Chapter 49

The Seelie Kingdom hadn’t been what I was expecting. It was far beyond the farmlands and northwest of the fishing towns.

The journey was long, and along the way, Will and I had been plotting. I wouldn’t tell him how I knew the Seelie Queen. It wasn’t something we did; if we had to, we must. I hope we never have to. I don’t want to be caught in the middle ever again.

“We’re here,” Will said as we reached a field. I didn’t see anything—no palace, just an endless sea of grasslands. The place was empty, not a person or even an animal in sight.

Will had been standing only a few feet away from me, his posture rigid and tense. He was staring at something.

Had I missed something? The wind was blowing hard, making the scarf on my face flutter. I struggled to hold it down against my hidden face.

“There’s