"City of night, Wrap me in your folds of shadow. City of twilight... Wrap me in your folds of shadow. City of midnight, city that the full moon overflows, city where the cats prowl and the closed iron dust-carts go rattling through the shadows: City of midnight, Wrap me in your folds of shadow." — From the poem "In the City of Night" by John Gould Fletcher, written in the memory of Edgar Allen Poe

"Who are you?"

I woke with a start. Bryon, my foster brother, was in my room, looking furious. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!" I roared. "Get out! Now!"

Bryon glared at me. "What am I doing in your room? You should ask him what he's doing in your room! In fact, he was lying next to you in your bed!"

I didn't need to ask who 'he' was. Sure enough, at the end of my bed was a tangled, wriggling bundle of folds. Eventually Astor's head emerged from them. He looked furious at being in this less-than-dignified position. He arranged his folds best he could, ran his hand through his hair, and got off the bed. He crossed his arms and gave Bryon a contemptuous look.

"Who the hell are you?" Bryon snapped.

Astor smiled wickedly. "You do not recognize me? Do you not remember when we were ten years old? Well, I suppose it is understandable that you do not recognise me; four years ago I had short hair."

Bryon squinted at him, then said, "You?"

Astor's grin widened.

"Wait, you know each other? How?" I asked.

"This is not the first time I have been to the Conscious world, Nyx," said Astor. "I lived here, with this family, in this house, for a year."

"Really?" I was shocked. He was the Prince of Shadows! Why would he have to live here for a year?

"I will explain later," said Astor.

"I remember you, Pretty Boy!" Bryon cried. "You have such a crazy, long name! And I remember what you don't like!" He lit a flashlight.

Several things happened very quickly. When Bryon shined the flashlight on Astor's face, his eyes had glowed. They glowed the way a cat's eyes did when hit directly with a light. Bryon screamed and jumped back in terror, dropping the flashlight. Astor covered his eyes with his wing and ducked under his folds. I heard muffled cursing and the bundle of folds shook as though Astor were burrowing down deeper into it, trying to block out the light completely.

Bryon blinked, and managed to recover from the shock enough to pick up the flashlight again and brandish it like a sword. "Ha! Scared of the light! And you call yourself royalty? Pathetic!"

I knew immediately that he had gone too far. Astor's violet eyes gleamed furiously from underneath the folds. He looked bestial. He gave an angry roar and hurled himself at Bryon. They tumbled around on the floor until Bryon was thrown against the wall. The flashlight fell and went out.

"What is going on?" Bryon's mother entered the room, then stopped dead when she saw Astor. "You! I remember you!"

Astor chuckled.

"Why did you hurt my son?!"

"Oh, please, he is not hurt. But I never take an insult well."

"And that's a good enough reason to shove him against a wall?"

"Of course."

I think staring into his violet eyes must have freaked her out a little bit, because she stepped back. "Why are you back here?"

Astor cackled happily. He came to sit on the bed next to me. He gave me a peck on the cheek and I instantly shifted into Shadow form.

"What have you done to her?" Bryon's mother cried.

Astor howled with malicious laughter. "She is mine now!" he crowed. "She hath captured the fancy of the Prince of the Night himself! I shall steal her from her bed and carry her off into the night to be my bride, never seen by the light of day..." He was so evil, it took everything in my power to prevent myself from laughing. In spite of myself, I kissed him like I'd known him for years. It felt fun, exciting, even, because we were doing something mildly evil. I glanced toward my foster mother when we broke apart. She looked horrified Astor grinned triumphantly. "Les ombres sont triomphante! Come along, Lovey, let us fly." He threw open the window, I seized his waist, he spread his wings, and flew out, laughing.

 I stumbled forward, trying to put weight in my feet. "How do you know them?" I asked.

"Like you, I lived with a family that was not mine, which happened to also be this one. She was horrified that I had not been taught manners, that I expected everyone to bow to me..." I snickered. Astor continued, "One of the worst parts about my stay here was having to do menial chores. Ugh! Up to that point, I was an indulgent, pampered child; I still am, but to a lesser degree. You see, if you are royalty, everything is done for you. Servants feed you, layer and mold your folds for you, bathe you, do things and fetch things for you, even carry you from place to place if you want them to. I was a definitive royal brat. I did not even know what a chore was, and when she told me what I had to do, I did not understand how she could possibly ask a prince to do such a thing. That is what servants do."

I was giggling uncontrollably.

Astor continued. "Here, I had to learn how to take care of myself, and I did not know how. I realized just how... weak I was, but I did not want to admit that I was weak. I tried to take care of myself. I learned the hard way that my new family would not do whatever I commanded, so I decided that it was better to have what I want than not, even if I had to obtain it myself. I also learned that I would rather have a blissful moment of having what I wanted, followed by a punishment, than not have what I want at all. I also discovered that punishment was worth making a point and resisting authority. It was a fun challenge to find ways to escape punishment, so I went to all lengths to obtain what I wanted or make a point. Punishments meant nothing to me. And if I really could not have something, I would sulk, for hours on end.

"I often escaped to the Otherworld, but I could not return to Umbragard during the year. Do you remember that beauteous hollow I showed you? I spent much time there during the year. I claimed it. Mine. And if someone tried to invade, I would chase them away. Well, someone already lived in the hollow I had claimed. Can you guess who that person was?" He lifted a wing, and I gasped.

"Not that Sorcerer?!"

"Yes, and you know that story. When I escaped, he left the hollow, and it was mine. Once my stay here was over. I was graciously rewarded by my parents. I got my own sword and my own carriage to explore my new land in the Otherworld. Once again everyone bowed down to me, I could demand things, and life was good."

I laughed.

Jasmine, Orphe, and all my friends were waiting for us in the park, right next to Astor's magnificent carriage, which I didn't know could travel in the Conscious world. "What took you so long?" Amaya demanded.

Astor simply laughed. He snapped his fingers and the long black carpet rolled out from the end of the carriage. Astor strutted down it and waited to kiss each girl's hand, but with me he lingered and we locked eyes for an extra second before he let me go. After Orphe had climbed in (without a kiss, obviously), Astor swung himself into the carriage and signaled to the horse.

We spread out. My friends formed a clump at the front of the carriage and talked. Astor casually reclined, smirking broadly with satisfaction. There was also a mischievous twinkle in his eye, which was cute.

Jasmine noticed it too. "I know that look," she said, playfully accusingly. "You are thinking of mischief. What have you been plotting? I hope you are not going to get us into any kind of serious trouble tonight, are you?"

He shook his head. "We will show Nyx's friends the Palace of Eternal Night, though I thought we should first get them used to the dark. Let's take them to the Labyrinth."

"A labyrinth? Cool!" said Senka. Lilah looked horrified.

"We will have quite an adventure!"

The horse galloped straight through the portal to the Otherworld, and after shooting through darkness (which was more comfortable in the carriage), we landed in Astor's hollow.

"I'm hungry," Orphe complained.

"Does anyone else want food?" Astor asked.

"Yes, please! Food!" Noire cried.

"I could use some food," I said.

"Very well. I shall call Willy." Astor clapped his hands twice as though summoning someone.

"Who's Willy?" Amaya asked.

"My valet."

"Your what?" Senka asked.

"My personal attendant."

"Personal attendant? Nice," said Amaya.

"Well, he is a prince," I said.

A young Shadow boy popped out of a hidden trapdoor at the front of the carriage. He kneeled in front of Astor and touched his head to the floor. I assumed he must be Willy. He had brown hair, and his folds were much thinner than mine, and about much thinner than Astor's. "Oh, Your Highness! You have guests! This is a rare occurrence— I mean, I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"It is a rare occurrence, Willy. Bring us a cake," Astor commanded.

Willy nodded, inclined his head again, and dove back down the trapdoor.

"He is very devoted," said Astor fondly. "He works so hard to please me it actually ends up getting on my nerves. He is a good servant. Once a week if he does well, I give him a dish of cream. If he does very well or has to accomplish something out of the ordinary, he gets a piece of cake with it. I try to be nice to him, and I appreciate that he does not take it personally when I am angry and act so selfishly."

"I think he would be more comfortable if you acted selfishly all the time," said Jasmine. "'Tis sort of expected, you know. He is trained to be humble, so he probably feels awkward that you are so nice to him."

"Well after my stay with Nyx's foster family, when I had to do all the menial work, I definitely learned to appreciate all that he does for me far more."

"Which surprised him," Jasmine reiterated.

"Yes, well... I am glad he does not have a personality too much like yours, Orphe. He does not complain or whine, probably because life in the palace is much better than life in the swamp, even as a servant. Especially as an attendant. And besides, we were taught only to be cruel to prey." He shrugged. "Willy worships me." Addressing me and my friends, he added, "Girls, I do not really want him to know that you are average kids from the Conscious world. Just pretend you are dignified Shadows like we are treating you, okay?"

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," said Senka cheerfully.

Willy reemerged from the trapdoor. Noire gasped in delight as he brought a chocolate cake swathed in misty icing and cream. It looked utterly scrumptious. Willy served us each a piece and we enjoying every morsel. It wasn't too rich, so I managed to eat it all.

"Thank you, Willy," said Astor. "Whilst you are up here, layer my folds! They got all tangled when Nyx's annoying foster brother bothered us."

Jasmine groaned tremendously. "Just your outer folds, I hope. There are six girls here..."

"Obviously, Jasmine! Chill," said Astor. I couldn't help but laugh. Chill!

Willy removed Astor's outer folds and started to rearrange them on his shoulders, layer by layer.

"Think of it this way," Jasmine whispered to me and my friends. "Astor is stripping down to his underwear and having his servant dress him again in front of us."

"Sorry if you're uncomfortable, Jasmine, but folds are folds, not clothes, and we're not used to them yet. So that's not how we see it."

Jasmine rolled her eyes again as Astor snuggled into his folds, dismissed Willy, and relaxed.

We enjoyed ourselves, lounging around and chatting. It definitely wasn't hard to pretend we were high-class Shadows like Astor and his friends. It sure was fun to pretend we were. But after about short while I noticed something: The sky was brighter.

Much brighter!

It was daybreak!

Astor gasped and swore under his breath.

"How is it daybreak?" Senka asked. "We can't have been here all night! We haven't been here that long!"

"We need to get back!" Lilah whined. "We have to go to school! And what will our parents say?!"

"No, no, no, Lilah," Astor sighed. "Very little time will have passed when we get back. Time is different here. So 'tis still the middle of the night back in the Conscious world but 'tis daybreak here. My bad."

Orphe yawned. "No wonder I was feeling tired. That means we're just going to have to sleep out the day, huh?"

Astor nodded.

Astor waved his hands, and the veil over the back of the carriage turned into a roof that shaded the whole carriage, and then thick black curtains fell from the roof to keep out the light. Then he, Jasmine and Orphe began taking pillows and fold-like blankets out of compartments and creating cozy little nests. My friends and I started to follow their example and build little nests of our own. We all settled down comfortably.

Something in me wanted to curl up within those beautiful folds... I tried to arrange myself in my little corner of the carriage, staring at him...

Astor's eyes fluttered open. "Are you okay, Nyx?"

"I'm— I'm fine."

"Come over here. There's more space."

"Okay..." I crawled over to him and lay next to him, with a good two feet of space between us. Astor glanced over to me. "Are you okay, Nyx?" he asked again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said again.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, totally!"

"Good."

"Astor, why did your eyes glow when Bryon shined the light at you?"

"Oh, I have a tapetum lucidum, a reflective film in the back of my eye. 'Tis another thing that helps me see in the dark. Most nocturnal animals and Shadows have one."

"It emphasizes the creepy factor."

"Yes, it does," said Astor with a grin. There was a pause. "Nyx, what is your true name?"

"My true name?"

"The name your parents gave you. First, middle, and last. I told you my true name; you tell me yours."

"I don't remember your name. It's so long!" I said. Astor chuckled. "Why do you want to know my name?" I asked.

"Well, you introduced yourself to me as Nyx, your Shadow name, which I will call you. But I want to see your true self. I want to know your real name. I trusted you with mine, after all."

"My name's Alexandra Stephanie Wilson."

"Alexandra. That is a powerful name."

"Yes. I like my name, but Nyx is shorter and easier to say. It makes a good nickname, especially because I hate being called Alex. One time I was in a school with a boy that was also called Alex, so the teacher had to call me Alex W. Ugh! I just decided that it was easier to just go by Alexandra."

Astor laughed. "Is Wilson your father's surname?" he asked.

"I think so," I said. "I never knew my father. My mother only saw him once; my sister and I were born by accident. I don't know much about my mother, I only know that she's alive and she knows I exist. I can't contact her."

"You do not know her name?"

"No."

"You look cold. Your folds are so thin and— flimsy, as of now. Would you like to share mine?"

I looked over at him, surprised at how well I could see in the dark. Astor flung the first layer of his folds, then the second, and then the third over my head, until we were in a cozy dark tent of folds. Astor was still wearing both layers of fluffy inner folds wrapped tightly around his body. I lay down. His folds felt comfortable, dreamy, secretive and blocked out to the entire rest of the world, like a little safe, enclosed haven. And God, they were warm! So warm! I felt closer to him than I ever had before, and not just physically.

I rolled over and faced him.

I was curled up in luxurious folds with a drop-dead gorgeous Shadow prince. How many girls would give anything for the position I was in right now? Would Patricia? Would Karrine? But I blocked that thought out, remembering he could read minds. He smiled, a little mischievously.

Because it was dark in the folds, his pupils were fully dilated; the iris almost entirely vanished, which made his eyes look dark and mysterious against his pale face. He was staring at me, and I was a little shy to catch his eye. I looked away hesitantly. I wanted to become apart of him. My face was aching to feel his soft lips, and I wanted to wrap these folds into a little bundle and snuggle up close to him... no!

Why did I still not fully trust him?

How did he stare at me unblinking like that? It was creepy! He laughed. Of course he could still read my mind. I reminded myself to focus on general observations only.

I looked up at his folds. They were mostly deep purple, misty and yet thick, airy and yet solid. The black and purple swirled like dark clouds above our heads. They were extravagant.

"Aren't they?" Astor responded to my thought. "I am blessed with such thick folds. I can extend them out enough to cover all eight of us, if we were huddled together, or I can make them slick so I can fit into tight spaces. And of course, I can mold them into almost any clothing. I am very proud of my folds. They make my life easy."

"You said you were blessed with thick folds. I thought thickness of folds had to do with a Shadow's rank."

"It does, a little bit. A wealthier Shadow will find prey more easily than a Swampie."

"What exactly is a Swampie?"

"A Swampie is an undeveloped Shadow; the Shadows of conscious people. They are not fully present in Umbragard, so they have no way of complaining about their pitiful existence. They remain fully unconscious most of the time because their Consciousness exists in your world. Middle and upper class Shadows are integrated, so our Conscious state is in Umbragard. I know, more confusing psychology."

"So I was a Swampie?"

"Probably."

"How thick— relatively— are my folds?" I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted to know his answer.

He hesitated before answering. "Well, I doubt they would be able to fit anyone besides yourself under them, but with a little bit of thickening you could definitely mold them into clothing. As a matter of fact, with a few good Shadow meals your folds could be very beautiful." He paused, and then added, "This is a place for secrets, you know. We are completely isolated from the outside world. You can say or think anything, no one will know."

"Except you."

"You do not trust me?"

"Quite frankly, no. I do not fully trust you."

He snickered. "I supposed that is understandable." He paused, shifting his eyes. He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then he smiled. "You'll make an excellent hunter one day, Sweet."

Indeed we were isolated, in our little world of folds, just the two of us. It felt wonderful... blissful.... Astor leaned over me and kissed me, tenderly and with such trust. I sank into the kiss and began to drift off to sleep. I never wanted him to stop kissing me, but his lips left mine. We turned away from each other and slept.

I woke up suddenly to the sound of a bird chirping nearby. It must still be daytime. Astor was still asleep. Finally he wasn't staring at me, so I took the advantage to study him. He was adorable. His face was softened. He had very long eyelashes. He was kind of curled up like a cat. His glossy black wings were folded over his shoulders. His long, dark hair was mussed from sleep, and a lock of it fell across his face, which made him look irresistible. I had to stop myself from kissing him. I crawled out from under the folds and crept over to where Noire was sleeping.

"Noire?" I whispered. She grunted in response. "Do you still have that Zodiac love compatibility thing on your phone?"

She grunted again without really waking up, reached in her jet-black folds, and took out her phone. She lazily held it up to me. I took it and opened the app.

Taurus... Cancer... Partner: Male... Enter.

I read the description. It said that Astor would worry about me, complement me in all the right ways, and it ended with saying that we were in it for life. I remembered what Astor said about being soul mates.

It also said that in a relationship, we both valued loyalty more than anything else, which meant that Astor would never let me go. It also said that he would be flirtatious, would not be direct with me, and that he would attempt to court me with lavish experiences and gifts. Hmm... nothing could have described the experiences of the last few nights better. It went on to say that Astor was sensitive, yet he was an excellent protector and was like a knight in shining armor— or Prince Charming.

I placed Noire's phone by her hand and crawled back into Astor's folds. I felt like some ground animal burrowing into a den. Astor was still there, sleeping peacefully, still utterly handsome.

I could see why he particularly enjoyed the isolated bliss of his folds. The app said that Cancers often retreat into their "shell"— like the crab that represents the sign— but folds were much more accurate in Astor's case.

He opened his eyes just a smidge when I lay down. He then lazily rolled closer and gathered his folds, wrapping the two of us in a snug bundle. He then hugged me weakly, clearly still half asleep. Our noses were practically touching. I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. I was lured, tempted, dying to kiss him. I tried to restrict myself, but I couldn't. I pecked him on the cheek, to which he gave a smile and a relaxed sigh. Then I fell to sleep again.

When I woke next, Astor was gone. I felt a little cold without his folds, and sat up, noticing it was dark again. Then I saw him, sitting with his back to me. Had he been staring at me when I slept?

I noticed the others. We all looked dreary. Aster informed us there'd been a change of plans: He'd bring us all to the Palace of Eternal Night before the Labyrinth rather than afterwards. I wondered why.

"Welcome to Umbragard!" Astor declared as we came out of the dark forest and into Astor's city. Several curious Shadows glanced their strangely colored eyes in our direction, inclining their heads when they saw the Prince.

"All HAIL the Prince and Princess of Umbragard!" Willy declared as Astor and Jasmine stepped out of the carriage."

"Hail, Their Royal Highnesses!" the Shadows repeated, bowing.

"Wow," said Noire, who was practically wriggling with excitement.

"Follow me to the Palace of Eternal Night," said Astor.

My friends gasped at the majesty of it, with its dark spires, pointed arches, protective stone gargoyles and dragons, the beautiful gardens, and the impressive doors. Astor and Jasmine both grinned. Orphe smiled weakly. Astor strutted up the steps to the open front doors; Jasmine swept close behind, Orphe and the rest of us all followed.

My friends gasped when they saw the hall. Astor said we were free to explore, and Jasmine added not to go in the throne room, we'd save the best for last.

The palace was filled with dark corridors and various rooms. Paintings of previous Shadow kings and queens were on the walls. I expected their eyes to be following me but I reminded myself that this was not a haunted palace. There was a lovely courtyard in the middle of the palace with more night flowers and an enormous fountain flowing with dark water that glittered strangely. The courtyard was filled with statues of dragons, lions, and other beasts. I found a secret passageway in a fireplace that lead me into a beautiful room. It was carpeted in purple velvet, the walls were covered in purple curtains, and the dark, domed ceiling had little twinkling lights floating all over it, making it look like a night sky.

I wandered through a dark hallway, staring at the paintings of Shadow nobles, half expecting their eyes to follow me as I walked. I caught sight of a portrait of a little boy with long black hair and violet cat eyes...

I heard a sigh from the dark behind me. How did he just melt out of the dark like that?! "Is that you, Astor?"

"The portrait? Of course, I; do you really need to ask?"

"No, obviously the painting's of you. I was checking to see if you were behind me, but I got my answer."

"Oh."

I chuckled. "How old were you in that picture?"

"Seven. You have no idea how much they had to bribe me to get me to sit still that long."

I laughed again. "You were cute."

He sighed. "I will probably be painted again in a few years... Hopefully this time they can use this interesting device called a camera," he emphasized camera with a sarcastic tone, "...and copy the picture instead of doing it the traditional way and having me sit there. I hate to get my picture taken, too, but 'tis better than having to sit still for hours."

Jasmine led all the girls to her room. Her room was very nice. It had many more Shadowlights than Astor's did, and it was trimmed with wispy scarves hung with jewels that glittered in the light. It overlooked the magnificent garden with a Shadowlight-illuminated fountain, lots of night-blooming flowers, and a pretty black pond with magenta lotuses in it.

Orphe's room was filled with curtains, some thick, others thin. They reminded me of his folds. The room had lots of little hiding spots. Orphe gave us the challenge of trying to find his nest. Eventually I found it, tucked into a corner, with a jumbled configuration of pillows and some clearly treasured stuffed animals. But suddenly, Lilah screamed, pointing up to the ceiling at something alive. As we drew closer, Orphe explained it was his pet, an enormous live bat named Chiroptera, and that she wouldn't hurt anything other than flies.

As we left Orphe's room, Astor pulled me away from the others and showed me one of his most prized possessions: an enormous ebony statue of a unicorn. It was beautiful, and its crystal eyes glowed with dark fire. They were violet crystal, which made them look exactly like Astor's eyes. Astor said that he'd named the unicorn Itzal, a common Shadow name. Then he sighed and explained, "A black unicorn is the only thing I have ever really wanted, and it also happens to be the only thing my parents can't easily obtain for me. Maybe that is why I want it so much. Usually I can just begin to want something and my parents will get it for me."

"How come they haven't been able to get you a unicorn?"

"Because black unicorns are rare. I have wanted one ever since I was seven, when I got this statue for my birthday. My father sent out a few knights to try and find me one, but they came back empty handed. Dad stopped the search, saying he was not going to waste all his time and energy trying to find me a unicorn. I did not take it well. His advisor said that I was young and that I would grow out of my desire, but I never did. For years I would take the statue off its stand and play with it. I dreamt I could make it real. I would sometimes put animation spells on it to make it move on its own, but it is not the same thing. My parents promised that if they run across one on their travels, they'll bring it back for me, but what are the chances of them just randomly finding one?" He sighed.

"Astor, aren't black unicorns evil?"

"No. You might have heard stories of so-called evil unicorns, but there is no such thing as an evil unicorn. However... Nyx, am I evil?" he asked rhetorically.

I thought back to Karrine. "Honestly, yes, a little bit." I tried to sound serious, but I heard the note of fun in my own voice.

He laughed. "Well, are you evil?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly! But you are still a Shadow. You have taken the form of your dark side. I think that is what a black unicorn is, more dark and mysterious than other unicorns, just like a Shadow person. Probably stealthier than other kinds, too. They are Shadow unicorns; my kind of thing!"

"And with its purple eyes and everything, it looks pretty much exactly like what you would look like if you were a unicorn."

Astor smiled. "I suppose he does. Would you like me to show you the library?" Hmmm... conversation over. I nodded and followed him out of the room. I thought about how he had chosen to tell me all that. It was probably one of his deepest secrets, and he had chosen to confide in me.

And that unicorn's eyes looked strangely alive...

But I forgot about the unicorn as we reached the library. There were so many books of so many different varieties, from dusty tomes in languages I couldn't read, to the latest Shadow novels. I hoped I would be able to come back and read them all!

After continuing to wander around for some time, I actually caught Astor in front of a huge wall mirror admiring himself! "You are so incredibly vain!" I cried. Astor laughed. "I hope you don't end up like the mythical Narcissus," I teased, "falling in love with your own reflection!"

Astor laughed and embraced me. "How could I, if I am already in love with you?"

I laughed. Perhaps he did have a right to be admiring himself; he was that good-looking. Glossy black wings, lavish folds, perfect physique, gorgeous face... he did kind of have a right to the mirror, and Shadows were expected to behave that way. But still! How many boys go around staring at their reflections in mirrors?

"This place is so cool!" Noire cried. "Have you seen the lounge? It's absolutely luxurious! And the dining hall has such a long table with all these pretty decorations. Look at the banners!"

"This is awesome!" I agreed.

"I would love to live here," said Senka.

"You know, I caught Astor admiring himself in a mirror," I said. My friends all burst out laughing.

"Nyx."

I spun around. Astor melted out of the shadows further down the hall I'd been exploring. "Hi, Astor."

"I want to show you my favorite lookout place. You can see the whole kingdom from there."

"Wow, really?"

"Come!"

He brought me to a huge, narrow spiral staircase that lead up to one of the towers. He then slipped out of a tower window and to a ledge between two gargoyles. Nervously, I climbed out next to him. "We won't fall, will we?"

"No. I come up here all the time. And if you do fall, I will catch you."

"It's a really nice view from here," I said, looking out at the dark valley.

"'Tis wonderful. That is why I love to come up here," said Astor. "This little dell is basically the full extent of our kingdom. Would you like me to give you a... shall we say, visual tour?

"Sure."

"The town down there is the royal city of Nighthaven, where most of the middle class live," said Astor. "Behind us is Nocturne Valley, the hills where most of the upper class live. Down there, between the hills— that forest is Nocturne Park. 'Tis the 'King's Woods' of our kingdom. I loved to go play there as a child and I still like to go for walks, rides or hunts there. 'Tis a nice place to do moon rituals, too. Over there—," he pointed south, right of the city from where we sat "is the Swamp, where the Swampies live in their ditches. Do not pity them, they are not really present."

"That's a big swamp," I said.

"Yes. The bog is what remains of the river that carved this valley, that and a stream that runs through Nocturne Park. Just beyond the city there is the bleak forest of bare trees that is between Umbragard and the Otherworld. We call it Dark Wood. And just beyond that, in the distance, you can see my hollow. Technically it is part of 'the Otherworld' and not 'the Kingdom of Umbragard' because no citizens actually live there. I go there very often as well."

"You have a beautiful kingdom. Are the mountains your land, too?"

"Oh, pardon, I neglected to mention. The mountains beyond my hollow are not, but there is a very small part of the same mountain range that is. In the mountains behind Nocturne Valley is another city called Windymere. The Shadows that live there are air creatures. Very thin folds, and yet somehow they keep warm and can glide on their folds so well you would think they had wings like me. Windymere is presided over by its Duke, my father's cousin, Zephyr. 'Tis beauteous there.And I might also mention that Umbragard has a colony in the Netherworld,underground, called Obscurus."

I gazed out at the dark valley, the crisp breeze ruffling my red hair. "I like it here."

"Good. I am glad."

I turned to look at him. His face was inches from mine, and he was staring at my mouth. I don't know who moved first but in a few moments, we were kissing passionately. After a few moments that could have lasted hours for all I knew, we broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. "Come on," Astor finally said. "Jasmine is wondering where we are."

The last room we saw was the throne room. Astor dramatically opened the doors, then stopped and stared with fury.

There were four thrones on a raised dais at the end of a black carpet that went across the room. There were two enormous thrones side by side, and two smaller thrones on either side. Someone was sitting in the one to the left!

Bryon.

How the hell had he gotten to Umbragard?!

I had never seen Astor so mad. He strode down the isle toward Bryon, who was looking more conceited than I'd ever seen Astor be.

"Ahem. Get off of my throne." Astor spat. There was pure venom in his words. Fury burned in his purple eyes.

Bryon looked up. "Well too late! It's mine now, Pretty Boy!" Clearly he thought it was some kind of joke.

"So it's yours, is it?" Astor snarled. "Is the name above your name yours, then?"

Bryon turned around to look at the name engraved on the back of the throne.

Astor Peregrine Erebus Adonis Spyridon Shadowhawk

Astor smirked.

"You... meant it when you said you were royalty?" Bryon said.

"Evidently. I am not one of those Shadows you lies, you bastard. Now get the hell off my throne!"

Frankly, I didn't blame him for being so mad. Probably no other human being, Shadow or Conscious, had ever sat in his throne before.

Then Bryon responded, "Make me."

Astor's eyes smoldered. "Very well. GUARDS!"

I was expecting human soldiers like the ones that guarded the palace, but instead, two enormous black panthers burst through the door, roaring. Astor was so distraught he looked almost inhuman. Then his eyes gleamed maliciously as the panthers came up beside him, crouching and baring their teeth at Bryon. Astor spread his wings. They no longer had glossy, streamlined feathers, but ragged and scary-looking ones. He shrieked a terrible, birdlike cry. The panthers hurled themselves at Bryon, dragging him out of the throne, across the room, and against the wall. Bryon looked terrified as the panthers paced around him.

Astor glanced down at the seat of his throne. "Willy shall clean it," Astor snarled. "I shall not sit in it until your Conscious filth has been wiped off it!"

Despite the panthers, Bryon snarled right back. "Call yourself a prince, do you? Well do you know what I call you? Pathetic!"

Astor smiled cruelly. "Do you want to know what I call you? I call you my prey. I shall teach you your place, for you see, I am very hungry right now." He cackled. He seemed to have forgotten we were there. He was advancing on Bryon, wings out, like a vulture. He didn't look remotely perfect anymore. He looked terrifying. Indeed, Bryon started to realize his situation. He started to pant as Astor's panthers growled at him, bloodshot eyes watering with fear.

Astor then flung himself on Bryon. They became a mass of folds on the ground. I couldn't see what was going on. Finally, Astor emerged, folds more defined, less misty and more velvety. Bryon was on the ground, looking worn out and disoriented. He was asleep. One of the panthers growled doubtfully.

Though satisfied, Astor looked just as exhausted. His outburst had taken a lot out of him. He slumped, glaring daggers at Bryon. Jasmine came over to comfort him, and the rest of us followed. I stroked his wings, which had turned back to the beautiful glossy black, and he relaxed. "Nebibi, Samar, you are dismissed," he said to the panthers. The panthers padded away.

"You totally lost it," said Jasmine.

"I don't blame you, Astor," I said.

"It's okay, Ast," said Jasmine with a sigh. "Watch your mouth a little bit next time."

"You sound almost like a Conscious person, Jasmine! Does anyone want Elixir?" he asked everyone else. "I have not preyed on another man in years. Very unappetizing."

Jasmine groaned.

Astor lifted a layer of his folds. Blue wisps of that smoke-like substance, blue this time, collected on the floor in a kind of pool. Jasmine and Orphe pursed their lips and inhaled, as though they were sipping the air. The blue wisps rose up into their mouths.

"What are you doing? Like, what are those wisps, exactly?" Lilah asked.

"Bryon's Shadow essence. Do not worry, he's fine," said Astor. "We are doing the world a favor by getting rid of some of that meanness. His Shadow is weak, at least for now. Believe me, Lilah, this is the worst that Shadows do."

I sipped the air curiously. The substance touched my tongue. It tasted kind of tangy, like lemonade.

"I'm sorry about that outburst, Nyx," said Astor as Jasmine showed us the gardens outside. "I hope you enjoyed yourself anyway."

"I did, Astor. Your kingdom is beautiful. I really want to come back soon."

Astor smiled. "I am so pleased to hear that. We will have to arrange another trip here. Now, we shall head to the Labyrinth!"