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Prologue
Willow – 500 Years Ago – Agrum Di Vinum
The halls echoed around me as I trailed through the castle I once called home. Now it felt more like a museum, left behind to tell the stories of those that once roamed its halls. All of my people were gone. My closest friends were now on the human realm. My young daughter, my world, was sent away from me to carry on our bloodline. And I was alone, my only companion the Darkness outside my walls and the creatures haunting my windows.
I hadn’t told the others that the only way to close the portal was from the side it was opened. That was the one rule when it came to transporting to different realms; a failsafe to keep us in our own worlds. I knew that if they knew the truth, they wouldn’t have left me. But it was our only hope to rid the Darkness and so I kept quiet. I had hope that when the next Heirs were born, I would be reunited with my people, with my child. And so, for now, I silently drifted throughout, watching as my home burned around me.
???
A century passed in a blur. I knew that the human realm wasn’t like Agrum Di Vinum and those closest to me were gone by now. Even my daughter, the light of my life, would have passed on. Their bodies couldn’t live as long as mine without the power that our world gave us.
Some days, I wondered if the sacrifice was worth it. Wondered what continuing on for generations in a world not meant for us would do to the Divines. If I should have gone with them, allowing the Darkness to infect the human realm as it did ours if it meant that I could have one more moment with the people I loved. And yet, as often as those thoughts came, I pushed them away. Because, as a leader, I put my people first, and I knew I had made the right decision.
Staring out the window, I saw tendrils of blue peeking through the ever-growing Darkness. I knew that soon I would no longer be able to see the sun, the last ray of hope I clung to. The screams outside my window grew louder with each passing day, the poor souls of the Divines that we had left behind being tormented by insanity. I wished I could help them. Defeat the Darkness on my own, but I knew it wasn’t possible. And so, for now, I silently roamed my castle, hoping that the next generation of Divines would come soon.
???
My face pressed against the window, the coolness reminding me that I still lived. It was hard to remember when everything was so dark, when no words were ever uttered amongst the walls. I was still here, my heart still beating, after three hundred years of solitude. The Darkness now covered every inch of my home, no reminders of what once was on this plain except for the castle I occupied. And as the days passed, I began to lose hope for the Divines future. It was never supposed to take this long. I was never supposed to be trapped in this solitude, wishing for something more. And as the Darkness continued to bleed through the window I stared out, I wondered, if I should step out of the confines of these walls and join my people that were still here.
Chapter One
Halley
The snow seeped through my clothes and froze my skin. I didn’t move, letting my eyes wander to the tree line above me. The wind whistled, mingling with the silence. The once boisterous grounds of Willow Grove Academy were now deserted. No one knew this small piece of the Divines was here. There were no more Hunters that could find the passage. And even if someone were to stumble upon the shield, they would never enter. I had erected a shield too strong for even a Divine to pass through.
It had been four months since we had opened the portal to Agrum Di Vinum and the Divines had passed through. Four months since I had seen the faces of those I loved. Some days, I thought of them. I wondered if they had made it to the safety of the castle. If they had defeated the Darkness and were basking in the glow of our home. And I wondered if they thought of me, of our moments together that were cut too short. I wondered if they felt as alone as I did.
A twig snapping underneath a boot alerted me and I reminded myself that I wasn’t alone. After the portal closed, Jay hadn’t left. I had expected him to try something, to take me out like he once did my mother, but I think we both realized the truth. I was too strong for him to kill. And now that he didn’t have a corrupt army at his back, he had no purpose for merciless murder. He would never be a king, the only memory of his vicious rule, the dead souls that existed through the living.
“You’re going to freeze to death.” His voice called out, but I ignored him.
He wouldn’t leave, constantly trying to drag me into conversation, but I refused to acknowledge his existence. I didn’t know what he wanted. If he thought we would be able to erase the last twenty years and he could explain why he did what he had. I had no remorse for the man that had ripped away my childhood. And I didn’t mind the freeze of the snow. It reminded me that I was alive. That I could still feel something in this torn up heart of mine.
However, I didn’t want to be in Jay’s presence, and so I stood, walking back towards the Enchanters dorm. I had erected a shield around the building as well, refusing to be vulnerable in my sleep. Not that I slept much these days. Jay called out to me as I left, begging to talk, but I continued walking, until his voice was just another whisper of the wind.
Stepping into the place I called home, I readied myself for the ache in my chest. It never got easier. Too many memories lived among these walls, taunting me every day with what I had lost. I had considered leaving Willow Grove, going back to my nomadic lifestyle, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. As much as it hurt, this was my home. The only true home I had ever known and I couldn’t just turn my back on it.
I sat on the couch, closing my eyes as I did, letting my power unfurl from my chest. I felt my power emanate throughout the room and I knew without looking that my skin would be glowing, a physical reminder that the scene I would open my eyes to wasn’t real. I pushed the thought aside though, content to pretend for just a little while.
When I felt my power stagnate, I knew the enchantment was finished. The enchantment I had thought served no purpose and was unattainable until my world crashed around me. Opening my eyes, I smiled softly at the sight before me. Kalani and Maeve sat on the loveseat, the couch their spot after so many days and nights spent there. Their hands were entangled, love shining in both of their eyes. Knox and Eli sat on the floor beneath my feet, both laughing at stories they shared. Madden sat on the couch next to me, his large frame comforting me even without touch. And Wilder stood in the corner, his heated gaze on me.
None of it was real and yet I couldn’t bring myself to care. Because for these few moments every day, I could pretend that they were still here. That I wasn’t alone, the only reminder that they were ever real the memories I clung to. I was living in a fantasy. The illusion the only salve to the agony of my reality.
Chapter Two
Wilder
There was nothing in front of me. No matter how much I craved for even a ripple, the air stood still. I knew it was dangerous to be outside the confines of the castle, but I didn’t much care. I could take out a couple of the Dark creatures. In fact, I’d be more than happy to tear them apart. For one hundred and eighteen days I had snuck away from the others and came to this spot. The spot that for one moment, held the portal to the human realm. And every day, I hoped it would be the day that the portal would open once more and Halley would step through.
I knew it was idiotic. The prophecy had been very clear; we only had one chance. The portal would never open again. But emotions bred insanity and I couldn’t deny that I was overcome with madness whenever I thought about the woman that finally made my heart beat again.
“You need to stop being so fucking dumb.” A gruff voice sounded from behind me and I rolled my eyes.
Turning towards the Shifter, I frowned. In the time we’ve been here, we’d all changed. After the surge of power from Sanctum Library, we had seen the effects, but now being on Agrum Di Vinum, they were jarring. The gold flecks that had shined in our eyes now encompassed the entire iris. And the four of us had the same soft glow that adorned the library and Halley when her powers were heightened. However, it wasn’t these changes that I noticed in Madden. His long hair was now even longer, often tangled from the countless times he ran his hands through it. There were dark circles under his eyes, the reminder that I wasn’t the only one losing sleep. And his eyes, the hopelessness screamed in their depths.
“Just checking the perimeter.” I lied and Madden let me, even though he knew the truth.
If I had been out here one hundred and eighteen days, Madden had as well. Every time, he allowed me a few moments, before following, and dragging me back to the safety of the castle. But I knew from the way he glanced beyond my shoulder, that he hoped for the same as me. For the portal to appear and for a vision with red hair to step through.
