Page 32 of Kissed By the Sun

The only question was whether we were about to have to fight or not.

"Identify yourselves and state your business," a disembodied voice called from the trees, making me jump.

I scanned our surroundings, but saw no one. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Where are they?" I whispered to Thorn, unnerved by our invisible observers.

Thorn squeezed my hand reassuringly before addressing the hidden speaker. "We come from the fae lands," he called out, his voice steady and diplomatic as he spread his hands wide in a peaceful gesture while stepping slightly in front of me. "We seek an audience with the High Lord of the Elves on a matter of great urgency."

As we waited for a response, I couldn't shake the feeling that we'd stepped into a world far more alien and dangerous than I'd imagined.

Nothing looked different in terms of the plants and trees, other than the fact it was all alive, but there was something different in the air, a scent I couldn’t place. One that reminded me of something from long ago. The memory of whatever the scent had triggered was just out of reach in my mind.

Silence stretched between us and the unseen elves, the entire forest holding its breath. There weren’t even birds chirping or bugs buzzing. Everything was just silent.

Just as the tension became unbearable, movement caught my eye. Three figures descended from the treetops with impossible grace, landing softly on the forest floor.

My heart raced as one of them approached us, while the other two hung back, arrows nocked and aimed in our direction. I fought the urge to step further behind Thorn, instead forcing myself to step up and stand tall beside him.

"I am Thorn of the Sun Court," my companion said, his voice steady. "And this is Senara of the Moon Court." He gestured to me, and I managed a small nod.

The elf before us tilted his head, studying us intently. His eyes, a startling shade of green, seemed to look right through me. "You speak," he said, surprise evident in his musical voice. "We have learned that the corrupted fae are non-verbal, so that at least is a point in your favor, even if you do reek of blood, death, and...sex." He sneered slightly, his lip curling in disgust.

Suddenly I felt self conscious. We hadn’t exactly had the ability to clean ourselves or change our clothes since we had abandoned our packs at the watchtower.

Thorn stiffened beside me, completely unperturbed by the insult. "The corrupted fae can cross the barrier?" he asked, histone carefully controlled, but I could hear the undercurrent of alarm.

The elf's expression remained impassive. "I will send word to the High Lord, requesting instructions on how to proceed with you," he said, neatly sidestepping Thorn's question.

As he turned to confer with his companions, I found myself captivated by their appearance. They wore little in the way of clothing or armor, but their bodies were living works of art. Intricate tattoos swirled across their skin, telling stories I longed to decipher.

Their hair was either shaved at the sides or pulled back tightly, proudly displaying long, delicately pointed ears. Some ears bore exquisite piercings that caught the dappled sunlight.

Each of them had varying shades of brown hair, which combined with their tawny skin made them look very earthy.

"Thorn," I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away, "they're beautiful."

He nodded, but his expression remained guarded. "Remember, Senara," he murmured, "beauty can be as dangerous as it is alluring in the realm of the fae...or the elves."

I swallowed hard, trying to heed his warning. But as I watched the elves move with fluid, otherworldly grace, I couldn't help the curiosity that bubbled up inside me. What other wonders–and dangers–awaited us in this strange new land.

The lead elf disappeared into the trees and came back a few minutes later stating simply, “We are to escort you to the High Lord.”

Thorn nodded and said simply, “Thank you.”

Without any warning a portal opened up in front of us. It was like a rip in the fabric of reality, a swirling vortex of glittering colors and otherworldly energy, beckoning us forward with a mysterious and undeniable pull. The three elves that haddescended from the trees escorted us toward it, and though I didn’t want to go through it, I knew I had no other choice.

Thorn reached behind him and stretched his hand toward me, I took it, grateful for the reassurance, but just like last time, there was no burning, no being stuck in magic and having my body rebuilt from the bones up. Instead I just found myself following Thorn along a walkway, high in the trees of a forest.

The elvish capital was a marvel of organic architecture, with structures that seemed to grow from the very trees themselves. They were even more entwined with nature than the fae were, which made me wonder what would happen to them if the blight came through the barrier.

As we were led through winding pathways of living wood, I couldn't help but gape at the shimmering, iridescent leaves that formed canopies overhead. They were like nothing I’d ever seen before. The pale glow that seemed to emanate from them helped light up the forest under the heavy canopy of the trees.

The elves moved effortlessly through this living city, their feet barely touching the wood walkways as they glided along. They seemed to be a part of this place, connected to it in a way that I couldn't fully comprehend.

As we passed by bustling market stalls and elegant gardens, I found myself watching them with a mix of awe and envy. Their beauty was incomparable, and their grace was something I could only dream of attaining. But there was also a hint of danger in their perfection, a reminder that these were not beings to be trifled with.

They all looked at us like we were rats though, which irked me. Most of them suddenly changed direction as we approached or even doubled back so they could do so. Did we really stink that badly?

Before I could worry about it any further, our escort brought us to a large rock wall where what looked like a palace had beencarved into the stone itself. Grand columns and curved sections made the building look decadent, even though it was all the same gray of the rock wall that surrounded it.

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