✦ 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ✦

Five

The altered scent of mountain dew and snowy trees is what hit her first.

Her fae senses became invigorated and adapted to the new environment.

Mala quickly scanned her eyes over the environment she was thrown into.

Serenity and Xaylah were nowhere in sight.

Neither was the Wyrdgate.

Just snow and trees.

Great.

Just fucking perfect.

She mustered the courage to take a deep breath and to tuck away the great panic that had begun to seep into her bones.

She had been trained for this, she knew what to do, she could keep herself unflustered for the time being.

Now where to start.

She remembered the distinct sound of a tree branch breaking from when she had awaken; and concluded that she needed to figure out what had caused that to occur.

Mala centered herself, taking in the land, being careful to be attentive and study everything closely and precisely.

Something black—no, a deep purple peeked out from behind a wooden tree.

She had found the cause of the disturbance.

By the smell they emitted she could guess that it was a fae male, however there was something off about him.

He gave off an unfamiliar scent, one that Mala could not seem to understand.

Mala slowly rose to her feet, averting her eyes to seem inconspicuous and to make the male think she hadn't noticed him.

Which she obviously had.

The male behind the tree moved a bit more into view, she could see from the corner of her eye.

Mala cleared her throat, "It would be deemed polite if you would mind introducing yourself sir," she hid her smirk, knowing it would most likely lure him out further from behind his hiding place.

And that it did.

Mala's breath caught in her throat.

Disregarding the male's long black locks and defined facial features, the male carried himself highly but what stood out the most—

Wings.

A fae male with wings.

How was that even possible?

Not in the history of the world had a fae male ever had wings except in another form. But wait—

This wasn't Erilea. Neither was it Terresan.

She didn't know what world the Wyrdgate had placed her in, but it certainly wasn't anywhere that she knew about.

Unless fae males with wings were regarded as old news, and failed to be provided as worthy information in old history texts.

Nevertheless, here was a male, in territory Mala had never glimpsed or heard of in her entire existent, sporting huge, enormous, regal wings.

The male spoke finally, "What's your name?"

Mala scowled, "And why would I tell you if you don't tell me your's?" she turned fully around to face him head on.

Inside, she was utterly terrified, unsure of where the fuck she was, and extremely cautious of the other fae.

But she would not let her insecurities show.

The male grinned, "Cassian, member of the sumptuous Night Court, and commander of their grand armies," he stated proudly, smug with himself.

Mala was not impressed. For both the reasons of that she had no idea what the fuck the Night Court was, and that the male seemed entirely too full of himself.

He waited, expecting her to return her name in response.

She did no such thing.

Instead she asked, "Where am I?"

The male, Cassian gave her a dirty look but obliged.

"The Night Court's territory of course," he answered smoothly.

"And what is this world called?"

That question seemed to throw him off.

"Prythian.." Cassian's eyes searched her, probably hoping to find some type if clue as to where she came from.

Mala sighed in exasperation, mentally kicking herself for being so remarkably stupid in this endeavor.

She should have planned ahead.

She should have had a backup plan.

She should have waited.

She should have done a whole shit ton more than be so reckless and think things would end up entirely fine.

And now things were not fine at all. In fact, things were utterly fucked.

Mala was now in the Night Court, located in the world of Prythian; wherever the fuck that was.

She had no idea how to get back home, and she knew not one single person here.

Fuck.

Cassian seemed to read the emotions swirling within her eyes.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he assumed, and Mala nodded in confirmation.

He seemed to think for a moment before deciding, "Well, I guess you're stuck with me then if you have no where to go!" he winked, his voice void of conflict.

Mala couldn't say the same, but she bobbed her head in resignation to his statement.

Hopefully, this male—Cassian could be trusted, and hopefully she didn't make the wrong decision of taking his outstretched hand and letting him take her in his arms.

When he jumped up, wings spreading wide she warned him, "If you drop me I'll roast you like a pig." That caused him to cackle, believing she was joking. Too bad she had every intention of doing so if he tried anything.

And up into the air, flying, an exhilarating feeling, one that she got when she was able to ride on a prized Wyvern of Manon's, or a docile ruk of Nesryn's.

The snowy trees below her reminded her so much of Terresan, and she felt a deep pang of mournfulness, homesick in such a short time.

Cassian held her tight, his large wings beating up and down, gliding along the brisk aircurrents, as if he had spent his whole entire flying like a bird.

Mala's secondary form was alike to her mother's: a human. Disappointing in all regards, she never shifted from one body to another. It was too humiliating, to be surrounded by fae she knew, able to transform themselves into giant wolves, lions, and falcons, while she was stuck with a shitty human form.

If her mother heard her complaining about it, she didn't let on. And of course Mala knew what her being able to transform into a human meant to her mother, but she didn't like it one bit.

What used to mean so much to the queen, meant nothing to Mala. In a world of complete fae, it would be mortifying to be caught in a human form, so she never shifted unless in the human cities if need be. And she vowed that she would never be so shameful to do so for the rest of her long life.

Cassian suddenly shifted, flying an air current downwards, his wings flapping at a slower rate, and tucking into his sides more.

Mala squinted, her fae eyesight making out a large encampment in the snowy forest, camped near the top of a mountain.

Cassian's voice was hardly able to make out over the strong winds but she got the gist of it, "Welcome to an Illyrian war camp."

~tev <3