Guilt racked me the rest of the day.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Being the bridge to all the fae realms came in handy, though I still carried the seed Mom had given me for ease of traveling directly to her. We arrived by seven, and Mom was already outside waiting for us. She carried a small travel bag and was dressed more casually than I’d ever seen.
“Jeans?” I gaped at her.
“Wow,” Moira said. “Who knew you had all that junk in your trunk?”
“Moira!” I hissed.
Mom gave Moira a dark look. “You brought your pet vampire, I see.”
Moira’s grin was a touch too toothy. “She sure did. I made sure to sharpen my canines, too. Just in case I got hungry.”
The evening air was cool and humid. Tiny fae flitted around, their skin giving off a soft bioluminescent glow, reminding me of fireflies. They brushed through Mom’s hair, several braiding strands of her hair. Sometimes I forgot my mother was a goddess who claimed her own realm, and that she was beloved by her people.
I tilted my head up and gasped at the wide canopy of glimmering stars above our head. Mom was right. They weredifferent here. Gloriously so. Mom’s land had no real light pollution. Her home was lit by magic, soft, warm lighting throughout. On the outside of the mounds, there were small candle flames, lighting the paths enough to see by.
Back home, I could see the stars well if I ventured far enough into my land, but even with my acreage, there were still too many towns around. I’d have to venture fifty or so miles away before I could even dream of catching a view like this one.
Moira reached out and grabbed my hand. Her lips were parted as she tilted her head and caught what I was looking at. “Wow,” she breathed.
Mom’s smile was indulgent. “I believe you might be the first vampire who’s witnessed our skies. Stay close to Evie. She is the bridge and you will be safe with her.” Mom sniffed, her eyes widening slightly. “You have fae blood,” she said softly. “How have I never caught that before?”
Moira’s cheeks colored. “A distant ancestor, I believe. You’ve only seen me at the shop and Evie’s home. Her home always carries a heavy scent of flowers. Perhaps that’s why.”
But Mom’s eyes lingered on Moira for longer than was comfortable before she gave a short nod. “Well. I’m sure that’s it.” She ran her gaze down both our bodies and back up. “You’re dressed well for travel. Comfortable shoes, I hope?”
Moira and I nodded.
“Good.” Mom pulled a map out from her bag and handed it over. The map wasn’t anything spectacular and consisted of a small, ink drawn tree, showing the different realms and their levels. “Tir Tairngire,” she said, “is the second level. All you have to do is take our hands and focus on the place.”
I frowned down at the map. “How can I focus on a place I’ve never seen?”
Mom took my hand. “Close your eyes.”
Her cool fingers slid through mine. Soft magic, reminding me a little of Tess’s knocked at my mind. I opened a tiny crack of my mind and a picture pushed in of a place that had green rolling hills and azure, blue seas. Birds with wildly colored wings swept through the air and trilled their songs. The air had a sweet, fresh tang to it, and I inhaled, even though I knew it was an illusion.
When I opened my eyes, the image faded away.
“Ready?” Mom asked.
I blinked away the tears in my eyes, surprised by my reaction. The fae lands held no real appeal to me, or they hadn’t until recently, but the place we were about to go to was something right out of a storybook.
I reached for Moira’s hand. “Yes,”
A tingle of magic rolled over my skin as I recalled the place in my mind’s eye.
We landedin a field of silky grass. Strangely, it was daylight. I blinked in surprise and let go of Mom and Moira.
“Time is different here,” Mom observed. “Such is common between the realms.”
“How much time will have passed when we return home?”
Mom shook her head. “There’s no way to tell. I hope you’ve made arrangements for your business.”
