Chapter 9
Effie Harlow
Uneasy.
That was the word for how I felt right now.
More than a bit awkward and honestly a bit angry because at the heart of this situation, the women of our world were facing a severe threat because of what amounted to a domestic dispute.
Sure, he may have been closing the gate for what he thought was the right reason, but all of this happened because of miscommunication and hurt between lovers.
How the heck hadn’t they figured this out yet? How has this not been fixed?
“If all of that’s true, why couldn’t my mom just ask you for the key herself instead of asking me to do it?
Why didn’t she do that in the first place when she realized it’d mean not seeing her son?
” I tried to not use Reaper’s name because I wasn’t sure how much anger he harbored towards Mona.
I could already see Ruby moving closer to him, as if she could shield him from the truth.
“Because it’s not possible for me to give it to her, and she knows that. And even if she did have it, she would have to be physically outside of the gates to open it,” he explained simply.
Did that mean he didn’t have the key, or he just couldn’t give it to her in general? And how did that work if she was clearly ‘there’ enough to conceive a baby but not to open a gate? What counted as physical?
“You understand this is all fucking ridiculous, right?” Dakota demanded.
“Of course,” Alcuin said, “but we can’t change the past, and now you at least know the story from my side, whether it seems to make sense or not. Emotion doesn’t always abide by the laws of logic.”
That was beyond accurate.
“You said you can’t give her the key. Is that because of what happened, or…”
“No, not because of what happened. Honestly, I’m not sure where the three of us would stand if we were all put in a room together. With that being said, I understand why you want the key, and I can deal with whatever follows because your reasons and concerns are valid. Ones I can respect.”
“So you’ll give us the key?” Caedmon asked.
“Yes.” A concerned shadow crossed Alcuin’s face. “Or I would, if I had it.”
I stared blankly at him and took a deep breath, inhaling slowly and exhaling in a long, drawn-out puff. This back and forth was driving me crazy. I just needed an answer at this point, because if he didn’t have it, where was it?
“It’s in this realm,” Alcuin said, shifting to sit back. “It’s within a garden on top of the mountain range, guarded by a system that is specifically set up to keep everyone out…mainly me.”
“Shit,” Tore murmured. If it was designed to keep him out, I couldn’t imagine what that entailed.
“A system?” Julian asked.
“Yes. It’s a series of illusions that changes on its own—it’s sentient and usually pries on your biggest concerns or weaknesses. For example, I always see Mona, and each time I fall into a trap and end up back at square one.”
In a weird way, that was really sweet. I also had a feeling he hadn’t tried very hard to make her not his weakness.
“If you want the key, then you’ll need to brave the mountain range and retrieve it,” he said, addressing his next statement to Ruby and her mates. “Besides, it seems like we have a lot to catch up on here.”
Letting Reaper handle that clearly complicated situation, I turned to my mates, speaking in a hushed tone. “Is this something we want to do?”
“It’s something we can do. I know we can get that key,” Ryder said.
“But do you want to?” Caedmon asked, looking concerned. There were a lot of elements to consider, but the one that got me was that there were still women to keep safe. That trumped everything.
“Yes,” I said with clarity. “Yes, I want to do this.”
“Then we will,” Tore assured me, his eyes flashing with determination.
Julian’s gaze went distant for a moment, then he said, “Coffin suggests that we eat and rest before leaving at dawn. That way we’ll have light to travel by but not many people to watch.”
“That’s a good idea,” Dakota agreed, looking around the space, probably wondering if we should rest in here or if we could ask for somewhere—
“So what will it be, Effie?” Alcuin asked.
“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze head on. “We will get the key.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about taking an exploratory backpacking trip through an unknown realm,” Ryder said as he crouched in front of me to tie up my laces. Tore was putting my hair into two long braids, so I appreciated the help since we were running close on time.
I wasn’t exactly a morning person, as I was learning, and after some sleep…
well, it had been a struggle to get up so early.
But here I was, sipping coffee and nearly ready, trying to make sense of not only Ryder’s words but how he was so awake right now.
I had no idea where he pulled that energy from.
“I know we can keep you safe,” he continued, “and I know we can beat these illusions, but I’m concerned about the extremes they may go to to keep us out and how they’ll affect us. I want to reach our end goal, and more than anything I want to give you what you want, kitten.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his sweet words delivered so casually.
“It’s going to be fine,” I promised, hoping I could keep my word on that. “Besides, Caedmon packed enough that we’ll be prepared for anything.”
I hadn’t meant it sarcastically at all, my cheeks instantly heating as I looked over at the man, concerned that Dakota’s chuckle and Julian’s amused expression would make it seem so. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like a bad thing.”
“I know, mon ange,” Caedmon said, his lips lifted in the faintest amused smirk as he looked at the other two. “These two are just assholes.”
The lighthearted way he swore had me smiling because I could tell he wasn’t actually mad, and that made all the difference to me when it came to cursing.
When Tore was done with my hair, I stood up and stretched, taking my coffee to the master suite to change quickly. Everyone else was already ready, and I didn’t want to be the reason we were late. If Coffin thought we should leave at dawn, then that’s what we’d do.
The master suite we’d been given had surprised me, and it probably shouldn’t have given what I’d seen of the realm so far, but it was so incredibly medieval.
The stone walls hung with heavy, artistic tapestries, and the lanterns in the hall were the only source of electricity.
Even our bath water had to be brought in.
It was surreal, and that was before we’d seen the clothing.
I didn’t know much about horseback riding, but I knew it required different clothes than normal.
These clothes though…the soft leather pants that laced in the front and the loose shirt worn under a green vest with matching boots…
They felt somewhat…excessive? Or maybe it just felt heavy.
I think heavy was a good word for it, especially since it wasn’t particularly cold outside.
Ruby must know something I didn’t because she’d sent the clothing over herself, and it was clear she had a really good grasp on the realm. She and Reaper had also been the ones to create a packing list and send the supplies that Caedmon had methodically organized.
“Good to go?” Tore asked, leaning against the doorframe. I gave myself a once-over in a heavy gilded mirror and nodded.
“Yes, all I’m ready.”
“Good, because we’re eating before we leave.” Tore wrapped an arm around me and directed me towards the table, pulling me onto his lap and placing a plate in front of me. I wasn’t complaining—the food here was delicious, and I didn’t know how much time we would have to eat while traveling.
While I ate, I listened as my mates went over the map they’d been given, noticing a series of towns we’d have to pass through on the way to the mountains.
I knew it would be early morning when we traveled through that area, so not many people would be out and about, but a part of me wanted to see who exactly lived there.
“I’m sure on our way back we can meet some of the people who live there,” Tore said, making me realize that I’d shared that particular thought out loud.
“Maybe… Or maybe it’s better not,” I murmured, not wanting to derail our plans.
“I think we should be able to reach the mountain base by late afternoon.” Ryder’s gaze moved towards the dawn sky visible through the windows, making me eager to leave. “Assuming we don’t have any delays. Then again, this map is less detailed than I would prefer.”
Which meant there could be surprises along the way. I didn’t necessarily mind surprises, so long as they weren’t the kind that would prevent us from completing our mission or put the group in danger.
“I think the sooner we leave the better,” Dakota said, standing when he realized I was done eating.
The rest of us followed suit, my mates picking up the map and packing some of the leftover food.
Julian and Dakota were talking about how they were going to travel shifted in their wolf forms and found myself wishing I could join them.
But it would probably be better to have four horses on the off chance that one or both of them needed a break, so I didn’t mention it.
Besides, my wolf was being a bit of a baby right now because we weren’t in the snow back in Wisconsin. It was ridiculous, but I also didn’t blame her completely, especially since we had just been getting used to the freedom of being away from the Whitepaw Pack and able to shift whenever we wanted.
A few minutes later we made our way to the front entrance of the castle where four horses waited for us, as well as Reaper, Aaren, and Ruby.
Ruby held out a bag to me. “I packed some extra stuff for you.”
I offered her a thankful smile, and while I didn’t know what was inside, if she thought I needed it, I probably did.
“Do you guys need anything else?” she asked, looking over all of us.
“I don’t think so, just eager to get on the road.”
She nodded and looked back at Reaper. “Do we need to give them a heads up about anything?”
“Yes,” Reaper said, concern flashing over his gaze. “If it looks or smells like it’s going to storm, don’t question it. Just get into a sheltered spot. The weather here comes on fast and can be very dangerous.”
“Does it storm often?” Dakota asked.
“At least every other day,” Ruby answered.
“Right.” I nibbled my lip.
“We better get on the road then,” Ryder said as Caedmon led me towards my horse. The others were speaking as he said in a softer tone, “Let me help you up, mon ange. You’ve never ridden before, right?”
My cheeks flushed. I knew he was talking about horses, but of course my mind went elsewhere…
“I’ve never even seen a horse in person,” I admitted, approaching the tall silver creature who stared at me with large dark eyes.
Honestly, until you were standing right next to one, it was hard to imagine just how much bigger than you they were.
I was positive falling off of one would be a horrible experience.
“The basics are somewhat intuitive,” Caedmon assured me as I reached out to touch the silver horse.
I breathed a sigh of relief when it eagerly bent its head down to nuzzle its nose against my outreached fingers.
Despite its size, it was extremely gentle.
I moved closer, and the horse bent further to rest its head on my shoulder, my arms wrapping around her neck.
I didn’t know how I knew it was a female, but I did.
“I’m literally getting jealous of a damn horse,” Ryder grumbled.
“I’m going to shift before I do too,” Dakota said, chuckling.
He and Julian distanced themselves from the horses before shifting into their gorgeous wolf forms. A smile pulled onto my lips, my wolf nearly breaking free herself before I felt Coffin’s magic surround me, calming my wolf.
I had no idea how he did that, but I was thankful for it.
Oddly enough, the horses didn’t seem spooked by the wolves, and as Caedmon helped me into the saddle, I watched the two of them going up to each horse to greet them individually.
It looked from the outside like they were just having a stare off, but my magic told me it was more than that and that there was no tension between them.
Once I was settled on the horse with the reins in my hands, Tore and Caedmon taught me the basics, Ruby adding in a tip here and there.
It was a lot to take in at once, but I felt confident I could do this—plus, if I had questions, I would be able to ask them pretty easily.
Satisfied that I would be okay on my own, Caedmon, Tore, and Ryder mounted their own horses, which were even larger than my own.
“Good luck! We’ll be here when you get back,” Aaren said with a friendly smile.
I waved goodbye to Ruby as we departed, leaving the protection of the castle’s shadow.
The horses followed my shifted mates’ lead as I breathed in the crisp morning air, the heat from yesterday mostly gone. Thank the goddess for that.
“Ready for this?” Tore asked.
I nodded, knowing that whatever lay ahead was going to be the start of something big—something that would change everything.