“Really?”
“Yeah. You sulked the entire time we were there for that tour.”
“Oh.” That was one of the days I missed being with Kirian because I was busy on the campus at the university an hour away. I’d hated knowing he was here, waiting for me.
“We’ve never been able to stop you from going your own way,” Mom adds, tipping her head toward the window. “You spent half your life out in those woods.”
“Have you thought about money?” Dad sounds concerned. “It can be expensive to see the world.”
“That’s not an issue,” I reply. “I’ve been saving my money from the ice cream shop for two years.” Also true. Not that my money will have any value where I’m going. Maybe I could donate it to the animal shelter or something. And here’s the big lie I’d thought up on my way back to the house. “I was thinking I could get a job on a cruise ship. Cleaning rooms, washing dishes, maybe scooping ice cream. It’d be a great way to get some income while doing what I want.”
Plus, it would explain why I might not be reachable by phone at all times.
“Well, listen, Quinn,” Dad starts. “You’re an adult. These decisions are yours to make. As long as you come back home every once in a while, we’ll be happy.”
“I will,” I promise. Hell, I could visit every day with Kirian’s portals.
Dad smiles. “We’ll hold onto your college fund until next year, and we can talk about it then. But if you still don’t want it, your mother and I are going on a vacation.”
Grinning, I nod. Mom and Dad deserve that.
Now that the conversation is out of the way, I feel lighter.
I shove another forkful of pasta into my mouth, and my response is garbled when I say, “Deal.”
Kirian
Back in the Shadowlands…
“Don’t have a hissy fit,” Astrid says lightly, as if I’m not two seconds away from snapping her neck. “Quinn is fine. She’s home.”
My eyebrows furrow. “Delaveria?”
“No. Her world.”
“How? Why?” My heart feels like it might cave in when I wonder if Quinn asked to be sent home. She wouldn’t have left me without a good reason. My fury returns, because there can only be one person to blame for this, and she’s rocking in that fucking chair like my world isn’t imploding. “What did you tell her to make her want to leave?”
“She didn’t want to leave.”
“Then why did she?”
“I said she went home, not that she wanted to.”
Fucking witches and their riddles. I think Damon can sense I’m about to lose it, because he intervenes.
“How did she get there, Astrid?”
“Ah, ah—”
“No way. Come on,” Damon practically whines. “Most of my hair got burnt off in the explosion. Just tell us. Please?”
“Oh, all right. Only because I like you.”
“Thank you.” There’s a smile in my cousin’s voice, like he knew she’d give in to his charm.
Astrid directs her next words at me. “Someone sent her back through a portal.”
“Who?”
“Someone you trust.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. “Did you give them the portal?”
“No,” she scoffs. “I like Quinn. I wouldn’t do that to her.”
“Where would someone get a portal?” I ask, more to myself than anyone else, but surprisingly, Astrid answers without hesitation.
“The same witches who cursed you.”
That information only produces more questions. The coven has been untraceable for centuries. Why would they resurface now?
It doesn’t matter. I know where Quinn is, and I have to get to her.
“I need a portal. Can you do that for me, Astrid? I’ll give you all my hair.” I’d give her a lot more than that if she could help me. Gold. Stardust. A position on the royal council.
“I don’t just have one on hand. You know how long it takes to grow a portal,” she replies, her voice soft and pitying.
I do know. Six months to a year, depending on how powerful the maker is.
That feels like forever.
Groping for the chair near me, I slump into the seat as desperation weighs down on me.
I thought the waiting was over. Quinn and I were going to get to be together, always.
We were so close to getting everything we’ve ever wanted.
What if she leaves for college like she’d originally planned? What if I go to the field and she’s not there?
“No chance of that,” Astrid says, clearly reading my mind. “When you go to her, she’ll be waiting.”
“Thank you.” My tone is defeated, but there’s a glimmer of hope. Astrid’s powerful. Probably the most powerful witch I’ve ever met in person. I can feel it emanating from her in waves. If anyone can grow a portal in record time, it’s her. “What do you need from me to make this happen?”
Quinn
My finger moves over the mouse pad, and I click the last button. It’s done. I’ve canceled my classes. Going all-in with the lie, I even looked up a few cruise ships that are hiring, filled out job applications, and printed the info for my parents.
I scatter the papers out on my white desk and think about what I’d like to take with me to the Night Realm. This time, I’ll be prepared.
Closing the laptop, I glance out my bedroom window.
The sun has fully set now. The stars are out, but it’s not the same. They’re too dim. Too far away.
Not as good as the Night Realm.
My new home.
I wish I could take back everything I said this morning about how I didn’t want to go to Delaveria. Honestly, I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with Kirian. I’ll endure snide remarks and insults. I won’t wither under the scrutiny of anyone with my king by my side.
I’ll hold my head high.
After digging around in my closet, I find a small duffle bag. It’ll do. My dresser drawers creak as I open them, and I grab handfuls of cotton panties, a few T-shirts, and some skinny jeans. Some socks and a couple bras join the
