Dayton gives a weak smile and picks up the lion. He shoves the stuffie into my stomach with more vigor than necessary. What had that been about? What had Kel done?
“Thank you,” I say.
But Dayton just grunts. Something about the vendor’s words have set him off. I turn back to the market. It’s so strange to be in a crowd after being bolted up in the castle for over a month.
The wind coming off the ocean caresses my skin, and I wrap my cloak around me. Per Dayton’s suggestion, we both have garments of deep black draped around us to help us blend in. Still, it hasn’t stopped people from recognizing him.
A huge cheer fills the air, and I look up to see we’re passing a massive building: towering arches made of marble and sandstone. The walls are covered in intricate carvings and statues, and through the opening I spy seats arranged in tiers. Shouts of the crowd echo through the air. Outside, there are more merchants selling clay disks with engravings of warriors on them.
“What is that place?” I ask as another roar sounds from the crowd.
“The Sun Colosseum, a keystone of the Summer Realm,” Dayton says, following my gaze. “It’s where all the best heroes are made. Fae test their strength and bravery against each other or against monsters from the Below.”
“Wow,” I say. “Like ancient gladiators.”
He winks. “Where do you think they got their plans from?”
I knew I recognized some of the architecture here. It’s like something out of a history book, a merger of ancient Roman and Greek designs. The fae and humans are more intertwined than I ever imagined.
“Though we don’t have slaves, of course,” Dayton says. “It’s a great honor to battle in the arena. In fact, members of the royal house are expected to fight to prove themselves.”
“Wait.” I grip his arm. “You’re telling me you actually fought in there? And lived?”
“Please, it was hardly a challenge.” He flashes a dashing smile. “I could take six of those fighters blindfolded.”
“Can we watch?”
“Feeling a little bloodthirsty today, blossom?” Something flickers in his eyes as he looks up at the arena, and I’m not sure if it’s sadness, longing, or… fear.
“Dayton?”
He loops an arm around my shoulder. “Maybe another time. The sun is setting, and I have yet to have a drink. Something that must be rectified presently.”
Wemakeourwaydeeper into the city until Dayton leads us into a bar, though I’m sure the fae call it something else. A beautiful fae woman greets us at the entrance.
“Let me take your cloak,” Dayton says.
“I listened to your advice.” I unfasten my cloak and hand it to him. “The staff were very excited to help me fit into the Summer Realm.”
Marigold and Astrid had made sure I’d blend in. After swearing them to secrecy, they’d been so enthusiastic when I told them I’d be spending the night in one of the realms. Marigold recruited Flavia, a servant from the Summer Realm. She’s a former seamstress who spends her nights as a small goat.
The smile on her face when she brought in the assortment of gowns from the Summer Realm had me willing to do just about anything she wanted. Almost. It seems fae in the Summer Realm aren’t exactly fans of covering up, and we had to go through quite a few gowns until I found one with sleeves. Or the closest I could get. I settled for light purple fabric wrapped around my forearms and slitted drapes on the upper arms. The dress falls in plates down the front, pinned on each shoulder with a golden seashell broach. The gauzy fabric gathers at the waist, the pieces not entirely opaque.
Which brought Astrid to her next area of concern. My body, and the lack of self-care I’d been giving myself while here. Well, excuse me. I didn’t think things like shaving my legs or doing my nails were important while imprisoned and working on breaking a fae curse.
Clearly, I’d been wrong.
“You want to feel your best when you’re on a date with a fae prince,” Astrid had said, concerned. To which I had promptly informed her I was in no such way going on a date with a fae prince.
All human propriety had been shoved straight out the castle window as I’d stripped down, and Astrid used a long blade to shave my legs. All the while, Marigold patted oils on my skin and informed us that if I indeed wasn’t on a date with a fae prince, then I should try to get some Summer fae dick because they ‘are the best fuckers and fighters in all the four realms’.
Astrid had simply nodded. And the shaving had not stopped at my legs.
After I’d been scrubbed, washed, and oiled as slick as a baby seal, we’d returned to dress. Flavia had insisted on doing my hair as well. Intricate braids were woven into a crown on the top of my head. She even fastened them to cover the tips of my ears so I would have an easier time blending in. It was the equivalent of sticking a kitten with the lions, but I appreciated the sentiment.
My heart had warmed at these fae women, helping me get ready for my non-date with a fae prince. They all made me promise to tell them every detail and my thoughts on the Summer Realm upon my return.
But maybe I don’t look as good as I thought I did, because Dayton isn’t saying a darn thing. He stares down at me, cloak in hand, blinking stupidly. Okay, I’m sure he’s been with fae females one hundred times more beautiful than I am, but you’d think he could at least appreciate the effort I put in and fake a compliment.