Damien offered another soft smile.
She stared blankly back, unable to summon one in return.
“I cannot let you pass,” Everett said after an eternity. “Your name isn’t in the book.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Damien snapped. “She came with me. She’s leaving with me.”
“The protocols must be followed.” Everett’s voice remained bland—indifferent to their struggles, but there was no mistaking the finality beneath it. “Even you, Prince of Shadows, can not bend the laws.”
A fluttering sound filled the air. As if summoned by the topic of conversation, a single page drifted from the ceiling.
“Hold on a moment.” Everett lifted a hand, signalling a pause. “There appears to be a side note.” He plucked it out of the air and scanned its contents. “Interesting . . .” he drawled, scratching his chin. “It appears the Council of All That Is anticipated Luna’s arrival.” His gaze flicked to Damien. “Seems they disagree with my judgment.”
Turning to the page, he read aloud: “As earlier requested, Nina is no longer considered an exile. Therefore, her daughter, Luna is no longer an exiled child. She has been granted a probationary permit for entry.”
Luna’s mind tripped.Who was the Council of All That Is? And how did they know who I was?She shook her head. Would it matter? Soon, she’d be rid of Damien—free to vanish into some quiet hole and live a peaceful life.
When Everett was finished, he tossed the note behind him. A flower magically grew to snatch the paper in its petals and swallow it whole.
“There is one rule for your permit,” Everett continued. “If you show a human how to enter Eloria, it will be considered an act of treason. Your permit will be destroyed, and you will be exiled. Do you agree to these terms?”
Luna nodded automatically.
“I need a verbal confirmation—protocol.”
“Yes,” she rasped. “I agree to the terms of the permit.”
“Perfect,” Everett muttered, as if this were his thousandth soul to process. “Off you go.” He waved his hand with a sigh, feigning effort with that small gesture.
Before Luna could react, flowers closed in around her again, swallowing her.
Shadows caught Luna before she hit the ground, gently setting her upright.
They stood in a half-moon amphitheatre, rows of chairs fanning from where they’d emerged. Turns out the room hadn’t actually been made out of mirrors but glass. Luna could see the garden—and the empty desk; Everett had vanished.
“Well, this is something,” Luna muttered.
“The barrier hole is a spectacle here,” Damien said, walking between the empty chairs, his hand trailing over the backs. “Like an execution, it draws spectators. It’s a rare treat to watch someone come through.” He cast her a sideways glance. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate being on display, so Gregory cleared them out ahead of time.”
He was right. The thought of strangers staring at her, at what she’d become, made her skin crawl.
Jagged mountains rose in the distance beyond the glass room. The barrier they’d passed through shimmered faintly, barely visible—just a ripple of magic in the air.
Above them, stars twinkled in the night sky, and as Luna stared up at them, she was struck by how familiar they looked. For a moment, it felt like she’d never left home. Like she was still that same innocent girl with hope in her heart.
But the moment passed, and she dropped her gaze.
In front of her, the mountains gave away to rolling green hills, like a sea caught mid-breath. Beyond that, a forest loomed in the distance.
“Winta and Felix’s place is over there,” Damien said, pointing to a towering wall of hedges growing atop a far-off hill.
Luna didn’t move. She drew in a breath, her eyes sweeping the open land. She could run. Try to escape Damien now before he could set his trading plans in motion.
But how far would she get?
She pressed her hoof into the grass, grounding herself. Then, without looking at him, she asked, “What is the Council of All That Is? And how did they know I was coming?”
“Marion or Corey likely gave them a heads up,” Damien replied. “But they do have their own ways of finding out information. The Council is made up of representatives from each ruling territory. They handle most, if not all, major decisions across Eloria—including who comes and goes.”
