“But since you’ve been there before, you can use your key to go straight to your people,” Mira said. “You can literally walk in the front door and be there. So why don’t you go alone, get the Crown, and bring it back here?”
“Because it’s my duty to protect you,” he said. “I can’t do that from another realm.”
“We’re safe in the Haven.”
“We were supposed to be safe in Utopia, too.”
She frowned and said nothing.
“Nowhere is safe,” he continued. “But we have our keys. As long as there’s a door nearby, we have a way out of whatever situation we find ourselves in.”
And what if there’s no door nearby?
I kept the thought to myself, since I didn’t want to upset Mira.
“Fine,” she said, still frowning. “But I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap.” She used her key to exit the tearoom—presumably to go to her room.
Ethan watched her leave, his expression hard.
Whatever he was thinking, I couldn’t read him. And I didn’t know why I thought I’d be able to. He was one of those people who was near impossible to read.
But I could almost always read my twin.
“She wants you to go after her.” I motioned at the door.
“She does.” He sighed, then looked to me.
My chest tightened. Because this was the moment I’d been waiting for.
Time alone with Ethan to ask him the question that had been on my mind for days.
“Wait.” I took a deep breath, glanced down at my feet, and spoke as quickly as possible. “I think we should take memory potion to forget about what happened in that room.”
I nearly smacked myself. Could I have been any more generic?
I forced myself to meet his eyes, and he looked… amused.
It was the first time he’d looked me in the eyes in days. My breath caught at the intensity of his stare.
Why did his gaze have so much power over me?
“You mean the kiss?” he asked.
“Yes.” My voice nearly got stuck in my throat. “That.”
“No.”
“What?” I startled.
“You heard me. No. I won’t take the potion.”
I froze, unsure what to say. In all the times I’d rehearsed this conversation in my mind, I’d never imagined he’d say no—and especially not so quickly.
I shook myself back into focus. “Why not?”
“Because it happened,” he said quickly. “And, memory potion or not, we can’t change that.”
“But we’re the only people who know. If we take memory potion, it’ll be like it never happened. And that would be easier—for all three of us.”
“What if I don’t want to forget?”
Confusion rushed through me. Confusion… and a small thrill of happiness.
No.
I couldn’t be happy about this. What we did was wrong. I wouldn’t let myself feel anything else.
“We agreed that Mira should never know,” I said.
“We did,” he agreed. “But just because Mira will never know, it doesn’t mean we have to never know.”
“Why does it matter?” I asked. “It meant nothing. The only reason you snapped out of it was because you thought I was Mira.”
“I never thought you were Mira.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “When we kissed, you thought about all the times you’d kissed Mira.”
“I never said that.” His brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
“Yes. You did.”
Silence for a few seconds as we stared each other down. Because I knew what had happened. He’d definitely said that he’d flashed back to all the times he’d kissed Mira—to all the memories they’d shared together.
Why claim otherwise?
“Fine,” he muttered. “If that’s what you want to think to feel better about it, then fine.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Doing what?”
“Being so… stubborn.”
He let out a small chuckle. “You’ve known me for months,” he said. “Haven’t you realized? I’m always stubborn.”
“You and Mira both,” I said.
“And you, too,” he said. “You’re the most determined, focused person I’ve ever met. Which, for the record, are nice ways of saying ‘stubborn.’”
My breath caught again, and I took a step back to get ahold of myself. “Then you should know that I’m determined to take this memory potion. I have to do it. For Mira.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” he said simply. “But fine. If it makes you happy, take the memory potion.”
“So… you’ll do it?” That was surprisingly easy.
“I won’t do it,” he said. “But I won’t stop you from doing it.”
I pressed my lips together. This wasn’t getting us anywhere.
“You should get the potion made as quickly as possible,” he said, and was it just me, or was there a twinge of pain in his voice? “It takes a few hours to brew, and we’re leaving for Ember in the morning.”
I stood there, confused. Because why did he want to remember that kiss? It couldn’t have meant anything to him.
Could it have?
I nearly asked, but I stopped myself.
“Good point,” I said instead. “Thanks.”
Without a glance back at him, I spun around, turned my key in the lock, and stepped into the Library’s ivory hall.
Hecate wasn’t there.
Figured. I sighed in frustration.
Although it was probably a good thing that Hecate wasn’t there, because in that particular moment, the only thing I wanted to know was why Ethan didn’t want to forget that kiss. And that would be a waste of a question, given that there were so many more important things we needed to know regarding what we were about to face.
I stepped through the door again, and entered Mira’s room.
She was lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling while spinning a strand of her hair around her fingers.
She knew I was there, but she didn’t move.
I walked over to the bed, laid down next to her, and also stared at the ceiling. We stayed there like that for a few seconds, in the sort of comfortable silence that only happened with people you’d known your entire life.
“You seem happier,” she finally said.
“I do?”
“Yeah. You seem… less burdened. Which makes zero sense, given what we’re doing tomorrow.”
I let out a long breath and kept staring at the ceiling. Because she was right—it made no sense.
“Maybe I like having a goal again,” I said, trying to make sense of it by speaking it out loud. “We were in limbo before, not knowing what to do or where to go. Now, the decision’s made. There’s nothing else to do but focus on getting it done.”
“I guess.” She shrugged, and I could tell she didn’t relate.
“You want me to sleep in here tonight?” I asked.
“You mean you’re finally going to stop avoiding me?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said simply. “It’s like you’re afraid to talk to me.”
“Since when?” Panic filled me. It had to have been since the kiss. She’d noticed.
Of course she’d noticed. Mira might not be the most intuitive with magic, but she’d always understood people. Especially me.
“For weeks,” she said. “Ever since you got poisoned by that nightshade.”
“Huh.” Something tugged at my thoughts—something important that had happened with the nightshade—but then it was gone. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I know it must have been scary to be that close to death.”
“As if we haven’t fought for our lives multiple times since getting our magic.” I chuckled.
“Tell me about it,” she said. “But you know what I mean. I knew we couldn�
�t actually die on Moon Mountain… but seeing you like that… it was awful. There was nothing I could do to help you. I hated it.”
“You made the healing potion,” I reminded her.
“Harper made the healing potion. At least, she did the hard part.”
“You started making it,” I said. “If you hadn’t, Harper might not have been able to finish in time.”
“True.” She smiled for the first time since I’d come into her room. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For believing in me.”
“I always believe in you,” I said. “You’re my twin.”
“True.” She finally moved her gaze away from the ceiling to look at me. “Like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”
“And I’ve always got your back,” I said. “Just like I will in Ember. We’re going to be okay there.”
Hopefully the more times I said it, the more I’d believe it.
She nodded, saying nothing. Mira was never one to sugarcoat anything.
“We have a big day tomorrow,” I finally said. “We should try to get some rest.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep,” she said.
“Me, either. But we should try.”
I hadn’t expected to be able to fall asleep. I hadn’t actually wanted to. Because I was going to do what Ethan had suggested and find someone to get me that memory potion. Probably Rosella. She wasn’t a witch, but she’d know who to tell me to go to.
But I must have been more tired than I’d realized, because when I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock, it was the next day. Well, the next night, because of the Haven’s nocturnal schedule.
Mira stretched and rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?” she asked.
Dread pooled in my stomach, and I said, “It’s time to leave for Ember.”
10
Gemma
Saying goodbye to Mom was tough. She tried to be strong, like she’d been when we’d entered into battle with the demons and gone to Lilith’s lair. But as strong as she was, she couldn’t conceal her worry.
While we couldn’t tell her about the keys, since she’d just forget a second later, we calmed her by telling her we could teleport between realms. We said it was an ability that only a rare number of witches had, which was relatively close to the truth.
Eventually, we hugged, said goodbye, and went to the tearoom, where Mary was waiting. Mary was in Haven whites, but the three of us wore brown tunics and pants made from rough cloth that made me feel like I belonged in a medieval village. A witch had procured the clothing for us after Ethan had explained what the people of Ember wore.
Because once we were in Ember, we needed to blend in. That wouldn’t be possible in modern clothing or Haven whites.
Mary looked us over. “I was alive when clothing like this was commonplace,” she said. “Back then, things were much more… primal.”
“Ember is extremely different from Earth,” Ethan said. “At least, from present day Earth.”
Mary watched me and Mira with worry.
“We’ll be okay,” I said. “We have Ethan looking out for us.”
Ethan nodded, looking pleased with my statement—with my trust in him. There was also a hint of question in his eyes.
He had to be wondering if I’d taken the memory potion.
Would he ask?
No, the answer came to me immediately. Because if he respected my decision, he wouldn’t risk telling me and having me find out what I’d done. And I believed he did respect my decision—even though he didn’t know what decision I’d made.
Mary walked to the back corner of the room, pressed her hand against the wooden panel, and pushed it open.
A secret door.
“Follow me,” she said, and she led us into a dimly lit room hidden behind the tearoom.
A simple fountain—like the ones in the mall people threw pennies into for good luck—took up the majority of the room. Other than that, there were no decorations.
Mary reached into her pocket, pulled out three coins, and handed one to each of us.
I held the coin closer to examine it. Heavier than a regular coin, it was gold, with a portrait of a beautiful, doll-like woman carved into it. A delicate flower wreath sat on her head. I flipped it over and looked at the tall, elaborate crown carved on the back. Letters curved around the crown, spelling out the words “Empress Sorcha.”
“Portal tokens,” Mary explained. “Together, you’ll toss your tokens into the water and jump into the fountain.”
Nervous energy rushed through me, and I ran my fingers over the carved surfaces of the coin to calm myself.
“The Empress is waiting for your arrival,” she continued. “She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Ethan stepped up to the edge of the fountain. “We’ll hold hands when we jump through,” he said. “So we’re never in different realms at the same time.”
I stared at the water and didn’t move. Because we’d be jumping into the water and not coming back up.
I hated having my head underwater. Just the thought made my lungs hurt, like they were already begging for air.
How did anyone enjoy the sensation of not being able to breathe?
“Gemma?” Mira asked, already standing by Ethan’s side. “Are you coming?”
“Of course.” I walked up to her side, so Mira was between me and Ethan.
Ethan’s jaw tensed.
Had he expected me to stand next to him? Did he want me to stand next to him, so he could hold my hand when we jumped into the fountain?
It doesn’t matter, I thought, shaking myself out of it. Even if he wants to hold your hand, it’s better for everyone if you don’t want to hold his.
“It’ll be okay,” Mira assured me. She must have thought I was still thinking about my dislike of the water, instead of beating myself up over my desire to hold her boyfriend’s hand.
“I know.” I couldn’t look at her—or at Ethan. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Ethan counted to three, and we tossed our coins into the fountain.
Purple mist spread through the water, glittering like a galaxy of stars, and swirled around until it filled the fountain.
“It’s time,” Mary said. “Go now, before the portal closes.”
Ethan and I grabbed Mira’s hands at the same time, the three of us stepped up onto the edge, and I barely had time to suck in a deep lungful of air before we jumped into the sparkling purple water.
11
Gemma
We didn’t make a splash. I didn’t even feel my feet hit the surface of the water.
Instead, we floated through nothingness. It was what I imagined it would feel like to float through space.
I opened my eyes, stopped holding my breath, and sucked in cool, crisp air. Bright lines of light surrounded us, and I gazed around in wonder. It looked like the scenes in Star Wars when they jumped their ships to light speed.
Before I could glance at Mira and Ethan, my feet hit solid ground, and the racing stars melted away.
I landed with so much force that I fell onto my knees, dragging Mira and Ethan down with me. Luckily, we all reacted in time to let go of each other’s hands and catch ourselves with our palms. Otherwise, our faces would have smashed into the marble floor.
The quick reflexes were probably thanks to all that time training with Raven.
There was something under my hand—the gold coin. I grabbed it to place in my pocket, but stopped midway there.
Because there were two pairs of feet in front of us. One in simple, flat sandals, and the other in crystal heels.
I looked up and gasped at the sight of the women standing before us—mainly at their shimmering, iridescent wings that looked like they were made of holographic lines of light.
The woman with the crystal shoes wore a white gown with skirts that puffed out of her waist like Cinderella. Her face was unmistakably the same one as on the coin, and she wore the tall crown from the bac
k of the coin on her pale blonde hair. Her wings were the color of diamonds, and they sparkled just like them.
She had to be the Empress of the Otherworld—Sorcha.
The other woman had gold wings, and she wore a green dress that was far less formal, although its colorful stitching looked intricate and expensive. She watched me with calm gray eyes that held decades of wisdom. Or perhaps centuries, given the immortality of the fae. She stood slightly back from the Empress, as if it weren’t clear enough from the Empress’s gown and crown that she was the one in charge.
Ethan hurried to his feet. Mira and I did the same.
We were in a large, open-air courtyard with Roman-styled columns lining all four sides of it. The tree leaves and flowers in the gardens were sparse and wilted, like they were barely holding onto life. Perhaps they had trouble getting enough sunlight through the light blue protection dome up ahead—the one that I knew surrounded the entire city.
I refocused on the Empress, who was eyeing Ethan in disapproval.
He bowed his head. “Empress Sorcha,” he said.
“King Pendragon,” she replied, and then she glanced at me and Mira, waiting.
I did as Mary had instructed us and curtsied. Hopefully the Empress didn’t notice my legs shaking. “Your Highness,” I said.
Mira curtsied and said the same.
“Gemma,” the Empress said to me, and then she looked to my sister. “Mira.”
The golden-winged woman gave me a small smile of approval, and I stopped holding my breath.
I hadn’t messed up the royal greeting. At least, not terribly enough to cause offense.
“Welcome to the Otherworld,” the golden-winged woman said. “I’m the Empress’s advisor, Aeliana. We’ve been expecting you for quite some time.”
“But you were only told we were coming yesterday,” I said.
“True. However, I’ve known about your visit for longer than that.”
Future sight. It had to be.
Ethan remained focused on the Empress. “Mary said you’d take us to the portal,” he said.
The Dragon Realm (Dark World: The Dragon Twins Book 2) Page 4