Page 45 of Beyond the Faerie Gate

As I sit there, I can see the skin sealing over and the redness fading. Fae must heal faster than humans do, but reincarnation would still be a lot easier with shoes.

Or hell, just clothes in general.

I look around, double checking for Fomorian ships, before allowing my glamour to drop completely, then quickly use the river to freshen up before I struggle back to my feet, heading for the opposite bank. The trees there are dark and imposing, the leaves are a mottled, unwelcoming brown, forking into the sky like inverted lightning.

I have no idea how I know, but this forest is old. Now that I’m drawing closer to it, I can hear the trees whispering in the wind.

Of course, the moment I get more than halfway across the water, it happens again. The horrible, draining, cramping sensation fills my body. I force my eyes open, wanting to watch as Danu’s power floods back through me and into what must be the Autumn Court.

It’s like the goddess is taking a paintbrush to the forest. The brown leaves drop in one deafening sweep, replaced by new buds that quickly burst into swathes of gold and crimson. The air, which was damp and cold, becomes warm and crisp between one breath and the next, and the sky, while still grey, doesn’t seem as ominous as before.

I take a deep breath, trying to centre myself before I take my next step across the slippery rocks. I don’t feel as weak as I did the last time this happened, and I wonder if that’s because I’m stronger, or if I’m just getting used to it.

I stumble forward until my hands meet the rocky bank and drag myself up using the roots which are creeping down into the water.

As soon as I’m safely on the shore, I set about trying to dry myself with leaves. Pulling the glamour back around me isn’t as hard as it was before. The tingling sensation as it wraps back around my body is becoming familiar, but unfortunately, my fake clothes don’t make me any warmer.

The bond urges me forward, excitable in a way that reminds me of an eager puppy.

I’ve barely taken three steps forward when a hand grabs my arm.

I jump out of my skin, tugging my arm away instinctively. Only his grip is unyielding, trapping me in place.

“You are taking far too long!”

His voice is like honey, rich and soft, with a hint of a whine as he twirls me toward him.

One second, I’m frozen in the middle of the woods. The next, I’m in front of a roaring, carved fireplace that’s easily twice my size.

Oh, it’s so warm. The glowing heat washes over me in a wave, and I sigh in happiness.

“I’ve been waiting forever,” that honeyed voice continues. “I’ve been so patient and—”

I turn on my heel, but he’s no longer there.

“—honestly, when they said they had to hide you, I was so excited for this new game. But it’s been your turn to seek for decades.”

His voice is now coming from above me, and I tilt my head back, gaining a glimpse of a blur of red in the grandiose chandelier before he disappears again.

“Then you went and died. That is against the rules, pet. You can’t just die your way out of seeking.”

I keep spinning, making myself dizzy as I try to follow him. My brain, which is still struggling to catch up after the drain of entering the Autumn Court for the first time, is floundering, trying to catch up.

All I end up doing is taking in the enormous wooden hall. It’s a round room, covered in floor-to-ceiling bookcases which are so full that the books are crammed on top of one another in places. The only free wall space is the huge, arched window which looks out onto the gold and scarlet forest beyond.

Given the view, we must still be in the Autumn Court.

“Now you’re finally here, honestly, I think we should take a break before it’s my turn to hide again and actually spend some time together.”

There! I catch a flash of red sitting behind the desk in front of the window for a second before he disappears again.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve only been speaking to my guides for the last day, or just that frustration with his constant movement overrides my common sense for a second, but I reply in the same language. “Will you just—?”

“Just what?”

Suddenly he’s in my face. So close and so fast that I fall backwards, tripping into the fireplace.

I land on a plush velvet chaise on the other side of the room, still staring into his bright crimson eyes.

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