We reach the carriage, and Wallen opens the door.
“Thank you,” I murmur to Brahm as he offers his hand to steady me while I step inside.
I twist my hands in my lap once I’m seated, suddenly anxious. The walls of the carriage feel as if they’re closing in on me, and I draw in a shaky breath.
“Alice?” Brahm says as he sits across from me. “Are you all right?”
“I haven’t been in a carriage since…”
It’s not as if the incident will happen twice, and besides, I have Brahm with me now. But the memory of waking in the abandoned carriage comes back with perfect clarity, and the nearby smell of wild roses doesn’t help.
“Did you ever find my coachman and his horses?” I ask Brahm. “Regina said she’d mention it to you.”
He shakes his head, looking apologetic. “I did not.”
“It was still daytime when he disappeared,” I say quietly. “I always understood Faerie is safe until dark.”
“Humans are not to be touched on the roads during the daylight hours. But it’s apparent something disregarded the law.”
“Then…why was I unharmed?”
“As I said before, the forest must favor you. It protected you, Alice.”
“Do even the creatures obey the queen?” I ask, unnerved by this strange kingdom.
“Only the sentient ones. But the rest can sense the royal family’s magic, and their will can be made to bend if confronted.”
“Are there many sentient creatures?” I ask quietly, disturbed at the thought. “More than just the goblins?”
Brahm suddenly laughs, and then he chokes his mirth back at my horrified look. “Yes, Alice. There are many.”
“Are all of them wicked?” I whisper.
He slowly shakes his head. “No, but those that are have thrived under the current rule. The others keep to themselves.”
Unsure how to respond, I stare at my lap.
“You’re safe with me,” he says yet again, his eyes falling on my white knuckles. “Nothing can touch you while you’re in my care.”
“Nothing but your mother,” I point out.
Though he doesn’t look surprised, he studies me. “You know.”
I nod, wondering if it’s a good time to tell him what else I know.
“Luckily, my mother wants very little to do with me,” he says. “She requests my attendance at her moonlit masquerades once a month, and that is plenty for us both. As long as I do not ignore her summons, she rarely visits.”
Rarely.
The word feels ominous, but I nod as if relieved.
Deciding it’s time to change the subject, Brahm crosses his arms. “Where shall we eat? It’s my first time going into Kellington with someone who knows the city well.”
“You’ve never had a human woman on your arm before?” I say skeptically.
Brahm meets my gaze, smiling with his eyes alone. “Never willingly. There have been several I’ve been forced to shake off.”
Trying not to smirk, I turn toward the window. “You must forgive them. Your people have quite the reputation after all.”