“You’re not real,” I whispered, torn between wanting the words to be false and wishing the torment of these nightmares would just end. I had to stay focused. Strong. The gateway to my own realm—that was my mission. I had to keep following the pull in my gut to that place—the place that would lead me home. There wasn’t room for fear.
“I’ll try not to take that as an insult, love. But only because you’ve been through quite an ordeal. As soon as you’ve fully recovered, I’ll be waiting for a proper apology.”
The accent was perfect—it definitely sounded like Darius.
I told my arms to move, told my hands to reach up and touch his face, but they wouldn’t obey.
“You’re in bad shape, Gray. I need to get you inside.”
“Okay.”
“I’m afraid this is going to hurt,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my temple. “Whatever you do, don’t let go.”
“I won’t. Ever.”
His arms tightened around me, and he hefted me up out of the snow. The movement sent a shockwave of pain rippling throughout my body, so intense it threatened to suck me under.
I tried to hold on. Tried to stay conscious. Tried to concentrate on the feel of the strong, capable arms of my vampire, wrapped tightly around my body, carrying me someplace warm and safe.
I even tried to smile.
But then the world began to spin again, and in its utter cruelty, sucked me away into nothingness.
Twenty-Four
Gray
Soft orange light flickered against my eyelids, the hiss and pop of a roaring fire stirring me from a deep sleep.
I opened my eyes and took in my new surroundings—a cozy, one-room cabin in the middle of a snowy wood. Outside, harsh winter wind howled through the pines and blew snow into a white frenzy, but inside I was warm and safe, tucked into a small bed beside the fire. I’d been bathed and dressed in a soft, clean T-shirt that fell to my knees, my wounds not only treated, but healed.
Sophie’s dagger rested on the hearth above the fireplace. I couldn’t believe I’d held onto it.
“Feeling better, love?” Darius knelt by my side and took my hand, pressing a kiss to my fingers. His golden eyes shone with relief.
“You’re… you’re really here.” I sat up in bed, astonished. “I thought maybe I was hallucinating.”
“Not about this.” His voice was like warm honey. “Are you in any pain?”
I wriggled my toes and took a deep breath, assessing. I felt strong. I felt… amazing.
“I’m… really great, actually.” I squeezed his hand, bringing it to my chest and holding it there. “What happened at the portal? Is Ronan here, too?”
“Not yet, but he will be. I came through first. Liam was waiting for me on arrival, and directed me to you. From the looks of it, I got here just in time.”
I nodded. I didn’t know what would’ve happened if he hadn’t found me. Would the owl have come? Would I have awoken in some other strange landscape, fighting yet another enemy?
“Liam is waiting for word about Ronan,” Darius continued. “As soon as he hears anything, he’ll let us know, and we’ll figure out where to meet up.”
I nodded and leaned back against the pillow. Darius brushed the hair from my forehead, his fingers tracing soft swirls on my skin.
“How did you find this place?” I asked.
“It simply appeared, right when we most needed it.”
“The realm is like that. It seems to give us what we need. Sometimes that also happens to be what we want, but not always.” I shrugged, snuggling deeper into the heavenly bed. “We got lucky this time.”
I told him about what had happened on the summit. About Jonathan, and then the avalanche.
