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“Well, I’ll be damned.” Hilda cocked her head to the side and glowered at the ground where she’d stepped. When her head snapped up and she locked eyes with me, she said, “Not one of us can step in-between. At least, not where we were trying to head. Is there anywhere else we might go? If we can arrive there safely, then the problem might lie with your domain.”
My stomach dropped, hit the ground, and splattered unceremoniously. “Rhoan.”
His name slipped out as a breath between my lips. My chest clenched tight. Thinking of my nearby apartment wasn’t easy while the rest of my mind scrabbled with worry for the man I’d left back at the castle.
The damn building was in the corner of my vision. I couldseemy apartment from here, and still, opening the portal to step in-between wasn’t easy. Somehow, we all staggered into my dusty living room, nonetheless.
There, I dropped to my knees and buried my face in my hands. Another scream wanted to tear through me, but I managed to keep it buried deep. Beside me, I could tell that Hilda and Vi were sharing glances. Neither knew what to do.
I slowly lowered my hands. “If that bitch took Rhoan from me, I’m going to go back to her court and bury it under the lake. I will collapse that dirt-filled room and wash away every drop of blood that she’d ever spilled there.”
Hilda clicked her tongue. “Missy, you can’t—”
Vi cut Hilda off. “Nope. She’s in the right. You don’t know what it’s like to have a mate, Hilly.”
Taken aback, Hilda glared up at Vi. “Hilly?”
Vi slid Hilda a wry smile. Though Hilda shook her head, I could see a smile on her lips. I was glad that, despite my inner thoughts, my community grew closer and closer. So long as I checked my pride, I could turn this ragtag group into an actual court someday.
That was only if I could get Rhoan and my castle back. Pushing myself to my feet, I wandered into the kitchen. Hilda and Vi watched me, at least I assumed so considering the eyes I felt watching me.
With few other options available, I slammed my old cauldron onto the stove and started pulling potion ingredients from the cupboard. Behind me, I heard Hilda whisper:
“The Cerridwen.”
There was a tone of awe in her voice. I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder and lift a questioning brow. Hilda still wore a look of shock. Her eyes dropped to the cauldron on the stove.
“Girly, you really aren’t like others. Are you?” Hilda shook her head and meandered off.
When Vi stepped into the kitchen with me, she leaned in to ask what that was about.
I had to explain that I somehow had access to magic that no fae had been able to touch since the days before the two courts divided. “My name comes from a fae who was considered a goddess among her people. She even had a knack for brewing potions, too.”
I saidknackas if she wasn’t the one who’d created the blueprint for what I did.
Vi put her elbows on the counter and rested her chin in her open hands so she could smile knowingly up at me. “Look at us all, a bunch of little demi-gods roaming earth. What a hot mess we are.”
I would have laughed if it weren’t for the churning nervousness still bubbling in the pit of my stomach. I needed to get home first. Then Vi and I could laugh about what we’d learned about ourselves. If this new knowledge couldn’t help me get back to Rhoan, then I found nothing of value in it.
Vi seemed to sense this. She straightened and fidgeted with bottles on the counter, perhaps searching for something else to say. I should have apologized, but I couldn’t find it in me. All I wanted was Rhoan.
Thankfully, Vi understood. She had a mate of her own. If anything happened to Morgan, the world would have to endure the Rapture once and for all.
“What if I went and asked Maddox for help?” Vi suggested. “His teleportation arcana leaps through the afterlife. It’s different from your teleportation. I wonder if that could help us get there.”
Fear gurgled like dry ice in the pit of my stomach. What if the castle no longer existed? That was what I truly feared. If Beryl had taken it, then I would rip a hole between dimensions with my untamed arcana. But…if she’d collapsed it and taken my Rhoan in the process…
I yanked the cork from a jar and dumped its contents into the cauldron. This potion couldn’t take us somewhere. It had to bring someone to us. Then I would be able to ask them what was going on.
Which meant that I had to bring someone who could speak.
Rhoan. I’m so sorry.
My hands were tied, and I hated every second of it. I wanted to flail and fight against the truth of the matter. If I could bring him back to me, then everything would be all right. That was how this would realistically go, though. I needed someone who would have information.
I desperately wanted to run off to bed so I could dream. If I could leave this world behind and step into Rhoan’s dreams, I would have my love back. Then everything would be okay again. I knew that it was no better than the drink that Rhoan used to drown himself in, but I couldn’t fight the desire slowly taking over my body.
Muscles stiff and movement jerky, I somehow finished the potion. Vi helped me create a summoning circle that would allow me to use my untamed arcana. I would tap into her branch of magic to summon Taliesin to me. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be him.
