I clench my hands into fists. Fury rages through me.
How could they keep this life-altering secret from me?
I spend a long time at the window, pondering every story my parents have ever told me, my emotions flipping from astonishment to irritation. Every story they ever told and led me to believe to be was a fairytale, had been true all along.
I want to go home.I need to get home.
It takes a while, but soon my anger begins to dissipate as I work through rounds of mindfulness.
Acceptance is still a long way off, but I’m able to think clearly, and a plan begins to take shape. I am stuck here for now, and if I want to get home, I’ll have to practice their ways so that magic will restore and, hopefully, open the bridge back home—to Gran and Lachlan.
The thought makes my stomach hurt. I miss them and my life there. And the life I had begun to imagine with him.
But resolve settles into my bones;I can do this.I can make it back home.
Tomorrow will be the first day of a very long journey.
9
WELCOME PARADE
My eyes blink open. A loud banging rattles the entire door and sends shockwaves into my brain. Before I can even call out, Mathilda barges into my room.
“Whoa, I didn’t realize you were still sleeping. Are you ok?” She pauses just beyond the threshold, her pale-green skirt and matching top cause her tan skin to glow as if lit from within. Slowly, I pull my body into a sitting position, the movement difficult as my head feels like it’s going to explode. My hair is damp and clings to my neck. I push a palm to my temple.
“My head is pounding. What time is it?” My words come out raspy, my throat dry from sleeping all night with my mouth open.
“It’s just past nine. Let me grab you some juice while you get dressed. Everyone is already waiting for you in the throne room. I’ll be right back.” But she halts, her hand on the door. “Wear one of the dresses. You’re meeting your people today.” Her smile is bright, kindness radiates from her eyes, and she slips out the door, her long skirt trailing after, and her wings nowhere to be found.
Stumbling my way to the bathroom, my vision doubles and blurs. My limbs feel heavy. I splash water on my face and glance at myself in the mirror. Gods, my skin is smooth and glowing like Mathilda’s, and my eye color has changed. They’re no longer a slate blue but a startling turquoise, like the sun reflecting off the ocean. My body appears different, too. My limbs feel longer, and a newfound strength glimmers in the lines of muscle definition.
I take a deep, calming breath and close my eyes, willing strength into my mind as well. My lungs fill effortlessly, like the very air here was made for me. My mind stops spinning, and immediately the low-level anxiety that I feel constantly vanishes like smoke in the wind. Well, that’s a positive change, at least. My necklace feels lighter around my neck and not like the small weight I’ve grown accustomed to. It shimmers in the light pouring through the window.
My hair isn’t quite as wild as I was expecting from a hard night’s sleep, but my clothes cling to me in places where my skin is still damp from sweat. I braid my hair back into a single Dutch braid, pulling out the tightness of the plait to make the braid appear thicker.
The armoire is now fully stocked with a ton of dresses, skirts, tops, and training leathers. Odessa must’ve had more items sent up yesterday when she was giving me the tour. I smile at her thoughtfulness. She truly thought of everything.
I select the same dress that resembles the one I found in my mother’s box of belongings and slip it on. The light blue dress is a twin to the one Odessa wore yesterday. Thoughts of home plague me as they climb to the forefront of my mind.
I’ve been gone a day now, if time even works the same here. I really hope everyone is ok.
I’m lacing up the leather sandals when there is a knock at my door.
“Come in!” I call. The door cracks open, and Mathilda’s kind face peeks around.
“Brought you some juice. Are you all ready?” She holds out the glass, and the orange juice inside sloshes around but doesn’t spill. I nod and stand from the bed, walking her way.
She gasps. “Odin’s beard, you look like—a Valkyrie! Did your eyes change colors?”
We begin walking side-by-side down the hallway towards the Great Hall, and with my longer limbs, I manage to keep pace with her effortlessly.
“I think they did. Is that normal?” I can barely keep my voice steady.
“That’s incredible,” she studies my face. “It must be your body reacting to the magic in our realm, but we’ll ask Odessa. She’s still waiting for us.” Mathilda’s slight grimace makes me worry that it’s not a good thing.
I take a sip of juice to soothe my dry throat. “Holy gods,” I mutter. Mathilda giggles.
“Is all the food and drinks here this incredible?”
