Chapter 13
Elariya
“Nowhere to Go”
We laid Wolfe in the biggest bedroom upstairs. It was the one with the least amount of dirt and was easy enough to clean and sanitize for someone who was badly injured. Tucked beneath the slanted roof, its narrow window overlooked the dead sea and the twin suns.
There were two other bedrooms. We’d decided that if we had to stay any longer, the guys would take one room and Arielle and I would share the other.
I had nothing against sharing a room with Arielle, but I truly hoped we wouldn’t be here—wherever we were—for too long.
I wasn’t optimistic we’d be going anywhere today. We’d been here for several hours now, and this realm’s version of night was approaching.
One of the suns had dimmed while the other was turning a silver shade. Like a moon. But not.
The guys had tried location spells but came up with nothing. They also discovered that magic was unstable here. Possibly worse than in Morg?ven.
The elements were out of sync, and the Void didn’t reach here. It was cut off from the mortal lands, too, but that was different and due to the Veil.
Here it was like it didn’t exist. We could hardly feel the Fray here, too.
That meant we couldn’t risk using certain magic, like portaling or phasing.
Bastian had explained what happened when you pulled through unstable power—you didn’t just end up lost. You could drift forever between realms, or be torn apart mid-crossing, your soul splitting into fragments that scattered across places that no longer existed.
It was a wonder how Wolfe had managed to get us all here, but I supposed such was the nature of his powers. And his curse.
Bastian’s theory was that we were still in one of the dead realms. And that gave me the creeps. Or rather, it heightened what I was already feeling.
The place had an undeniably eerie vibe to it, but even I knew the living were not meant to walk in places like this for too long. Or at all.
The only good things so far were that Bastian and Alaric had found enough weeds and roots for Arielle to make a poultice, and Wolfe’s breathing had steadied.
They’d gone back out to forage and hunt, leaving Garrick behind to keep watch.
He was downstairs, making the place as safe as it could be, while Arielle and I stayed with Wolfe.
I sat by his bedside, watching the soft glow of Arielle’s hands as she worked her healing magic.
The gentle rise and fall of Wolfe’s chest and the subtle color that had returned to his face were a positive sign that what she was doing was working.
At least I hoped it was.
I was quite aware that his injuries were substantial enough that he could still die.
No human being could have survived a sword being wedged in their heart, let alone being in that condition and trapped in Morg?ven.
It was something that could have killed a powerful Fae warrior like Wolfe, too, instantly.
Earlier, when Arielle had begun tending to him, she found a protection rune inked into his palm.
She explained it was a Septimus Rune. The Seer had given it to Wolfe.
The sight of the rune meant it was active. It had started to fade when Arielle applied the poultice.
It was highly likely that the rune had kept the sword’s magic from killing Wolfe outright. Even so, he was still on the edge of death when we found him, and we came dangerously close to being too late.
I stared at his face.
Even unconscious, even pale with injury, he still held that devastating beauty.
Sharp cheekbones carved shadows beneath his closed eyes, and his jaw held a stubborn set. The scar that ran from his right cheekbone to his jaw caught the strange dual light filtering through the window. It was a thin, precise line that spoke of violence survived, of battles fought and won.
Looking at him now, I could see exactly why I’d liked him. Wolfe looked like he’d been conjured from a storybook. The kind of man who could undo a woman with nothing but a glance.
It was hard to believe I’d gone from being him prisoner to being in love with him. The whole thing sounded bizarre. Like one of those stories Goodie Herman would come up with. She was the town gossip and a certified outlandish storyteller.
Though I’d recorded details about my feelings changing and all the experiences I had with Wolfe, I never gave specific details of how I fell in love with him.
Maybe because it was just something that… happened.
Maybe because there was no formula or step-by step guide to falling in love.
Love just happened. Mother always said you couldn’t help who you loved. Perhaps this was one of those cases.
It was difficult for me to grasp because my mind was an empty vessel held at the mercy of my curse.
That aside, truth was truth. Wolfe had been mine, and I’d been his.
My journal didn’t lie. And even if it had, I’d witnessed it for myself—how he’d protected me, how he’d wrapped me in his wings as if my life mattered more than his own.
Still, I was torn. Conflicted. That hollow space inside me didn’t know what to do with him. My mind didn’t remember him. My body didn’t, either.
The only undeniable thing was the pull I felt in my heart. It was quiet and constant, tugging at my ribs, refusing to let me go.
It had a different feel from the locator spell. That had faded when we arrived here. I no longer sensed that guiding presence. I supposed that was because what I was meant to find was right beside me.
The mission was over. We’d found Wolfe.
I should have been thinking about getting back to the mortal lands, back to my family, back to my life and the problems I still had there with Thayden. But it didn’t feel that simple.
Staring at a man who felt like a stranger and a destiny all at once stirred a war inside my chest.
I didn’t remember loving him. I didn’t remember choosing him. And I wasn’t sure any of that mattered because I had to leave.
As soon as we were able to leave this place and head back to the magical realm, I had to go home.
The glow from Arielle’s hands faded. She straightened and looked across at me.
“How are you doing?” she asked for the millionth time, her gaze sweeping over my face as if she could hear the thoughts circling my mind.
I nodded. “I’m alright.” My throat tightened. “What about him?” I motioned toward Wolfe.
She drew in a slow breath. “He’s holding up. Not quite out of the woods yet, but… better. A lot better.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Yeah. The moonflower roots will ease the pain, and the craberry vines will help the wound heal. I’m hoping the guys can find more, and if possible, dragon weed. My magic will heal what’s broken from within and the damaged tissue around his heart.”
My gaze found Wolfe’s face again. “He’s so…strong.”
“If he were awake now, he’d probably tell us this is nothing. Even if it’s a lie. He’s survived more wars than most, but I’m certain this was a very close brush with death.”
“I keep thinking about how it must have happened. And Thayden.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, too.”
“That man never ceases to disgust me.” My stomach churned with the revulsion I spoke of. “Would you believe he wanted me to think we were madly in love? He played with my mind, manipulating me every chance he got. All while everyone lied to me because they were terrified of him.”
“I’m so sorry.” She placed a hand on her heart. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“I know.” I released a haggard breath. “I guess I’ll just have to deal with him when I get back.”
“How are you feeling… otherwise?” Arielle’s gaze flicked cautiously toward Wolfe.
I knew what she meant. She wasn’t asking about my bruises again or the exhaustion in my bones. She was asking about him. About the confusion and conflict tangling inside my chest.
And I was certain she didn’t want a full unraveling of my conflict while he lay right there. It was a known fact that even the unconscious could hear when people were talking, especially when the conversation was about them.
“I don’t know,” I admitted softly. “It feels… complicated. I just want him to be all right.”
She nodded, understanding in her eyes. “We’ll talk later. Away from here. Only if you want.”
I gave her a small smile. “I’m sure I’ll want to.”
Through all of this, I could see what she was doing. She was trying to be a friend to me, and I appreciated it more than I could say. It seemed that from the very beginning, even when we’d first met, Arielle’s only aim had been simple.
Friendship.
“Then we’ll talk.” She shifted closer, her shoulder brushing mine in quiet solidarity.
I glanced out the window. In the span of minutes, the light had thinned to almost nothing. The fading sun had slipped away completely, and the one that remained was turning fully silver, bathing the land in a strange, mystical glow.
“Arielle… do you think we’ll find a way out of here?” I’d been trying not to ask that question, but I couldn’t hold it back any longer.
She came closer. Worry touched her features as she followed my gaze out the window. “I have to believe we can,” she said quietly. “If only for you.”
“I appreciate that,” I murmured, “but I’d rather know the truth. The possibilities.”
Arielle looked back at me, her expression soft but strained.
“I understand. I just don’t want you sitting here drowning in fear.
” She exhaled. “The guys will figure it out. Bastian is excellent with maps across the realms and planes. I’m hoping he’ll be able to find a connection somewhere.
Or even establish that it’s safe to portal. ”
Her eyes drifted back to the dimming light outside.
“I’ve never heard of a place like this in all my studies,” she admitted.
“But I do believe it could be one of the dead realms—if only because Wolfe is taking this long to heal. If we were back in Vaelthorne, the healing properties in the air would be helping him.” She shook her head once.
“This place… is far from that. It feels like it’s neither here nor there. And not in a good way.”
“I sense that, too.”