Epilogue
ARIBELLA
For the hundredth time, I place my palm on the wall, and a shimmering window opens, allowing me to see into Dyconia. But once again, it refuses to show me what I want to see.
Most of the time, it gives me glimpses of what I want to see, like the other woman I’ve sent through, but for some reason, it refuses to show me Willow. I’ve been worried about her for weeks. Ever since her doppelg?nger from that world told me about the Mating Hunt, I’ve been worried sick.
I can’t imagine how the poor girl is feeling after trying to run away from her abusive father and being thrown into a new world, where she is literally being chased by men who want to claim her.
It’s barbaric and it makes me sick. I’ve never wished to be able to go through to Dyconia myself more than I have now.
Well, maybe watching Odessa suffer at the hands of the abusive king was worse. I threw up with worry several times during that terrible incident. Luckily, she was happy now, and I didn’t have to worry about her anymore.
Through my magical window, I watch as Ria stands in the crow’s nest, the arms of one of her men wrapped around her from behind as they stare out at the sea. Is it wrong to wish for just a piece of that happiness and love for myself?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than happy to help these women. I’m just not sure why it’s my job to do it, other than I can. Well, that and the fact that if I don’t, the pain becomes unbearable. I’m terrified that one day, I won’t be able to find someone’s doppelg?nger, and the pain will kill me.
Closing my eyes, I try to picture Willow, and when I open them, once again, I’m disappointed as all I see is a dark, empty forest. I’m about to lift my hand when movement catches my eye.
Leaning in, I try to make out what I’m seeing. It’s a cloaked man on a horse. I can’t see his face, but something about him draws me in and I’m unable to look away.
He seems to be on his own as he rides silently through the night. I watch, transfixed, as he stops beside a small stream and jumps off his horse. He squats down and cups his hands in the water, bringing it up to sip beneath his hood. His horse joins in, drinking at the stream.
My fingers dig into the wall, aching to get a glimpse of his face. Who is this man? Why is the window showing him to me?
The only person I’ve ever been able to see before, who wasn’t someone I sent through, was a man who knew Odessa and her men.
But that only started after he walked in when I was watching her.
The window had shown him to me several times since then, but I still know nothing else about him.
I only get glimpses of him doing boring things like standing around or resting.
I suppose it’s possible this could be him. But his energy feels different somehow. Maybe I have seen him, though; it’s impossible to know without seeing his face.
Suddenly, he jumps up, and his hood falls back as he looks away from me, as if he’s been startled. Even the horse looks in that direction. Slowly, he starts to walk, and my view seems to follow him, just like it did when he was riding.
I still can’t see his face, but I can see he has short, wavy brown hair.
He steps into a clearing, and I see what’s caught his attention.
There is a fawn who’s stuck, its leg wedged between two logs.
I watch with bated breath to see what he’ll do.
People in Dyconia are hunters, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to decide to make this deer his supper.
But he surprises me by holding up his hands and slowly moving forward, then grabbing the log and yanking it back, giving the fawn the space to pull its leg free and run off in the other direction.
The man stands up and wipes his hands together as he turns around. Finally, I’m given a glimpse of his face. His perfectly chiseled face. Heavens, why are all the men in Dyconia so attractive? His dark brown beard frames his entire face, giving him a rough yet charming appearance.
When he gets back to his horse, the window starts to fade, and I lower my hand with a sigh. Just when it was getting good.
Knowing it’s time to open my bookstore, I step out of my office and head to the front, unlocking the door and flipping the sign to open before moving behind the front counter.
“Now, where was I?” I ask myself as I pull out my laptop and settle in to continue writing my stories of Dyconia. I may not know why I have this ability to switch women who have been born in the wrong worlds, but at least I can write fantasy stories about it to make some money.
The women who came through needed money to help get themselves settled, and my side gig as an author helped to pay for that. It was the least I could do, really.
The doorbell chimes and I look up, seeing the new Willow walk through. She looks like she belongs in this world now, in her jeans and T-shirt.
“Back already?” I ask with a smile.
“Yes,” she says with a shrug as she leans on the counter. “I got a bit further this time, all the way down to Mulcaster Street.”
“Hey, that’s like twice as far as last time!” I say with pride. She found our world a little daunting, and with unknown enemies out there, it made it that much scarier for her to venture out.
“Do you—” She stops talking when the doorbell chimes again, and we both turn our heads to see a beautiful woman with long blonde hair enter. She looks a little familiar, but I can’t place her.
“Hi,” I say, turning toward her. “Welcome to—”
“Willow!” she cries out as she quickly runs up and grabs her upper arms. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“Uhh…” Willow’s wide eyes turn to me, clearly unsure what to say. This must be someone from the other Willow’s life. “Hi, how are you?” she finally asks, looking back at the woman.
“It’s me, Izzy.” When Willow doesn’t say anything, Izzy frowns and releases her as she takes a step backward.
“You’re not Willow.” Her frown turns to a scowl as she looks between us. “What is going on here? Where’s my sister?”
“Uh oh…” Willow whispers, but Izzy still hears her.
“What do you mean, uh oh? Where is she and who are you? Why do you look like her?”
“Would you believe she’s her twin?” I ask hopefully, but she just stares at me like I’m an idiot.
“She’s my sister. We grew up together. I’d know if there was another one of her!” She glances at Willow and I see a sliver of doubt there. But I don’t really want to lie to her.
Besides, if this is her sister, doesn’t that mean she grew up with the same abusive father? With a quick glance, she doesn’t look battered like Willow had been. She looks much healthier.
“Did you come here from the cult?” I ask, unsure how else to phrase it.
Her eyebrows raise in surprise. “So you have seen her?”
I lick my lips nervously before finally nodding. “I have.”
When I don’t elaborate, she gestures to Willow as she speaks. “Well? What’s going on here? Where is my sister?”
“I think you’re going to want to sit down for this,” I tell her as I round the counter and lock the door, switching the sign back to closed.
Now she’s seen this Willow, and somehow knows she’s not her sister, I have to try to convince her of the truth. And the only way to do that is to show her the Enchanted Veil.
“Follow me,” I tell them both as I head to the back of the store. She doesn’t notice when I use my magic to turn my office into the Enchanted Veil, too preoccupied with scanning the store behind her.
Once inside, I start to pace, trying to figure out how to explain this.
“Your sister and this Willow were born in the wrong worlds,” I tell her. “Your sister’s soul should have been born in her body. In Dyconia.”
“Dyconia?” she asks, her arms crossed over her chest with narrowed eyebrows.
“Yes, think of it as another realm, another world. Similar to ours in medieval times.”
Her eyebrows raise as she looks at me like I’m completely insane. “I can prove it, sort of,” I tell her as I step up to the wall. “You see, I’ve helped many women switch back to their rightful world. Willow isn’t the only one.”
I place my hand on the wall and close my eyes, begging for it to finally show me Willow. I hear Izzy gasp, and I open my eyes to find it’s finally worked.
Through the window, we can see Willow, fast asleep in a bed full of furs.
“Willow!” Izzy yells, but I shake my head.
“It lets us see in, but they can’t see us. And there is no audio at all,” I explain.
“Where is she?”
“I’m not sure,” I say, taking in the rustic wooden walls. A man steps into view, staring down at her sleeping and Willow behind me gasps.
“Oh no!”
“What is it?” I ask, turning my head to see her worried eyes.
“I think that’s one of the cannibals from Redmere.”
“Cannibals?!” Izzy asks in horror as my worried eyes turn back to the scene through the window. He doesn’t look like he is going to try to eat her.
“Yeah, they’re the worst. They’re total barbarians.”
“I need to save her,” Izzy exclaims in worry. “You have to send me there.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” I tell her just as the image fades and I lower my hand.
“Then how does it work?”
“I feel a pull, inside,” I say, placing a hand across my ribs. “It tells me when someone needs to come through. Once they do, I have limited time to find their doppelg?nger in this world to send back through.”
“You can’t just open the portal or whatever it is now?” she asks with worry as she glances back at the now blank wall.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Well, then,” she says, standing up a bit taller. “I’ll just wait here until you need to open it, then I’ll jump through.”
“I don’t think it works like that,” I tell her, trying to keep her calm. “I’ve tried and I can’t step through.”
“But you’re the magic wielder, or whatever you are,” she says, eyeing me up and down with a small frown. “It might work for me.”
I lick my lips nervously before I nod. “You’re right. Nobody else has ever tried. But I don’t know when it will happen again. It could be days or even years.”
“Years?” she asks, with wide eyes.
I nod. “Not only that, but it’s not the same as our world. You won’t be able to just walk around there on your own. It’s dangerous, especially for women.”
She crosses her arms over her chest and lifts her chin. “I don’t care. My sister is the most important thing in the world to me. And she’s never been outside of the compound before. She needs me to protect her. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“You know…” Willow says, joining in as she taps her chin in thought. “I could tell you all about my world, so you’re properly prepared.”
Izzy’s eyes light up with hope for the first time since I’ve met her. “Yes! Thank you!”
“She’ll need sword-fighting lessons,” I say to Willow as I start to picture everything she will need to survive there.
Willow nods. “Yes, and she’ll need to know how to ride a horse and light a campfire in the woods.”
“What about the whole woman thing?” I ask her, gesturing to Izzy.
“What do you mean?” Izzy asks in concern.
“Men outnumber women there twenty to one,” I tell her.
“And if you walk around on your own, you’ll basically be mauled by men. Even if they are respectful men, which not all of them are, they will never let you wander around on your own.”
“Can’t I just… recruit them to help me or something?” Izzy asks.
“You could…” Willow says, glancing at me nervously. “But they would only accept because they would want something from you in return.”
Izzy’s face pales a bit. “Dare I ask what?”
“To marry you. That’s only if you find respectable men. If you run into a group of bandits or something, then they won’t give you any options. Women get stolen all the time, especially unaccompanied ones.”
Instead of looking worried, Izzy smiles. “That settles it then.”
“What does?” I ask in confusion.
“I’ll learn everything I can about Dyconia, and the next time you open the portal, I’ll hitch a ride through… disguised as a man.”
Check out Chosen by their Mate to read Izzy’s story. Continue reading for the first chapter!
Thank you so much for reading Hunting for her Heart!