It’s Quinn’s hair.
“What did you do to her?” My roar is so loud the rocks shake and some dust crumbles from the ceiling.
“Calm down.” Damon puts a hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off. “Quinn gave it to her willingly.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. It’s Astrid’s payment. Why do you think I get haircuts every year? It’s not for my pretty boy image.”
“Quinn left a while ago,” Astrid says coolly, snatching the rug away before going back to work. “She got the answers she wanted.”
“And?” This woman is the most frustrating creature in all of Valora. “Where is she now?”
“Ah, ah. I don’t give information for free.”
I know what she’s going to ask for before she says it. “Fine. Take my hair.”
A gleeful giggle bubbles up from Astrid as she claps her hands. The metallic click of her shears follows, and she steps toward me. “Just six inches. This time, anyway. Maybe next time I’ll get more.”
I don’t care how much she cuts off, as long as she tells me where I can find Quinn. If she’s out in the Shadowlands by herself, she could be dead already. Time isn’t on my side.
“Lovely,” Astrid coos, picking up a lock of my hair. “Just lovely.”
“Don’t worry about how it looks,” I bark. “Just chop it and tell me.”
“Fine, fine.” She gathers my hair in her grip and cuts the bunch, then sits in her chair again. “Oh, this will be beautiful. I’ll weave your hair with hers. Isn’t that nice?”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I grit out. “Where. Is. Quinn?”
“Somewhere near, somewhere far, where she wished upon a star,” she sings. Rocking, rocking, rocking in her damn chair, like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
She’s toying with me. I never should’ve left Quinn in here alone. My knuckles crack as my hands form into tight fists.
“Damon. I’m going to kill your witch.”
Quinn
“LET GO,” I say. Well, I try to say it, but my words get smothered under beefy fingers. It doesn’t stop me from begging for my life, though. “Please, don’t hurt me. Kai? Torius? Please. Please!”
It could be either of them. Struggling is pointless. Whoever has me is strong.
Kirian was right. His men were plotting against him. They must’ve followed us instead of going to the citadel.
I could bite him, but that would require getting a taste of his disgusting skin. I want to gag just thinking about it.
Self-defense isn’t something I’ve ever been good at. When it comes to fight or flight, I’m one hundred percent the latter. Although, now I’m wishing I’d paid more attention in P.E. when we studied self-defense one semester my sophomore year.
I recall something about kicking an attacker in the shin and decide it’s better than doing nothing.
Blindly flailing, I bring my leg back. The heel of my tennis shoe connects with something, and the person’s leg buckles. When their hand slips away from my face, I suck in a breath.
I’m about to start screaming when suddenly, they release me completely. Disoriented, I sway on my feet.
I did it. I got away.
Before I can get too excited about my victory, strong hands push me from behind.
I’m falling.
Expecting to hit rock-hard ground, I instinctively close my eyes and bring my arms up to shield my face.
“Unnfff.” I land on a soft bed of weeds, and then there’s a light so bright it temporarily blinds me.
Also, it’s hot. Suffocating heat gets pulled into my lungs as I gasp for air.
Blinking, I look around through squinted eyelids.
“What the fuck?” I whisper.
I’m back in my field. In my world.
Digging my fingers into the dirt, I push myself up and look around.
I’m alone. The late afternoon sun is still high in the sky, just like it was when Kirian dragged me through the portal.
Disbelief pummels me as I turn in a circle. This can’t be. I’m not supposed to be here.
How did I get here?
Suddenly drenched in sweat, I strip off my extra layers. When I get down to the loose white cotton shirt, I unbutton the top so the breeze can get to my neck and chest, but I decide to leave it on. All I have under this is my bra. Not like it matters. No one would see me out here anyway.
But the shirt smells like Kirian, and it’s comforting.
Kirian.
Shit.
He’s still in Valora. Every minute that goes by here is hours there. He must be going crazy not knowing where I am. That is, if he’s okay.
Oh, please, please let him be okay.
I couldn’t bear it if something happened to him. If I never saw him again. If he died never knowing I’m the one. Tears well up and spill over my cheeks as I fall to my knees.
I refuse to think that way. I have to be positive.
He’s fine.
Forming the sweater, jacket, and fur coat into a pile, I make a comfortable place to sit. I’ll wait here. He’ll come for me. He always does.
But the seconds keep slipping away. I try to do the math, converting Earth time to Valora time, but it just makes my head hurt.
Picking at some grass, I cry as the sun sinks lower in the sky.
Mosquitos bite and cicadas sing. The breeze does nothing to cool me off in the August heat. Fluffy white clouds float by in the too-blue sky. I miss the stars.
An hour passes.
Then two.
Months. It’s been months there now.
Wiping at my damp cheeks, I swipe over the freckles I’ve hated for so long.
I don’t hate them anymore. They’re still unattractive, but they’re what connects me to Kirian. They’re proof that I’m his.
The faint tinkling of my mom’s bell signals dinnertime. She stopped doing that a year ago, but in this world, it’s still the day before I’m supposed to leave for college. To celebrate, my mom’s making my favorite meal. My parents want to give me a special send-off, and I’m going to have to act like everything’s fine. Like I
