“It’s done.” Astrid packs up her dishes and a few books, dumping them into a burlap sack as she bustles around the room. “Princess Gia will be tied to the Shadowlands for as long as she lives.”
Walking over to Kirian and me, she scoops a handful of nothing out of her pocket. She blows whatever it is onto our faces before sprinkling it on herself.
“This will make it so you can see through the darkness. We’ll have to hurry to the Dream Realm.” Hoisting her bag of belongings over one shoulder, Astrid glances back at her rocking chair. “I guess I can leave that for the princess.” As she walks by Damon, she adds, “You better have a nice room for me.”
“You can have your own suite,” he says, following behind her as he adjusts his hold on the rugs. “Take my parents’ room. It’s not like they’re using it.”
Continuing to discuss the details of Astrid’s new living situation, they disappear through the rock wall.
Right before we’re about to duck through the doorway, Kirian turns back to look at Gia one last time.
I squeeze his hand. “Does it help to know she didn’t seek out the witches? That they came to her?”
“No. It doesn’t matter how it started. The end result is still the same. Gia cared for power more than anything. More than her kingdom, more than her family. Now she has nothing.” Shaking his head, he quietly adds, “May the shadows be merciful on you, sister.”
Not bothering with the carrier, he picks me up. One arm supports my back and the other is under my knees. Looping my arms around his neck, I hide my face against his chest as he surges forward into the darkness.
And then we’re running.
Well, he’s running. I’m just hanging on for dear life while being jostled around. My eyes are shut, but then I remember we’re supposed to be able to see with Astrid’s help.
I’m not sure if I should look. Maybe I don’t want to know what dangers lurk here.
Oh, hell. Who am I kidding? I can’t resist.
I peek through one eye.
Everything is illuminated around us, but it’s not a natural kind of light. There’s a murky green tint to everything, as if we’re wearing night vision goggles.
The cavern is bigger than I thought it’d be. It’s probably the width of a football field, and every fifty feet or so, there are wide cracks in the walls. Slitted eyes glow from the shadows inside, and I see the glint of sharp teeth.
When we pass a dead tree with bats hanging from the branches, Kirian’s legs pump faster. The creatures take flight, swarming overhead.
Peering over his shoulder, I look behind us. A scream lodges in my throat when I see a man with a boar’s head standing in the middle of the cavern. Watching us, his tusks glisten with saliva and his eyes are an unnatural yellow.
Welp. There’s a reason why people can’t see in the Shadowlands—because it’s fucking terrifying.
Deciding I’ve had enough, I close my eyes and bury my face by Kirian’s neck while silently praying we make it out alive.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take long.
Kirian dodges to the left, probably avoiding something awful, and the toe of my shoe scrapes against something rough. The canal is narrowing toward the exit.
The air changes, going from oppressively stagnant to a refreshingly cool breeze.
I breathe out a sigh of relief when I look up and see the night sky.
We’re in the Dream Realm.
Just as Kirian sets me on my feet, we hear a blood curdling scream full of rage from inside the Shadowlands. The ground shakes and a flock of birds squawk as they take flight from a nearby tree.
Gia’s awake.
“Right on time,” Damon announces. Panting from exertion, he sets the load he was carrying on the ground.
“Well, what now?” I ask Kirian.
“Back to Delaveria,” he replies, urgency in his tone.
Damon faces us. “Kirian, I’ll need to get Astrid settled. I want to help you with everything that’s going on, but…”
“Your mate,” Kirian finishes for him. “You want to find her.”
He nods. “The sooner, the better. After what Astrid said… my mate could be in danger. I want to search the human realm. Now that I know it’s possible to find her there, that’s where I’ll look.”
“I wish you luck.” Kirian holds out a hand, and Damon shakes it.
“You’ll still come to our wedding, right?” Hopeful, I clasp my hands together. “It probably won’t be for a while. We can’t have the ceremony until the Night Realm is back to normal.”
Damon grins. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Me either,” Astrid chimes in.
I smile at my friends. And that’s what they are. Real friends.
We say our goodbyes to the Dream Realm king and the witch, and they walk leisurely together on the path to Damon’s castle. Astrid laughs at something he says.
Those two have an odd dynamic, but it works. I’m glad they have each other.
My gaze moves to Kirian, and I catch him staring at me. “You okay?”
Blinking, he shakes his head, like he hadn’t even realized he was gawking.
I love it when he does that.
“How could I not be? You’re safe and we’re together.” His arms circle me. “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are? I’ll never get tired of looking at you.”
“Even when I’m old and wrinkly? It’ll happen someday, you know.”
“And I’ll be right there with you. Fae age, too—just very slowly. But now that you’re here, your ears will get pointy and you might grow wings. In time, you’ll become fae just like the rest of us.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Will I develop powers?”
Kirian pauses. “You know, usually, the humans who change into fae don’t. But since you have fae blood in you, maybe.”
“I could be like a superhero.” I grin. “How cool is that?”
“Well, if the hairs on the back of your neck start to stand
