We were high up, maybe six stories or so, in a marble building that overlooked a charming city. It reminded me of a European cottage town—not that I had the chance to visit Europe yet—but with thousands and thousands of buildings.
Trees were everywhere.
Flowers were everywhere.
Whatever building we were in had a courtyard, and below were dozens of people milling around, doing landscaping and gardening, some just sitting on blankets and enjoying the sunlight. I cupped my hands and pressed my face against the glass, focusing on the people in the courtyard.
They had pointed ears, too.
“Well…” Audrey approached my side, staring at the window, seeing everything I was, with a confidence I couldn’t comprehend quite yet. “We’re in Liam’s home—well, his family’s home.”
I nodded, but based on what I was seeing, this wasn’t Catalina Island.
“And where is Liam’s family home?” I pressed.
Audrey turned to look at me, waiting for me to meet her eyes before she calmly replied, “In a magical realm.” I pressed my lips together at her words, wondering how far gone my friend was. “Vanessa…welcome to Hyvenmere.”
Chapter 3
“Idon’t understand,” I muttered. “Is this like a theme park?” I glanced around the room, looking at the exposed stone on the accent wall of the large suite we were in. The bed I woke up in pressed against it. A bed made with soft silks and a wool throw.
The TV was still going in the corner, at a low enough volume not to disturb our conversation.
“No.” Audrey sighed. “You’re just in Hyvenmere. A real place where real people live.”
“You keep saying that word,Hyvenmere.” I walked around the room, ignoring the cautious stare of Liam and the worried lip biting of Audrey, as I studied the art on the walls. The landscape was unrecognizable. I mean, it was mountains and trees and flowers, but not of a land I had seen before. “What is Hyvenmere?”
“A magical realm,” Liam answered. “As Audrey said.”
“But what does that evenmean?” I asked him, walking back to the window, just to make sure the city I saw before was still there.
“Be patient with her,” Audrey told Liam before turning to me. “It’s a lot to explain, but this—” Audrey spread her arms wide and glanced around the room. “—this is why I’ve been so busy.”
“You haven’t beenbusy.” I shook my head at her, giving a fleeting glance toward the TV. “You’ve beengone.”
“She’s been here—” Liam tried to add, but he stopped himself when I whirled on him and gave him my harshest death glare, complete with my index finger pointed at him in warning.
“You’re on thin ice, my guy,” I spoke low, threatening, and I grinned when I saw Liam silently swallow around nothing. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re still the reason Audrey’s left me.”
“I didn’twantto leave you, Van,” Audrey interjected, making both of us turn our attention toward her. She was playing with the sleeves of her sweater, her wide hazel eyes pleading with me. “I wanted toprotectyou. Hyvenmere is amazing, and I’ve come to learn and love so much about it—but it’s also very dangerous for humans—because of what you dealt with two nights ago.”
I felt the pinch in my forehead from her words, and the sudden, crystal-clear memory of bright eyes and a leering sneer. The sound of the crack in my spine.
I instinctively reached a hand up to press against my neck.
I should be in more pain.
If what I experiencedwasn’ta dream, and only happened two nights ago, then how the hell was I walking around and not in any pain?
“…How am I okay?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck, counting the vertebrae. How many vertebrae were people supposed to have in their necks? Four? Five? However many I had, they were all fine. No pain accompanied my touch.
“That’s actually why we had to bring you here, to save you,” Liam spoke up again, ignoring my dramatic frown toward him. “Audrey was too distraught to trust herself to heal you properly after seeing you broken and bleeding from a head injury, unconscious. We brought you back here to take you to our best healers.”
“What do you mean by, heal me herself?” I asked.
“I can heal people with my touch.” Audrey’s lips played around with a smile as she wiggled her fingers at me. “Among other things. It’s why I’ve spent so much time here in Hyvenmere. I’m learning about who I am, and what all I can do…” her voice trailed off, and her gaze grew distant. “…but now things are way more complicated.” She lifted her hands to wrap her palms around the back of her neck, tugging as she met my gaze.
“I still don’t understand…” but my voice trailed off. I was pretty sure I was following everything she was saying, but it was a lot to take in. I turned away from her in thought, toward the TV. On it, a new reporter with dark hair and—again—pointy ears, copper-toned skin, and blue eyes spoke into the microphone as he approached someone from behind. Someone with shoulder-length red hair.
