Page 76 of The Iron Vow

BEYOND THE DREAM

“You...beat him?”

I looked up as Gilleas’s voice, thin and weak with disbelief, drifted to us from the shadows. I hadn’t seen him since the Nightmare King had appeared, but I assumed that, like Grimalkin, Gilleas was adept at getting out of sight when the fighting broke out. Still, I was relieved to see his tall, lanky form, staring down at the scorched patch of earth where the Nightmare King had stood moments before.

“Incredible,” he breathed, shaking his antlered head. “I would not have thought it possible. But you battled the aspect of the Nightmare King and lived. I was certain we were all going to die a very horrible, terrifying death.”

“Well, I won’t lie, thatwashorrible and terrifying,” Puck said. “I like to skip the ‘death’ part of most battles, though.” He looked at our Nyx, a relieved smile crossing his face. “Glad to see you decided to skip it, too.”

Nyx let out a shaky breath. “I find myself wanting to survive more and more,” she said, with a wry look at Puck. “I think you’re a bad influence on me, Goodfellow.”

“But the Nightmare Tree is gone,” I whispered, clenching a fist against Ash’s shirt. “I’m so sorry, Gilleas. I had to destroy it to weaken the king. Without the tree, there won’t be any more Nightmares born into Evenfall.”

Gilleas bowed his head. “This world is almost done, Iron Queen,” he said softly. “You haven’t hastened its death in any way. I believe the king—the real king—stopped dreaming his nightmares a while ago. He is likely at the end of his existence, which means his dream is nearly over.”

“Then perhaps we should hurry,” came Grimalkin’s voice, sounding softer and much more solemn than his usual impatient tone. “After the false king fell, the door appeared,” he went on, turning his head in the direction of the withered Nightmare Tree. “The real Nightmare King, the dreamer of this world, is likely waiting on the other side.”

As one, we turned to the Nightmare Tree. A simple wooden door stood on its own at the roots of the trunk. It looked like a bedroom closet door, and for some reason, it reminded me of a day, long, long ago, when I left the human world for the first time and followed Robin Goodfellow into the realm of Faery.

“Yes.” Gilleas nodded, sounding tired. “It is the same door. I remember.” He turned his head to me, and though his face gave nothing away, I could sense a sad smile behind the mask. “Iron Queen, this is where we must part,” he said softly. “You and your companions are flesh and blood, but we cannot leave the Dream.” He gestured to Other Nyx and to Varyn standing close beside her. “We will not be able to follow you.”

I swallowed the lump that rose to my throat, my heart twisting with the realization. The Nightmare King waited on the other side of a simple wooden door. What would we find once we stepped through? A dying ruler, on the verge of Fading? A king who was ready to finally wake up? Whatever happened, this could be the last time we saw Evenfall. The last time we spoke to the dreams that lived here. Once we stepped through that door, everything behind us could disappear.

I gazed back at the three Evenfey, sealing them into my memories forever. Before I could say anything, however, Other Nyx stepped forward. “No matter what happens,” she told me, “it has been an honor, both to have known and to have traveled with you all. You gave us a reason to hope, a reason to keep fighting. Even if we disappear and the Dream ends, I am proud of the part we could play on this journey.”

I ignored the stinging in my eyes and nodded. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Varyn gave us a begrudging smile. “I didn’t expect any Neverfey to stand with us,” he said. “I honestly thought you would run back to Faery the second things got too dangerous. I don’t like admitting I was wrong, but you fight well, and you don’t leave others behind. I’d trust you to guard my back any day, and that’s not something I tell everyone.”

“Likewise,” Ash said, nodding to the assassins. “You are both skilled warriors, some of the best I’ve seen. I hope we can meet again one day.”

“We’ll see what Fate has in store for us.” Varyn shrugged. “But if the Dream is almost done, this was a good last fight. In any case, you’ve earned this warrior’s respect.” His gold gaze slid to Puck, lips curling in a faint smirk. “Most of you, anyway.”

“Aw, Vary.” Puck returned the slightly mocking grin. “Did we just have a moment? I think we had a moment.”

“The door is flickering,” Grimalkin warned. “If you are going through, I would do so quickly.”

I looked over and saw he was right. The door sputtered, winking in and out of reality like a candle flame. It lasted just a moment, but it sent a chill through me, turning my insides to ice. We didn’t have much time left.

“All right,” I said, and took a deep breath. I looked at the ones who would be going through the door with me. Ash, Puck, Keirran, Nyx, and Grimalkin. “No more delays,” I said. “No more goodbyes. It’s time to meet the king.”

“Iron Queen,” Gilleas said as we turned away. “If you would indulge me for a moment longer. I do not believe I have ever given you the respect your title deserves.”

And before I could say anything, the historian of Evenfall lowered his antlered head and bowed, bending deeply at the waist. Other Nyx and Varyn followed his example, sinking to one knee and bowing their heads as well.

“We are eternally grateful that you came,” Gilleas said solemnly. “For so long, Evenfall was lost, abandoned, and forgotten. But now it has seen the light of hope, if only for a moment. Do not mourn the Fading of the Dream—rejoice instead that it existed, and remember it fondly.”

I blinked tears from my eyes and nodded. “We will,” I told them. “We won’t forget you. We will remember, always.”

There was no answer from the trio before us, and nothing left to be said. Silently, we turned, and with Grimalkin leading the way, walked up to the roots of the withered Nightmare Tree, to where the simple wooden door stood beneath the trunk. I reached out, and there was no resistance at all as my fingers touched the surface and pushed it back. The door swung open without a creak, and we stepped through, out of Evenfall, out of the Dream, and into another place entirely.

Silence greeted me on the other side of the door. Silence...and cold.

We stood in another void. Another space without walls or ceilings. Without trees or structures or anything solid. The ground appeared like the surface of a still lake, and though my shoes didn’t sink into the water, my footsteps still left ripples that spread out around me. Overhead, a hazy blue-black sky stretched on forever, scattered with stars that reflected the ground beneath us, making it seem like we were standing in the vastness of space. It was cold here, not icy or biting, just...empty. Like there was no warmth anywhere, no sun or fire or living creatures. Just...nothing.

I shivered, suddenly feeling very small.

“Where are we?” Keirran wondered, gazing around. His voice didn’t echo. It was simply lost in the space around us. He took a step, gazing around with solemn eyes. “This feels...like the Between,” he mused. “But emptier, if that’s possible. At least the Between is a place—it exists between Faery and the mortal realm. This doesn’t feel like anything.”

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