But there was an eyepatch over his right eye that concealed what lay under. My stomach dropped.
Eddie embraced Charlie so tightly he lifted him off the ground. Charlie gaped as he loosely held Eddie back.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Charlie coughed as Eddie let him go. “You came at just the right moment.”
“Not soon enough, I’m afraid,” Eddie replied, pocketing a small hand mirror. “I was hoping to find you before anyone else did.”
“Eddie, how did you survive? We were told you died in an explosion!” Marcus explained.
“Oh, yes, a very compelling story, that,” Eddie said eagerly, excited to launch into the tale. Oberi bounced at his side, and Eddie reached down to pat his head. “But it’ll have to wait until we get somewhere safe.”
Apparently, hugs were more important than safety, because Eddie went around and embraced everybody. He got to me last, kneeling down before me and wrapping me in the tightest hug. “Dearest princess! Life’s been dark without you.”
“I missed you too, Eddie. What happened to your eye?” I asked.
“It was an unfortunate event of being in the Elvish concentration camps,” Eddie informed me. “They tortured all of us for information, but I am proud to say, I never gave in! The Warden’s tormentors grew tired of me eventually, and took my right eye as punishment, so to say.”
“I’m really sorry that happened,” I said sadly.
“On the contrary, when they took it, I considered it a privilege, because it helped me to better understand my master,” Eddie said brightly.
Oberi gave a high-pitched whine, and Charlie’s expression softened. “It’s really nice to have you back. How’d you save us?”
“Elves can use mirrors to create portals,” Eddie explained. “It is how we used the Mirror of Ingress to escape Forevermore when it was sieged.”
Eddie fished in his pocket and took out the small pocket mirror again, displaying it to us all. “I used this to portal you here, to this waypoint along the path. Elves must have a mirror on the other side of their destination to make portals. Thankfully, the portal I created was able to generate off the reflective surface of Ava’s Spirit shield. My instructions were to make sure we weren’t followed before I brought you back to a safe place.”
“It doesn’t appear we’ve been followed. Otherwise, Esther would’ve blown our heads off by now,” Kallie noted.
“I’d rather she do that, instead of listening to another one of her stupid sermons,” Marcus complained.
Eddie nodded in utmost sincerity, then turned his attention back on me. “My princess, why are you still on the ground? Here, I’ll help you stand.”
Eddie offered a hand, but I cringed away and kept my gaze on the ground. “I can’t, Eddie. Not anymore.”
Eddie’s look was so full of sorrow as his eyes locked on my legs. He glanced away regretfully. “Yes… it seems all of us have lost something, in these past months since we’ve been apart.”
Charlie picked me up. I felt safe as he cradled me against him, and my head fell onto his chest. I was so exhausted after making that Spirit shield. I didn’t think I could stay awake for longer than a few moments.
“Do you have somewhere for us to go?” Charlie asked.
“Of course. Follow me.”
Eddie pointed the pocket mirror to the empty space in front of him, and as he did, a portal bloomed there. He gestured for us to go through it. Kallie and Marcus went first, while Charlie carried me forward. I didn’t see where we were heading, because as we went through the portal, I fell into unconsciousness.
I lingered there, somewhere in the darkness and complete stillness, until I felt myself rousing lightly in a soft bed.
I knew Charlie was near before I saw him. I felt his weight on the bed, and I recognized the smell of bergamot. “Are we okay?”
It took a tremendous amount of effort to open my eyelids. The first thing I noticed was there was golden light everywhere, and the area I found myself in was pristine. I’d woken up in an elaborate bedroom, which was made of marble and decorated with gorgeous furniture. The bed I lay in was big enough to sleepfour people, and it was layered with silk sheets and cashmere blankets.
A massive sliding glass door that led to a stone balcony stood open. Gossamer drapes drifted in the breeze, which smelled like sea water and was warm. I heard seagulls, and the muffled sounds of people below.
I expected to wake up in some sort of army tent, but I’d arisen in a palace.
“We’re safe.” Charlie stroked back a few strands of hair from my eyes. “We’re with the Elves. Eddie took us to their new city.”
“A new city?” I slowly sat up. Oberi licked my chin.
