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“The Fae realm’s name is Gwerin. It is divided into five territories. Four are governed by the seasons. Emlyn is the capital of the fifth. It’s called Cysgod, or Shadow Territory.”
“That sounds ominous,” I mumbled sleepily.
“There’s an equal day and night cycle here, just like at home. That’s not the case in the other territories. The sun barely sets in the summer lands, and the winter realm’s days only last hours.”
“So, who runs the place?” That had been one of my first questions when I’d found myself stranded.
“Each territory has its own ruling house. The Llwyd family is in charge of Cysgod. Prys is the last of them.”
I sat up straighter. “Well, my mom was Prys’s twin sister, so that makes me a”—I tried to pronounce the strange name—“Hoo-eed?”
Than shrugged. “Close enough. But that explains why he left you here to rot. Prys is not one to give up his claim easily.”
Yeah, no kidding. I hated that asshole of an uncle with all my strength. One day, I’d pay him back. Then I exhaled sharply, focusing on Than, who watched me with a faint smile on his lips.
“I’m glad to see you haven’t lost your fire, kitten.”
I pecked him on the lips before asking, “What about you? Why are you here?”
He dropped his arm off my shoulder and placed his head against the wall, his gaze far away, lost in memories. The sadness on his face told me it wouldn’t be a happy story.
“My sister was taken by the Fae when I was a lad. I saw the whole thing, but I was too young to fight back. All I could do was hide until the bastards had crossed back into Gwerin. I searched for her for a long time, traveling the world, warning villages of the dangers.”
Chuckling without humor, he shook his head as if trying to dislodge the memories. “Nobody ever believed me until it was too late. The Fae were brutal, burning houses, not caring who was inside. Raping women, taking children.”
I’d never heard of any of that. Wouldn’t it have made the news?
“Where are you from, Than?”
He ignored my question. “The year my sister disappeared, we’d sailed all the way from Europe for a better life. Our parents perished on the journey, but when we landed, theVroedschapgave us a small plot of land. I built a shelter, and somehow, we survived the first winter.”
I stared at him incredulously. “What’s a vrood-shup? When did that happen, Than?”
“I don’t know. Maybe 1600? Or a little later? I forget. Anyway, after years, I found a portal to Gwerin, and—“
“Stop. Stop talking, oh my God.”
His forehead wrinkled at my outburst, but thankfully, he shut up and allowed me to take a few shaky breaths. When I felt like I didn’t have an out-of-body experience, I said, “Than. That’s impossible. When I crossed through the portal just a month ago, it was 2020.”
He wiped his hand over his face, his expression grim. “I’m not surprised. Time works differently here. You can live a lifetime in Gwerin, and in our world, minutes have passed. Or you sleep a night here and find that your entire family has died of old age, and you’re the only one left.”
“But how can I even understand you if you speak seventeenth century English?”
He reached out and pulled me in tight, as if he needed the comfort just as much as I did.
“I don’t. I speak Dutch. But have you noticed you can understand their language? Their magic allows different races and species to communicate, unless they don’t want you to.”
My eyes refused to blink, staying wide open as my thoughts spun like propellers. If that was true, then what about all the people I knew? Would they be dead and gone if I returned? I had no family left, but I’d hoped to go home at some stage. I missed my favorite TV shows. And vanilla milkshakes. And my dad’s home-made zucchini bread.
But then, I’d never have that again, anyway. My dad was gone. I hadn’t even noticed the tears running down my cheeks until Than brushed them away.
“I know. It’s okay to mourn, Beth. One day, we’ll be sitting in the sunshine with a strong drink in our hand, remembering those we left behind with fondness.”
We stayed in silence for a long time, clinging to each other. I had so many questions about Than’s life. Sixteen hundred. What had he seen? I vaguely remembered a history program about plagues and wars during that time. No, maybe I didn’t want to know.
Than’s soft voice broke the silence. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess. We’re all but pawns in their games.”
“I didn’t kill the king, you know?”
