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Rayvien didn’t have Sight, not like Tessa or even like me, but she had information. Lots of it. Like most in the Court of Gales, she was able to travel with a thought to the mortal realm, to the gates of Heaven, and the doorway to Hell. The fey courts were guarded to their invasions, but everywhere else was fair game. She couldn’t visit there physically, but her smoke form could stay there for days, listening in on the chatter.
The way she said that—like she knew more—made me turn to her. “What do you know?”
“I won’t tell you anything else than I already have without a price. And from you, it’ll be a steep one.”
I stepped toward her, ready to beat it out of her if I had to, but Christopher grabbed my arm.
“It’s fine. We don’t need to know anything else. We know your mother is bad news, so we’re not going to trust her.” He tugged me to his side. “Let’s get out of here before something else happens.”
He was right. I knew it, but I was too emotional about all of this. The betrayal I felt from my mother was too bright and new to feel rational when it came to her. But we needed to leave.
There were always things to consider when a fey queen was doing everything she could to manipulate us, and a fey king was waiting to take advantage of our desperation. I wasn’t taking anything for granted. “Where do we go? What can we call safe?” I was fine leaving Gales, but we needed a secure destination. Somewhere no one would find us.
“Near the entrance to our court seems logical,” Van said.
Ireland. “So, with Donovan.” I’d lived so close to his pack’s stronghold, but I’d never actually gotten to explore the castle. That could be fun. Plus, I’d get to see Meredith.
“No. Donovan has enough issues with his pack right now.” Chris squeezed my hand, and I looked into his crystal blue eyes. The wolf was on edge—I could feel it pacing just below the surface—but not close enough to make his eyes glow. “Does it matter where Van leaves us?” He turned to Van. “I mean—you can get to anywhere in a flash, right?”
“I can go anywhere.” Van gave him a little shrug, as if that great power was no big thing at all. “It doesn’t really matter as long as it’s nowhere crowded. It should also be somewhere no one would know to find you or somewhere with allies. Aside from that, I can go anywhere. Even places I’ve never been before.”
Chris gave me a look that I didn’t understand. It was guarded yet something about it made me feel nervous and scared. I couldn’t feel the bond the way that Tessa and Dastien seemed to—I couldn’t read his thoughts or feel his emotions—but I wondered if maybe I was starting to sense it. “What?”
“It’s probably a terrible idea… I wasn’t ever planning on going there, but no one would look for us there. Other than you and Van, no one really knows enough to find it, and there’s definitely no one around.”
“Where?” I didn’t care if it was a terrible idea. If it was something he wanted…
“I wonder if we could go back to th
e place where we met.”
I was glad he didn’t say where aloud for Rayvien to hear, but that was the last place I thought he wanted to go. From what he’d told me, he hadn’t been back there in years and didn’t want to. I wasn’t sure what had changed, but something must’ve. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s time. We’re going to get rid of my lunar tie, and the idea just kind of hit me. No one knows where it is, right?”
“That’s right,” Van said. “We didn’t tell the healers. Only the three of us and the pixie you bargained with know.”
“I can’t worry about who the pixie might’ve told. If it’s just us then…I think going back before my life changes again? It’s fitting.”
It made sense, but still, I didn’t have a good feeling about it. Not as bad as I did about going to the Lunar Court. Just a stark unease that slithered around my heart and tightened until even my limbs felt heavy with dread.
I yawned suddenly, and Chris rubbed a hand down my back. “You okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” Not that it mattered, but I was exhausted. It’d been a long few weeks, and I hadn’t slept much. The last day had been especially emotional, and it was finally all catching up to me. “Let’s go back to where we met.”
“Then it’s settled,” Van said. “I’ll take you there, and then I’ll find Elowen and bring her to you.”
“Okay.” At least we had a plan. I wasn’t sure if it was a good one, but it was better than nothing.
I turned to Rayvien. We’d been friends once, and maybe we were allies now, but I still didn’t trust her. She’d given us a little bit of help, but I wasn’t sure it would be enough to repair the relationship. Too much had happened.
Still, she’d been a close friend for a little while, and I hoped that she got what she wanted, as long as it didn’t cost me what I wanted. “We’ll be back.”
She bowed her head just a little bit. “I’ll look forward to your return.”
I reached for Chris, grabbing his hand right as Van grabbed my other arm. Everything went dark for a second. Wherever we were—between space and time—was dark and scentless and had no air. The pressure in my head built as we tossed and turned, and then it stopped so suddenly, like I’d slammed into a wall.
I’d gotten used to the sensation over the years, but Christopher fell, his face landing in the tall grass. His was breathing hard as he cursed.
