‘The fox led us here and said you needed us,’ Nymeria explains, her words offering a faint glimmer of hope in the darkness that has settled around us.
I take a shaky breath, struggling to regain my composure. I can feel the snow seeping into my clothes, the cold biting at my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the numbness I feel inside.
I stand, brushing the snow from my clothes with trembling hands. “I do need you,” I admit, looking down at them. “I always do.”
Chapter six
Everly
Relentlessly, I pace the length of the cabin, my annoyance simmering dangerously close to boiling over with every passing minute. Nymeria and Anika’s steady gazes follow my every step from their spot by the fireplace, their presence a silent reminder that I’m not alone—but their quiet observation does little to soothe the storm raging inside me. The gentle crackling of the fire, once a source of comfort, now only heightens my agitation, each pop and hiss like a match striking against my already frayed nerves.
If things were different, I might love it here. The snow-covered landscape outside the window is breathtaking, a winter wonderland that would normally fill me with awe. But today, none of it matters. The beauty, the tranquility—it’s all lost on me, swallowed up by the desperation eating away inside.
If I stopped pacing and actually sorted through my feelings, I’d see I’m desperate to get back because I don’t want people to think I’ve abandoned them or that I’ve switched sides.
My eyes dart to the window, the outside world taunting me with its freedom. Felix’s sharp eyes track my every move from his perch on the windowsill, his furry face tilting slightly as if he’s trying to figure out what’s going on in my head. He probably thinks I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have.
“He can’t keep me here. I’m not his prisoner,” I snap, my voice cracking.
The words echo in the small cabin, bouncing off the walls and coming back to me, a harsh reminder of the reality I’m trying so hard to deny. I have absolutely no control of anything right now.
I stomp my foot against the wooden floorboards, the sound loud and jarring in the otherwise quiet room. My fingers flex and curl, itching with the need to fight, to break something, anything, just to release the tension coiled tight within me.
Suddenly, the unmistakable sensation of magic prickles along my skin, and I whirl around to see a portal materializing before my eyes. Pulse hammering in my throat, I storm over to Alivar without even giving him a chance to speak.
“We are leaving.”
Alivar’s eyebrow lifts in surprise, his arms crossing over his chest. “I don’t–”
“Now.” Irritation pulses through me like a live wire.
“–take orders from you,” he finishes, the portal blinking out behind him.
Nymeria and Anika flank me, their low growls rumbling through the cabin, rattling the icy windows.
A ghost of a smile crosses Alivar’s lips as he observes the three of us. “Fine.”
My head jerks back in surprise. “Really?”
Alivar is silent for a long moment, his gaze unwavering. “Yes.”
“Okay, then let’s go!” I say with disbelief and urgency.
“Where would you like to go, Princess?” he says, teasingly.
“Don’t mess with me, Alivar.”
“Wouldn’t dare, Princess.”
Felix gracefully leaps from the windowsill and approaches me. His emerald feline eyes flash, catching the light in a way that feels unnatural. I squint, tilting my head slightly as if adjusting my angle might reveal some hidden truth. Is that magic?
Before I can dwell on it, a sudden, swirling pulse of energy erupts from him, shimmering like a veil being pulled away. My breath catches as I take an instinctive step back, only to collide with Anika. The impact jolts me, and my arms flail out to steady myself, the air suddenly thick with magic. It’s not just a trick of the light—Felix stands at the center of it all, the magic wrapping around him like a second skin.
“What the hell?” I whisper, my hand landing on my chest as if to keep my heart from free.
“Princess,” the fae standing before me purrs, his green eyes the only familiar feature in his transformed visage. Short black fur covers his entire humanoid body, giving him a sleek, shadowy appearance. A tail sways behind him, mirroring the restless energy in his stance. Around his face, a tuft of fur forms a wild mane, accentuating the pointed ears protruding from the top of his head. Long black hair cascades down his back, blending seamlessly with the dark fur. His hands and feet end in sharp, formidable claws, completing the image of a creature both fierce and otherworldly.I’ve never in my life seen a being quite like him, but that’s not saying much, I did grow up in the human world.
“Felix?” I whisper, completely off kilter.
