This was it. It was time to cross over to Energo. I didn’t doubt Wren that this was the right move, but I was skeptical of how we were going to stop the flow of Dwellers into our world. Sure we had strength among us, but in general we were a motley crew.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Matilda offered. “I may be of aid to you.”
“I don’t know what dangers we are going to face.” Lacey wrapped her cloak tightly around her as rain pelted down.
“I’ll be facing plenty of dangers here.” Matilda stood right beside the carriage, which blocked some, but not all, of the rain. “When it’s discovered the role I played in getting you out without the guards noticing… well, you know your father will be furious.”
“I won’t ask you to stay back.” Lacey took a step toward Matilda. “That wouldn’t be fair, and you are right that you will face risks whether you choose to stay or go. Ultimately, the decision is yours, and I will hold no judgment over you whichever choice you make.”
It was different to watch Lacey step into a leadership role. I had always thought of her as more focused on fun than work, but we never know the measure of someone until they are tested.
“I’ll take my chances with you rather than staying behind.” Matilda brushed her hair behind her slightly pointed ears, the characteristic that most easily set the Fae apart.
“Very well.” Lacey nodded. “Thank you for all of your assistance up until now.” She turned toward the rest of us. “What now?”
“We step through there.” Elron pointed to the edge of the woods.
“Where exactly?” Preston peered at the thick line of trees. “Am I missing something?”
“Through those trees,” James pointed. “Pretty straight forward.”
“You’re telling me if we step through those trees, we will emerge in another world?” Wren squinted her eyes as she studied the trees. “That’s a bit hard to believe.”
“There is plenty in life that is hard to believe.” Elron stood completely still. “Is that not the most enjoyable part of life? The unexpected things that take us by surprise?”
“No.” Lacey shook her head. “I prefer to know what’s coming.”
“Good thing that’s likely your gift.” Wren winked.
Lacey smiled. “Agreed. But maybe that’s why surprises bother me so much. I’m not designed to handle them well.”
Elron made a noncommittal sound. “That is because you are still young. When you are older you may change your mind.”
“I don’t feel young.” Wren sighed. “Especially not now. I feel like the last few days have aged me years.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” So much had changed so quickly. I could barely keep up. The things that had worried me before seemed so small in comparison to what we faced now. Even things with Wren had changed. Our connection now had an intensity neither of us could ignore. “I almost can’t remember what life was like a few days back.”
“I take it your life was pretty boring then.” James adjusted the strap of his satchel. “If this is so stressful it makes everything else fade out of focus, there could not have been much action before.”
“Boring is the right word.” Preston put his hand over his mouth in a motion meant to mimic a yawn. “Our lives were really boring. At least mine was. They.” He pointed toward Wren and I. “They got to do a lot more. I get it for Wren, she’s royalty and everything, but it really isn’t fair that just because Frost is the oldest he gets to do more.”
“You really think it’s just because he’s the oldest?” James narrowed his eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean.” He gestured between Wren and I. “Come on. Don’t tell me you are that innocent. You aren’t truly a child.”
“Oh.” Understanding crossed his face. “Because Wren wants him. Gotcha.”
“Hey!” Wren gasped. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I can’t either.” My brother was really treading on thin ice. If he kept pushing his luck, not only might I not want to help him, I might not be able to. He was also lucky the queen wasn’t around, but then again he wouldn’t have said anything akin to that around the queen. At least I truly hoped not.
“I can.” James chuckled. “He’s a teenage boy.”
“You just said he wasn’t a child, and now you are calling him a boy?” I couldn’t hold my tongue. “Which one is it?”
“A little of both. Don’t you think that’s what defines that age?” James pulled some sort of round fruit looking thing out of his pocket.
“Absolutely. Although I can not claim I really remember being that young.” Elron rubbed his chin.
“How old are you?” Preston blurted out.
“Did you just ask that?” Wren put a hand on her hip.
“What? He’s a man. What does he care?”
“I am far older than you.” Elron wore an amused smile. “Let’s leave it at that. Time is relative.”
“Ok. Back to what’s actually important right now.” Wren dug her boot into the dirt. “Please explain again what we’re doing?’
“We are going to walk into those woods and come out the other side in Energo.” James took a big bite of whatever the fruit was.
“Just like that?” In my experience, nothing was that simple.
“Yes. Just like that…” He took another bite.
“Wait. Why did you trail off that way?” I tried to ignore the rumble of my stomach watching James eat. I hadn’t had much appetite for dinner.
“Because nothing is ‘just like that’.” James used air quotes. “Things don’t work that way. There is always more to it.”
“Ok, then we are on all ears.” I resolved myself to ignore my hunger. There were more pressing matters to deal with. “Explain it.”
“It is better to experience it yourself.” Elron made a sweeping motion with his hand in the direction of the woods. “Some things cannot be explained.”
“Like time?” Lacey grinned. “Sorry, I just noticed you guys seem super fixated on time.”
The corners of Elron’s lips twisted into a smile. “Time does play a major role in life.”
“That it does.” Sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. “But there’s no reason to waste any of it now. Is there anything we need to know before we go into those woods?” I wasn’t generally the one to rush into things. Usually I needed to know all the details before I moved forward. But it wasn’t as if we could trust anything James or Elron said. We couldn't trust anything, and that’s what made everything so difficult.
James exchanged looks with Elron. “Just know we may not end up in the best place.”
“Meaning what exactly?” Wren asked before I could.
“Meaning exactly what I said. This is a chasm, it connects two words, but that doesn't mean it always connects those two worlds in the same place.” James started with his two fists far apart and had them collide.
“Wait. So we may not come back through in the same place either?” Wren stiffened.
James turned suddenly serious. “I find it highly unlikely we will.”
“Wait. Then how come we are leaving through the place you arrived?” Lacey asked.
“Because the chasm will not move in this world until someone goes back through that way.” Elron once again gestured to the woods. “It is awaiting someone to come.”
“It’s awaiting? You are giving sentience to a chasm?” I wasn’t mocking. I was generally curious. Elron was an interesting character for sure. I wasn’t sure if it was cultural differences from coming from different worlds, or just his way of being.
“I am not giving anything to it. I am stating what is.” Elron rolled his neck.
“We need to go, guys.” Wren rocked back on her heels. “I can’t imagine the poker game is still going.”
“It might be…” Matilda grinned. “It was some jackpot.”
“Either way, we should go.” Wren looked over her shoulder. “I don’t think talking about this more is going to change anything.”
“Talking usually fails to change things,” James agreed. “Ainsley, my fiancée, she tells me that all the time. I think it is her way of getting me to shut up when she doesn’t want to listen to me anymore.”
Wren laughed. “Yeah… might be.”
“Ok. If no one else is going to go first, I will.” Preston put a hand to his chest. “I’d appreciate it if you decide to follow me.”
“Come on, don’t play the hero.” I remembered that age well enough myself, and I remembered the recklessness.
“Why? You want to?” Preston frowned.
“Of course he does.” Wren linked her arm with me. “But he doesn’t have to play it. He already is.”
Preston laughed. “Ok, you don’t have to get that crazy.”
“No one needs to be the hero.” James adjusted the belt that held his sword. “But we should probably go.”
“You sensing danger?” Elron glanced all around.
“Yes, my anger at having been awoken in the middle of the night for nothing.” James laughed.
“Very funny. Don’t worry. We’re going.” Without a glance back Wren started toward the trees taking me with her. “Ready for this?”
“I suppose so, but would it really matter if I wasn’t?”
“No.” She tightened her hold on my arm. “Not at all.”
At first nothing happened. The woods were just that. Woods. Admittedly my wolf howled to be let out, sensing danger. I held him at bay. Wren was comfortable with my wolf, but I didn’t know how the others would feel. I glanced back to make sure Preston hadn’t shifted either. He was still in his humanoid form, but his expression was pained. I knew he was fighting the same urge I was.
“It’s okay if you shift,” Wren whispered. “It’s only natural. That is your stronger form.”
“I can control my wolf.” I could. It was one of the first rules I’d learned as a child. The second you let your wolf know he could control you, you’d never be the same again. In some ways both sides of you were connected, but in other ways they were at odds. Finding a way to balance the two sometimes felt like a full time job in itself.
The air grew hazy, heavy almost, like syrup. But not sweet. It had no taste or scent at all.
I looked at Wren and she caught my eye, but neither of us said anything.
No one said anything, and that said a lot considering Preston was with us.
The air got thicker, and it became harder to see. We’d walked into some sort of fog. I felt Wren’s arm linked with mine, and I focused on that rather than the reality that I was recklessly heading toward an unknown that could very easily lead to my death and the death of two people I loved.
“Okay then,” Preston whispered, the only sound in the otherwise near deafening silence.
The ground started to shake. I became disoriented, not sure what was up and what was down. I lost track of everything but the feel of Wren’s arm. There was a sharp pain somewhere. Everywhere. It was impossible to know. Then there was darkness. Complete and unyielding darkness I couldn’t possibly escape.
I blinked. There was the faintest slit of light coming through.
My vision normalized. All I could see was white. We were surrounded by ice and snow. There wasn’t a hint of color or life anywhere.
“Here?” James groaned. “It had to be here?”
“This place is more winter than Winter Court,” Wren breathed.
“Well, Frost.” James looked at me. “It looks like you may be meeting the Arcos after all.”