The forest blurred as we charged through it, all pretense of stealth forgotten. My lungs didn’t burn, and my muscles didn’t ache, but the chaos of adrenaline and fear churned in my gut. I knew they were close behind us; the magic pulsing at their fingertips was undeniable.
Just days before the Fae arrived, Emiliano had shared his theory with me. He believed that the spell cast by the six High Lords was meant to tear down the boundaries between our realms, forging a permanent portal that would bind our worlds’ fates. Such a portal could save the Fae realm from extinction but doom humans to face the unpredictable powers of the Fae. Emiliano thought I held that same power-the very key to bridging the two realms. But Leonardo’s theory ran even deeper: he believed that I *was* the bridge, the living portal and its keeper.
Those theories surged to the front of my mind as we ran, and my insides twisted with the effort to summon any magic I could grasp. The sensation spread over my skin, sharp and electric, like touching a live wire. I reached for that strange energy, clinging to the tingling that washed over me. And as I did, I felt it-the ancient power, raw and pulsing, binding our worlds together.
Ahead, a portal shimmered open, just the size of a doorway.
“Leonardo, do you trust me?” I shouted, glancing at his crystal-clear eyes, fierce and unwavering.
With a firm nod, he answered me without hesitation.
“Then follow me.” Without a second thought, we plunged through the portal together, barreling into the mysterious, beautiful realm of the Fae.
We tumbled out on the other side, narrowly avoiding slamming into a tree the size of a truck. I managed to skid to a stop, but Leonardo’s landing was less graceful. His four paws skidded across the dirt, and he ended up sprawled on the ground, kicking up clouds of earth. Despite everything, I couldn’t stop the breathless laugh that escaped me. I’d never seen him look so disheveled, his usually composed self completely out of sorts.
Leonardo’s wolf narrowed his eyes at me, a low growl vibrating from him, only making me laugh harder. For a brief moment, the sound of my laughter, like twinkling bells, seemed to echo in this strange forest. Rolling his eyes, Leonardo’s wolf took the teasing in stride, but the humor was short-lived. The portal had closed behind us, cutting off any chance of return.
Emiliano had once told me how unstable these ancient portals could be, how the passage of time here differed from the human world. It had been years since the Fae took me as a child; here, that could mean centuries had passed. Only the most powerful of the High Fae could summon a portal to the human realm, and even then, they had little control over its placement or duration. For now, at least, we’d bought ourselves some time.
As I shook myself from my racing thoughts, I noticed Leonardo staring in awe at the world around us. This was a forest like no other, the trees towering beyond anything in the human world. The trunks were wider than cars, their tops disappearing into the bright canopy above. Each leaf shimmered in shades of emerald, the veins illuminated by the sun’s glow. The air was warm and sweet, carrying a scent that seemed to melt into my senses.
“It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” I asked, offering him a small smile. “I think I understand now why it called to me. It brought back memories, reminded me that part of me belonged here.”
Leonardo huffed, his answer clear. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s a shame you can’t talk back. Well, let’s keep moving. We’re just sitting here waiting for trouble to find us.”
He took the lead, signaling me to follow. As much as I appreciated his loyalty, part of me wished he hadn’t shifted. There wasn’t exactly spare clothing lying around in this forest. Although he could shift back, we’d be left with him wandering through the woods naked-not ideal, even in this world.
We pressed on, weaving through a dense forest that, oddly, felt deserted. A strange sensation gnawed at me. Even in our world, life surrounded us in the wilderness. But here, the silence grew, oppressive and heavy, as though something hid beyond each tree.
“Something’s off,” I murmured, scanning the endless trunks. Shafts of light struggled through the dense branches, casting deep shadows around us. “There’s no sound, no life. And it’s getting hotter.”
Leonardo glanced at me, his worry mirroring my own. Sweat dripped down my neck, the thick humidity stifling, and I shrugged off my coat, leaving it against one of the trees. It was a risk, but I needed to test something.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, catching his disapproving stare. “If I’m roasting, you must be suffering. At least you’ve got a fur coat, though it’s debatable if that’s better.”
I couldn’t tell how long we’d been walking. Each tree seemed to resemble the last, their giant roots a tangled labyrinth. Just as I paused to remove another layer, I spotted my coat up ahead, right where I’d left it.
I swore under my breath, pointing. “I knew it. We’re going in circles.”
Leonardo’s narrowed gaze flicked from the coat to me, frustration creeping into his expression. “I don’t understand. We walked straight…”
Before I could finish, flashes of light dropped from the treetops. We spun around to see eight Fae warriors surrounding us, each holding a gleaming sword. Their appearances varied, but their earthy features-dark hair, green and brown eyes, their clothes hued in deep shades of soil-marked them unmistakably as members of the Earth Court.
“Hello, Isabella.” A rich, familiar voice sounded behind me. “I had hoped you would find me before the others did.”
Leonardo let out a feral snarl as the Fae warriors closed in. My pulse quickened, my magic stalled, trapped beneath the shock of meeting those familiar eyes-eyes I hadn’t seen since childhood. Golden on the outer ring, deep green at the center. His skin glowed warm and bronzed, his pointed ears now peeking from his hair. I could barely believe it, but there he was, unmistakably familiar.
“Andrea.”