Page 73 of The Reign of Blood

Kill me now.

Heading straight down the path, we bypass the fountain and head toward the main gate. It feels strange seeing it loom ahead as I make my first official trip off campus. Every other time I’ve left, it’s been at the hands of someone’s magic. Walking out like this somehow fills me with more nerves than the alternative.

Guards stand on either side of the wrought-iron gate, glaring at us as we approach.

“We’re heading into the City of Harrows. Preparations for the ball,” Arlo explains, smiling at them, but all he gets in return are four disgruntled looks.

“And what makes you think we’re going to let three little faes come and go as they please?” the closest one remarks, making me glare at him.

“Is there a problem?” I ask, stepping up to Arlo’s side, and I notice one of the guards on the other side of the gate shrink back at my appearance.

“No problem at all, your royal… I mean… uh…” He stutters and stumbles over his words, making my cheeks heat with the acknowledgment. I wave him off as quickly as I can and he wastes no time ensuring the gates open.

“She’s no royal to me,” the first guy grunts, and I pay him no mind. I don’t expect anyone to treat me any differently, I just wish the fae weren’t treated so terribly to begin with.

“Thank you,” I murmur to the helpful guy as I pass, and he nods.

“Anytime.”

“What’s your name?” I ask, pausing in place with Flora and Arlo right behind me.

“Jeffries.”

“Thank you, Jeffries,” I repeat, making a mental note to remember his name.

It’s another to add to my list of allies, along with Flora and Arlo, which is embarrassingly much shorter than my foe list.

“Do you get that a lot?” Flora asks once we’re out of sight, linking her arm through mine, and I shake my head.

“Never. Well, not that I remember anyway,” I explain, taking the cobbled walkway down under the arch that leads into the main center of the City of Harrows.

A shiver runs down my spine at its familiarity and I take a deep breath—one, to clear the tension that had started to rise inside me at the first guard’s remark and two, to smell the telltale scent of fresh oranges nearby.

There’s a hop in my step as we make our way down the narrowed streets before we come to the larger arch that leads into the square itself. It feels like forever ago that I last caught a glimpse of the fountain that takes up the left side of the square, and the merchant’s stalls selling fruits and fabrics are exactly where they always are. The reality is, it’s been mere weeks.

It’s not a lot of time at all, yet it feels like everything has changed since then, or is it just me?

Instinctively, I step away from Flora, wrapping my black cloak around my body protectively as I adjust the hood on my head. It feels too foreign to move around these cobbled streetsany other way. If Flora or Arlo find it odd, neither of them say anything about it.

“We should eat first,” Arlo states, scratching at his chin as Flora immediately begins shaking her head.

“That will make me bloated when trying on dresses, so eating can come second,” she informs him.

“That’s dramatic,” he grumbles, tucking his hands into his pockets.

“It’s the truth,” I add, hating to admit it because the thought of food instead of shopping sounds far superior.

Flora leads the way, approaching a cute boutique, and I follow after her. My eyes widen when I take in the space. It’s nowhere near as small as it appears to be from the outside. There are rows and rows of dresses spaciously laid out for us to search through—so much so that I don’t even know where to begin.

“May I help you, ladies?” the assistant asks, smiling softly at us.

Pointed ears.

She’s a fae.

My shoulders sag and the worry that weighed heavily on me eases. I feel like that’s all I do anymore; ease one weight to replace it with another. It’s exhausting.

“I think I know what I’m looking for, but my friend here looks like she might bolt,” Flora muses, winking at me.

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