Lexi absently clapped along with all the immortals and tried to keep her mouth shut while she examined the exquisite ballroom and all the beautifully dressed immortals. She wasn’t used to seeing immortals dressed like this. In the human realm, they always wore human clothes to blend in.
Even now that the humans knew about their existence, most immortals still wore the clothing of the mortal’s. She didn’t know if it was from habit or because the immortals preferred to blend in.
She had noticed the dark fae stopped concealing the pointed tips of their ears in shadows, the pixies stopped hiding, the lycan sometimes transformed, and the vampires would transport in public, but for the most part, the immortals continued to blend in with the mortals while on Earth.
And they were about as far from Earth as it got in this place. The end of the line was so far outside of the room that she had to stand on tiptoe to see inside, but what she saw awed her.
The roof and walls of the dome-shaped room were black. Sconces holding torches of wavering flames hung on the walls. The shadows their glow cast swelled and danced as if they were a living entity—and in the Gloaming, they very well could be.
This was the dark fae land—the land of the immortals who were one with shadows. There could be dozens of dark fae standing in those shadows, and she wouldn’t see any of them.
She glanced uneasily around but didn’t see anyone. Then the stars illuminating the ceiling moved, and she forgot her unease as she went back to trying not to gawk.
Some of the stars were constellations from Earth; there was the Little and the Big Dipper and Orion, but others looked utterly unfamiliar. A rising purple moon was followed by a large, red planet that slid across the top of the dome.
As the familiar constellations shifted out of view, new stars rose to replace them. These were three times bigger and the color of a flamingo as they floated overhead.
She had no idea what realm they were from, but their beauty stole her breath. She could stand here and watch this ever-changing display for the rest of her life and probably still not see everything it offered.
Around her, the applause increased before abruptly ceasing. She kept her attention focused on the dome while she tried to ignore the oppressive heat of the bodies surrounding her. The main hall was gigantic, but the fae king must have invited every immortal who had supported the war as at least a thousand of them filled the room and spilled out the doorways.
She tugged at the collar of her dress as a bead of sweat slid down her neck. It was a beautiful gown, but she’d never worn anything like it before, and she found the copious amounts of material uncomfortable.
When the line started moving, she tore her attention away from the ceiling to follow the others. Beside her, Sahira practically danced as she shifted from foot to foot and twisted her hands before her.
“This is so exciting,” she murmured.
This is awful. But Lexi didn’t express her feelings; she imagined there were ears everywhere in this realm.
Finally, the crowd moved forward enough for them to enter the main part of the room. Her eyes instantly settled on the golden dais at the far end of the room and the three thrones there.
Strange carvings etched the gold dais; Lexi had no idea what those carvings represented, but she suspected they represented something to the dark fae. Ten steps led to the top of the dais, which meant the king and his sons looked down on the room from their lofty positions.
In the center of the stage, the dark fae king sat higher than his sons and surveyed the room with an air of casual indifference. The crown perched on his head was larger than the ones his sons wore and possessed three of the black stones, while his sons’ crowns only had one stone each.
The king’s pointed ears poked out from beneath his shoulder-length, black hair. He was handsome with his black eyes and high cheekbones, but the coldness surrounding him made her pull at her dress again as a clammy sensation crept over her skin.
She didn’t know how he could appear so indifferent to so many immortals, but it wouldn’t surprise her if he yawned. That nonchalance spoke of his power as much as the black ciphers covering the fingers resting on the curved ends of his throne.
Lexi gulped when she saw the two skulls behind his shoulders. The skulls were black, but she had the unsettling feeling eyes once filled the empty sockets.
To the king’s left sat a handsome, slender man with disheveled blond hair that almost covered the tips of his pointed ears. The blank expression on his face didn’t change as the Shadow Realms’ members climbed the dais to greet him and his family.
When she looked to the king’s right, she couldn’t keep her jaw from dropping.
She’d heard stories about the king’s eldest son. She didn’t think there was anyone who hadn’t heard about him, including the humans who now knew immortals existed.
His ruthlessness was legendary. His ability to kill was becoming mythological. The troubadours already sang about his feats on the battlefield. The few songs she’d heard in the marketplace told of his power, his size, and the way women fell at his feet.
Not only did the women swoon for him, but his enemies cowered, and there were rumors some had killed themselves rather than face his wrath.
Lexi was sure there was some truth to the songs and just as sure there were many exaggerations too. However, looking at him now, she didn’t think any of it was an exaggeration.
Unlike most of the dark fae—who usually stuck to and bred with their kind—the king had spread out to other immortal species and produced nine children. His oldest son’s mother was a lycan, and it showed in the man.
His shoulders were broad, and the thick muscles bulging beneath his black tunic differentiated him from the lean builds of the dark fae. He looked like he could tear the head from a bull and bash his enemies to death with it.
Gold edged the sleeves, neckline, and hem of his formfitting black tunic. Beneath it, he wore a pair of black pants. The tunic and pants were the standard garments for the dark fae, but somehow, he made the clothing stand out in a room full of similar attire.
The vibrant, Persian blue color of his eyes was evident across the vast distance separating them. Those striking eyes also differentiated him from the purebred, dark fae as they all had black eyes. However, he did possess the dark fae’s jet-black hair and pointed ears.
Cut short, his hair emphasized his tanned skin and the angles of his cheekbones. His square jaw had a short, black beard lining it. He was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. And it was clear the troubadours weren’t lying about women falling at his feet as the ones who climbed the dais to greet him all preened and simpered while openly flirting with him.
She had no idea how they could flirt so brazenly with him when he stared at them as if he didn’t see them, but each new woman who went to greet him smiled as she fawned over him.
One brazen vampire rested her hand on his arm as she leaned forward. Lexi was sure her low-cut dress left nothing to the imagination.
To be fair, they also flirted with the king and younger son, but it wasn’t as overt with them. Or maybe she imagined it.
Uncomfortable with the display, she shifted her attention back to the stars but found her eyes irresistibly drawn back to him. As they got closer and the crowd between them eased, she saw that his ciphers ran down his thick forearms to the tips of his fingers.
The black markings resembled flames with their sharp edges but managed to flow like water as they encircled his wrists and hands. She supposed this mix of fire and water made sense as the dark fae could control the elements.
His short-sleeved tunic revealed more ciphers around his biceps before they disappeared beneath the material. They reemerged at the collar of his shirt. Cole’s beard hid them, but the way the flames moved up his neck made her suspect the tips of the ciphers licked at his chin.
Having that many ciphers was a clear sign of his power and it oozed from his pores while his steely gaze surveyed those who came before him with an air of disdain. Only the arrogant dark fae would throw this big of a party and seem annoyed by their guests.
As she and Sahira edged closer, Lexi found it increasingly difficult to breathe, and she tugged at the collar of her dress again. She didn’t belong here.
What she’d seen of the Gloaming was beautiful, but she was ready to go home, and she did not want to climb those steps to introduce herself to these powerful, cold men. She was uncomfortable with this entire show.
What am I doing here? Why did I agree to this?
She yearned to be at home and in bed with a book. She’d give anything to be anywhere other than here. Lexi glanced at the door three hundred feet away and tried to figure out if she could make it out of here before Sahira stopped her.
However, escape wouldn’t be possible, at least not without drawing a lot of attention to herself. She gulped as she clasped her hands before her and squeezed them.
She’d probably never see any of these immortals again, but she couldn’t make a scene. Her father would be mortified if she did.
Still, she gazed longingly at the door as she resigned herself to her fate.
Deciding to get through it as fast as possible and hoping she didn’t make a fool of herself, she turned her attention back to the stage and bit back a gasp when she found the lethal prince of the dark fae staring straight at her.