She turned to face him. “What would’ve happened if I didn’t get a permit?” A chill crept down her spine, but she kept her gaze steady, unreadable.
“Everett would’ve detained you. You’d have to stand trial before the Council. They’d decide your fate.”
“Is he part of the Council?”
“No.” Damien shook his head. “Everett is the Guardian of the Barrier. He reports who enters and leaves, and ensures the protocols are followed for exiles and human wanderers.”
Her mind flicked through her old lessons.
Humans who returned from Eloria were said to come back wrong—scattered, unable to remember what they saw.
With a sideways glance, she asked Damien if it was true.
He nodded and began walking towards the hedges. “The theory is if they kept their memories, they’d tell others how to reach us. We don’t force them to leave or stay, they do decide that on their own.”
She stayed behind, watching him go.
She wanted to scream at him to stop. To give her a moment. Heading to those hedges felt like walking into her own demise, but running blindly into a land she didn’t understand felt just as dangerous.
Standing her ground, she asked, “What do you do with them . . . ?”
Looking over his shoulder, he answered, “They take an oath agreeing to abide by laws.” He paused mid-step, realizing she hadn’t followed, and a brow lifted. “Then they’re released. Most end up in the Forest of Endlessness, and the fae deal with them after that.”
She’d only heard of fae in storybooks—wicked, heartless creatures that delighted in torment. “I didn’t know fairies were real,” she murmured, scanning the hill as if one might spring out of the grass.
“They’re one of many magical beings in Eloria. The fae are tricksters. They use glamour—illusions. A rock can look like a glass of wine. Or they can look like someone you trust.” His voice darkened, just slightly. “They mostly prank each other, but like cats, they enjoy tormenting prey.”
A flicker of sadness passed over his face; his eyes distant like he was caught in some old memory, but it vanished before she could ask.
“At any point, a human can request to return to their realm. If approved, Everett collects them. Someone wipes their memory, and they’re sent on their way.”
Damien raked his fingers through his hair, gaze still unfocused. “Not all stay in the forest, though. Humans . . . seem drawn to trouble. Some venture north, probably hoping to wake the dragons. Others wander into unicorn lands. The unlucky ones end up as prey to nightwalkers—or worse, claimed by the demons beneath the Lake of Glenaridge, where even the bravest fear to tread. The deeper into Eloria they go, the less chance they have of getting out, even with the Council’s help.”
Luna swallowed. “I didn’t realize how dangerous it was here.” Why had she believed a magical realm would be safe? She might’ve escaped her enemies, but now she was surrounded by monsters. Literal monsters.
“Don’t worry,” he said softly. His hand twitched, like he wanted to reach for her, but he kept it at his side—and she was grateful for that. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Liar. He was so full of shit it made her want to find a rock and hurl it at him.
Damien’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t speak, but he watched her—as he always did—tracking every flicker of doubt, every move she made.
She cleared her throat, grasping for a reply. Nothing came.
She couldn’t pretend. Couldn’t smile and nod and act like she believed him. “I want to see Nina,” she said sharply, and marched past him, heading towards the hedges that were anything but inviting.
She’d leave after that, she decided. See her mother, get answers from her. Gather as much information about the lands as she could in the meantime, then she’d flee and disappear before anyone else could use her.
Chapter 35
Winta and Felix
By the time they reached the tall green hedge, stars twinkled brightly in the night sky. An opening in the leafy wall revealed a massive waterfall that seemed to pour straight from the sky. Luna stepped back, taking in its full grandeur. Rain fell steadily from the permanent low-hanging clouds above the greenery, and the water shimmered with an unnatural glow. Droplets, shaped like rose petals, swirled gracefully as they touched down on the walkway. But instead of the roar of rushing water, an eerie, haunting lullaby filled the air.
Luna froze and turned to Damien, raising her eyebrows.
“Winta and Felix placed a protective enchantment here,” Damien explained, hovering his hand over her back to gently urge her forward. “The water acts like a guard dog—except instead of biting people who have malicious intent, it drowns them.”
Polite. Grateful. Trusting. She wore those expressions like borrowed clothes, none of them hers. Not when every instinct warned her to stay guarded, especially around Damien.
