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Crossbody smiled at me, his breath puffing out in little clouds of steam in the chilly early morning air. “Thank you.”
I’d also secretly packed a few other things, but I wasn’t going to tell him about them until later. I was pretty sure he’d need to have his mind taken off what was going to happen tomorrow.
We followed the path for a while, the gritty rumble of the suitcase wheels rolling over the ground sounding overly loud. Then Crossbody led us onto the grass, toward the tree line of the forest that stretched away from the city.
“So how come humans never manage to stumble on the crossing and end up in Otherworld?” I asked, keeping my voice hushed even though no one else was around.
“They do sometimes. Rarely. But the other side is heavily guarded.”
“So that’s why I need the passport?” I asked wryly. “What happens to them? The humans who accidentally cross over?”
Crossbody’s shoulders hunched. “It’s not very pleasant. They’re knocked out and force-fed a potion that makes them unable to speak about what they saw or try and reach Otherworld again.”
“Right. Sounds very fae.”
He nodded. “I think it gives them an overwhelming sense of dread if they get anywhere near the crossing. Makes them want to flee immediately. I don’t know if it extends across the whole park.”
“Like panic in the woods.”
He glanced over at me, brows twitching in confusion.
“This phenomenon.” I explained shortly with a wave of my hand, because it wasn’t important. “Just where people suddenly get really scared if they’re in a forest. Could explain it.”
“Maybe. Or that could be because humans are so disconnected from nature now.”
I looked over at him. “Your garden looked really nice. When I walked through it to, uh, kind of break into your house.”
He huffed in amusement. “Thank you. It comforts me.”
“Bet it took a lot of time and hard work, huh?” I asked, trying not to get too angry about his mother threatening to take it all away from him. Everything he’d built for himself here.
“Yes.” After a pause, he sheepishly added, “And money. Plants are very expensive here, which is strange to me.”
I chuckled. “I don’t have enough patience to keep a plant alive and healthy.”
We stepped past the tree line, and I picked up the suitcase so it wasn’t bumping over the forest floor. Crossbody inhaled deeply, and I could sense him trying to relax, but his frame was growing stiffer and stiffer with every step we took.
Transferring the suitcase to my other hand, I reached out and twined my fingers through his, giving him a gentle squeeze. He clung on tightly, leading me with unwavering steps through the forest, knowing exactly where we had to go.
Fifteen minutes later, somewhere deep in the woods and far from any trails, we emerged into a small glade. I felt the pressure in the air change, making me shiver even though I was warm from the walk. The sun wasn’t high enough to breach the canopy around us yet, but the morning dew on the grass and leaves glittered. There was a ring of mushrooms in the dead centre of the clearing, and in front of us, two trees formed a natural archway, their branches seeming to reach for each other. But between them hung a tangle of thick thorns, almost like a net. Or a barrier.
We’d heard the morning song of birds the entire way here, but now it was dead silent. I couldn’t even hear the rustling of leaves anymore, and it felt like there was slight pressure on my eardrums.
Crossbody turned to face me, his skin ashen with dread now.
“There will be guards on the other side. As soon as we go through.”
I nodded, reaching into my coat pocket for my supernatural passport and giving him a reassuring grin. “I’m ready. Will we end up in your mom’s queendom? Like, will we step through and be in the Spring… court place?”
“No. It’s more like…” He thought for a moment. “A train station, where you change to continue your journey.”
“Right, okay.” I felt a little better, being able to picture something roughly in my head. “So… if there are guards, how come you were able to keep sneaking out?”
“They’re not the guards of any court, so they had no idea I was sneaking over against my mother’s wishes.” He shrugged a little. “They just knew I was a royal fae, so they let me through without question. None of the court monarchs have any power over the crossings, so she couldn’t make them stop me.”
“I see.” I gripped the suitcase handle tighter. “Well, I’m ready when you are.”
His gaze grew fearful as he glanced over at that natural archway with its thorn barrier, so I stepped closer and cupped his chin to turn his head back to me.
