I closed my eyes.
Inside of me was darkness. Not emptiness. Not quite what it had been after Arthur’s death. The parts of me that I’d rebuilt were still there, but they were shrouded in moonless night. I could feel them, but I could not see them. And around all of it was that wall of ice, protecting the things that were most precious to me. If I let that ice melt, I’d have to feel. If I let myself feel, I would be paralyzed.
But beneath that wall of ice, deeper inside of me still, was the ember of my power. A shining light that slumbered now. Once, stroking it awake had terrified me. Now, I could step through the void and out the other side with half a thought. I released the leash I held on my power only a tiny fraction.
Moving between realms would require something else. Something more.
I would have to reach deeper into that ember of power, fully awaken it.
Without Arran.
If I left the human realm and ended up somewhere else, who would know? I was sitting alone in a forest, for Ancestors’ sake.
No, damn the Ancestors to hell.
You could have done this with your friends,my inner voice admonished.
But then they would see me utterly failing.
I hadn’t failed yet. I hadn’t even tried.
I closed my eyes again—had not even meant to open them. Shit. I needed to focus.
I eased the ember of power awake, stroking it lovingly. I had come to love my power—my cursed power that had brought the succubus into this realm and cost my mate—
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Focus.
Into the void, the darkness of nothing pulling me apart, stretching my limbs and spine until I scattered into fragments. Bit by bit, I put myself back together, willed myself to linger in the void a bit longer, not to move laterally, but… what? Up, down? Where were the other realms? Somewhere. Go somewhere.
I tried to imagine a low snarl, tried to summon Arran’s beast, begged it to come. But there was no answer at the end of the golden thread of our mating bond. My body slammed back together, reassembling so fast and hard—
Shit.
I opened my eyes.
Absolute fucking shit.
I was sitting in the same damn clearing, against the same damn tree, in the same blasted realm.
Fuck this.
We were close to the rift. By tomorrow, we’d be there. Through the rift, into Annwyn, and on to Eilean Gayl.
I shoved the power still humming in my veins back down and pulled the communication crystal from my pocket instead. Intention, Percival had said. I knew who I wished to speak to, but it remained to be seen if she would be open to receiving my summons.
“Morgyn.”
Silence.
“I am addressing the Lady of the Lake,” I ground out, focusing all of my energy and attention and intention of the pale crystal in my palm. “Tell me about my mate. Tell me he is healing or that he is awake or anything.”
Absolute fucking silence.
I shoved the crystal back into my pocket. I hadn’t really expected her to answer, had I? I would go back and check on him, then. It had been my intent all along, really. Thecommunication crystal was a stupid idea. Morgyn could say whatever she wanted, and I would have no way of verifying it.
Get to Eliean Gayl, get my friends to safety, and then I would go back and check on Arran. That is what Arran would prioritize—the good of the kingdom. I could not be selfish, not anymore.
