Everything I’ve ever done wrong in my life passes through my mind: telling Briar Moore that her hair was ugly when I was five, stealing a croissant from a baker’s stall when I was eight, stealing Willa’s wine when I was twelve. Finally, I drift off to sleep after tossing and turning for what feels like forever.
Tomorrow, I’ll go visit the High Court for the first time.
Chapter2
I pace around my housewith the sunrise while I anxiously wait for Ivan to arrive. Is he going to show up in a horse and carriage? A deer and carriage? How does this work?
The moment the sun peeks through the pine trees outside my window, a tall male with salt-and-pepper hair appears on the sidewalk in front of my house. His trim figure dons a crisp, white button-down shirt tucked into tan, fitted trousers. His ears are pointed like mine, but I don’t see any antlers. Interesting that the Chief Advisor to the Deer Court isn’t from the deer line himself.
I step onto my front porch as he opens the white-picket gate and walks inside the fenced yard. He sees me, then pauses and waits for me to speak.
“Hi. Are you Ivan?” I ask him cautiously.
He gives me a soft smile and a slight bow. “Yes, yes, I am. And I take it you’re Mae?”
I stay rooted to the spot, feeling awkward and unsure how to act with a court official. “Yep, that’s me.”
His smile widens. “Well, good morning, Mae. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I take it you received my letter.”
“Yes…I did. I’m a little bit confused about why the High Court wants to speak with me.”
“Yes, I imagine you would be. We have much to discuss today.” He gestures toward the gate. “Shall we?”
I step toward him and look around, expecting him to lead me to whatever mode of transportation brought him to my home. But he doesn’t move or lead me anywhere. Instead, he stays in my front yard, muttering under his breath and moving his hands around. With a quietpop, a small portal appears in my front yard. Well, that explains his sudden appearance on my sidewalk.
He gestures toward the portal, a black hole that reminds me of the night sky. It’s just big enough for one person to step inside comfortably, maybe two if they stand close to each other.
He sees me eying the portal. “Never traveled through a portal?”
I shake my head.
“No matter. It’s easy enough. It’s an odd feeling at first, but you get used to it. I know it looks small, but if we stand side-by-side, we can travel together if it makes you more comfortable.” I nod and step up to the portal. He links his arm with mine and says, “Off we go.”
He steps forward, pulling me with him. Everything turns black instantly and chills spread through my body. Wind whips around us in a torrent, then dies down as the darkness recedes. We now stand in a clearing in the middle of a forest with tall trees surrounding us, spreading in every direction.
Ivan notes the expression on my face and chuckles. “It takes a few trips to get used to.”
I shoot him a grateful smile. “Where are we?” I ask, not seeing any buildings or anything that might indicate we’ve arrived at the High Court.
“We’re at one of the approved portal locations. I could have portaled us directly into my office, but I thought you might like to see the front of the castle.” He leads us out of the clearing, revealing a cobblestone path that winds between the trees. He steps onto it, and I follow, struggling to keep up with his pace.
“Am I in some sort of trouble?” I ask as I fall into step beside him.
“Oh, goodness no!” he exclaims. “Why would you think that?”
“Well, I’ve never been summonedby the High Court. I just assumed that could be the only reason.” I glance at him, but his gaze stays locked on the path ahead of us.
“No, no. Just some matters to discuss,” he says, but doesn’t elaborate further.
I frown at the vague answer. We walk in silence for a moment, the only sounds our footsteps and the rustle of the leaves as squirrels and chipmunks skitter over them.
“I heard that the royal family was found murdered in their private residence. Is that nearby?” I ask, but as soon as the question is out of my mouth, I want to kick myself for asking.
Although Ivan’s face falls at the mention of their deaths, he answers the question in stride. “You heard correctly, but no, it is not nearby. As shifters, they were able to funnel from their home to the court in a matter of seconds.”
“Funnel?” I ask. The term sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. I glance at Ivan as we walk, but again, he doesn’t look at me.
“Like portaling, but without the portal,” he says matter-of-factly.
