looked proud of his new status, however.

“You no longer need to feel frightened of me, Dawn,” he assured me in an upbeat voice. “Come, I’ll take you to the sarai, to your friends.”

That made me perk up at once.

“Really? I can see them? Is my punishment over, then?”

“Prince Rha wants you moved in with the rest.”

“Does he now?” I wondered what had changed his mind. But I didn’t wonder for long. Whatever it was, it allowed me to see Elaine and Melanie again, and that was all that mattered. I looked around for my things, then realized I had no things to pack or to take with me other than the clothes I was wearing. “Let’s go then.”

Sigid led me out of the room and down the corridor.

“So, am I free to go anywhere I want now? Or do I need you to accompany me everywhere?” I asked.

“You can go anywhere inside the palace, as long as you let the guards or the Keepers know. If you wish to go out into the city, you’ll have to be accompanied by guards and at least one of the Keepers.”

“Do I need that many people to keep me from running away?”

He shook his head. “There is nowhere to run past the city, Dawn. The desert is murderous during the day. And even at night, you wouldn’t get far on your own. You need the guards to keep you safe in the city, not to stop you from running away.”

“To keep me safe from what?”

“From being stolen,” he said matter-of-factly. “Joy Vessels are rare and precious.”

“How many times can a person possibly be stolen?” I exhaled a humorless laugh.

Sigid didn’t smile. Granted, it was a sad joke, but I’d never seen anyone laugh in this place. Smiles just didn’t seem to be a part of the shadow fae collection of expressions.

“Well, you’ll be the safest in the sarai.” He stopped in front of a pair of ornate gates that were guarded by six men on each side.

The guards opened the gates for us without question.

“What is this place, exactly?” I asked, not going in yet.

“Sarai is the quarters of Joy Vessels,” Sigid explained.

“Something like a china cabinet? For the vessels?” I snorted a laugh.

Once again, Sigid didn’t laugh with me.

“Yes,” he said with a straight face, then gestured for me to enter. “Come. All the humans are here.”

We entered a large open garden with an intricate system of fountains and waterfalls in the middle, complete with cushioned seating and loungers in between. Silver moonlight shone between the beams crisscrossing the open space high above the garden like the roof of a gazebo. The golden light of glowing columns positioned evenly along the mosaic paths illuminated the place.

Bamboo lattices with pale vines lined the walls of the buildings surrounding the garden. The walls rose up two stories high and had balconies with vines and flowers draped over the railings. Large, colorful moths noiselessly glided over the flowers. Their delicate wings fluttered fast, spreading a shimmer in the air.

“What a gorgeous place this is!” I couldn’t hold back the admiration.

Sigid nodded. “Joy Vessels are treasured in Teneris. The sarai is well-maintained to keep them happy.”

I spotted my sister in the lounger by one of the fountains the moment she saw me.

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