The cool mountain breeze flowed across my skin, leaving a pleasant chill in its wake. I embraced the darkness of the beautiful night, casting a glance at my silent companion. Amara seemed comfortable in the open air. Both of us were creatures of the sky, content traveling in the back of the truck.
A hazy warm glow radiated from Amara, like a fire burned deep within her body. She smelled of charred things and a lovely woodsy smoke that reminded me of warm winter nights by the fireplace in Mother’s bedchamber. Thoughts of Mother sent my heart sinking like a stone. What has she been through because of me?
But I couldn’t think about home just yet. I needed a clear head to focus on the perilous journey in front of me. I’d traversed the bridge between the realms only once before, and it had nearly killed me.
A relic from before the ancient war that nearly destroyed my world, the bridge was once a beautiful structure, connecting each of the Nine Realms in a network of magical highways. Now only a fraction of it remained, a fragile, treacherous labyrinth linking the human world with what was left of the Nine Realms.
Once on the bridge, we would head north toward my home in Vahland Reach and never deviate from that course, no matter what lay along the path. To step in any other direction would spell imminent death to those brave—or foolish—enough to attempt the journey. In the centuries after the war, the bridge had taken on a life of its own, driven by the madness of those who died there. Now it was home to a fathomless, angry void that would do whatever it took to lead travelers astray.
Last time, my desperation drove me; this time, an overwhelming sense of failure would see me to the other side. I always believed I made a great sacrifice when I fled to the human world. I thought I was leaving my people in more capable hands. Instead, I’d left them to suffer, to believe I cared more about myself than my duty to them. That thought gutted me.
I glanced at the nearly full moon hanging just above the horizon. Dawn was only an hour away. Upon sunrise, we would have one day and a night to cross the bridge. Should we linger any longer in that dying place between the realms, the bridge would take us. The madness would slowly consume us until we wandered into the most dangerous parts of the bridge, never to be seen again.
Druan slowed the truck as we rambled down a winding road through the rural mountains along the Appalachian Trail. We were nearly to the entrance. I met Amara’s gaze in the dim light as the truck rolled to a stop on the side of the road.
“We’re on foot from here,” Druan announced as he slid out of the truck. Overgrown brush and vines nearly covered the dirt path that led forward. I climbed down from the truck bed and joined the others, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me.
No one was looking forward to this journey, and a still quiet settled over us as we hiked up the narrow path that led deeper into the mountains. The cave entrance was just ahead, one of many such places in the human world. A sense of wrongness vibrated in my bones with every step I took. The bridge had a way of warning off any who wandered too close. Even now, I fought the urge to backtrack to the main trail.
But I wasn't human, and I wasn't from this world. As I neared the cave, I felt it. Closing my eyes and tilting my head back, I let the pull of home wash over me. The power was strong here and it called to my Valkyrie, rippling just beneath my skin. Despite the tug, I still wasn't ready to leave this world behind. I loved my life here; as boring as some might think it was, it was mine. The life that waited for me at the other end of this journey was not one I had ever, or would ever, choose for myself.
"We're nearly there," Druan announced in the unnatural silence of the forest.
"We should wait until the sun has fully risen before we cross over." Vendela cast a wary glance behind us. "Our time on the bridge will begin at full sunrise. We must wait until then."
Druan nodded, continuing on the rocky path forward.
The cave entrance loomed overhead like the maw of some formidable creature waiting to consume everything that crossed its path. I hesitated. It would be ungodly cold on the bridge and I wasn't prepared for it. Glancing down at my ripped jeans, boots, and the “I Got This” t-shirt from Goodwill, I decided I definitely did not have this. Even with my worn leather jacket, I wasn’t going to make it to the other side without freezing to death.
"Don't worry, Princess," Druan said, his voice taking on his usual mocking, musical tone. “We have furs and supplies waiting for us at the gates."
I nodded, picking up the pace. Now that we were here, I was ready to get this over with. Dawn was fast approaching, and I didn't want to waste a minute of the time we had to make the perilous journey.
"Pick up the pace," Druan barked orders. “The clock is ticking." He was the first to enter the cave, shining a flashlight into the darkness ahead. Vendela, ever his shadow, followed directly behind. Fiske stuck close to my side, but I didn’t want—couldn’t—have him clinging to me the whole way. I jogged ahead to walk with Amara, letting Fiske fall behind.
I cast one final glance at the human world I'd grown to love. Despite my years of solitude, I had enjoyed my time here and the freedom it gave me, but I always knew an expiration date loomed over me.
Goodbye, Ben. Did you even know how much your friendship meant to me? You saved me in so many ways. I fought the threat of tears that burned my eyes. Leaving Ben behind killed something inside me. I let one tear fall as I thought about how badly he wanted to see Valsgard, and the loneliness he would suffer as the only one of his kind in a world that would never fully accept him.
“Dry your eyes, Princess.” Druan’s insults were grating on my nerves. “Vacation is over. It’s time to grow up and face your duty.”
I clenched my fists, dying to throw something at his arrogant face. “I get it, Druan, you think I’m a spoiled princess. But you don’t know me.” I wanted to shove him into a hole and leave him behind. “You don’t know the sacrifices I’ve made or how much this is killing me to leave, knowing what a mess I’ve made when all I ever wanted was to do the right thing. You can think whatever you want about me, but keep it to yourself.” I stomped past him and Vendela, grateful for Amara’s quiet strength as she kept pace with me.
“Sacrifice?” Druan snorted as though I had said something that truly offended him.
“Leave it, Druan,” Vendela warned, pulling him back.
As we ventured farther into the rocky cave, the walls closed in around us, funneling us toward the gate at the heart of the mountain. The temperature dropped dramatically, each step colder than the last until I shivered in the darkness.
“Stay close, everyone,” Druan said. “The gate is just ahead.”
A spark of light illuminated the cave, growing brighter as we approached. Supplies lay stacked along the cave wall, including a pile of furs they’d discarded on their journey here. I was grateful for the fur-lined cloak Fiske draped around my shoulders and the pack of provisions Vendela pressed into my hands.
“We all know the rules of the bridge, but let’s review them for Thea’s benefit in case she’s forgotten.” Druan couldn’t seem to resist hurling his thinly veiled insults my way whenever possible.
“I haven’t forgotten.” My whispered words came out in a white, vaporous cloud. No one who had made this journey could ever forget.
“Vendela will lead the way. Thea, you will travel with me. Amara and Fiske will bring up the rear.”
Great. I would rather travel with Amara, but the Berserker seemed to take a special interest in reminding me just how much of a failure I was.
“Those of you who can fly, shouldn’t bother trying it. The laws of nature inside the void do not allow flight. The air is too heavy and you will fall to your death if you’re lucky, or the void will take you if you aren’t. As soon as we enter, the darkness will engulf us, and the only thing that will keep us from peril is the pathway itself. Flashlights and torch light is of little use inside so don’t expect help of that sort because the shadows won’t tolerate light in their world.
“Keep a foot or handhold on the pathway whenever possible. It will anchor you. The creatures of the darkness will whisper to you, attempting to lure you off the northward trail. Don’t listen to the voices; they will drive you mad until you join them. If you stray, we will not come after you.” He gave Fiske a scathing look. “If you do get separated from the group, continue north no matter what lies in your way, and you will make it through, eventually. Keep walking no matter what. No sleeping. Stay warm and hydrated. Eat whenever you can, you will need the sustenance to keep your strength. You have water and dried meat in your packs, but you need to manage your resources to last. Any questions?”
I shook my head along with the others. The thirst and hunger I could handle. The fear, I would manage. But the pressure of that unholy darkness … it would test the boundaries of my sanity.