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ChapterOne
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
What did I just get myself into?
Darkness enveloped me as I stepped through the portal, a frigid sensation coursing through me for only a moment before light blossomed again. The feeling vanished as quickly as it came, and I found myself in an entirely new world from the one I had just left. My eyes darted back to where I had just come, locking on Oliver’s through the now-wavering portal. Panic etched across his face as a deafening blast echoed from his side, the edges of the portal rapidly diminishing as his concentration waned.
“Go, I’ll find you!” His voice reverberated through the glimmering haze, sounding more like a ghoulish echo than a man as the portal snapped completely shut, disappearing as if it had never been there in the first place.
I stood slack-jawed, taking in my new surroundings. I craned my neck to gaze at the sky, two colossal moons hanging equidistant from each other. Their azure glow painted everything with an otherworldly hue. The rugged and barren landscape stretched before me, marked by jutting rocks and patches of stone. A gentle mist kissed my skin, and I gasped as I discovered an ocean just a few feet behind me, the rocky area I stood on serving as the shoreline. It was unlike any ocean I'd ever seen, its water a royal plum, eerily still, making no sound. Its surface was like glass, smooth and unmarked. I would have attempted to walk on it if not for the slight waver at the water's edge where it lapped at the craggy beach.
As I stared out at the water, a sense of calm fell over me, when I should have been feeling anything but. The water, the moons—everything about this place should have unnerved me, but it didn't. Instead, it felt oddly familiar, like a case of déjà vu. If what everyone had told me was true, it was familiar; I had been here before. This had been my home at some point.
I hope they’re okay.Lily. Wolfe. Callan. My pack. I’d barely met them, and yet, it was like I’d finally found a place I belonged. At least, it had been until I learned I was a halfling Faerie shifter with lightning powers, the daughter of a bloodthirsty queen. And again, I found myself on the outside. I had so many questions still left unanswered, especially for Callan and his redheaded psychomate.
I shuddered against the thought, snapping my emotional walls back into place as I turned back toward land. I didn’t have time to digest anything that had happened in the last few hours, and I especially didn’t have time to dwell on the panther shifter that always seemed to make my heart beat faster. Not when I had been dropped into the Faerie realm by myself, completely unarmed if you didn’t count the unreliable powers I didn’t know how to use and this shifting I had a hard time triggering. My best bet was to regroup with Oliver as soon as possible. Had he even made it out?
I started walking, needing to find some sort of shelter but knowing I shouldn’t stray too far. Oliver said he would find me, and while I still didn’t know if I could trust him or if he was even still alive, I didn’t have much of a choice. This world was already so unlike my own, and I had no idea what else was in store. What if there was acid rain that fell at a moment’s notice? Or giant monsters that liked to eat little rabbit shifters? I would be royally screwed.
I’d wait and hope I didn’t come to regret that decision.
As I continued, a large outcropping of rocks swam into view, and I picked up my pace as I eyed the darkening sky. I didn’t know what nightfall was like out here or even if it worked the same as it did back home, but I’d rather be under cover than out in the open like I was now.
My haste was rewarded when, a few minutes later, I reached the rocks. It was an impressive formation, the large shapes jutting out in all directions, almost throne-like in their pattern. It towered over me, and I sighed in relief when I noticed a small alcove formed in the base of the rocks. It was big enough that I could sit comfortably, and I plopped down, stretching my legs out in front of me as I prepared to wait.
I thought back to the loud blasts I’d heard from Oliver’s end of the portal and truly contemplated if he had survived or not. If he was dead, and I was just sitting here like bait, then I might as well drown myself in the strange ocean now. It was probably Queen Tantaii, busting out from the rubble that had been dropped on her. I know they said Oliver was powerful, but was he powerful enough to go up against a Faerie queen? I had my doubts. But what else could I do? I resolved to wait just for the night, and if he hadn’t found me by morning, then I’d venture out on my own. I needed food and water. I was no use to anyone if I was dead.
My thoughts returned to Queen Tantaii. Formerly trapped queen of the Fae.Mother?
I frowned, my heart rate quickening as my emotions came rushing in, the information of what I had learned fully sinking in. I was half-Fae, and my mother was the queen of the fucking Fae. It was hard to deny that she wasn’t just an older, more ethereal version of my own reflection with how similar we looked. Same blonde hair, same big brown eyes. A normal person would probably be happy about that, but this was anything but normal. What had she done that was so bad she was magically locked up for five hundred years?
Olette. A version of myself that I’d chosen to forget. A version I didn’t know. I couldn’t imagine a world where I’d ever voluntarily give up my memories, not in a billion years. Memories were like my favorite trashy reality TV show—I needed them, no matter how embarrassing or cringe-worthy they might be.
And I needed them back now.
Where the hell is Oliver?The longer I sat there, the wider the pit of dread in my stomach grew. He should have been here by now.
“Screeeee—”
My head whipped up, and I stared out of my alcove, cautiously moving into a kneeling position. I listened intently, until I heard the cry again. A high-pitched screech, but soft, like a baby animal.
“Screeeeee!”
It was louder this time, almost pained, and I cautiously exited the cave. I followed the continuing cries until I came up to a small rock ledge near the opposite side, where a small figure tossed and turned.
I stared at the strange animal. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, like a cross between an eagle and a chicken. It was completely white, with feathered wings protruding from its torso and tucked tightly into its back. The only spot of color on it was its crimson eyes, currently scrunched in pain as it contorted on the ledge. A metal-tipped arrow stuck out of its hind leg, and I softened in sympathy for the creature.
I approached the cheagle, careful to keep my hands out where it could see them. “Easy there, buddy. I’m just going to take a look and see if I can help you out, okay?”
Close enough now, I could seeitwas definitely ahe. He focused one eye on me as he cried, his screams dying down into a soft, mewling sound that made my heart wrench. I met his gaze, doing my best to give him a reassuring smile. He growled softly as I got closer, and when I reached one hand out to touch him, he swiped at me with his good leg, a deep slice opening on my hand.
“OW!” I shrieked, pulling my hand back and giving him the evil eye. “Do you want me to help you or not?” He quieted and regarded me, and for a split second, I thought he almost looked human, but then he whimpered and pushed his injured leg out towards me.
“I don’t think I should pull it out,” I mused to myself. His leg was as white as the rest of him, stained with a shimmery liquid that oozed from the wound.Silver blood? “It’s better to leave it in so you don’t bleed out until we can—” What? Call for help? Get to a hospital? I had no way to help this creature.
The cheagle made a noise deep in his chest, and I squinted at him. He blinked at me expectantly, and I shook my head, incredulous. “You want me to take this out?” He let out a soft chirp, sounding weak. This baby animal understood what I was saying. What kind of place was this?
I assessed the damage, becoming more hopeful as I looked on. The arrow was thinner than it had appeared, lightweight and tipped at both ends with a silvery gray metal that had gone straight through his thigh. Luckily, the body of the arrow was wood, and the arrow was off to the side, hopefully missing any major arteries. If the animals in this realm even had arteries.
