“You will be gone once we leave. You will be lost to us forever..”
My heart sinks even as a cold chill passes across my naked skin. The prickling sensation of bracing for the worst has me tightening my hold on the blanket. Feeling small and helpless.
“Can I bring my parents?”
His fingers skim my hair back off my temple. “They can’t go where we are.”
Tears burn as I search each of their faces, seeing the fear reflected back.
“I can’t,” I choke out. “My parents need me.”
Ciaran says nothing, but I feel my words crush him. I feel the withdrawal before he even pulls back.
“Rina.” Malakar’s voice, quiet, pleading, cuts me. “Please, sweetheart, don’t do this.”
“I know!” I scrub at the tears burning streaks down my cheeks. “I want to. You have no idea how badly I want to stay with you, but disappearing without a word will kill my parents.It will kill my dad. He’s already so sick and...” I press a trembling hand over my breaking heart. “They’re my parents.”
No amount of stressing the fact absolves the raw agony threading through my system. It doesn’t ease the sorrow that this is the last time I’ll ever see them.
Ciaran closes the space between us and pulls me hard into his chest. His fingers slide into my hair and my face is guided to his shoulder.
“Come back with us.” His finger settles gently over my lips when I start to protest. “For a moment. Let Father see you at least once more. If you still wish to stay behind, we will return you before the window closes.”
It’s a risky move.
They could lie to me. They could trap me in this other world where I can never come back.
But I know that would never be the case. Despite the short amount of time I’ve known them, I trust them without a single shred of doubt. I believe them. A part of me that is much bigger than it should be, cares for them. Loves them. I love them with the full extent of my heart.
I love the creature waiting for me in their world. It’s all so crazy and I don’t understand half of what’s happening, but that is the only fact I am fully in agreement with.
“What about my aunt?” I sniffle. “Can we bring her? She can’t stay in this place like that. Can we help her?”
“No, my love.” He strokes my cheek. My hair. Running his hands over me like he’s trying to imprint the feel of me to memory. “She’s too far gone. She’s accepted this fate.”
“We need to hurry.” The edge in Malakar’s voice has us turning to him, but he’s staring at the ceiling. “We’re getting damn close to midnight and we’re no longer the only things in this place.”
That seems to be all the provocation needed for Aamon to leap to his feet. Malakar follows and both help me to my feet. Ciaran hurries to gather his clothes while the blanket is knotted around my shoulders with sure knots.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“All those pockets your aunt opened up in this place are starting to overflow,” Malakar mutters, attention fixed in the direction of the hallway. “We’re about to have a lot of unwanted company.”
“Monsters?” I gasp. “Like the snake woman?”
“Worse,” Aamon sighs. “Lesser, stupider creatures. Weak ones that have to wait until midnight to pass through.”
I think how early they arrived and wonder just how powerful they are if the others couldn’t get through until now. But I don’t ask. There’s no time when Malakar captures my fingers and tugs me into his side.
“Stay close. Don’t look at anything.”
I frown up at him. “How am I supposed to walk if I don’t look?”
“He means don’t stare too long,” Aamon clarifies. “If you see them, they can see you and we’re already running out of time.”
Fair enough. I definitely don’t want to be seen by any more creatures.
“I’m scared,” I blurt.
