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As fate would have it, the friends were lucky Asher set off precisely when he did. He came back a few hours later, dragging the most unlikely thing possible—a full-sized elk and enough firewood to last the night.
It was roasting over a fire when they opened their eyes the next morning.
“...what?”
Evie blinked sleepily, then sat up in a rush when she saw the flames. Her first thought was that the ghost of that undead leopard had come back to haunt them. But then she saw the vampire sitting calmly on the other side, stoking the shimmering coals.
“Breakfast?” he asked gallantly, offering a stick of meat.
The word itself was enough to rouse the others. No matter how strong the will, five bites of rabbit had not been enough to sustain their arctic quest. Their eyes glazed over then widened in sheer astonishment when they saw the feast, unable to believe such a thing was real.
“When did this happen?” Ellanden asked in amazement, shakily pushing upright. It was unlikely such an excursion would happen without him, but the fae had blacked out the moment the sun went down just like the rest. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you needed to rest,” Asher said calmly, placing a stick of meat into his hands.
Not a stick, Evie realized. A pole.
The vampire had found a use for the capsized tent.
She stared down for only a moment before tearing into it with her teeth. Already the image around her was steadying. Already her head was beginning to clear. On the other side of the flames the girls were sitting up slowly, half-convinced the whole thing was a dream.
“Is that an elk?” Cosette asked in a childlike voice, blinking in a daze. “A whole elk?”
“Just half,” Asher teased with a brotherly wink. “I let the other half go.”
She stared up at him, unable to tell if he was joking, until he chuckled and pressed a piece of meat into her hand. A few feet away Ellanden was tearing into a stick of his own, oblivious to the fact that half of it was still smoking, closing his eyes in a moment of unspeakable relief.
“Asher, this is...” He pulled in a deep breath, feeling his strength begin to return. “Would it be strange if I kissed you?”
The vampire grinned, passing off a stick to Freya. “Not at all. I would welcome it.”
The others burst out laughing, feeling as though they’d come back to life.
For the first time in longer than Evie cared to remember, she could feel the tips of her fingers. If she focused very hard, she could even feel the tips of her toes.
“That’s all it takes, huh?” Freya asked between mouthfuls. “A few bites of breakfast?”
Ellanden leaned back in the snow, waving the stick with a grin. “What can I say? I’m an easy date.”
“A notoriously easy date,” Cosette added sharply, throwing her friend a quick look. “So say half the girls in the Five Kingdoms.”
He shrugged it off dismissively. “Silence, child. My heart belongs to the vampire.”
Evie tuned them out with relative ease, focused only on devouring everything that was put in front of her. In the backs of their minds each of the friends knew that they should be careful, that they should be rationing. There was no way to tell how much further they had to go, and they didn’t want to risk running out of food a second time. But it was bad enough explaining such a thing to regular teenagers. Let alone teenagers who’d been half-starved on an alpine plain.
“How are we going to carry the stuff we dry?” Cosette asked after a few more minutes of the friends glutting themselves beside the fire. “It’s not like we have a pack.”
Freya glanced possessively at the carcass, still roasting over the fire. “If you think there’s going to be anything left, then you’ve seriously underestimated what’s going to happen here today.”
Ellanden chuckled, but pushed to his feet. “No, she’s right. We should definitely save the rest.” He kicked some snow over the bulk of the fire, reducing the rest to coals. “What about you, Ash? Did you get enough?”
The vampire pulled the container from his pocket, newly filled to the brim.
“I’ll be fine for a few more days. After that, I’ll start taking volunteers.”
The others chuckled, pushing to their feet, but the princess turned to him curiously.
“Who would you pick?”
Not who would you prefer. Everyone knew the blood of the Fae called to vampires above all others. But that fact alone took them out of the running, leaving only her and the witch.
Freya looked up with interest, while Asher shifted uncomfortably.
“I don’t...” He slipped the container back into his pocket, looking sorry to have brought it up. “I wouldn’t pick anyone, Evie. It was a stupid joke.”
Stupid joke or not, she found herself highly invested in the answer. “But it’s not a preposterous question,” she insisted, flashing a light-hearted grin as the witch came to stand by her side. “Surely you must have thought about it.”
He shot her a quick glance, then shook his head. “I really haven’t—”
“Oh, come on,” Freya interrupted, folding her arms with a mischievous grin. “If we’re up here another week and there’s no more blood, you’re going to have to feed off somebody. Don’t vampires go kind of crazy if they’re deprived of blood for too long?”
Ellanden tensed with an involuntary flashback before slicing the head off the elk with a quick flick of his blade. “Okay, this has officially stopped being fun...”
“It never was,” Asher said crossly. “It isn’t some kind of joke—”
“I’m not asking as a joke,” the princess said evenly. “I’m asking because it’s a question that affects all of us. If that moment arrives, which isn’t at all unlikely, we need to have a plan.”
The others paused what they were doing for the first time, glancing over with a hint of surprise. They’d assumed she was merely pestering him, seizing upon one of their collective favorite pastimes of ‘trying to make the vampire blush’. They hadn’t thought for a moment there might be a purpose to her questions. That she might actually be right.
Even Asher paused, staring with an emotion that was hard to understand. When it became clear the silence wasn’t going to resolve itself, he lifted his chin with a slightly angry expression.
“Well, I suppose I’d choose you.”
Freya scoffed as though she’d lost a bet, then went to help the others. While Evie took a step closer, feeling a hint of that same anger stirring deep inside.
“Yes? And why is that?” she demanded, lowering her voice so only he could hear. “Because you’ve done it before?”
Ellanden shot them a discreet glance, while the vampire turned white as a sheet.
“Why would you say that?” he asked incredulously, every bit of anger vanishing.
She came to a sudden pause, realizing she might have gone too far. But if there were no lines between them, then there were no lines to cross. She recovered herself quickly.
“In the mine shaft,” she said lightly, frowning as if confused as to why he’d misunderstood. “You didn’t have a problem doing it then. Is that why it would be easier for you to do it now?”
She thought he was going to answer, but he just stared down at her in shock. Then, before she could speak again, he grabbed her by the wrist—pulling her away from the others into the snow. She scrambled after, trying to keep up, wondering if there were lines to cross after all.
The second they were truly alone, he came to an abrupt stop—whirling around to look her in the eyes. But the sight seemed to derail him and he floundered a few seconds more.
“You think it would be easy for me?” he demanded softly. “To drink your blood, to take something like that from you...you think it would be easy?”
Something about his tone caught her off guard.
She’d been expecting anger or exasperation, or quite possibly he’d rip off her bandages and leave her there in the snow. But the vampire had done something far worse. He was hurt.
She took a step back, cringing in shame. “No, of course not. I just...”
A freezing silence swept over them. She slowly lifted her eyes.
“Asher...something happened between us. Something happened that night in the snow.”
This time it wasn’t a question. Perhaps a part of her had known it all along.
Now it was he who took a step back. His hands were trembling, though he didn’t seem to notice. His head was shaking back and forth as well. He glanced back at the others, as if suddenly regretting the distance, before raking back his hair with that same feverish look in his eyes.
“No, I already told you—”
“You lied,” she insisted quietly, staring up at him. “You looked me in the face and lied.”
That alone should have made more of an impact. It was something the three of them had vowed never to do. Her, Asher, and Ellanden. They told the truth to each other. Always.
But his bold deception paled in the light of what it implied.
“My blood splashed into your face,” she said softly, freezing with sudden understanding as the memory cleared in her mind. “You were standing across from me when the beast struck. It was nothing you did. It was nothing I did. But my blood...you tasted it.”
The vampire was breathing very quickly, but it didn’t look like he was getting any air. The endless tundra suddenly seemed a very small place as the edges closed in around him.
“Everly, I would never...” He trailed off, shaken to the core. “What I mean to say is...I could never just—”
“Are we bonded?”
The question rang out between them. The quietest one yet, almost an afterthought, tagged onto the end of the conversation. But it was the most important one of all.
Whatever color remained suddenly left his face. The man staring back at her was a ghost, one who bore only a passing resemblance to her handsome childhood friend.
“Is that what this is?” she whispered, staring up at him. “Is that what this feeling is?”
He took a step back. Then another. But he could go no further, because she was suddenly holding on to his hands. He glanced down at their fingers, tightly intertwined, then lifted his eyes—
—and froze.
“Asher?”
It was quiet for a few seconds. Then for a few seconds more. Eventually the princess lifted her hand and waved it in front of the vampire’s face, worried he was having some kind of fit.
“Okay—seriously? Are you just going to stand there and look at me?”
But Asher wasn’t looking at her. His eyes had drifted a few inches above her head—gazing back across the snowy plain. There was a suspended moment when nothing happened. His lips parted and he squinted slightly, trying to make sense of it all.
Then his face cleared with a look of sudden understanding.
...and sudden dread.
“Evie.”
She turned around slowly, without having the faintest idea what she might find.
Nothing could be worse than what came before. A spectral leopard charging straight towards them was pretty much as bad as things got. But the second she turned, she found herself mistaken. It was one thing to fend off one of the nightmarish animals.
It was another to fend off the entire pack.
“Seven hells...”
She took a step back—stumbled, really. The ground had started shaking and it was no longer possible to stand. A stone’s throw away, the others were slowly getting to their feet. Trying to keep their balance, frozen when they should be running, looking like they couldn’t believe their eyes.
It wasn’t one leopard—it was nine.
Each was the same size as the one they’d killed before. Each was just as strong, just as angry. Each was barreling straight towards them, their eyes glowing with the distant light of the fire.
The five friends stood there for a moment, unable to do anything more than stare.
“A whole pack of them, huh?” Cosette took a step back, barely breathing. As the animals charged forward, she handed Freya a knife. “I told you it wasn’t funny...”
* * *
THERE WAS NO FIGHTING such a thing...the only option was to run.
Without a backward glance the five friends began sprinting in the opposite direction, tearing as fast as they could across the frozen plain. There was no hesitation, no clear plan. Only the knowledge that if they didn’t keep moving they would not survive.
We’re not going to survive anyway. Evie tried to erase the thought as she flew with the others in a mind-numbing panic. They’re too fast. Much faster than we are.
It was a massive understatement.
With a single bound the leopards shot across the tundra, crossing distances that would take each of the friends much longer. Their weight anchored them and their fierce claws dug into the icy bank with traction that allowed for both speed and precision. In contrast the young companions were locked in a clumsy sprint, toiling away over a landscape that seemed constantly determined to thwart them. Catching their shoes and dipping in sudden rivets that sent them sprawling away.
Evie sucked in a breath and cast a terrified glance behind her. It was all she could do not to scream out loud. The animals were much closer than she’d expected. Their only saving grace was that they’d become momentarily distracted by the meat still smoking at the camp.
“We’re not going to make it,” she panted, even as they put on a burst of speed. “They’re coming up too fast. We need a plan—”
But even as she said the words the ground gave out beneath her, and she tumbled forward with a scream. The vampire and witch were falling beside her. Even the eternally graceful fae had lost balance and were spinning head over heels with a shout.
It seemed that the barren landscape was not as flat and endless as it had appeared. Without a bit of warning, the ice had vanished—angling down in a steep cliff.
“Keep holding on to it!” Ellanden shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the wind rushing in their ears. “Don’t lose your grip!”
Good advice. And quite possibly the only thing that saved them.
To let go and fly forward at this height would be suicide. The only option was to stay grounded as much as possible and turn the dangerous fall into a kind of slide.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely successful.
“Help!”
There was a little shriek as Freya’s hands were knocked loose and she went tumbling backwards, hair flying around her in a manic cloud. Her hands and feet were everywhere, scrambling for any kind of foothold, but she was steadily angling farther away—no longer able to reach the cliff.
Ellanden glanced behind him, then let out a quiet curse. With one hand still raking into the icy wall he reached out as far as he could, trying to grab hold of her flapping cloak.
“Take my hand!” he shouted.
She pried her eyes open, flailing around in a panic. He was only a few inches away, but she was too disoriented to see it. That frenzy had taken hold and they had only seconds to spare.
“Freya,” he called again, but even though he was shouting at the top of his lungs there was something strangely calming about his voice. “Open your eyes...and take my hand.”
She forced them open again, but this time she knew exactly what she was looking for. Their gazes locked for a split second before she thrust her arm out as far as she could and caught his fingers.
Not a second later, the ice suddenly leveled and the friends went spilling onto the ground.
Evie struck her head against something hard, then rolled to a violent stop—blinking away stars and black spots from her vision. There was something different about where they landed, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. At any rate, there was a more pressing issue on her mind.
“Freya!” she gasped, scrambling forward only to come to an abrupt stop.
No part of the girl was visible, only the tips of her shoes. The rest was hidden in the circle of Ellanden’s arms, held just inches above the ground as he hovered over her.
But those tiny ankles, those tiny shoes...they weren’t moving.
Holy crap.
She crawled forward, too scared to pull in a breath. “Is she...?”
She couldn’t bear to finish the sentence. Cosette couldn’t even bear to look. She was lying a few feet away from them, preemptive tears spilling down her face.
Ellanden was rigid as a statue. He might have grabbed the girl, it might have even been in time, but he was too scared to look. His arms simply tightened as he clutched her to his chest.
“I don’t know,” he stammered, still cradling her as gently as a doll. “I don’t know if she...”
There was a moment when nothing happened.
Then a weak fist pounded against his chest.
“...you’re smothering me...”
The fae let out a gasp, and Cosette lifted her head in amazement.
With the utmost care Ellanden loosened his grip, peering breathlessly down at the witch’s lovely face. “You made it.”
Her lips twitched up in a crooked grin. “You caught me.”
They stared at each other for a split second, then Cosette tackled her from behind.
“Don’t you ever do that again!” she threatened, hitting the girl in the chest. “Do you hear me?! Not ever, Freya! I mean it!”
The witch slapped her away, then stared in utter amazement at her face. “...were you crying?”
The fae punched her again. “Shut up!”
There was every chance that the argument would have gone much further, if Evie hadn’t realized at that very moment what was so different about where they’d happened to land.
There wasn’t ice. There was mud.
“Guys...?”
She lifted her hands slowly, seeing the dark smears across her skin. But the mud was only the half of it. Still blinking away the last of a concussion, she stared around in a daze.
The snow bank had vanished, the tundra a thing of the past. The icy cliffs had apparently served as some kind of barrier, and second they dropped to the bottom they found themselves in a completely different world.
We did it...we made it over the peaks.
Even though the princess had no idea where they technically were, it felt a great deal like coming home. They were in the middle of a muddy clearing, one bordered on all sides by spindly-looking trees. Farther down the mount those trees thickened into the lush evergreens she was used to, though they grew in odd clumps with wide natural trails in between.
Patches of wildflowers dotted the grass, and somewhere in the distance she heard the sound of a bubbling stream. After where they’d just been, it was absolutely perfect.
There was just one little problem.
“They can’t get down here, right?”
Evie jumped in her skin at Cosette’s rigid tone, then followed her gaze up to the peak of the icy mountain where the pack of monstrous leopards was peering over the edge. The urge to play dead was unbelievable. The urge to run was even stronger than that. But the five friends stared up at them in silence, waiting to see what would happen next.
“...I don’t see how they could,” Asher answered tentatively, hoping very much that he was right. “This clearly isn’t their territory anymore, and that’s a long way—”
The gang pulled in a collective breath.
“—down.”
Yes, they very much could climb down the mountain.
And they were doing it right now.
“Run!”
The friends scrambled back to their feet, then took off sprinting with all their might. This time there was a new sense of urgency to it. Perhaps because each one of them felt like there was an actual chance they could make it, a chance they could lose the pack in the trees.
Without the slick ice or the deceptive snow bank to hinder them, they flew with unparalleled speed into the forest. So much adrenaline pumping through their veins, it was a miracle their feet even touched the ground. The princess sprang from one foot to another, jumping fallen tree trunks and leaping over the stream—feeling as though she was just seconds from taking flight.
And then, all at once...the forest disappeared.
With a gasp of dismay, the friends found themselves in another clearing—one that looked bizarrely similar to the first. It was bordered on all sides by tall sycamores and massive outcroppings of boulders, with the only exit leading right back out into a wide field of open grass.
A field that would provide absolutely no cover once they were inside.
“Go back the way we came,” Ellanden panted, still holding tight to Freya’s hand. “There’s a chance there was another way down and we just missed it—”
But it was already too late. No sooner had he said the words than there was a feral snarl from deep inside the forest. A second later, the pack of leopards stalked out of the trees.
This is it...we’re dead.
The friends clustered instinctively together, knowing there was no way to fight. No way to hide. They watched as the giant cats formed a loose crescent in front of them, seeing no need to close ranks. It was the easiest prey they’d ever encountered. There was no way it would escape.
It had been hard to see from a distance, but the princess saw now they were exactly like the one she had killed. Not only in size and strength, but that they didn’t look entirely alive. Huge chunks of flesh had been torn right out of them. When the one in the center swung its massive head, she could see the pump of shadowy blood racing through its neck.
A vague part of her wondered what could have possibly inflicted such damage. Perhaps they’d done it to each other, or quarreled with a rival pack.
...does it matter?
She cringed backwards until she found herself pressed against Asher’s chest. She felt the quick rise and fall of each breath. And something else, pounding lightly at the base of her neck.
Turns out vampires have a heartbeat after all.
She spun around. Half out of fear, half out of surprise. Mostly because didn’t want those horrifying snarling faces to be the last thing she saw before she died.
She’d rather it was him. She’d always wanted it to be him.
“Asher, I—”
“Yes...we’re bonded.”
Her lips parted as she stared into those dark eyes. Even now, just seconds away from their inevitable demise, they were still sparkling.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “It wasn’t my intention—”
She pressed a finger over his lips, surprising them both with a smile. “It’s okay. I’m glad we are.”
There was a violent impact behind her as the beast in front took a step forward, lowering its head to the ground with an anticipatory snarl. It occurred to her vaguely that she was the person standing closest, that the monster would inevitably come at her first.
But it didn’t matter. None of it mattered.
Their fate was sealed and all that was left was to savor these final moments, looking into the eyes of a boy she suddenly realized she could have loved.
“I never thought it would end this way,” she whispered, reaching out blindly to squeeze Ellanden’s hand.
The fae was standing close beside them, clutching a girl under each arm, staring up at the skeletal pack with a strangely peaceful look on his face.
“I never thought it would end at all,” Asher murmured, smoothing back a lock of her hair with a gentle smile. “The rules for a vampire are pretty clear on that.”
“You know, you’re so much more than just a vampire,” she breathed, stepping even closer so they were pressed skin to skin. “You’ve never seen it, but you are.” Her eyes tightened with a wistful sadness, one that ached in her very heart. “...you’re the best man I know.”
His eyes flashed up suddenly and his body tensed.
“Evie—”
She shook her head, pressing a finger over his lips. She knew it was coming. She didn’t want to hear it. All she wanted were these final seconds, a chance to say these final words.
“At the end, in this moment...I’m glad to have bonded with someone like you.”
His lips parted as his face brightened with a look of true happiness, one that shone through everything around it, every other thought vanishing. Their eyes locked and she felt like she could have lived and died in that moment. No need for immortal eternities. A single moment was enough.
Then she felt the creature’s hot breath on the back of her neck.
“Just look at me,” Asher said suddenly, holding her captive with that hypnotic gaze. “No matter what happens, just keep your eyes on me.”
She nodded quickly, trembling from head to toe. “I’m scared,” she whispered. “I don’t know what comes next—”
He cupped the sides of her face, staring deep into her eyes. “I’ll find you.”
There was a swish of air as the creature reared up behind her. Her body tensed then relaxed as she stared into the vampire’s eyes. Then the world exploded and the ground flew out beneath her.
The princess closed her eyes.
The world went black.
* * *
WHEN YOU’RE THE CHILD of two immortals, you don’t spend time thinking about things that preoccupy the rest of humanity. Mainly—is there an afterlife?
The princess had considered it once or twice. She’d had a dark moment in the castle nursery where Ellanden had explained the concept of karma and convinced her that she’d be spending the rest of eternity in the darkest pits of hell. But after Michael and Petra had basically assured her family that the entire lot of them had been gifted with immortality after taking up the prophesized gem, any fears or questions had slipped entirely from her mind.
She was occupied with the present. Obsessed with the idea of living in the moment. It was a youthful short-sightedness that had tripped her up more than a few times.
But if she had to guess about the afterlife, she’d imagine it was very much like what she’d read about in stories. An eternal family reunion, everyone bathed in haloes of golden light.
She would not have suspected it included mud.
For the second time that morning, Evie slowly got to her feet—prying herself out of the brackish puddle that had ensnared her. Her fiery hair dripped in tangled globs around her, and while she couldn’t know for certain she suspected there was a great deal more smeared across her face.
She blinked quickly, then spat a tiny pebble onto the ground.
Ellanden was right...karma.
“Everly?!”
Speak of the devil.
The princess lifted her head just as the fae slammed into her, grabbing her tightly around the waist and spinning her though the air. While she’d landed in what appeared to be the only mud puddle in the forest, the prince had come down in what looked like a bed of flowers—as evidenced by the shredded bits of daisies still strewn through his ivory hair.
She stared at it for a moment, then plucked one out with a little frown.
“...typical.”
“What?” He set her down quickly, holding on to her upper arms. “Evie, are you all right? You were the last one—we couldn’t find you!”
...the last one?
She peered up at him, confused by the panic shining in his eyes.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to be like that here,” she mumbled, trying to take a step before falling straight back into his arms. “You’re supposed be all peaceful and meditative and stuff.” A strand of filthy hair whipped across her face. “I also didn’t think there was mud...”
The fae shook his head incredulously, setting her back on her feet. “What are you talking about? Come on, we’ve got to get back—”
“Landi!” A familiar voice called out from the distance, working its way towards them through the trees. “Did you find her? Tell me that you...”
Asher blurred to a sudden stop, tears of panic shining in his eyes.
“...found her.”
The vampire and the princess stared at each other for a moment before crashing together in the middle of the lawn. Rather, he crashed into her. She was still trying to get her bearings, staring up at his face in a state of dreamlike surprise.
“Why are you so surprised?” she asked, slightly offended. “You didn’t think I’d be here?”
As she asked the question both Freya and Cosette stumbled out of the woods, holding on to each other for balance, both unfairly clean.
“You thought everyone else would have made it here, but I’d get sent somewhere else?”
Asher shook his head in confusion, then glanced at the fae for help.
“I have no idea,” Ellanden said shortly. “The girl’s always been slightly deranged.”
The vampire let out a bark of laughter, then pulled her tight to his chest. Ignoring the mud and her faint protests, ignoring the fact that he was holding her several inches off the ground.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “You’re here. You’re alive.”
Alive?
“Wait a second...” She pulled away from him, awakening to a rather obvious truth for the first time. “...we’re not dead?”
The men shared a glance, then Ellanden threw his hands up and left.
“You are the most theatrical person I know.”
She stared after him with her mouth agape before turning back to Asher. “I’m serious,” she stammered, tears pouring down her cheeks, “...we’re not dead?”
He took a step closer, wiping a smear of dirt from beneath her eyes.
“We happen to be very much alive.”
* * *
NONE OF THE FRIENDS was sure how it happened. The most any of them could remember was the same blurry thing. The leopard in front had lunged at the princess. The vampire had swiftly thrown himself in between. There was a blinding collision followed by an earth-shattering shout...
...and then they woke up in the forest.
“But I don’t understand,” Evie gasped for the tenth time. “How are you guys okay with the fact that we just don’t know? What if it’s some kind of curse—”
“—a curse that saved our lives?” Ellanden interrupted impatiently. “A curse that literally snatched us from the jaws of death before depositing us by an alpine lake?” He glanced swiftly at the others before marching into the trees. “I’ll take the curse.”
Left with no options and even fewer answers, the others hurried along behind him. Running their hands occasionally up and down their bodies, making sure that everything was still there.
Evie and Asher walked side by side. Not talking, not even looking at each other. But there was never more than a few inches between them. After a few seconds, he shyly took her hand.
“Landi, where are you going?” Cosette called breathlessly, struggling to keep up with his long strides. “Evie’s right, shouldn’t we take a second and talk about this?”
“There isn’t time,” the fae called over his shoulder. “By some miracle, the fates chose to spare us and I’m not wasting another second.” He glanced quickly to the right and left before leaping out of the trees and onto a forest trail. “And to answer your question, I’m looking for some kind of landmark to figure out where we are. The second I find it, we’re going to choose the fastest path to the Dunes and fulfill this prophecy once and for all.”
His enthusiasm was catching, but the others stopped in their tracks—unable to help thinking that it was a little nuts as well. He turned around slowly, looking them up and down.
“Look,” he began in a far more demure voice, “how many times did our parents find themselves in situations like this? How many times were they snatched from the jaws of death by forces too complicated for them to understand? We have a quest to complete. A sacred mission.” His lips curved in a hopeful smile. “Now, who’s with me?”
The others stared in silence, too shell-shocked to even speak. But the longer they stood there the more it began to sink in, and the more they began to think the fae was right.
Who were they to challenge a gift from the heavens? The answers they so desperately wanted would surely present themselves in due course. But in the meantime the realm was on the verge of crumbling, an ancient darkness was spilling into the land, and they’d been given a second chance to stop it all from happening. It wasn’t a chance they were going to waste.
Just a second later, they were following him through the trees.
Not seeing that the lake was actually a fountain.
Not seeing that the path was actually a garden trail.
And not realizing that, while they might have been alive...they weren’t going anywhere.
THE END
