Page 13 of When the Moon Met the Sun

“You have some nerve,” I ground out between clenched teeth, pressing the dagger slightly harder against him.

To my astonishment, the male didn’t even flinch, or move an inch. He remained perfectly still, not breaking eye contact as he said, “You have no idea.”

“Who are you, anyways?” I asked, holding the dagger firmly in place.

“You can call me Byn. And like I said, I will be a great ally for you, Princess. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get right to workingtogether, why don’t we?” he suggested, still wearing that obnoxious smirk on his full lips.

“If you think for a moment that I’d trust anybody from the South, you’re going to be very disappointed,” I stated, matter-of-factly.

Just then, the carriage hit a small bump in the road, disrupting the careful hold I had on the dagger. Byn winced slightly as the dagger pulled a small drop of blood from his soft skin.

I quickly pulled the dagger back before I could do anymore damage, and replaced it to its holder in the side of my boot.

His hand went to where the dagger had previously been, and his eyes only left me for a moment to look down at his hand, which drew back with a splotch of bright red blood on it.

“You win this round, Princess. Don’t get used to it,” he said, wiping the blood on the brown leathers he wore that reflected Teagan’s perfectly, then handing the dagger he stole back to me.

I was careful not to let our hands touch again.

My heart hammered in my chest for a long while after our interaction, but his eyes never left me again for the remainder of the ride. I could feel his gaze upon me as if he were actually running a finger along my skin. I was used to studying people, but it seemed I was being outdone in my own skill set by the way Byn seemed to study every slight movement I made.

I did my best to block it out, and I didn’t bother looking over at him again. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him know how easily he had gotten under my skin. How easily he knocked down the mental walls I had built brick by brick to keep my emotions in check.

I watched the icy blue sky turn orange and pink, then a deep blue as night fell. We still carried on for hours, all in silence.Sleep beckoned me, but I refused it, hating the idea of letting my guard down when surrounded by the enemy.

We carried on, neither myself or the male I shared the carriage with allowing ourselves to sleep. We made minimal stops, and though they prompted me to eat, I refused. My stomach was still in knots, thinking about everything I had left behind, and the uncertain future I would soon be facing.

Just as my eyelids had begun to droop the second night of travel and I could practically hear sleep calling my name, the carriage came to an abrupt stop. I quickly sat up straight, heart pounding with the realization that I had nearly fallen asleep so close to the enemy.

“Where are we?” I asked, turning to Byn for the first time since I’d held my dagger to his throat the day before.

A small, thoughtful smile made its way onto his lips as he said, “Princess Aviva, let me be the first to welcome you to The Haven.”

Chapter Six

Teagan led me through the front doors of the castle. At least, that’s what I imagined this structure was. It was crafted of wood and stone, with intricate arches and tall watchtowers. Though, I couldn’t stop to scout out hardly any of it as Teagan ushered me straight from the carriage to inside. I did not see Byn again after leaving the carriage, and a tiny piece of me was disappointed. Though he frustrated me, I also felt like he saw me, picking up on things nobody has ever bothered to observe about me.

The first thing I noticed after stepping inside the walls was that Southerners did not keep high ceilings. In the North, our ceilings were so widely open—especially in Gatlyn Castle—that you could fly a small circle around the room. Here, I immediately felt squished, though fortunately it was not nearly as cramped as the carriage.

I wonder if they realize I could’ve flown here on my own.

Without saying a word, I continued to follow Teagan through the maze they called The Haven. I noticed there were guards stationed outside, but not as many inside. Within the walls of the castle, I mostly saw civilians. Mothers with their children, young adults, and the elderly. Not very many seemed to be awake at such alate hour, but each one stopped to look at us. Everybody we passed either bowed or dipped their head towards Teagan, then stopped dead in their tracks when their eyes landed on me.

Then the murmuring began.

I wasn’t surprised—if the books I had read were correct, the South had only ever truly mixed and mingled with the Ocrein Isles. Ever since the Islanders closed their borders a little less than two decades ago, it had just been the Southerners and those from the Isles who decided to stay behind. The ones who chose to remain here risked never being able to see their homeland again.

The humans, unlike the Ocrein Isles, didn’t give their people an option when they, too, closed their borders. According to records, the humans of the Levast Isles had supported my ancestors and my father’s ancestors for generations. Trade routes flowed freely between them, and the humans were always a shout away from helping us in any conflicts.

They haven’t been seen or heard from in ages, though—ever since the fae’s immortality was stripped away. Some even say the Stars were punishing us. But not a whisper has been heard from the Levast Isles, and my ancestors gave up generations ago on trying to reestablish relations.

No—the fae here definitely weren’t accustomed to seeing those outside of their borders, let alone a child of the sky.

The only thing that kept me from faltering as I listened to those murmurs was years of training myself not to react to those around me, which was a necessity as my father’s daughter and Princess of the North. Instincts took over as I squared my shoulders, flared my wings slightly then tucked them back in, and raised my chin high. I didn’t spare a glance at a single soul as I followed in Teagan’s footsteps, and Teagan never looked back to see if I followed.

After a few twists and turns, the people thinned out until it was only Teagan and I approaching a long hallway with multiple doors on either side. A small wave of relief overcame me when we werefinally out of the public’s eye. I hadn’t realized what it would be like to be surrounded by Southerners—fae who had the blood of my Northern brothers and sisters on their hands.

“This is my family’s private wing of the castle. You won’t find any civilians here. Most of them are staying for your wedding,” Teagan explained as we walked past a set of guards posted at the mouth of the hallway.

---