Page 61 of Crown of Slumber

His eyes heated, and a single eyebrow arched. Half his mouth quirked upward in an alluring half-smile that made my stomach turn molten.

It didn’t take nearly as long for Mera to dress him, as Fenn assisted with the buttons and didn’t have to don a corset and petticoat like me. The vibrant green vest complemented his olive skin tone and emerald eyes, and the midnight black fabric of the suit made the tawny tones of his hair stand out.

When he was finished, he turned to face me and spread his arms. “Well, dearest? What do you think?”

In truth, he looked elegant. Princely. The type of gentleman Gigi would drool over.

I took a shaky breath and said, “You will make all the ladies swoon, my darling.”

His grin widened.

Mera made some last-minute adjustments before declaring our attire perfect. She even gave us two extra parcels wrapped in silk lavender ribbons, claiming they were a gift for giving her the honor of outfitting us. I tried to refuse, but she insisted, and since being at the Autumn Court would require multiple dazzling outfits fit for royalty, I couldn’t help but be impressed by her foresight.

As we passed through the curtain once more, I offered my sincerest thanks to Mera for her stunning work. Fenn took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to it. Her blush returned.

“It was lovely to make your acquaintance,” Fenn murmured in his most sultry voice.

I turned so Mera wouldn’t see me rolling my eyes. Fenn paid her with a pouch of gold coins, and we took our leave, now fully prepared to announce ourselves at the Autumn Court.

The Autumn Palace was ostentatious.The walls were made of a reflective glass that mirrored the blinding sun wherever it stood in the sky. As a Night Fae who rarely saw the sun, I found this to be quite bothersome.

As Aurelia and I approached the gleaming castle walls, I had to often lift my hand to shield my eyes from the searing light shooting back at me.

“I’m surprised you aren’t hissing in pain,” Aurelia remarked from beside me, her gaze stoic as she looked upon the palace walls without even an ounce of annoyance. “Aren’t you a nocturnal creature who fears the daylight?”

“I don’t know how you fae folk tolerate it,” I muttered. The pounding in my temples made it impossible for me to find a cleverer quip than that.

“How does it work, exactly?”

“How does what work?”

“Your Night Fae powers.”

I snorted. “We don’t have any Night Fae powers. We just have ordinary fae magic like you.”

“I don’t have ordinary fae magic, remember?” She smiled wryly, but the darkness in her eyes betrayed how much this disturbed her.

It disturbed me, too, to be honest. I was traveling with a woman who held some kind of dangerous power that could set goblins aflame, and she had a mysterious witch rune marking her shoulder.

“Most fae magic is powered by the sun,” I said. “But ours is powered by the light of the stars.”

“And when the stars go dark?”

I leveled a look at her. “They never go dark, Aurelia. They shine for an eternity. Forus.”

She blinked, her blue eyes full of curiosity as she gazed at me. “You truly believe that?”

I shrugged. “Many fae cultures worship the sun. Ours worships the stars. It isn’t that different.”

“That must be nice.” The words were so soft I almost didn’t hear her.

“What is?”

“To have a belief. A purpose. Something to put your faith in.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I don’t.”

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