Twilight was settling across the land as Lexi and Sahira stood before the growing shadows spreading throughout the forest across from them. It had taken them an hour to reach the designated entrance to the Gloaming, and Lexi clutched the invitation that would grant them passage like it was a life preserver in a storm-tossed sea.
Around her, half a dozen other immortals talked excitedly about what was to come, but Lexi couldn’t join in their enthusiasm. She was too nervous.
It had been a week since the invitation arrived. In that time, Sahira had managed to barter enough of her potions in the marketplace near their home to purchase two gowns for them.
Her aunt then spent the next couple of days getting those dresses to fit properly and adding special touches to them. They were some of the most beautiful creations Lexi had ever seen, but the exquisite gown only made Lexi feel more out of place. She’d never worn anything like it before.
The other immortals and her aunt were all at ease in their fancy clothes while she felt like an imposter. They were also all excited about traveling to the Gloaming, and she couldn’t help wondering if she would be allowed to make the journey.
Maybe the invite was sent to them by accident. Her dad did fight for the Lord, but she and Sahira were both half vampire, and vampires weren’t exactly welcome in the Shadow Realms. Neither were humans.
When the time came, would they try to enter the Gloaming only to be bounced back or, worse, destroyed?
She tugged at the collar of her dress as the possibility caused a sheen of sweat to dampen her skin.
Trying to distract herself from the risk of impending death, Lexi studied the two dark fae standing at the edge of the woods. They wore only loose-fitting brown pants; their chests and feet were bare. Like all purebred dark fae, they had black hair, black eyes, pointed ears, and lithe builds.
The shadows swallowed them until they flickered in and out of the spreading darkness created by the setting sun. However, the dark fae were known to be a part of the shadows.
From her distance of ten feet, she sensed their power, yet their ciphers didn’t go past the middle of their biceps. She’d only encountered a couple of dark fae before, but she knew those black markings indicated the amount of power they possessed.
They said the dark fae king and his sons possessed ciphers that extended to their wrists. The oldest supposedly had ciphers to the tips of his fingers, like the king.
Unable to stop herself, Lexi tugged at the collar of her gown again as the sun vanished. There was a moment when the entire world held its breath as the last of the sun’s rays stretched across the sky. Then the shimmering, deep purple entrance to the Gloaming came into view.
Sahira clasped Lexi’s arm and practically jumped up and down in excitement. Lexi tried not to gawk as the doorway shifted from deep purple to black and back again. The dark fae standing beside it stepped away from the trees and waved their arms toward the portal.
Lexi gulped and grasped Sahira’s hand on her arm. Her aunt was stunning in her maroon gown. Twisted into an elaborate coil, her mahogany hair hung against her nape, and black eyeliner emphasized the striking color of her amber eyes.
Most days, Sahira wore jeans and T-shirts like her. She kept her hair in a bun and eschewed makeup until she looked more like a librarian than the half witch, half vampire she was. Now, she’d embraced the roll of ball attendee.
“It’s okay,” Sahira whispered.
“What if the portal doesn’t let us enter? Vampires were banished to the mortal realm centuries ago.”
“It will let us enter, and if it doesn’t, then I’ll be stuck here with you, but we’re invited.”
“That might have been a mistake.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Vampires aren’t welcome in the Shadow Realms.”
“We have an invite, and vampires aren’t welcome to stay. They can travel through with permission, which we have. Come on, everything is going to be fine.”
Lexi wanted to believe her, but her feet remained planted firmly in place.
Sahira tugged at her arm. “Lexi, move!”
Lexi gulped and shuffled forward until she stood at the edge of the portal. Gathering her courage, she closed her eyes and stepped forward. She fully expected to be knocked back on her ass or cut in two, but her feet continued onward.
Her eyes flew open, and she discovered herself surrounded by the dark walls of the portal as she moved toward the Gloaming.