Our landing spot in Montemba was not far from the empty block of warrior dormitories, so I decided to lead the humans there on foot. Their wariness of A’li-uud seemed to melt with each passing step as they became more and more distracted by the unfamiliar surroundings, and I was pleased to see that most of the twelve were fascinated and delighted by what they saw. A few, General Morgan included, were less than impressed, but I didn’t care. Montemba was my home, and I loved it more than anywhere in the universe—certainly more than any place I’d visited on Earth.

I’d permitted most of the A’li-uud who’d crewed the ship to go their own ways shortly into the walk. They had been on Earth and away from their families for months, and I knew they were eager to return to their homes. I understood. I, too, felt eager fluttering in my belly as I enveloped myself in the Albaterran landscape. The departure of so many warriors left a group of us around twenty-six, which made traversing the rugged, snow-blanketed terrain easier.

When we reached the cross of two well-trodden paths, I stopped walking. The A’li-uud with me halted as well, but the humans seemed jolted by the sudden pause and looked at each other with alarm on their faces.

“You will find the dormitories down this trail,” I announced, extending an arm toward the path on the left. “Lokos will show you to your block and answer any questions you may have. I will have a meal delivered shortly, and I will post warriors at the residence to keep you updated and help you with anything you need.”

I nodded to Lokos, who nodded once back at me and made a sharp motion with his jaw for the humans to follow him as he began walking down the path. After a brief moment of hesitation, they began to trail after him one-by-one, the last being General Morgan. He shot me a nasty scowl before turning and striding behind his soldiers.

Roxanne started to walk after them, but I reached forward and grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?” I asked.

“I thought humans were staying in the dormitories,” she replied, a look of confusion on her delicate face.

“You will be staying with me,” I said. When her eyes widened a bit, I hastily added, “In the Elder palace, that is. You will be more comfortable there, and I think it is best for the convenience of meeting with the Council.”

Something akin to disappointment flashed in her verdant eyes, but I wasn’t sure if it was because she wanted to stay in the dormitories or because she was hoping for my explanation to be different. Either way, she nodded her acceptance. I advised several of my remaining warriors to go after Lokos for security, and then I continued forward with Roxanne and the few A’li-uud left in our party.

Only ten minutes later, we reached the bottom of a mountain with a gilded path running up its center. I glanced at the A’li-uud behind me to silently indicate they were to take the path, and I reached for Roxanne. As I slid an arm around her waist, she melted slightly against my side.

“You are going to want to hold on,” I murmured against her ear.

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Just trust me,” I said. Then, I lifted my face and jumped into the wind.

Roxanne’s hands latched onto my shoulders like vice grips, her entire body twisting to press into mine. I felt her heart lurch before bursting into a sprint in her chest, and her breath sharpened before stilling completely. I couldn’t help smiling into her hair as we flew up the summit to the glittering purple door at the mountain’s center. When our feet grounded again, she continued to cling to me and looked up with spinning eyes.

“Wha—what just happened?” she gasped. Her cheeks were pale enough to rival mine, and her skin had become clammy. She swung her gaze from left to right, finally settling unsteadily on the door before us. “How did we get up here so fast?”

“Wind travel,” I told her, still unable to hold back my grin. “It is a gift of the Elders.”

“We just flew?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” I said with a nod. “Though, I would relate it more to being carried by the wind than flying.”

She gaped at me wordlessly and allowed her hands to slip from my shoulders back to her sides. Her eyes turned back to the door. “What is that? Why does it glitter?”

“It is made of aspex, a mineral native to Montemba and highly useful,” I explained. I took her hand and pressed her fingertips against the jagged surface, admiring the way the sunshine danced on the geodes and cast uneven shapes of light across her face. “Aspex is very hard, nearly impenetrable. It makes excellent weapons for hunting and battle. It is also a very sturdy material for construction, though the Elder palace is the only structure in which aspex is permitted.”

Roxanne had gained back a measure of balance during my explanation and seemed more coherent now. Her mouth was open slightly in awe as she grazed the aspex with the pads of her fingers, tracing the harsh lines and asymmetrical edges. The door itself was at least six feet taller than her, and the geodes towering over her head bathed her in whimsical violet light. With her long, obsidian hair and lithe figure, she could have been the manifestation of a creation goddess.

When she’d had her fill of the aspex, she turned back to me. “Now what? Do we have to wait for someone to come and get us?”

I chuckled. “No. This is the Elder palace. This is my home.”

“You live in a mountain?”

“I do now,” I said. “This will be my first time entering the palace as a resident rather than a visitor. It belonged to my brother when I left Albaterra. If you remember, I was only a warrior then.”

“So, you also have a house somewhere?” she asked.

“I do not know,” I replied honestly. She lifted a brow, silently requesting more detail, and I obliged. “The home I lived in as a warrior was my father’s home after he retired from Elderhood. I imagine, now that he is no longer Elder, Duke has taken residence of that house, but I am not certain.”

She glanced back at the door. “Can we just go in?”

“You cannot. I must admit you.” In demonstration, I pressed my hand flat against a compressed circle of aspex. The mineral there had grown dull and smooth from years of entering A’li-uud, and my hand fit in the space perfectly. After a moment, I heard a low click, and the door opened a crack. I stepped back and reached over her, pushing on the door to swing it open entirely. “After you.”

Roxanne stepped in dubiously, hesitance evident on her features. The foyer was unlit and very dark with not even a fire in the stone hearth that marked the center of the room, but the purple geodes scattered along on the walls seemed to glow mildly anyway. When I closed the door behind us, we were cast into blindness with only hints of glitter visible. I felt Roxanne’s hand slide into mine, still clammy with nerves.

“This is a large palace,” I said to her through the blackness. In the cavernous room, my voice carried to the ceiling and echoed back at us. “Stay close, and do not let go, or you may find yourself lost.”

Her fingers tightened around mine, and I reveled in the sensation. Just as I took my first step, however, I heard something that made my hair raise on the back of my neck. Footsteps. Then, without warning, a voice boomed in my ear.

“I have been expecting you.”