One by one, his words weighed on the hearts of his warriors, pushing them forward until all had stepped up, their eyes glimmering with a mix of dread and resolve. I offered no guarantees on Leonardo’s behalf-no promises of mercy, no whispers of redemption. These men would confront the consequences of their choices. If, by some miracle, I succeeded in saving both our worlds, then and only then would we talk.
“Return to the Water Court,” I commanded, raising my voice so that all could hear. “Evacuate as many fae as possible. Warn them that this realm is unraveling, and it will collapse-whether they choose to believe it or not.” My cheeks flushed under the weight of their attention, but I stood firm, unwavering.
“Direct them to Carlo’s pack. Those willing to fight-send them to Leonardo.”
Andrea stepped forward, his face etched with concern. “What shall I tell him, to ensure he doesn’t see us as enemies?”
“Tell him Isabella sent you and to behave until I return,” I said with a weary grunt, giving Andrea one last look before summoning a portal and stepping through.
The realm’s instability had made summoning portals easier. The magic seemed restless, eager to respond as it swirled and coalesced into a shimmering gateway.
My boots struck the marble floor with a sharp echo as I sprinted beneath a canopy of stars. The air was thick with the heady scent of amber and cinnamon, mingling with the metallic tang of blood that soaked the earth.
A grotesque scene stretched out before me-corpses and dismembered limbs scattered across the ground, lifeless eyes staring blankly at the night sky. My stomach churned, the sight pulling me momentarily back to the day my mother was taken from me. But I forced myself to focus. The past had made me stronger, not weaker.
Ahead, a tent of onyx silk loomed, its strange, pungent scent tugging at my memory. I knew it well. Guards flinched as I burst through, their hands darting to the hilts of midnight blades.
The High Lord of the Night Court lifted his head, shimmering black hair cascading over his shoulders. His piercing eyes, the color of endless darkness, gleamed with unsettling vitality.
He stood at the center of the tent, hands braced against a massive table. On it lay a map, no mere paper schematic but a living, enchanted model. Mountains rose like jagged teeth, encircling glittering lakes and dense forests. Cities and towns shimmered with light, miniature reflections of the real world. It was breathtaking, but there was no time for awe.
“I stand by what I’ve told you,” Delfina said, his frown deepening. “Many of us would rather die than adapt to a mortal world.”
I squared my shoulders, laying out his options in no uncertain terms. His people could find refuge with Carlo’s pack, while any warriors capable of battle would join Leonardo in overthrowing Marinella and her army.
“Don’t waste my time, Delfina,” I snapped, my voice sharp with frustration. “Death is coming for all of us if I fail.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes, but his stubbornness remained. My patience thinned, stretched taut by the crawling anxiety that plagued me in this crumbling realm. Leonardo was in the human world, and the thought of being unable to reach him gnawed at me.
Taking a deep breath, I revealed what I had been dreading to admit. “Even if my plan succeeds, this realm will fall.”
Delfina’s warriors shifted uneasily, the air around us thick with the foreboding hum of unstable magic. I turned, summoning a portal as the realm itself seemed to groan in protest.
“What will this new world be like?” Delfina asked, his curiosity breaking through his resistance. The crown on his head tilted as he cocked his head.
“Come and find out,” I replied, stepping backward into the swirling portal.
The world folded in on itself, dark fabric unraveling to reveal a jagged mountain wall. Damp earth and the scent of foliage filled my lungs as I turned toward the cavern’s entrance-the place where Leonardo had been forever changed.
The cavern walls glowed dimly under flickering torchlight as I ran. The jagged edges of lavender crystals caught my foot, nearly sending me sprawling as I approached the springs’ glittering waters.
Shrugging off my midnight cloak, I stepped into the water, its cool touch shocking against my heated skin. This time, I didn’t just dip into its depths-I demanded its power.
The ancient magic answered, its voice resonating without words yet speaking to my very soul. A warning echoed in my mind: too much, and it would consume me.
As the magic surged through me, fire and ice warred within my veins. Strength unlike anything I’d ever known coursed through me, but the euphoria was fleeting. Heavy and oppressive, the power turned my limbs to lead.
I crawled from the water, gasping as the magic shredded and reformed the essence of who I was. The knowledge that my mortal body would’ve been obliterated by this power struck a chilling chord.
Barely managing to wrap the cloak around myself, I stumbled out into the crisp night air. Magic thrashed within me, fighting to break free, but I forced it down, calling forth another portal.
Instead of relief, panic clawed at me. The portal didn’t respond. I tried again, and then a third time. Nothing.
Desperation surged, tears spilling as I pushed forward into the dense forest. There has to be another portal somewhere. My wolf’s voice growled in my mind, a rasping beacon of determination.
Her strength carried me as I chased flickers of hope-brief shimmers in the distance. Finally, I saw it-a fading portal, just out of reach.
I pushed harder, faster, the image of Leonardo and the memory of his touch driving me. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I leapt forward, crashing through prickly shrubs into the rapidly fading portal.