Page 26 of In Violent Waves

Wilder shook his head. “I don’t require as much as you, and mortal food is repugnant. I left the bulk of my supplies in Fresia. I’ll eat then.”

Lyra glared. “How lucky for you.”

He rolled his eyes and pulled his pack off. “Here—” He threw her an apple that shone a deep scarlet. “Don’t eat too quickly.”

She did not heed his warning and scarfed it down, core and all, as they continued their trek, keeping off the beaten path but with it still in their line of sight.

“What are the Wilds like?”

He snorted. “Why? Haven’t you read all about them?”

“Why would I want to read about something Idon’tlike?” she scoffed, and he glared.

Lyra rolled her eyes with a sigh. “No. We don’t have any books about the elves.”

She ran her fingers along the ferns in their path, avoiding his eyes. That wasn’t true, but he didn’t need to know that. It would be better to let him underestimate her.

But her reply was not at all what he was expecting.

“You know nothing of the elves—at all?” he asked incredulously, halting their progress.

Lyra shook her head, feeling annoyed by his questions. She was a liar and a good one, and she didn’t like that he did not believe her.

Wilder’s eyes narrowed, but he reluctantly began explaining.

“The Elf realm is separated from the mortal realm by a veil, or a ward, if you will. It divides the nonmagical land from the magical land. And the magical realm is split between twokingdoms—the Wilds and the Mannereds. Oberon, my father, is the High King of the Wilds and a direct descendant of Fionn. Long ago, our line fractured, some ancient family squabble that divided the realm in two. High Queen Titania rules the other half, known as the Mannereds.”

That name—Titania. She had heard that name somewhere; a long-ago voice whispered into her ear. His words baffled her, though.

“And you are at war?” Lyra questioned, feigning confusion.

Wilder shook his head. “We had been. The war between our realms stretches back as far as our recorded history. But we are at peace now.”

There was peace between their kingdoms? Why had they heard of nothing but war between them?

“Since when?” Her mask slipped.

Before she could master her expression, Wilder noticed her pursed lips and lowered brows.

“What?”

“I have always been taught that the elves were at war with each other.”

Wilder gazed sidelong at her.

“And without books, how were you taught this information?”

Lyra huffed. “Our scouts passed the information on.”

He accepted that answer as truth and clarified his response.

“Your information is dated. The fighting ended long ago, and the alliance was formed within the last hundred years.”

“I see,” she replied simply. “What else should I know?”

“Well, our society is divided between noble houses that rule over their granted territories, but everyone swears fealty to my father. Regardless of their kind.” He ground his teeth at that and continued. “There are seven noble houses, three of which are related to my family.”

Lyra processed all that information and came up with more questions.