Page 6 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

Gentle hands lifted her head. “Renya, can you hear me?” the voice ventured nervously. She felt something cool against her forehead. It smelled salty, like the bays in California. Was she back home? She felt so discombobulated. Renya had been rendered unconscious and woken up in strange places more times than she could ever have imagined since coming to this world.

She sat up and opened her eyes. She was in the jungle, where the Shadow Queen had…done something to her? Tried to take her power?

Sion sat back on his knees next to her with a wet scrap of fabric that he had been holding to her head.

“Oh, thank the Fates! Grayden would have killed me if I let something happen to you,” Sion said, relief evident in his kind eyes.

Grayden. She needed Grayden. It was like a hunger awoke within her and she needed him more than anything. She wanted to cry because he wasn’t next to her. She didn’t know where he was and how she was going to get to him. Renya choked back a sob, the pain from being separated too great.

“Sion, what happened? I need to get to Grayden.” She looked around, eyes frantic. There was rubble everywhere and it appeared the megalith had collapsed over the cave.

“You have your powers back.”

“I never had powers,” Renya said, utterly confused.

Sion continued. “You’ve had powers all along, they were just trapped within you. Someone put a locking spell on you so you couldn’t access your power. Queen Cressida broke through the magic, with the goal of taking your power, but it backfired. When it was free, you pulled it back into you and it formed some kind of powerful surge.”

Renya flexed her fingers. She did feel different. Her skin felt tighter, as if there was an electrical current constantly running through her.

“Your ears…” Sion started. “You’re fae?”

Renya reached up and traced the outline of her ears. Sure enough, she found a pair of ears identical to everyone else in this world. “My glamour…it must have broken when she unlocked me.”

He nodded, taking her in as if for the first time.

“What happened to the Shadow Queen and Brandle?” she asked, looking around for them. The jungle seemed empty except for the rubble everywhere.

“They fled into the cave when the megalith fell. I heard commotion and arguing from inside, so they are both alive. But the spell she used to unlock your powers weakened her. I’m guessing she’s trapped until she can manage to use her magic to travel out of the cave.”

“She’s trapped in there? Oh my god, I can get away. I need to get to Grayden. Now!” She looked at Sion. “Please, how can I get to the Snow Lands?”

Sion glanced around the clearing. “The Tidal Kingdom,” he said. “King Triston hates Cressida almost as much as Grayden does. They should give you shelter and perhaps assist you back to the Snow Lands. If I can, I’ll send a message to Grayden and let him know where you’re heading.”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“I’m afraid not, Renya. I have to work on freeing the queen. Luckily a bit of rubble hit me,” he pointed to a spot that was bleeding on his forehead, “so she’ll assume I was knocked out. I’ve got to keep up my double role for right now.”

“I understand.” Renya was prepared to stand on her own two feet and accept her role in this world. The sooner she started relying on herself, the better. “Which way do I go?”

Sion looked around, trying to get his bearings. “Go back to the shore, that will be the quickest way to the Tidal Kingdom. As soon as you hit the shoreline, go east. I think the gate to the Tidal Palace is about three hours from here, maybe four. You’ve got a walk ahead of you, but I’ll try to give you as much of a head start as I can.” He walked lazily over to a large tree and picked a fruit reminiscent of a banana.

Renya nodded. “Thank you so much, Sion. I don’t think I can ever repay you.” She moved over to where he stood.

Sion looked at Renya and held out his hand to her. Tucked carefully in his palm was Grayden’s elkten pin. She grabbed it with nimble fingers. “Just make Grayden happy. Fate knows he needs something good in his life. That’s enough for me.” Sion gave her a peck on the cheek and turned towards the blocked cave entrance.

“My queen! Are you alright? I’m trying to free you as fast as I can!” Sion looked back at Renya one last time and gave her a wink as he sat down on the jungle floor, his back against a large rock, slowly peeling his fruit and taking a leisurely bite.

With a final farewell nod, Renya headed back towards the beach, avoiding the pile of rocks and dodging huge palm leaves. The vegetation was enormous, far bigger than anything she had ever seen at home. The tips of the palm trees sparkled green with large veins of silver throughout. A giant butterfly flew through the air, its size larger than Renya’s head. It landed peacefully on the palm leaf and fluttered its delicate wings.It really was beautiful here, Renya thought. A gentle breeze tugged at her hair, and she sighed. She was safe, for now at least. But she needed to get to Grayden. She couldn’t fathom this strange new desire for him. She wanted him before, and she was certain she loved him. But now, she was so certain of her feelings for him. How could she have left him? The decision seemed so crazy now. She didn’t care if she lived or died, as long as Grayden was beside her. Why did he make her go back through the portal? Sion told Cressida that Grayden loved her. Yet, he was still able to send her away. Maybe he didn’t love her as much as she loved him.

Realization swept over her while she struggled through the hot sand. She loved him. She hadn’t been willing to admit it fully to herself, but she was deeply, madly, irrevocably in love with Grayden. She longed to see him again, to continue the delicate dance they started in the snow cave. Heat rushed through her, and she wasn’t sure if it was the memory of Grayden’s mouth against hers or the tropical climate. At any rate, she unlaced the top of her riding outfit and slid it down her shoulders. Luckily, she wasn’t wearing one of the more scandalous undergarments Selenia had made her buy.

She felt instant relief as the cool ocean breeze hit her sweat-covered body. She was dressed for the Snow Lands, definitely not for a tropical beach. She smelled the salt air, so reminiscent of California, and continued her slow pace down the beach. Driftwood blocked her path every fifty feet or so and she climbed over it, dragging her thick skirt behind her. She tried to detach the skirt from the leather pants underneath, but Doria had done a magnificent job sewing the outfit together. Sand trailed along the hem and the dress was covered in grime, blood and sweat. She hoped whomever she met at the Tidal Kingdom would take pity on her and let her in. Without thinking, Renya brought her hand to grasp the elkten pin outlined in her pocket. Sion knew it was given to her by Grayden when he found her in the nightmare dungeon, and she hoped it was enough to grant her safe passage back to the Snow Lands and keep her safe from the Shadow Queen until she could be reunited with Grayden.

Her body burned with an intensity that rivaled the tropical heat, every fiber of her being aching for Grayden. Renya's mind was consumed by vivid images of him—his strong, muscular arms that had held her so securely, the broad expanse of his chest where she longed to rest her head. She could almost feel the roughness of his calloused hands against her skin, a testament to his years of training and combat.

The memory of his scent engulfed her senses—that intoxicating blend of pine and cinnamon that was uniquely Grayden. It was a scent that spoke of strength and comfort, of snowy forests and warm hearths. She inhaled deeply, as if she could somehow capture that aroma from the humid jungle air.

Her lips tingled with the phantom sensation of his kisses. Those kisses that were a contradiction—rough with passion yet tender with care, exploring and tasting her with a reverence that made her knees weak. She brought her fingers to her mouth, tracing where his had been, desperate to recapture that feeling.

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