“All the Elves are dead now.”
“Yes, but their magic still leaves traces. It’s alive even though they are gone. If it wasn’t, the island wouldn’t continue to move, and yet it does.”
I crossed my arms, deep in thought. “If Emma can portal us to that beach and we set sail at twilight, we could be in the Spring Princess’s court sooner than we imagined. The Seelie stone could be in our grasp before the wedding even happens.”
“That’s if she accepts your gift,” Arthur reminded me. “Do you think therusalkascale is a sufficient trade for the Seelie stone, one of the most powerful magical objects of all time?”
I gave a heavy sigh. “We’re about to find out.”
Chapter Sixteen
Emma
Now that we had directions on how to get to the Spring Princess’s island, we couldn’t wait. We had to leave immediately, to obtain the Seelie stone and get that much closer to completing our quest.
It was debated if Ethan and I should go at all, as we were the king and queen, and we couldn’t go missing in an otherworldly fae realm while a war was going on. But I was the Worldweaver, and this was my responsibility, so it didn’t feel like we had any other choice.
We waited another day, then left before twilight. The others had stayed behind, to remain inconspicuous and make excuses for our absence if we weren’t back by morning.
Arthur and Vara insisted on coming with us. I would’ve preferred to go there with just my mate, as I couldn’t be sure that all of us would return from the Spring Princess’s island. Yet Arthur insisted that we would need his extensive knowledge, and as Vara was his mate, she refused to let him go without her, even while six months pregnant.
“Where do I need to go, Arthur?” We stood in my study, a parchment map of Edinmyre spread over the table. It was old— several centuries. It’d been made by a druid in the Middle Ages, and was fading in several places. Since we’d lost our connection to Edinmyre, the fae hadn’t been there since, so I wasn’t even sure if this map was still accurate.
“Ithriel is here.” Arthur pointed to a spot on the map, a dot on the southern end of Edinmyre that faced the western sea. “In all our meditations, and your travels, we’ve explored the heart of Edinmyre. Our cottages are over here. We’ve never been close to this side of Edinmyre.”
Arthur’s finger drew across the other side of the map. It had to be a distance of hundreds of miles. I was nervous about transporting us somewhere on Edinmyre I’d never been before.
“How do I portal us there?” I asked.
“Just tell the portal to open up on the shores of Ithriel. With luck, we won’t be too far off.” Arthur rolled up the map, and tucked it into his pack. I’d gone back to my cottage to grab my sword, just in case we needed it— and we probably would.
“Open up the portal, Emma. There’s no time to lose,” Arthur said.
I took a deep breath. I went to summon the portal, but a little buzzing in my ear distracted me. Tygrys whizzed around my head, bobbing up and down and making mewing noises.
“You want to come?” I asked, and Tygrys flew in a circle. “All right, then. Stay close to me.”
Tygrys landed on my shoulder, and I closed my eyes. I began to conjure the portal, thinking about my destination.Ithriel. Ithriel. Ithriel.I repeated it in my mind over and over, until I felt the connection between me and Edinmyre begin to blossom, and a portal expanded in front of us. The spinning portal glowed with my blue magic, though the darkness that showed within seemed foreboding.
I wasted no time, because if I hesitated, I would lose my nerve. I stepped through the portal, and left Earth behind me as I entered Edinmyre’s welcoming arms. The melding colors of sunset encompassed me, and my feet hit sand. I heard the waves of the sea, and inhaled the smell of salt water. Twilight illuminated the trees that surrounded the beach I’d landed on, and as I looked to my right, I saw the outline of a settlement a few miles off— buildings the Elves had left behind, a monument to a city long abandoned years past.
I hadn’t noticed it before, but being in Edinmyre physically, instead of just having your spirit there, felt soreal.The difference was palpable. The air was richer, and the ground felt solid beneath my feet. Every molecule of my body was filled with magical energy. Again, I felt that longing to never leave here, and knew it couldn’t be so. Tygrys let out a little squeak of joy as he flew off my shoulder, darting from this way to that.
Ethan, Arthur, and Vara stepped through the portal after me. My portal closed behind them, sealing us off from Earth and leaving us on the stark, cold beach.
“You did it, Emma,” Ethan said, looking around with wonder. He and Arthur were in their wolven bodies, as they couldn’t maintain human forms while in Edinmyre.
“Was there any doubt?” Vara teased. She put a hand on her stomach and smiled. She wasn’t carrying any weapons, as she couldn’t use them. She’d have to rely on her magic if we got into trouble.
The ocean was calling me. I stepped up to the shoreline and let the waves wash over my boots. Unlike the sea back on Earth, Edinmyre’s waters literally looked like starlight. They were an expansion of space, black waters coated with the reflection of diamonds within. The glittering water literally looked like a mirror of galaxies.
I dipped down to run my fingers through it, and found the liquid thicker than I expected. It was some kind of black substance that stuck to my fingers. When I lifted my hand, I noticed it was covered in a stardust-like glimmer that shone similar to gemstones.
“That’s the Sea of Stars,” I breathed. It was gorgeous.
Vara lit two torches, and handed one to me. “Well, we’re here. What now?”
“I’ve got it,” Arthur said. “Hold on.”
