Because if Draven has his way and turns me into him, then I can’t ever go back to the real world.
Chapter 25
Laylen
“So what’s the deal with you two?” Evan asks as we lounge in the house, waiting for Gemma to come back, hoping that everything will be okay and that, when she returns, Aislin and Aleesa will be with her.
I’m searching a bookshelf in the library for a book I know I saw once that has information about debts to Lords and Queens, hoping to learn more about it. “The deal with whom?” I run my fingers along the titles.
Evan pulls out a book, glancing at the cover. “You and Gemma?”
My forehead creases as I stare at him. “We’re friends.”
“Yeah, right.” Evan rolls his eyes. I’m not really sure how I feel about the dude. He seems to like stepping on my toes and it’s getting annoying. “That hug you two shared back at the crazy lady’s house was not a,” shifting the book underneath his arm, he makes air quotes, “’friend hug.’”
I roll my eyes, sweeping my hair out of them before returning my attention to the titles. “What does that even mean?” I slide out an ancient looking book that has a layer of dust on the top of it. “What even makes a hug qualify as a friend hug or a non-friend hug?”
Evan wiggles the book back into its place on the shelf. “The kind where you hug for way longer than what seems necessary.”
I shoot him a dirty look because he’s striking a nerve. “She thought I was dead—I thought I was dead.”
He shrugs and starts humming as he heads over to the end of the shelf. “Whatever. Just know, though, that she cried over Alex’s body a lot longer than yours.”
Shaking my head, I start to follow after him, fueled by a lot of anger. “I’m sorry, but do you have a problem with me?”
He stops near the window, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he gazes out at the lake. “No, I just see how stupid you’re acting,” he says. I’m about to shove him, when he adds, “I’ve been in that place.”
“What place?”
“The awkward friend place where the love is only one-sided.”
“That’s not where I am.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Seriously, man.” I walk backwards towards where I was searching the shelf. “Gemma and I are just friends. I’m actually with Aislin, but you don’t know that since you showed up like a few days ago.”
He shrugs, still staring out the window. “Whatever you say. I was just telling you from my own personal experience that it’s not going to work out in your favor.”
“I don’t have a favor,” I mutter under my breath, but as I say it, I realize I have no idea. About anything.
Maybe it’s time to change that, though. Maybe I need to start figuring stuff out about relationships, about life, about what I’m going to do for the decades and decades I have lying before me.
Alone.
Chapter 26
Gemma
As soon as we step into Luna’s chambers, I’m enclosed by a herd of Sprites. Go figure. They’re whispering with their beady little eyes on me and I even hear one of them giggle, “Gemma.”
Luna glares at them. “Silence!” They hastily drop their heads and a hush falls over them. “Stupid, little creatures,” she mutters under her breath and for a second I kind of like her.
She hikes down a path dotted with petals, heading towards a podium holding a throne. Green, leafy vines budding with pink flowers entwine around the throne and up the trees that grow in the room. She climbs up the short stairway with me trailing at her heels, and then sits on the thrown, gathering her flowing black dress to the side of her.
“Sit.” She points at the grass that surrounds her throne.
“Seriously?” I hesitate, but she shoots me a death-glare and I quickly plant my butt down on the ground, the pointy edges poke through my clothes. I cross my legs and rest my hands on my lap. “Why are you here?” I ask. “I thought you were in our world.”
“I’m wherever I want to be, now.” She grins, and it makes her look old. “So tell me, Gemma, why are you stupid enough to show up here? And to come alone, without any of your little friends?” Her grin dominates her face. “Yes, very, very stupid.”
I take a deep breath, praying to God the pendant does exactly what Nalina says. “I came to get Aislin and Aleesa.”
She’s startled and then enraged, her eyes blazing as she pounds her fist on the armrests of her throne. “You have some nerve coming to my Kingdom and asking me to let someone go.” She stomps her foot.
“I didn’t ask,” I clarify. “I just told you why I came here.”
She sneers at me. “The only thing you’ve accomplished by coming here is that you’ve made it easier for me. I won’t have to waste any more time trying to hunt you down.”
“Now, we both know I can leave whenever I want,” I say, treading on thin water.
She smiles smugly and it makes my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. “You know, I’m finding your Witch friend very useful… Her magic is the most amazing thing. It can bring people to my realm and even lock them in it—even someone like you.”
I shut my eyes, giving my Foreseer power a test and realizing I can’t channel any energy. I open my eyes and glare at her. “Great.”
She gestures at the guards waiting at the entrance just behind me. “Take her with the others…” Her grin consumes her whole face as she beams proudly, like she just won a shiny new trophy. “Let her be with her friends just like she came here to do.”
The guards march towards me as I jump to my feet. I keep my head hung low down so Luna can’t see the satisfaction on my face. Foreseer power or not, she’s just given me what I wanted. A ticket to where Aislin and Aleesa are. Once I get to Aislin, I can get her to lift her charm or spell or whatever it is she used, and get us out of here. It’s going to work out. For once.
I’m ushered out of the chambers as Luna climbs down from her throne, the Sprites scatter as she hurries down the path behind us. I have this overpowering urge to pull out the pendant tucked under my shirt and start barking orders, telling them all to listen to me and overtake Luna’s position, but I shove the feeling down. I won’t let my vision happen and if they’re going to take me straight to Aislin, we might just be able to walk out of here; unaffected and unharmed.
We walk across the path and then step out onto a grassy area that’s surrounded by bushes, flowers and lofty trees. Fey of all different shapes and sizes watch me curiously as I’m led towards a cluster of bushes by the Fey guards carrying spears. They’ve strategically placed themselves around me, so I can’t run, but I’m not even going to try. They’re taking me exactly where I need to go.
As we get closer to the edge of the grass, a hill rises into view. In the side of the hill, there’s an entrance to a cave carved into the stone. Sitting next to the opening is a gigantic Faerie with diamond-studded wings and sapphire eyes with a spear clutched in his hand.
“Hey, Tiny, we got another one for you.” The guard next to me shoves me towards the Faerie and laughs. “She actually walked in here on her own.”
Tiny? Really? The dude is freaking huge. “You don’t need to shove me. I was walking in.”
Tiny (eye roll) looks at me and his sapphire eyes are filled with something I’m very familiar with—sadness. “Get inside.” He aims his finger at the opening of the cave as he steps aside to let me through.
Ducking my head, I step inside. It’s dark and the air smells murky. Water drips from the ceiling and puddles the dirty floor. I can barely see past the entrance so I place my hand on the rock wall and start making my way into the cave. I can hear voices ahead and, as I get closer, the darkness starts shifting to light. I let go of the wall, cautiously walk towards the opening and, seconds later, I step out of the cave.
There’s a flat ledge, encompassed by rocky cliffs. The cliffs are hundreds of feet high and make it pretty much impossible to climb down. In the middle of the ledge is a patch of grass and a tree. Beneath the tree is a stone bench and sitting on it is a girl. Her golden hair glimmers in the sunlight, and she’s wearing dirt-stained clothes while shielding her eyes with her hand.
“Aislin,” I mutter and she looks at me.
“You need to move to the right,” she yells, still looking up at the sky.
I track her gaze, looking up to the sky. About halfway up the cliff is Aleesa, scaling up. Her curly hair blows in the light breeze, along with the back of her torn shirt. “What the… Is she trying to escape?”
Aislin must hear me because she anxiously glances around. When her eyes land on me, a look of panic crosses her face until she realizes it’s me. She leaps up from the bench and rushes in my direction, but there’s a loud noise from above and she halts as rocks come crashing down from top of the cliffs.
Aislin cups her hands to her mouth. “Aleesa! Watch out!”
Aleesa pauses and glances down at us as Aislin points above her. Aleesa angles her head up and scans the cliffs above to where the rocks are falling down. I see the fear on her face as she tries to move to the side of the cliff, out of the way of the falling rocks. They tumble past her and Aislin and I let out a sigh of relief as they smash onto the ground.
“That was close,” Aleesa yells and then digs her fingers into the rocks as she continues climbing up again.
I free the tension from my lungs, letting out a stressed breath. “God, she shouldn’t be up there. It’s too dangerous.”
Aislin looks at me with a confused and suspicious look on her face, like she’s trying to assess who I am—if I’m possessed.
I take a cautious step forward. “I’m sorr—”
A loud crash cuts me off and when I look up at the cliff again, more rocks and boulders are tumbling to the ground, and Aleesa is spiraling with them. She’s falling helplessly, her arms flailing as she no longer has control over her life.