Page 54 of Wings of Snow

We landed in a field outside the Nolus capital’s wall as a warm breeze brushed around us. Ahead, the massive city sprawled across a large hilly mound that swelled and stretched upward like a mountain. Houses and shops lined the rising landscape, thousands of stone and thatch buildings stretching along zigzagging streets. At the top of the large hill stood the palace. The golden-walled castle shot up from the tip of the mountain, its spires thin and numerous.

At the mound’s base, a tall wall encircled the entire city with several gated entry points on golden walkways. Two sentries stood ready and waiting at each gate. In their hands, they held long spears, with sharp points visible in the bright sun.

“Wow, it’s so...big,” Ilara breathed. “And not one trace of snow, frost, or ice.” She rolled up her sleeves, then tipped her chin toward the pale-green cloudless sky. “And it’s warm.”

Nish sneered. “Too warm. These fae would probably wilt and die in our climate.”

“Now, now, Nishy,” Haxil said, patting his shoulder. “Best to remember we’re guests here.”

Nish’s lip only curled more as Sandus and Ryder laughed.

My ears pricked toward the other fae heading toward the capital, but my eyes narrowed as I studied them. They weren’t fae.

Ryder quirked an eyebrow. “So those are who come from theotherrealm?”

Ilara’s eyes widened when she spotted them. They were currently stopped at the closest gate and being monitored by the sentries. All of them were males.

One was a Nolus fairy with bright-purple hair and slightly glowing skin. Another was one of those completely foreign species. His rounded ears gave him away, a trait that screamed he inhabited theotherrealm. He could have been one of many of the unusual species found there. I inhaled, trying to detect what he was.

A faint hint of sulfur drifted toward me.Ah, so a full-blooded demon cloaked in that species’ form.

The third was a male with skin as white as snow, and when his lips peeled back, canines lengthened in his mouth as the sentry assessed him.

Ilara’s eyes bulged.

“I believe they’re called vampires in thatotherrealm,” I whispered to her.

“And that one?” She subtly pointed to the male beside him who was as large as me. A powerful aura rippled around him.

I inhaled. The male carried a woodsy scent.

“That’s a...” I elbowed Haxil. Of my four guards, he was the most well-read. “What do they call them?”

“Werewolf, I think?” Haxil stroked his chin. “They appear like the species of theotherrealm when they’re unshifted—as you can see from his rounded ears—but they can turn into wolves, like Solis can with animal affinities.”

My mate’s eyes widened even more, and my lips tugged up. I’d ventured to the Nolus continent a few times, so had seen most of this before, but to Ilara...I knew it was all new.

“And the last one?” she asked, still keeping her voice down.

“He smells of sulfur, so he’s likely a demon cloaked as a...what’s the word, Haxil?”

“Human, I believe,” Haxil replied.

“Ah, yes. A demon traipsing as a human.”

“Andhumansare the species in theotherrealm?” Ilara’s lips curved into a true smile. Delighted curiosity strummed from her into me on the bond.

“Yes, they’re entirely unmagical,” Haxil explained. “But there are some that appear human but aren’t, and a whole host of species live there: vampires, werewolves, witches, sorcerers, half-demons, psychics, and so on...” He shrugged. “Some of them visit the Nolus continent regularly, usually the capital, so you find them in abundance here.”

“Why do you suppose we never see their kind on our continent?” she asked, her eyes wide.

I frowned, suddenly wondering when it was we decided we wanted nothing to do with that realm. “’Tis just how it’s always been. We don’t allow their entry. Never have.” I gestured toward the group. “From what Bavar told me, if I remember right from when he visited us, some in thatotherrealm don’t even know anything about us. They think the fae lands only consist of the Nolus continent, and they think our realm is much smaller than it truly is. It’s not only us who’s ignorant of them.”

“Fascinating.” She grinned, and Haxil chuckled. Once again, I felt the mutual interest the two shared in learning. A rumble of jealousy stirred in me, and she gave me an apprehensive look.

I slung an arm over her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. “I can’t help it. I don’t like it when any male appeals to you.”

She pinched my side playfully. “He’s just my friend.”