“Honestly, Gull, I’ve been pretty numb since I got back from London.”

  Gullie nodded. “Well, something’s off. I think it may have had something to do with the Wenlow, but I can’t be sure.”

  “You’d better stay close to me, then. I don’t want you wandering away.”

  “I’m considered an undesirable in this place. Where am I going to go?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re probably safer out there than you are in here, with me.”

  “You’re forgetting the part where I freeze to death in a frozen wasteland without you. You’re also forgetting the part that, without me in your hair, you smell human, and then the secret’s out. We need each other, and I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thanks Gull.” I sniffed my hands. “I stink of blood.”

  “Yeah, I wasn’t going to say anything,” Gullie said, pinching her nose. “It’s pretty pungent, though.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You don’t exactly smell like roses either.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it. I always smell like flowers.”

  I got up and out of bed, grumbling something about how unfair it was that pixies really did always smell lovely all the time. After a long bath and a meal, it was time to turn in for the night and get some real rest. I had a feeling the watcher was going to pay me a visit in my dreams, but I wasn’t going to let that turn me off trying to recover from today’s ordeal.

  But as I drifted off to sleep, it wasn’t the watcher who crawled into the forefront of my mind—it was the Prince. I hadn’t spoken to him and had barely seen him since our trip back to London. In fact, that slight nod he’d given me before my trial began was the only interaction we’d had in almost a week.

  Part of me wanted to stay away from him because of how dangerous being too close to him could get for me. The All Seers had made that point abundantly clear. But they had also shown me what it would look like to have him touch me the way he had my reflection, and the other part of me, having seen it, wanted to feel it.

  I was absolutely certifiable and it was going to be the end of me, but I was here, now.

  There was no going back—only forward.

  Chapter 4

  I awoke to the sounds of curtains being yanked. Morning sunlight flooded the bedroom, and even with my eyes shut I couldn’t escape the brightness. I grabbed the bedsheets and pulled them over my head, groaning in protest to whatever the hell was going on.

  “Now, now,” Mira said, “Complaining doesn’t get you anywhere around here.”

  “Ten more minutes,” I squeaked.

  “You’ll have no more minutes or we’re going to be late. Get up.”

  “Late? For what?”

  Mira tugged hard on the edge of the blankets, pulling them off me in one fell swoop. I scrambled to sit upright, glaring at her. “Hey! I could have been naked under there.”

  Still holding onto the blankets, she eyed me up and down. “Number one, I know you don’t sleep in the nude. And number two, you are a woman, yes?”

  “I am.”

  “Then you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before. Anyway, we have much to do today, so you’d better get up and dressed before the guards get here.”

  “Wait, guards?”

  Mira set the blankets down on the bed and started at me, a serious look on her face; one I had seen before, many times. “Look, I don’t have all the answers to the many questions you’re likely about to ask me, so instead, don’t ask me any questions and let me simply tell you what I have to tell you, okay?”

  I frowned at her. “What’s going on, Mira?”

  The beautiful fae took a deep breath in through the nose, and let it escape softly from her lips. “There has been a… development. Two, in fact. One of those developments I was expecting, but not until much later in the competition.”

  I got up and out of bed, walked over to the dining chair by the table, and pulled on my robe. Gullie, meanwhile, floated out from inside of my other pillow and stretched. “What’s all this noise about?” she asked, yawning. “Pixies need beauty sleep just as much as you two do.”

  Mira glared at Gullie. “I don’t need beauty sleep!” she hissed.

  “No, you don’t, you’re gorgeous,” I said, waving my hand. “Mira, you’re starting to worry me.”

  She gave me her eyes again. “I wasn’t able to reach Lord Bailen last night,” she said, “But I have been informed that six contestants were… eliminated last night.”

  “Elimi—what?! Six?”

  “I don’t know how it happened. Evidently the judges must have convened an emergency session after yesterday’s activities and decided to skip this round’s elimination trial.”

  “Are they allowed to do that?” I shook my head. “Wait, am I eliminated?”

  “Yes, they are—and no, you’re not. You, of the eight that failed last night, are one of two contestants to have only narrowly avoided the guillotine.”

  “Wow that’s… comforting?”

  “Talk about a narrow escape,” Gullie said, taking to the air and floating over to my shoulder.

  “Yes, well, it is certainly unprecedented,” Mira said, “But it has happened before, in other selections. The judges have the ultimate power to decide how and when a contestant’s journey is ended.”

  “But isn’t the selection all about pageantry and show? Now that six of us are gone, there’d surely be less of a show to come… that kind of goes against what you told me about these fae, doesn’t it?”

  “Like I said, you are going to have questions I don’t have the answers to. I still need to speak with Lord Bailen, but the important thing is, you avoided elimination. You’re still in the competition.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone having done worse than I did.”

  Mira walked around my bed and started setting it. “You were injured and had to be pulled out of the clutches of the All Seers, but you did not break down into a heap of yourself and start crying.”

  “Really? Someone started crying?”

  “Two others cried, one turned around and fled in a panic upon gazing into the first mirror, and the other three simply didn’t last as long as you did. You got further than many, so don’t sell yourself short.”

  “How many contestants are left?” Gullie asked.

  “Eight,” Mira said, “Which means the competition passes to its next phase, albeit a little early.”

  “What’s the next phase?” I asked.

  Mira stopped, took another deep breath, and walked over to me. “This is going to require a little adjustment on both of our parts. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it will be an easy experience, or possibly even a pleasant one. But you should be proud that you have gotten this far. I certainly didn’t expect you to make it to this point.”

  I stared at her, flatly. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  “You should.” She paused. “In due course, we will be expected to attend breakfast at the palace.”

  “The palace? Sounds swanky.”

  She cocked her head. “Swanky?”

  “It’s a human expression. It means fancy.”

  “Oh, and it is. The palace is stunning. You’re going to love it.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “So, why do I feel like you’re not totally thrilled about this?”

  Mira’s jaw clenched. She then took my hand, spun me around, and pointed at the door. “Do you see that door?”

  “I do…”

  “Until now, we have been able to keep the rest of the fae out there, behind that door. The court, the other contestants, even the Prince.” She walked around me again, with my hand still in hers. “After today, that door will disappear.”

  “Disappear? I don’t understand.”

  “This morning, you and all the other contestants will be given a shared accommodation to keep… on the one hand, it’s at the palace. On the other hand, you won’t have as much privacy as you have now, and I won’t be the first person you see in the mornings anymore.”

  My skin flushed cold, blood quickly draining from my face. I touched my ears, which were round, and very much not pointed. And Gullie. “Fuck.”

  It was all I could say. I didn’t have another word to adequately describe the way I was feeling right now, the barrage of thoughts running through my head. I had so many questions, so many unknowns, so many things to consider. I didn’t want this. I liked that door, this room, my privacy.

  It felt like I had just been told to remove my coat while out in a blizzard.

  “Look, we’re going to figure it out,” Mira said. “We will make this work.”

  “But, what about Gullie?” I asked, “And my glamor? They’ll know.”

  “It’s okay,” Gullie said. “I’ll just make myself into a tattoo or something.”

  “That may not be completely necessary,” Mira said. “You will be sharing an accommodation with the other contestants, but it won’t be a barracks or anything classless like that. You should still have your own bedroom, at least. And you won’t be living with the royals, either. Yours will be a wing of the palace, but you’ll still be cut off from the King and Queen.”

  “Okay, so… that’s something, at least,” I said. “But I hate this. I really hate this.”

  “It is not ideal, but again, it was always a possibility assuming you got this far. I am… somewhat prepared.”

  “Prepared?”

  Mira pointed at a dress and a furry cloak. “First, clothes. We’ll gather your things and be ready for when our escort arrives.”

  I wasn’t sure why, but my heart was pounding. I had woken up feeling a little sleepy, a little lethargic. But I was wide awake by the time I had finished slipping out of my pajamas and into the lovely turquoise dress and furry white cloak I had worn on my trip back to London.

  Mira came up to me and clasped the cloak around my neck, then touched my face, my cheeks, my ears. She ran her fingers through my hair, letting them gently press against my scalp. I couldn’t help but stare into those vibrant, violet eyes while she worked, noticing for the first time just how intricate the patterns of her irises were.

  They weren’t just intricate—they were alive. They shimmered and moved like little violet oceans, swaying under the pull of some unknown tide. Little spots of light glimmered upon their surfaces, like stars coming in and out of view. I hadn’t seen anything like it, not even from the Prince.

  Then again, I hadn’t ever been close enough to the Prince, or dared look into his eyes long enough.

  “Your eyes,” I said.

  “What about them?” she asked, as she finished her work with soft touches and flourishes.

  “They’re… wow.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “Flattery?”

  “Admiration. How do they do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Sparkle. Is that magic you’re doing?”

  Mira, grinning, pulled away to examine her work. “Dear, I am magic.”

  “I’ve heard that before…”

  “And it’s true. It might be a little difficult to understand for the uninitiated…” she paused, then walked over to the mirror at the side of the room to look at herself. “In truth, I don’t even notice it myself.”

  I stood beside her, staring at my fae reflection, and hoping this time it wouldn’t jump out at me and try to kill me. I ran my fingers through my long, silvery hair, shaking it loose just enough for Gullie to come in and zip through.

  “That’s sad,” I said.

  “What is?” Mira asked.

  “That you don’t notice just how pretty you are. Your skin, your eyes, those antlers. Do you have any idea how many human women would kill to look the way you do?”

  “But not you?”

  “I’ve never liked attention. The beautiful ones get all the attention, and I’m fine with that.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that out here. Once you’ve lived here long enough, you learn what you look like doesn’t matter nearly as much as your station.”

  “Is that why you’re constantly trying to elevate yours?”

  “It’s the only way to get ahead in this world.” She shook her head. “Anyway, enough about this. We should get ready to leave. I’ll escort you to the palace doors, but you’ll be dining without me, and we won’t see each other again until just before your next trial.”

  “I won’t?”

  Custodians aren’t allowed in the palace except by royal invitation, and we don’t have said invitation today.” She turned to look at me. “But I have a plan. I’ve concocted a potion for you to drink which, if taken in small doses, should help extend the effects of my glamors until the next time I get a moment to work on you.”

  I looked around the room. “That’s awesome. Where is it?”

  “It’s… not here yet. I’m having it smuggled into the palace tonight.”

  “Wait, did you say smuggled?”

  Mira rolled her eyes, then led me to the door to my room. “Don’t look so surprised. You’ve been making a criminal of me ever since you got here.”

  “I am surprised. And impressed. But are you sure it’s safe?”

  “It has to be, because I’m also having that sewing machine and a few materials brought to your room. The only reason why I haven’t done it yet is because I don’t know which room will be yours. The Prince decides later.”

  “The Prince…”

  “Yes. He’ll be joining you for breakfast this morning, so you’d best be on your toes.”

  “I will.” Once we reached the door, I threw my arms around her and hugged her. Mira didn’t, though. She stayed stiff as a board, and a little confused.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”

  “Stop this. At once.”

  I pulled away. “I mean it. You’re literally my only friend out here.”

  “Only because she’s contractually obliged,” Gullie mumbled.

  “Maybe that’s how it started,” I said, “But I like to think we’re friends now, right?”

  “We can be friends that don’t hug?” she asked.

  “How original,” Gullie put in, her long drawl an audible eyeroll. “A fae that doesn’t like hugs.”

  “I like hugs, I just… wasn’t expecting one.” Mira said. “The fae don’t usually hug.”

  I reached for the door. “We’ll work on that. We ready?”

  “Ready,” Gullie said.

  Mira nodded. “Onto the palace, we go.”

  Chapter 5

  The word palace didn’t do enough to prepare me for what I was about to experience. Mira and I were escorted by the royal guard through the castle corridors, then marched into a courtyard where it felt like the entire winter court was waiting for us.

  A passage through the main courtyard had been set up using ropes and little, white columns, and it was there that Mira and I had to walk, in full view of the court. Some of them were watching from balconies on the upper levels of the large, round courtyard, while others had come right up to the ropes.

  Frosty flower petals were thrown into our path as we walked. Courtiers cheered, some clapped, others whispered amongst each other, making no secret that they were talking about me. I wasn’t sure what was worse; this, or the hall of mirrors I’d gotten lost in yesterday.

  They were probably tied.

  The applause died out as we reached the large, black doors separating the palace from the rest of the castle. There, Mira was asked to leave my side and not come any further. I let go of her hand, our fingers slowly slipping away from each other.

  She nodded, offering a little note of support. It helped, but not much. I realized then, Mira had been as much a safety net for me as the door to my room had been. Now, I had neither. Both, gone in one fell swoop. I had Gullie, and that was something. Probably more than most of these other women had.

  Of course, they had all their training to help them get through this...

  “This way,” grunted one of the guards, a cloud of his breath puffing through the slit in his helmet.

  Nodding, I followed the guard as he opened the black doors leading out of the courtyard and into the palace—and my jaw dropped. Away from me rolled a landscape of shining cobbles, black trees with fluffy white leaves on them, and perfectly manicured, silver hedges. Even the grass here was silver, and a little frosted over.

  At the end of the path loomed the palace; a gorgeous structure adorning the top of the castle like a crown of frozen jewels. Its windows and peaks glimmered as the sunlight shone upon them, statues of Kings and Queens long gone stood proudly overlooking the giant set of stairs leading into the palace proper.

  And at the palace’s highest point? The frost stone shone brightly, dazzling the eyes around the city beneath and around it for miles.

  I walked silently, awestruck by what I was seeing. Gullie, however, had other plans.

  “This place…” she said. “I mean, wow doesn’t describe it.”

  “It’s breathtaking,” I dared whisper.

  “I know, right?”

  “No, I mean, I’m literally having trouble breathing, and my stomach’s in knots.”

  “Just take it slow. One footstep at a time. We’ve got this.”

  “Easy for you to say, you live in my hair.”

  “All the more reason why you need to keep walking. It’s freezing out here!”

  Oblivious to this whispered conversation, my royal escort continued leading me through the palace gardens, past the statues, past the frozen fountain at the foot of the stairs, past the huge glass aviary filled with chirping birds, and all the way to the main doors. Waiting there was a man I recognized, someone I remembered seeing once before; the tall fae with the long face and distant eyes.

  He was wearing fine grey clothes, decorated with spots of teal and blue; and frills—all the frills. When he looked at me, though, it was down his nose, with eyes that told me he didn’t care much for my presence, and probably less about what I had to say.

  “That will be all,” he said to the guards, waving a disinterested hand.

  With a bow, the guards turned around and headed back down the stairs, leaving me alone with the thin man at the door to the palace. He examined me from where he stood, his eyes darting from one feature to the next.