Free The Chosen Soul by Heather Killough-Walden Page A

to become self-conscious.
    They had been inside of Trimontium’s city walls for less than an hour. The city’s
    vast proportions were not the only notable aspect of Trimontium. For all of its people,
    and all of its business, the capital city of Kriver was the most orderly, most peaceful place in the known world. Everything seemed to run smoothly, from the perfect bread produced
    by its three bakeries to the almost disturbing lack of disagreement in the market place or
    social unrest at any of its multiple taverns. The people of Trimontium were polite and
    considerate, and Raven would have been quite charmed by the unanimous lack of desire
    for trouble, except for one tiny thing.
    Every one of them stared at her as if she were some sort of specter. And their eyes
    always skirted across her face to where her ears were hidden beneath masses of long,
    thick black hair. They would openly eye her with abject interest until they at once
    realized what they were doing and looked away, apparently chagrined, to stare straight
    ahead or at the ground in front of them.
    By the time the three of them had finished their business at the bustling marketplace,
    Raven had been oggled by man, woman and child so many times that she simply could
    not stand it any longer.
    “What is it, Loki? What is wrong with me? Has my hair caught on fire? Am I
    growing horns?” She stopped in her tracks and blanched. “Oh god, please tell me I
    haven’t grown horns…”
    Loki stopped walking and turned to face her, a confused expression on his face.
    “What?”
    - 69 -

    Heather Killough-Walden
    “Loki, everyone has been staring at me. Is there something on my face? Is it my
    clothes?”
    Beside her, Summer sighed and shook her head. “No, it isn’t any of those matters.
    And, no, you haven’t grown horns. My word, why in the world would you suspect such a
    thing?”
    Raven didn’t answer.
    “Here. Come with me.” Summer glanced hastily in all directions, and then gently
    took Raven by the arm to guide her and her brother toward a deserted alleyway. Once
    they were there, she turned to face the black-haired beauty.
    “I have never been there, so I would not know, but perhaps everyone is as beautiful
    as you in Aster Hollow. Here, however, such beauty is very rare. And, in fact, is
    associated with only one group of… people.”
    Raven and Loki were silent for a moment. And then Raven asked, “Who?”
    Summer swallowed a seemingly large lump in her throat and glanced, once again, up
    and down the alley as if afraid they were not truly alone. Then she leaned in close, much
    as her father had done earlier.
    “The Lords and Ladies,” she whispered.
    Raven blinked, and then sighed. “Very well. Perhaps it is time you told us a bit more
    about these Lords and Ladies. Elves, I think your father called them.”
    Summer’s eyes widened and she placed her forefinger to her lips. “Shh. Be careful
    what you say aloud. The Lords and Ladies do not take kindly to insubordination.”
    Raven’s gaze narrowed. Oh , so they’re those kinds of people , she thought. She considered Summer’s warning a moment more and then crossed her arms over her chest.
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    70 -
    The Chosen Soul
    “Do I look like them?” Raven asked.
    “No, actually, other than your beauty, you look nothing like them. Your ears are
    entirely normal. And your facial structure… it’s too human. The Lords and Ladies look…
    well… different . Beautiful, but in an peculiar sort of way.” Summer seemed to be mulling over Raven’s appearance as she spoke. Her eyes studied Raven’s features carefully.
    Raven, for her part, was still fixed on something she had said about her ears. “What
    do you mean, my ears are normal?”
    Summer blinked. “Oh. Well, the Fey have pointed ears. You don’t. It was the first
    thing I noticed about you when you walked out of the forest on our farm.” She paused
    then, and smiled shyly. “Actually, it was the second thing I noticed. I looked for