5. Five

The winged fae seizes Amara and, despite her protests, takes flight. As they soar, Amara realizes he is heading for the portal she saw in the forest. He insists he is taking her “home,” and shadows overcome her, forcing her into sleep.

Amara awakens in an unfamiliar, luxurious bedchamber smelling of vanilla sugar. Disoriented and now dressed in a black silk nightgown, she discovers she is in a tower within a vast, moss-covered dark-stone castle set amid mountains and an otherworldly forest. When she tries to escape, the locked door traps her, and she exhausts herself screaming for help.

Hours later, a cheerful young fae named Poppy enters with licorice and honey tea for Amara’s sore throat. Surprised by Poppy’s gentle demeanor and bright amber eyes, Amara questions why she does not resemble the monstrous fae (vox) known in the human realm.

Poppy explains that vox are fae cursed into monstrous forms and assures Amara that the castle is safe. She names their location as Orilon, one of the fae realms, implying a broader world than Amara knew.

Before leaving, Poppy informs Amara she will have dinner with the king that night. This summons confirms Amara’s abduction has political or ritual significance and foreshadows revelations about her captor’s intentions and the meaning of her rare birthmark.