The gazes of the people everywhere remained on me, but nobody dared to say anything. There was no whispering, no questioning, no gasping, nothing. Tamlin was silent too, probably because he realized that it was no use trying to meddle —whether he liked it or not, I was among the representatives of each court.

I lifted my gaze, which until then had been fixed on the hem of my dress, to the lord of the Dawn Court.

"Very well, now that everyone is assembled, we can begin the…"

"She cannot participate!" Someone interrupted the male from amidst the crowd, her shrill voice heavy with indignation.

My eyes widened and I turned around, dumbfounded. "Enyla?!"

"She cannot!" The female insisted, making room among the other guests to approach me. "Get out of there right now! Have you lost your mind?"

I couldn't move. As much as I wanted to, as much as I needed to, I couldn't. The scars on my feet burned like embers when my eyes met hers — blue as the sunny sky.

In the distance, there were amused and cruel laughter and cries of pain mixed with pleas for mercy. Fingernails pierced my wrists to the point of drawing blood in order to pin me to the dark green grass. If I concentrated properly, I could even smell burning roses. My nose itched.

Clenching my fists, I still didn't express any reaction. I couldn't. I wouldn't.

I was there as a representative of my court, not as the bastard daughter of a nobleman.

I stared at Enyla. My hands were sweating and my heart was beating fast, and I thanked the Mother that I could still hear the soft sound of the Symphonia because it meant my nervousness would go unnoticed by the other guests.

"The last time I checked, I was quite sane."

Her nostrils flared, eyes wide with hatred. "You wretch! Come here right on this instant!"

"I will not."

"Ophelia, I'm not going to repeat myself," She warned me.

"Good, because neither am I."

"Miss, I ask you to return to your place," Thesan intervened, as calm as before, "This is no time for arguments of any kind, especially not with one of the representatives."

Strong, authoritarian footsteps echoed soon after, and from the middle of the crowd emerged a tall, strong male, dressed in fine clothes typical of nobility, but not of any nobility. Spring Court nobility. They might not have been as detailed and refined as my cousin's, but they were still incredibly rich and elegant. They were blue, like the hydrangeas grown in our gardens. Like his eyes.

My father, smiling, approached us, or rather, approached the High Lord.

He held Enyla's shoulders, who immediately tensed. "Forgive my daughter, Lord Thesan. She is very agitated now that she is reunited with her runaway sister and could barely control her overwhelming emotions. You know how females are, always so emotional…" He spoke slowly, as he usually did in most situations. "Enyla is still young and has spent many years away from Prythian, I'm afraid she is still going through a period of adjustment."

I struggled to hold back a laugh. Almost four years was more than enough for someone to get used to their new reality.

"I understand, but she needs to get back to her place. You both do," Thesan insisted.

"Of course, my lord. My daughters and I will no longer cause you any trouble. Come, girls."

He pulled my sister along, assuming I would accompany them right behind, as I always did. I kept still. Whether it was because of Enyla's presence or out of sheer stubbornness, I couldn't tell.

However, he soon noticed that only two were walking and stopped.

My father, for the first time since he had appeared there, looked at me. His face, though calm and minimally amused, darkened for a millisecond. He arched an eyebrow.

"Ophelia, come," He requested affably, but his blue eyes were as cold as the ice in Vallahan.

"No," I answered.

"Come."

"I already said no."

Papa examined me like one of his soldiers.

Under the weight of his gaze, I flinched. It was like pure lead on my shoulders.

"Darling, you don't want people to think I raised you to be impolite, do you? Do you really want to embarrass your father in front of everyone?"

My grip on the tulle layer of my dress became tighter. "I'm here to represent the Spring Court and I'm not leaving until I do so!"

"You? Representing the Spring Court? Why, daughter, don't make me laugh!" He sneered. "You're unfit for it, darling. You're not ready. By the Cauldron, look at what you're wearing! How can you take part in the festival wearing something so inappropriate? Don't you see how ridiculous your idea is? How foolish you sound?"

I squinted my eyes.

Grabbing the extravagant blue chiffon skirt, I pulled it as hard as I could. Little by little, the sound of the dress' seams being torn apart echoed through the air that surrounded us. Gasps invaded my ears. I didn't care. Layers and more layers slipped from my hands, fluttering for one last time before falling around me in piles.

Only when there was nothing left but my much lighter and liberating undergarments did I stop.

Sweat clung to my body like a second layer of skin, almost like morning dew, when I lifted my face to meet my father's stare once more.

His eyes were wide, his jaw cracked with hatred.

"My clothes are no longer a problem."

"You Vallahan harlot!" Enyla hissed. "You are just like your mother!"

"Entrydhal, control your daughter!" Ordered my cousin.

His hands touched my shoulders and I sighed, reassurance flooding over me like rain wetting the dry earth.

"Tamlin?"

"I will not allow my Emissary to be disrespected, not even by her family!" He stated, and I could practically hear the roar in his voice, albeit it was also noticeable that he was holding back from doing so. I almost smiled. At least the endless behavioral talks we had been having were impacting him positively.

My father squared his shoulders, tilting his chin haughtily. "Emissary, you say?"

"Weren't aware, father?"

The way he glared at me sent shivers down my spine, but I made sure to hold my chin up.

"I'll take that as a no," Tamlin concluded.

"She is as clueless about our traditions as a child! How can you bring yourself to allow her to participate?" Father continued, and though he remained calm, his voice became lower.

"I trust Ophelia and no matter what happens in the competition, I know she will honor my court. Do you have a problem with that?"

Dad swallowed dryly in irritation but shook his head. "Of course not, my lord."

"Excellent."

"Since everything has been resolved, I ask that you return to your places," Thesan declared, glaring at my sister. "And I suggest, Miss Olaris, for your own sake, that you never interrupt a High Lord again."

Enyla blushed. "O-Of course, my lord."

As they walked away, she gave me a look that made me sure this was far from over. In response, I turned my face to the Grand Lord of the Twilight Court. All Enyla, Lerina, and my father deserved was my purest apathy.

"That also includes you, Tamlin," Added the High Lord, staring straight into the male standing beside me.

His hands left my skin, yet, left a trail of shivers running through me.

"We'll talk later," Tamlin whispered, low enough for only the two of us to hear, and left.

Thesan cleaned his throat, running a hand through his golden-brown hair before continuing: "With that being said, I will proceed with the inaugural speech," He announced, golden eyes shining brighter as the day dawned on the horizon. "As is customary, we will hold seven trials for each day of the festival and at the end of the last task, there will be the ceremonial presentation of the Sparkle Brooch, which is a temporary honor from me to the festival's winner."

The red-haired man nearest me, the representative of the Autumnal Court, I assumed, laughed mockingly, however, the sound was promptly drowned out by the round of applause from the people surrounding us. I glanced at him as I heard him mutter something about wasting time, but he didn't seem to mind or even notice that anyone was watching him; an air of boredom and irritation encircled him, proof of his conceitedness.

Perhaps the males in that court were all as surplus in arrogance as they were in beauty. He was only the second one I had met, but the pattern that followed was perceptible.

Shaking my head to get rid of any thoughts that weren't about the Festival, I faced the High Lord again and tried to focus on what he spoke. "...I ask that the other guests go to the stands. As for the representatives, gather under the stone portal." Thesan continued: "Once you are there, further instructions regarding the ordeal that awaits you will be given."

The Captain of the Peregryn Guard stepped forward and announced: "Representatives, please follow me. I will guide you to the appointed place."

Thesan's gaze fell on him, docile and affable despite the neutral expression on his face, as the male stepped away from him and marched amidst us. Soon, he himself turned around and followed the other guests down a different path.

As the others started to move, I followed right beside them so as not to get separated and lost. Although I doubted it was possible to lose sight of those huge white wings.

I chuckled softly at the thought.

My skin tingled as a particularly strong breath of air rushed against me, a sigh escaping my lips almost at once. Daylight was almost breaking behind the snowy peaks, so the heat was starting to build to a pleasant level. Of course, not in the same way as it was in the Summer Court, but warm enough that no one resorted to using sweaters.

My heels tinkled on the stones of the road we were following, crushing a fallen leaf every now and then.

Maybe it was just me, but the Autumn Court representative seemed to stiffen more and more with every step we took. Whether it was true or not, I didn't want to know. It was none of my business. Everyone should worry about their own physical and mental state before the festival began.

My palms prickled. What would await me after the stone gate?

Cresseida had claimed there would be trials but had said nothing about their nature, and Thesan himself had not explained them in depth. I had no idea what I needed to do. Had it been a good idea to volunteer for this? Probably not. Maybe my father was right. Maybe I wasn't ready to participate in an event like this.

I took a deep breath.

No. He was wrong.

Besides, it wasn't as if I could allow Spring, after being isolated from everyone and everything for so long, to be considered abandoned again. It was not left to rot, not anymore. I would not accept that end for it.

I stopped a few meters from the slightly shimmering portal, just like the other representatives.

Tilting my face, I noted the hazy aspect of the air that filled the interior of the huge stone arch, and I could liken it to smoke trapped in a glass — one could see through it, of course, but there was something... Wrong. Something unusual.

If the others noticed it too, they didn't seem to mind. They remained motionless, occasionally stealing glimpses of their surroundings and of the fae, silent.

I frowned, confused.

Wasn't this a game to improve relations between the courts? I had hoped we would at least talk to each other.

In fact, now that I was calmer and more alert, I realized I was the only one dressed inappropriately for the game. Everyone else was wearing leather clothes, sturdy, ready for any kind of damage, while I wore what was left of my dead aunt's dress and my undergarments.

I grunted.

Truly prepared, right?

As I massaged my temples, I felt that someone was watching me. Looking from side to side, my eyes landed on a female on the other side of the circle of competitors, the one who was closest to the portal.

She was tall and dressed entirely in black, which, combined with her sharp, piercing gaze, gave her a dangerous air. She looked like a wolf, ready to attack anyone who got in her way. I didn't doubt her ability to do so.

Her blue-greyish eyes assessed my small silhouette from a distance as if I were a miserable little thing.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, returning her gaze.

She arched an eyebrow but remained inexpressive. Haughty as a queen.

"This portal marks the starting point of the festival," The Peregryn male explained, diverting my attention from the female. "The first task you have been given is the labyrinth. You will have until midday to reach the exit. If you do not manage to get there or if you exceed the time allowed, you will be considered disqualified. Is that clear?"

"Yes." We replied in unison.

"In this case, form a line here." He ordered, indicating the space in front of the semicircle of stones, close to where he was standing.

A male about the same height as the chief of the guard, with silver hair and skin as pale as the moon, was the first to stand. A female with dark, straight hair followed him, and then another, whose onyx-colored skin was adorned with golden drawings.

Little by little, we took our places. Everyone remained very still. Very attentive. As if any words exchanged could harm their chances in the competition.

I shifted my weight from one leg to the other.

They were really focused. I highly doubted I had any chance against any of them during this task, or any other, for that matter.

When the first representative crossed the passage, I took a deep breath.

Everything was fine.

I didn't need to be afraid. It was just about looking for the exit by noon. That was all... And even if I didn't make it, everything was going to be okay. Tamlin said he was counting on me to honor Spring, so not being the last one out of the labyrinth was enough.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I approached the portal. The turbidity of that iridescent glow made my hands freeze as I tried to observe it.

Something was wrong.

Something very, very wrong.

Weren't portals supposed to show you a glimpse of the places they connected? Why, then, was all I could see was the landscape of the twilight prairies on the other side?

Watch out.

"What?" I asked, turning to the Peregryn.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you say something to me?"

He arched an eyebrow. "I certainly did not."

"Really? Because I—"

"You talk too much!" Complained the female behind me, the same who had been staring at me earlier. "Move at once!"

Before I could even think of responding, I felt her cold, calloused hands touch my skin hard, pushing me forward.

Or rather, into the portal.

One moment, there was nothing. The next, everything around me pulsed in the darkness.

A sharp noise echoed through my ears, frequent and uninterrupted. It sounded like iron pans being scratched at the same time as someone whistled. Shrill. Annoying.

The only thing louder than it was my desperate scream.

My throat ached. My chest felt infinitely heavy, while the rest of my body felt as light as a feather.

I tried to grab the air as if that could somehow stop my fall.

Falling.

I was falling.

Earth was falling, too, as well as some rocks, and crashing against my face, against my thighs, my arms, to the point of hurting me. I groaned in pain when a boulder smashed my eye and cut my eyebrow. Blood dripped.

Hot.

Wet.

Metallic.

I choked on my own scream as I crashed against the cold, sandy floor, bones shaking as my body processed the pain of a rock piercing my hip. Tears rolled down my face; sparks bounced in my vision even from behind my eyelids. With effort, I opened my eyes. Dust rose above my body.

I took a deep breath.

Pushing myself up, my last meal threatened to rise through my throat, but I took a deep breath to ignore the horrible feeling before I managed to lean on the twisted trunk of a dead tree by my side.

I brought a hand to my hip, muffling a hiss of pain as I touched it. The thick fabric of the bodice was slightly damp, but it would undoubtedly have been much worse if I had been wearing the other dress Tamlin had offered me, the one made of linen. At least that tight little thing had helped me in the end.

I closed my right eye as blood pooled on my eyelashes and wiped it away with the back of my dirty hand.

Well, if there is a silver lining to this is that the injury isn't too serious.

My back groaned in protest as I got up slowly and studied my surroundings.

The air seemed stagnant in there. To make matters worse, the smell of mold and sulfur was so strong it made me nauseous.

There was no light except for the tiny opening from which I had fallen, the only bright spot there. Beyond that, the only things that occupied that space consisted of dead trees and stones. No animals, no living plants... It was empty.

A depressing place.

Could it be that it was on purpose? Had Lord Thesan created this pitiful space to make us even more desperate in our search for the exit? It seemed a reasonable explanation.

The walls, as dark as the tar sea of Vallahan, surrounded me from behind, creating a dead end. In front of me, the path unfolded, practically begging to be explored.

I had no time to waste. Not if I didn't want to arrive last.

I walked as fast as I could as the darkness engulfed me, keeping close to the cold, rocky wall, my fingers touching it carefully so I wouldn't get lost.

Exit.

Exit.

Exit.

It was all I could think about. About how I needed to get out of there. How I needed to honor the Spring Court. Honor Tamlin. My blood. My lord.

Tamlin was counting on me.

I would not let him down.

My heels were responsible for the only noise capable of making sure I kept walking. I couldn't even see my own hands inches from my face. It was disturbing.

I hated the dark.

Always had.

In my childhood, Ianthe and Enyla used to lock me in the tower of our mansion, completely alone in the dark for days, weeks, sometimes months.

During that time, I used to cry. A lot.

Many times, I wished that the stories about Shadowsingers were true. I wished that one of them would emerge from the darkness just to talk to me so that I wouldn't be alone. But all I got was more darkness. More emptiness. More loneliness.

No one ever came to save me.

But I am no longer that little girl, I am a woman. I am the Emissary of the Spring Court. Nothing stops me.

And besides, the dark didn't scare me. Not anymore.

After what seemed like an eternity, the shadows began to dissipate. And then came the sounds.

Snapping and popping, shrill and guttural. Dissonant. Harmonic. Contrary and complementary.

My hand found a soft crease on the wall and, blinking to adjust to the sudden change in brightness, I squinted through it. The sounds became even louder, unbearable, and I had to cover my ears. Still, I couldn't muffle them completely.

The crease revealed a flattened pathway, with roughly perforated tubular walls lit by torches. I headed down it in a hurry. Surely it was one of the final parts before the end of the trial. How funny. I would never have thought that the maze would test our patience; maybe our quick thinking, but not our endurance.

When I came across a steep descent, I stopped.

A few pebbles rolled from the front of my feet into the hole below, dust rising as I sunk my heels in the ground.

Down there, amid flames and shadows, like in a grim painting, were several cages, and inside them were various types of faeries.

I froze where I was.

Faeries.

In cages.

They were small and large. Narrow and wide. Glimmering and opaque. And there were a lot of them. More than I could count, actually.

The cacophony that surrounded me remained unchanging, shrill, making it impossible for me to form any coherent thought.

The smell of mold and sulfur suddenly intensified, and I had to cover my mouth with my hands to keep myself from vomiting. I couldn't. Not at a moment like that. In fact, all I could do was stare at the horror from a few feet away, unable to even blink.

Before I could realize it, something grabbed my hair, pulling my head back hard. I grunted painfully.

Long, bony fingers wrapped around my face, turning it in its direction.

My body stiffened.

A row of sharp, rotting teeth appeared as the long, tapered face deformed into the most sinister grin I'd ever seen. "Hello," The creature purred, "Cute little thing."