I shake my head, “Nevermind that! Since when can you open flipping portals?”
If that even is what I’m looking at. But I’ve seen superhero movies, and this looks close enough. Nothing else makes any sense at all. And portals are how the fey stepped back into the human world and conquered it, so they definitely are a real thing.
“I can’t open portals. I found some people to help,” says my mum as calmly as if we are talking about carrying groceries from the car.
“Then you should have sent them, Mum. You can’t be here. It is too dangerous!”
Her green eyes narrow. “A mother’s love. Blood to blood. The only thing strong enough to break through the magic wards.”
I stare at her. I’m all out of words. And thoughts. I’m blank. Empty. Done for.
She grabs my arm and starts pulling me towards the portal. As I stumble closer to it, I can see through it. It looks like a shitty hotel room. Freedom. Escape. Back with my mother and humans and away from fey. Away from Rhydian.
My mother never does anything half-arsed. If she has found a way to rescue me. She has also found a way to keep me safe. To stop Rhydian from ever finding me again.
The last time I saw Rhydian, was the last time I’ll ever see him. A curt nod as he strolled away after breakfast. Softened by the hint of promise in his eyes. He was already looking forward to coming back to me tonight. He hadplans for me. Now he’ll never get to enact that promise. And I’ll never even get to say goodbye.
I’ll never see Dyfri or Pinky or Mabon or Tristan or any of the others. I’ll never get to change things and prove Rhydian wrong. Prove that I can make a difference. I know I can. I can save them.
I glance over at Ninian. He is standing by the table. Clutching the back of a chair with white knuckles. His face is drained of all colour. He isn’t going to try to stop me from leaving.
Shit. Is he going to get into trouble for that? Will they punish him? Something even worse than being sent back to his attacker’s bed? If there is such a thing. I shudder. If there is, the fey are cruel enough to find it.
My heels dig into the carpet and my mother looks back at me in exasperation. We’ve only gone a few steps. Time has ceased to have any meaning. I’m still close to the table. And Ninian.
I reach out and grab his arm at the same time as shaking myself free of my mother’s grip. I thrust Ninian into my mother’s arms.
“I can’t take two! I can only take one through the portal,” yells my mother.
I can see anguish in her eyes as she takes in Ninian’s terrified form. Their eyes meet. My mother is the most perceptive person I have ever met. I know she is seeing his hurt, pain, and fear. His suffering. She knows it’s not her sudden appearance that is haunting his soul. Leaving him behind is going to break her. Especially when I tell her about his life here.
My lungs stutter. My limbs shake. My heart thuds, but not from fear. This makes everything so much easier. I know what the right thing to do is.
“Take him! They are going to do more awful things to him tonight, but Rhydian treats me well.”
My mother stares at me, her green eyes wide and searching.
“I promise you, Mum. I’m fine. Ninian needs saving far more than I do.”
Our gazes lock. Mother and son. She knows I’m just as stubborn and pigheaded as she is. And I pray I have even a fraction of her generous heart and strong sense of justice.
The door to the sitting room slams open so hard hinges must have broken. Rhydian is in the doorway. Fury in his eyes and a ball of amber magic in the palm of his hand.
“Mum! Go!” I scream, and I give Ninian a strong shove for good measure.
My mother nods decisively, gives me a proud smile and steps back into the portal, pulling Ninian with her. The portal disappears and I’m staring at a wall. A wall covered in expensive looking wallpaper, but nothing else.
Slowly, I turn to face Rhydian. The door is shut behind him now. A little wonky, but snug in its frame. There is no ball of magic in his hands. He never threw it. He didn’t stop them. I’m pretty sure he had time.
“You let them go,” I say calmly into the eerie silence.
He stares back at me. “You stayed.”
Fuck. He is right.
I chose to stay.
Chapter twenty-five
