The sleep I found, knowing I was wrapped in my mate’s arms, lulled me into a peaceful place. But when I broke through into reality again, all of the worry I’d temporarily pushed aside came barreling back.
“Why…? She had to have a reason,” I whispered, trying to convince myself. Ana didn’t know what Key put us through, but even at that, I knew she wouldn’t leave with him for no reason. He had to have something over her, or she knew something we didn’t.
I kept thinking about how we left things in the human realm, how I’d left Illarion behind. My heart sank at that thought.
“Olezka.”
“Da?” he prompted when I didn’t continue.
“What are we going to do?” I choked on a sob as the weight of our situation came crashing down on me. We were trapped behind enemy lines. I worried about what they would do with Olezka. He wasn’t well-loved in this Court.
“We will survive, and Erebus will work with the King to release us. Timur and Tess are free to leave as they desire.”
“Then why are they still here?”
“To support you, zhizn' moya.”
“Don’t say that,” I muttered, guilt eating at my insides. They were unnecessarily putting themselves in danger for me.
“Sixx, they are not in the danger you imagine them to be.” Olezka brushed my hair away from my ear and pressed his warm body closer to mine.
I shook my head. “We need to get back to the human realm. We need to speak to Erebus about everything that Key had going on there, and then…”
“And you need to heal,” Olezka said ever so calmly. I wanted to push my thoughts away but couldn’t. “Get up, pchelka. We will eat, and we will take this one step at a time. There is only so much we can do. You are not expected to save the entire world. Only our little world.”
I smiled at his joking tone. It made me feel at ease even if only for a moment. I groaned and flipped the covers over Olezka before sliding out of the ultra-soft bed. I perched on the edge of the mattress, slowly testing to see if my feet could support my weight. I breathed in slowly, feeling Olezka’s strong presence behind me.
He silently offered his support if I needed it. I’d had my moment to freak out, but now it was time to get back into the game. I stepped away from the bed and glanced around the room. It was as spacious as most fae rooms I’d become accustomed to even though it was a prison cell.
There was a narrow nook that held a small table with two chairs tucked around it. The walls were comprised of ceiling-to-floor windows. There was no fireplace, but there was a small sitting area with comfy-looking couches. It looked like old Victorian. Distracted by the steaming food placed on the table, I stopped my perusal of our lodgings and edged closer, following my nose.
Olezka followed quietly.
Salty bacon sat next to perfectly browned breakfast sausage links and delightfully fluffy-looking eggs.
“Did I ever tell you about my grandmother?” I asked Olezka as he pulled a chair out for me. I offered a smile as a thank you.
“I do not believe you have,” he said, taking the seat across from me.
“She helped raise me for a while. She used to make these super elaborate breakfasts, but only on Sundays. It got to where I looked forward to them. It was a meal that lasted until dinner, and then each Sunday evening, my parents would join us. It made it feel very homey.”
“That is beautiful.” Olezka reached over and picked up my hand, kissing the sensitive skin between my thumb and forefinger. I blushed fiercely.
“Down, boy,” I whispered at the heated look he sent in my direction. His lip tipped upward like he knew exactly how he was making me react.
“We need to work on a plan to get out of here,” I said quietly.
“We will, Sixx.”
****
“I swear, I’m fine,” I grumbled as Tess clicked her tongue at me, or something akin to that sound. She reached out to grip my arm. Maybe I was a bit winded, but even after spending a couple of days in bed recovering, I was still a little out of it.
“You like to put on a brave show for your big, strong mate, but you don’t need to pretend with me, Sixx.”
“I do have to pretend. Eyes are everywhere,” I whispered, stumbling a little closer to her. She was deceivingly strong for her small stature, but power thrummed from her.
After swinging by our room and batting her beautiful eyes at the guard, they agreed to allow me out of the room under Tess’s escort. I was pretty sure the three musketeers were getting up to no good while I was out, especially since Olezka encouraged me to get out for a minute.
I think he was plotting how to escape, and he needed a little less me in the room. Even after eating breakfast together, he was tense. He hadn’t been fully honest with me, which I understood. As Tess and I walked, I felt eyes on me. It made me want to sprint back to the safety of the room I shared with Olezka.
Tess knew the palace well. She moved without any hesitation. Other fae who passed us didn’t say a word. At one point, I opened my mouth to ask how she knew her way around so well, but she just slid her gaze to mine and gave me what had to be the creepiest wink in existence. She didn’t, I think, understand how to do it.
She lowered one eyelid and kept it that way for a solid thirty seconds before lifting it slowly again. I never thought anyone could have that much control over their lids. I didn’t say anything, though, because the message was clear. Keep quiet.
“How much do you know about fae, Sixx?” Tess asked in her soft, sweet, unsuspecting voice.
“I suppose very little. I thought Ana and I had a lot of experience and knowledge, but ever since meeting Olezka and Kallan, our lives have been topsy-turvy,” I said quietly, hating to expose how terribly ignorant I was.
“Druids are Courtless. We are Old magic, but unfortunately, my kind are dying out. As such, most fae respect druids when they come across them.”
As she explained, I thought back to the words I’d heard from other fae when we met. They spoke ill of Tess as if they felt like she was less than.
“Then why does Erebus’s Court treat you…”
“Poorly?” Crinkles appeared around her eyes, but she hummed before speaking. “Younger fae do not understand the importance. I don’t take offense. But that is why the Light King accepts my presence and welcomes it. He hopes I will remain here. I sense there is something wrong in his Kingdom as does he.”
“So, he invited you here in the hopes that you’ll stay?” I asked.
“He did not ask me to come. That I did for you, for someone I call a friend,” Tess said, patting my hand gently. She walked us through a dark metal gate that seemed to flow like water into a stunningly designed exterior door. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it looked like cast iron, but I knew fae couldn’t tolerate iron. Through the door, a lush orchard seemed to appear out of nowhere. I had to remind myself that magic existed on a much grander scale here.
“Come, just a little further,” Tess urged.
I started to feel the exertion of our long walk on my recovering body. It was silly, so, so silly, but I missed Olezka. I hadn’t been this far from his side since I woke, and I couldn’t shake the fear that resided in me. What if I didn’t make it? What would he do?
I focused on the strange trees that loomed around us. Some looked like they were constructed of glass. Others were so lush I was convinced they were fake. But as the scents of freshly bloomed flowers hit my nose, I opened my mind to the reality that enveloped me.
The trees were the strangest colors, ranging from the deepest forest greens to shades of coral that I thought only existed under the sea. The ground beneath us was the same impossibly soft grass that I’d come to know in this realm. I was surprised that there didn’t seem to be any sort of trails or flattened grass to mark the passage of footsteps through the orchard.
I couldn’t imagine not wanting to explore this area. I would have lost track of myself if it wasn’t for Tess’s firm hold on my arm as she tugged me alon
g.
“This place is spectacular,” I whispered.
“It is, but I didn’t bring you here to sightsee. There is something I need to show you, Sixx. My magic has been drawing me here since I arrived in the palace. I finally discovered why.”
Between the thickets, I checked to see if there were any Light fae with us, but Tess moved confidently as if she had no worries we would be discovered.
I’d gotten used to the feel of magic brushing against my skin, but the feeling that crawled over my skin as we strode deeper into the trees was an uncomfortable, prickling sensation. I breathed in shakily.
“Tess?”
“The magic here feels wrong because it is seeping into a different world,” she explained. “The magic is escaping through this.” Tess stepped up to a tree, brushing back its plum-colored leaves. My eyes widened as I stepped forward, reaching out my hand to touch it because I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Is that…?”
“Yes.”
“Holy…”
Chapter 5
“Is that really…?”
“Sixx, you’ve asked me that five times. I don’t know how else to reaffirm what you are seeing,” Tess chided with less of a smile in her tone as it switched over to annoyance.
I didn’t blame her, but my head simply couldn’t wrap around what was right in front of me. I stepped forward, wanting to reach out, but Tess gripped my wrist gently.
“You should not touch it,” she said with a gentle warning.
“How is this even possible?” I asked, still dumbfounded.
I took a step back and observed the tear in the Veil. It was strange to see, but tucked through a thicket of low branches was a glimmering portal that led back to my world. Shimmering around the edges and about four feet wide and tall, the magic snaked its tendrils throughout the space it occupied. Even though we were in an orchard with trees that were literally out of this world, colors that didn’t exist in my world filled the area closest to the portal.
Blooms that closely resembled cherry blossoms were closest to us, the thick roots bulging near the base of each tree. We stood on a bundle of roots and stared into the portal’s wilderness, a vast city looming in the distance of the scene. As strange as it all seemed, I could smell the difference between the air of the Veil and that which wafted from the tear that led home.
“How is this even possible?” I muttered again. I was just thinking out loud, not expecting an answer, but Tess stepped forward and reached out her hand. It was strange to see her dark, textured skin so close to my world, which bled into the Veil. But it gave me a margin of hope. We may be able to use this tear to escape from the Veil.
“I’m not sure. This is not… right. The magic around it feels feral.”
“Magic can feel… feral?” I asked, my face screwing up in puzzlement.
“Magic is… alive. Everything is interconnected. This is the magic that’s been drawing me in. It’s unstable and wrong, and I need to close it. It’s too dangerous to leave as it is,” Tess explained.
I watched as a butterfly fluttered through the tear from the human realm, into this side of the Veil. No spark of electricity shocked it, killing it upon contact; there were no zaps of magic. Could it really be that dangerous? Shouldn’t we entertain the idea of using it just this once? We need a way out, and this one practically fell into our laps.
The butterfly flew over to Tess, landing on her stick-like hair. She watched it closely but didn’t make a move to dislodge it. The monarch fluttered its wings a couple of times like slow blinks before taking off and flying farther into the lush orchard of the Veil.
“Shouldn’t we…?”
“Sixx, this is a tear between our worlds. This isn’t something with which we can toy aimlessly. Magic like this is volatile. We must keep our worlds separate for now,” Tess said, staring back into the human realm. “Your world is very…”
“Bland?” I offered.
“Different,” she suggested instead. “We should return you to your mate. I don’t know if anything will keep him from coming to find you before long,” Tess said with one more lingering glance at the tear.
I bit the corner of my bottom lip, slowly raking my teeth over the sensitive skin. As excited as I was about the prospect of finding a way out of here after seeing the butterfly flutter through unharmed, I couldn’t discount the worry that flickered across Tess’s serene features or her grave words regarding the tear.
We walked away, and the weight of the magic pouring from it felt less suffocating with every step I took. It became easier to breathe, but it also freed up my thoughts. The implications of what the tear meant started to really hit me.
The fae held the gate to the Veil in high regard. They posted guards and planted wards all around them to keep humans away. I’d been through it several times now, but only once had I been somewhat conscious when I made the journey. The other times, I was knocked out from the force of the magic. I didn’t see the gate, so I didn’t know all that it entailed, but I knew it was sacred to them. From what I understood, there were extremely strict laws surrounding the usage of it.
“Do you have any idea what would cause a portal to form on its own, wild like that, Tess?”
“That’s what terrifies me; I do not know. I could feel the magic twisting around it and saw the fissures and cracks splintering around it. I fear that tear will only grow. We cannot allow that to happen.”
As we walked closer to my room, I felt all of that panic return and crowd my mind. Even though I understood why Tess was frightened of the portal, I had to keep it in the back of my mind as an escape option.
I breathed a little easier when I stepped into my room and saw Timur sitting in one of the big, comfy chairs while Olezka paced the floor. Olezka’s fists were clenched so tightly the veins in his hands stood out. I was girlish enough to admit that the sight did silly things to my insides. He twisted around so quickly he almost gave me whiplash.
“You’ve been gone too long. You are still healing,” he chided, striding forward. He cupped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me against his chest. I patted over his heart, knowing he was stressed. I would just add more to his plate if I revealed the tear, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“Timur, how did negotiations go?” Tess asked, deflecting.
“Not well at all.” Timur looked over at his brother, who gave me a little space. Worry crept in, further proven when Olezka’s hand flexed against my neck as he tensed.
“The King will not allow Sixx to leave until he has Anastasia back. The King has very little affection for our plight. He only wants to secure his heir at this point. Our best bet is to not push him. Even so, Erebus needs us to return, Olezka,” Timur said.
Olezka wouldn’t leave without me.
“Why, what’s going on?” I asked, curious.
“Key’s actions have caused a lot of unrest and turmoil within the Dark Court, not to mention there are those in the Light Court who will seek vengeance against Olezka. And you, too, Sixx, for your significance to him,” Timur explained.
I used to think the sound of a motorcycle was loud, but the rumble that came out of Olezka easily rivaled the timbre. I had to resist the urge to throw my hands over my ears. I squirmed when he tightened his grip on me.
“I’m assuming from Olezka’s killer grip that you guys didn’t have much luck devising an escape plan?” I asked, wrapping my arm around Olezka’s waist to try to offer him a bit of comfort.
“Nyet. The Light King will not take chances by allowing us an inch of freedom. Not after the stunt Key pulled.”
I looked over at Tess, who watched all of us closely. She felt an obligation to their realm to fix the tear, but it could help us escape. I pleaded with her with just a look, hoping she would understand how badly I needed this. That my guys needed this. There was too much on the line to be sitting there, waiting for the two Courts to get over themselves and their petty squabbles. Not to mention that Ana was trapped o
n the other side with a male who wanted to use her for his own selfish gains.
“I would like to tell you, Sixx, that I advise against this, but…” Tess stepped away from the door before turning back to it. She spoke soft words I couldn’t understand, but the back of my neck prickled as the flare of her magic hit me.
When she turned back around, she looked at both brothers. “Come, sit. There is something we should discuss, and my private ward will only last a limited time,” Tess explained. We moved to sit with Timur, who scooted over to give Tess a little extra space. “I did not come here just for Sixx. Something has been off in this Court for some time. When I arrived, I was immediately drawn to their orchard. It was there that I found something particularly troubling. Just now, I took Sixx to see it. I needed to confirm that it was a tear that connected the Veil to the earth realm,” Tess said.
“How could that be?” Timur asked with a hint of a growl in his voice.
Olezka pulled me closer to his side. “That magic is forbidden,” he said, his temperature rising with his concern.
“I do not believe there was a person behind its creation. I believe it has grown organically. The tear that magic would have produced wouldn’t splinter like this one is. Something is causing it to grow; something is syphoning the magic from our world, and their world is creeping in,” Tess explained.
“Is there anything you can do for it?” Timur asked.
Tess shook her head slowly. “I need time to look through their tomes and see. It’s unnatural, and it’s splintering around the edges. We need to find a way to repair it. I believe my magic was drawn to it for the purpose of correcting it.”
I squirmed in the seat, my curiosity bubbling up inside of me. Tess looked over at me, her black eyes swiftly assessing my mood.
Sixx Saves the World: The Sidekick Chronicles Page 3