Page 34 of Lifebound

So damn heavy.

He didn’t see the tears pooling in my eyes, though, because it was dark where the streetlamps didn’t reach. The uncle shook his hand and promised him that he would bring me back as soon as he could, and then we were on our way.

Together with six men who were actualfae,I went into the forest while my family stood there and waved at me, shocked and happy and sad andeverythingat the same time—just like I was.

The deeper into the darkness I went, the heavier my limbs became. Fear gripped me by the neck, and I had to remind myself exactly what I was doing this for, replay that memory of the meadow in my mind as many times as I needed.

That boy had saved me, and now it was my turn—as simple as that.

I was going to be just fine.

eleven

Butterflies madeof light fluttered all around us, bigger than before, illuminating the forest. They were like tiny suns leading our way, and for a while, my ears were filled with the sound of our footsteps against the forest floor. No animals in sight. No bird chirps or owl hoots. No snakes, either, as far as I could see. Just us.

“Whatreallyhappened to your nephew—what was his name again?” I wasn’t very good with names, and I’d also been in a state of shock while we spoke in the kitchen, so if he mentioned it, I didn’t remember.

“Prince Lyall,” the uncle said. “And I told you what happened—he fell ill.”

His voice hadn’t changed. The look in his eyes hadn’t changed. That gave me a bit of comfort.

“But how? Are you…do you have like viruses and bacteria? And are youimmortal?” Because he’d just called usmortals,and the word still rang in my ears. Not to mention he really didn’t look to have aged a day since I last saw him.

“Of course,” he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to live forever. “And, no, there are no pathogens that can harm us. What we have ismagic.Poisons. Spells. Curses. Those are our sicknesses.”

Shivers washed down my back. “So, which one was it that got Lyall?”

“PrinceLyall,” he corrected. “And we don’t know what. Could have been anything, really.”

“But he’s a prince, as you so kindly remind me. Shouldn’t he have like people who work for him who test things and know poisons and such?” All I knew was what I read in books and what I’d seen in movies, so I wasn’t an expert on fae by any means.Realfae.

“He does. But magic is a very tricky and verysneakything. When in the hands of a skilled creator, it can be as unseen as air,” the man said.

“Right.” I looked up at the butterflies floating ahead of us. “What’s it like there, in…the Seelie Court, right?”

“Yes, the Seelie Court of Verenthia, our realm,” he explained. “It’s a vast continent that hangs on the stars Emer and Reme.”

I raised a brow. “That’s the same name backward.”

“Precisely. It is the same star backward, too.”

My brain paused. “What does that mean?”

“It means it’s the same star from the past and the future. Between those timelines Verenthia was born and has thrived for many millennia.”

I blinked at him. “That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.” Realms hanging on stars, but not “stars,” plural, justonestar from the past and future?

The man laughed a little. It was a pleasant laugh—warm and inviting.

Maybe he isn’t so bad once you get to know him, I thought.

“I’ll tell you what, mortal—if you ever come to understand magic, this, too, will make perfect sense to you.”

I flinched. “Nilah. My name is Nilah.”

“Pardon me, Nilah. It’s become a habit,” he said with a deep nod.

“So, you come here often?” I wondered.

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