Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Iwish I could say the morning was eventful, but it was dreadfully boring.
Which I guess is probably a good thing. We inhaled the breakfast Helena had brought up to our rooms when we woke and then it was incredibly easy to slip from the town unnoticed by the guards.
The walk to the portal was equally uneventful.
The landscape was a dreary monotonous grey with scraggly trees.
What I’m coming to find is the norm for Unseelie lands.
It’s horribly depressing and I couldn’t imagine being Bastian and having grown up in a place like this.
Even with the additional bonus of magic.
The human realm, while not perfect by any stretch, at least has some color and vibrancy to it that lends to a cheery upbringing.
Like that crisp, almost smoky breeze that accompanies autumn, the vibrancy of the leaves that look like flames.
Cozying up in front of the hearth with Fleur and mulled wine during the Winter Solstice.
Watching clouds drift through the sky with Tom in the wildflower meadows in spring.
It’s only barely late morning by the time we reach the portal, which doesn’t even look like much of anything.
“This is it? You’re serious?”
Bastian looks at me with furrowed brows. “Why wouldn’t I be serious?”
“Because the portal I fell through was a pool of water. This is… a ring of mushrooms! There’s no way this,” I throw my arm out in the direction of said mushroom ring, “is a portal.”
“It’s called a faerie ring and it’s actually the most common form of portal that connects the realms.”
“But it’s just a circle on the ground!” I throw my arms in the air. I don’t even know why I’m fighting him on this. I would’ve expected something a bit more whimsical and outlandish than simply stepping into a circle and poof. Give me vibrant, otherworldly, swirling mists.
In fact, it’s so nondescript that I almost walked right past it. I hadn’t noticed that Bastian had stopped. Too busy fixating on the imminent confrontation with my aunt, he had to reach a hand out to grab my upper arm and halt my movements.
“Do you want to go home or not?” he asks, eyebrow raised.
“Of course I do!”
“Then you’re going to have to get over it and use the fucking faerie ring.” He pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Fine, fine. All I do is step into the circle? That’s it? There’s nothing more I have to do? Like, think of a happy memory of the place I want to go to or click my heels together a predetermined number of times?”
“Heel clicking? What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Forget about it,” I mumble.
“You don’t need to do anything special. Simply step into the circle and it will spit you out in the human realm. Be careful—”
I step forward into the ring before he can finish his sentence.
The feeling is entirely unsettling. It’s as quick as a blink, sure, but it feels like I’m free falling for that split second. My stomach rolls and I stumble out the other side of the ring, landing on my hands and knees and losing my breakfast.
I hear the crunch of leaves behind me as Bastian steps out of the faerie ring. “If you had let me finish,” he drawls, “I would have said to be careful of the falling feeling. It tends to get everyone on their first go.”
“You don’t say,” I deadpan between heaves on all fours.
His body is warm as he kneels beside me and gathers my loose hair in one hand, holding it away from my face.
Once I reach a point where there’s nothing else to expel, I turn my face to him.
“I didn’t like that one bit. Why wasn’t it like that the first time?
” I’m panting as I try to breathe through the lingering nausea.
He’s staring at where his hand has my hair gathered and looks as if he didn’t even hear me. After a moment, he finally turns his attention to my face, finding me looking at him expectantly. He shakes off whatever had his thoughts elsewhere. “Sorry, what?”
I roll my eyes. “I asked why it wasn’t like this the first time. I didn’t heave my guts up then.”
“I’m not sure. Maybe that portal was slightly different than this one. But this tends to happen the first time for everyone.” He releases my hair over one shoulder and begins to rub soothing circles into my back.
“Even you?”
“Especially me. It took me ages before the nausea stopped hitting. I think I lost my meals for the first handful or so,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh.
“That makes me feel a bit better then, I guess.”
“Glad I could help you feel better about yourself through my embarrassment,” he deadpans, but I can see the smile brightening his eyes. “How are you feeling now?”
“I think it’s just about subsided,” I say, taking another deep breath as I push off the ground to stand.
“You’re sure?” The concern is thick in his voice.
“I’ll be fine. Walking will help,” I assure him.
“First things first,” he says.
Right.
“What do I need to do?” I ask, weirdly nervous.
“Nothing. Just stand still. You may feel an itch or pinch, but once the glamour settles in you won’t even notice it.
” We had discussed it this morning over breakfast that I would need another glamour while we’re here.
It’s unlikely I’ll see anyone else except Fleur, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
I give him a nod. “Okay, do it.”
There’s a small flourish of his fingers before there’s the faintest prickles along my skin that almost tickles. Within a few moments, it’s over.
“Okay, lead the way.” He sweeps his arm out ahead of us.
I take a quick glance around the copse of trees and immediately know where we are. We’re only about fifteen minutes into the forest and dangerously close to our cottage.
“This portal is always active?” I ask warily. I take note of the barely noticeable circle of white button mushrooms that stick out against the fiery orange of the fallen leaves.
“Yes, but I can’t say I know of many who use it. It’s more likely that a human will stumble into it.”
“I could see that,” I mutter under my breath, thinking of the hundreds of times I would have come around this area and somehow never came across the portal. “It’s this way,” I say, picking up my pace as I navigate us through the woods.
I stop us when we reach the tree line at the edge of our property. “Home sweet home.”
I look upon the small cottage where I’ve spent my entire life with an ache of bittersweetness.
This place is the source of my happiest memories, where I met my best friend, where I grew into the woman I am today.
But I don’t feel that relief I would’ve expected once this whole ordeal kicked off.
It’s tainted by the secrets that have been kept from me.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Bastian asks, brows furrowed with concern.
“No, no. I can do this. Plus, I think your presence may also make things so much worse.”
He nods in understanding. “Okay, I’ll be nearby. If you need me, call for me.”
I cross the open yard with determination powering my steps.
I look back before stepping up onto the porch of the cottage and see Bastian still leaning against the tree where I left him.
I can barely make out the nod he gives me in encouragement.
I repeat the gesture back to him and watch as he steps back into the woods and fades out of view.
I step up to the front door of the cottage and freeze for a moment.
I reach to anxiously fiddle with the ring that’s no longer on my finger.
The lack of the cool metal sending a pang through my chest. It’s not like it really had any sentimental meaning at this point, but it was the method I used to help calm my nerves when they start to ramp up.
I close my eyes and take a steadying breath. I can do this. Opening my eyes, I lift my fist and knock on the door.
I can hear fumbling around on the other side of the door for a few moments and a muttered curse before Fleur swings the door open. Her eyes widen at me and then almost instantly flash with relief.
“Oh, Olivia. Thank the gods. Where on earth have you been? I’ve been worried sick!
I’ve had Thomas out searching for you. It’s been days!
Where have you been?!” She rattles off her questions while pulling me into the cottage so quickly that I nearly lose my footing.
Slamming the door closed with her foot, she pulls me into a bone-crushing embrace.
“I’m fine, Aunt Fleur. Truly, I’m okay,” I say hesitantly. Because, yes, physically I’m perfectly fine. Now. Mentally and emotionally though? That’s another story entirely. I’m reeling and have too many questions rattling around inside my head at this moment.
As I pull back from her embrace, something in my expression must give away my thoughts because her brow furrows. “What’s wrong, Livi?” The concern in her words is so thick I can almost feel it in the air.
“I, um, I have some questions,” I begin.
I don’t really know where to start, so I hold up my hand, now bare of the glamour ring and watch her eyes closely.
I watch as they track to my hand and note the lack of ring, dart to the other hand hanging loose at my side to check it’s not there either, before her gaze settles back on my face with an expression of grave understanding.
“You know,” is all she says before she closes her eyes for a beat, shakes her head, and then walks towards her bedroom.
Dumbfounded at the fact that she left me standing here when I’ve confronted her about the fact that she’s been lying to me. My entire life. I stare at the cracked door to her bedroom, unsure of whether I should follow her or not.
“Well, come on then, Livi. You want answers and it’s finally time I give them to you,” she calls from her room. I rush in to find her flitting around the space, gathering items off of tables and shelves dotted around the space.
“So, you know what I am then?” I ask quietly.