A Gift of Three(21)

“Let’s go and say hello,” I said, realizing that the rest of the Shadian guests were already moving to greet the couple. My parents would have brought our gifts along, but I couldn’t see them in the crowd. The lights kept darting about, showing quick snapshots of one group of guests before lighting up somewhere else.

“Let’s go,” Serena agreed.

Before we could move, a fae appeared before us, dressed in the official livery of the fire star. He took our bags, telling Serena the directions to our room in the palace. I zoned out, too entranced with the scene around us. Serena was always better organized than Vita or I were, anyway.

When the conversation was finished, we made our way through the crowd, sticking close by one another so we didn’t get lost. We kept passing faces we knew, but in the next moment they would be gone, replaced by ones we didn’t—elaborately adorned fae, some dancing in abandon, some stern-faced and almost disapproving of our presence.

We waited on the steps to take our turn. Here at least the light remained constant. Small lanterns floated in mid-air, casting a warm glow over the new family. Nuriya held the child in her arms, wrapped in silk swaddling, her face beaming as she spoke with her guests, and then her smile broadening even more as she looked down at her child. Sherus stood with one arm wrapped around her. His expression was one of pride and happiness, and every other second he turned to gaze at his wife and their new infant, as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck.

“What do you think it’s going to be like?” Vita whispered. “A mix of fae and jinni…its abilities are going to be incredible.”

I nodded. There was no denying that. And a child of two royal bloodlines as well.

The couple in front of us, who I didn’t recognize, moved out of the way and we took the final step up the stairs to greet our hosts.

“Girls!” Nuriya exclaimed happily. “Thank you so much for coming. You all look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you for inviting us,” we gushed, all peering into the bundle that lay in Nuriya’s arms.

“Do you have a name yet?” I breathed, staring down at the cherub-faced little creature who stared back up at me, his mouth forming a perfect little ‘o’ as he waved his chubby fist in my direction.

“We’ll announce it later.” Nuriya smiled. “There’s a ritual that will name him for us—we let the fire element decide.”

I nodded, not really understanding what she meant, but utterly transfixed by the small child. I reached out my little finger, trying to stroke his impossibly small hands. My skin touched his, and the next moment—he was gone!

“What?!” I gasped, looking up at Nuriya in panic.

The jinni queen laughed softly. “He does that sometimes. Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a moment.”

The other two exhaled in relief, but I only felt reassured once I saw him again. Like his mother claimed, he appeared a few moments later, gurgling softly and reaching for my finger again.

I smiled weakly back at the couple, who were looking at us all in amusement. We made our excuses and left, rejoining the buzz and crowds of the party.

“That was weird,” I murmured as we reached the banquet tables. “Scared me half to death.”

“I think they’re going to have an interesting time when he’s a toddler…” Vita replied.

“Can you imagine?” Serena exclaimed. “They’ll lose him every other second.”

Vita said something else, but her voice was lost in the music and a particularly loud group of dancing fae that crossed our path. They were all holding on to one another, like some exotic conga procession. I smiled, waiting for them to pass.

We were about to move on when one of the fae broke away from the back of the line. He stood in front of me, blocking my path. He wore a light blue robe with a large cowl hood that shaded most of his features, all except a full-lipped mouth that was raised ever so slightly into a smile.

“Good evening,” he announced, addressing me with a silken voice.

I was taken aback by the sudden approach, and it was a few moments before I could get my brain to function properly enough to muster up a reply.

“Hi,” I said, trying to smile.

“See you later, Aida!” Serena dragged Vita off into the crowds, and before I could smile apologetically at the man in front of me and follow them, he had taken my hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed it and held it for a few moments longer than necessary before finally releasing me.

“I’m Thantos,” he introduced himself, removing the heavy cowl that obscured his features. It was immediately obvious to me that he was fae. The delicate bone structure and luminescent skin couldn’t belong to any other species. His eyes were a bright, piercing blue, his hair an almost white blond, drawn back from his forehead and trailing down to his shoulders.