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nod. “Very good.” And with that the Highwarden turned on his heel and marched away, his wardens ushering Iralia into one of the Valoons. The gondolier unlatched the rope and pushed the boat away from the dock. In a matter of moments they had all disappeared from view, taking Iralia to some unknown place.
    “Well that was awkward,” said Danny, staring at the spot where the boats had been.
    “If she so much as has a bad night’s sleep, that prick is getting a faceful of Fury,” said Troy, patting his giant hammer. “To hell with behaving.”
    “He has got a point, though,” said Grey. “I mean, she is the enemy. No, I mean…she’s not actually the enemy, but she does look like the enemy.”
    “Shut up, Grey,” said Gabriella.
    “Will do, Huntmaster.”
    “That goes for everyone. I don’t like what just happened at all, but this is their city and we have to respect their rules.”
    Everyone reluctantly agreed.
    The sound of something tiny clearing its throat broke the silence, and I saw that one of the Asrai had floated closer, a sweet smile still on her face. “Welcome, Guardians. I am Freya.” She gestured to the other two Asrai. “This is Gilly and Viven. Please follow us to your homesteads.” With their wide smiles, the tiny luminar spun around and began to float away on their dragonfly wings.
    As we followed after the Asrai, I felt the knot in my stomach tighten.

2
    Alex
     
     
    The beauty of Fenodara had temporarily distracted me from the fact that Pandemonia was a world locked in a deadly war. And with war came propaganda and persecution. Aegis Caria’s hostile treatment towards Iralia had been a rude awakening. As we followed the swooping Asrai through the courtyard, I vowed not to underestimate this world again.
    The atmosphere remained tense as we passed through a series of rock tunnels decorated with sweet-smelling flowers and rich tapestries, which gave the area a homey vibe. The light from the twin suns poured through the gaps on both sides, making the area bright and humid. A sheen of sweat clung to my forehead, and I wiped it with the back of my hand. All I wanted to do was tear off my gear and dive into a pool of cold water to wash off the stress, and I could tell that next to me, Gabriella was thinking something similar. However, her face was as stony as it had been since Aegis Caria had taken Iralia away, as was everyone else’s. The dense silence of Orion spoke volumes.
    Sophia was walking by herself at the back of the group, quietly whispering to Midnight. The Familiar had returned to her shoulder soon after we had climbed into the Valoon and was now cooing softly as his companion reached up and stroked his downy feathers.
    The rocky passage opened out onto a stunning lake, ringed by glimmering quartz rocks and filled with turquoise water. A myriad of waterfalls spilled down between the rocks from differing heights, providing the area with a soothing baseline. Spread out across the lake was a web of raised wooden walkways, which led to dozens of squat, domed buildings. Each of the pods was constructed from an impressive mix of shimmering metal and canvas – like the lovechild of a yurt and a miniature observatory. Several porthole windows were placed around the sides and small chimneys in the centres puffed out trails of smoke.
    Mikey appeared next to me, his silver eyes shimmering with awe. “This is crazy, bro. I still can’t get my head around the fact that this place even exists.”
    “Not exactly what I expected either, given what we know about Pandemonia,” I admitted.
    “The most beautiful things are often the most deadly,” said Scarlett from just behind us.
    Mikey turned and gave a grin. “Must be why you scare me to death, then.” The two Bloodlings gave each other a smile.
    “You all have your own homestead,” said Freya, twirling around so that she was facing us. “And all of your relevant belongings are already waiting for you.” Next to her, Viven pulled