Page 61 of Veil of Shadows

“Open key for thou I ask, I need a door for this new task.”

The realm vanished around me, and a void opened up beneath me.

I fell into nothingness.

Yelping, I held onto the key tightly as the realm spiraled around me, pulling me every which way. Panic threatened to close my throat.Jax. Possyrose Forest. Take me right to where Jax is. Please!

My breath rushed out of me when I abruptly materialized, my feet hitting solid ground. I teetered, my balance off, but I managed to stay upright. I stood on moist soil with trees towering above me.

The key I’d been clutching fizzled out of existence, and it hit me that in my haste to find Jax, I’d forgotten to grab more keys, and apparently, I needed another key for the transfer back.

Double shite!

Darkness filled my vision. The trees blocked most of the moonlight. I spun around.

“Jax?” I hissed, panic making my voice breathy.

“Elowen?” Jax’s shocked call came from close by. “Fuck,” he growled. “What are you doing here?”

Before I could reply, hands grabbed me and were forcing me down. His scent hit me simultaneously, pine and spice. I nearly cried in relief that he was still free.

Six other sets of surprised eyes met mine. His entire band was still free, but the rage in Jax’s aura quickly doused whatever relief was coursing through me, but the reminder ofwhyI was here hit me just as fast.

“What in all the realms, Elowen?” Jax snarled. “Did you use one of those keys to get here?”

A large bush covering us rustled slightly from his agitated movements, and my grin disappeared.

I gripped Jax’s forearms tightly. “We need to get out of here. The kingsfae are coming for you. They know you’re here. That’s why I’ve come. Towarnyou.”

Dark eyebrows snapped together under his scarfed head, and he glanced quickly at Lander before growling at me, “What? How do you know that?”

“I heard two kingsfae speaking near the Venapearl Fountains?—”

“You were at the Venapearl Fountains?” His voice rose slightly.

“Yes, but”—I frantically shook my head—“I wasn’t running. And I wasn’t stupid. I hid myself under an illusion. I just wanted to enjoy my freedom.” I shook my head again. “But that’snot importantright now. We need to get out of here!”

Phillen crawled along the soil to be closer to us, his large body barely rustling the leaves. “The shipment is only minutes away. What in the realm is going on, Jax?”

“You’re not listening,” I hissed. “We need to leave.Now!”

Jax’s gaze cut to mine, and something swirled in his irises, an understanding, a connection... Something that I couldn’t entirely name, but a swift current of energy passed between us.

He gave a curt nod. “Retreat. Now,” he called quietly to the others.

Trivan cursed softly under his breath, but nobody questioned their prince’s order. Everyone immediately began slithering through the forest, moving so quietly and low to the ground that they were nearly undetectable.

I did my best to keep up and stay just as concealed, but more than once, Jax pulled me along, quickening my movements while keeping me partially covered with his body.

When we were roughly fifty paces away from where they’d been hiding, the sound of distant wagon wheels carried through the air.

Jax stiffened. He tugged me closer, then raised his hand in a silent gesture.

Everyone stopped, and in a blink, Jax was on top of me, shielding me completely since my purple sweater was easier to spot than their attire.

Several of the others cast envious glances toward the approaching shipment, and I second-guessed if I’d made the right decision. They were about to watch their night’s raid pass by, and I could only imagine the disappointment coursing through their systems.

Another moment of doubt hit me.Goddess, I hope I didn’t mishear what the kingsfae were saying.My guardian had always admonished me, making me second-guess everything and making me feel that I constantly misunderstood things. That age-old insecurity reared, and I had the strongest urge to bite my fingernail.

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