Page 1062 of One More Kiss

Fin put an arm around my waist and helped me over to a bench set under a shady tree at the edge of a clearing. “Rest here. I’ll fetch some sustenance.”

I gratefully sank onto the seat, watching him move gracefully to a small, stone building at the far end of the clearing. It was as if he hadn’t just descended a thousand stairs supporting an invalid. Maybe fitness worked differently with the Fae. I’d ask later.

I couldn’t see any people, magical or otherwise, around. Birdsong echoed around me, but unlike any bird calls I’d ever heard back home. The trees themselves were earth like although everything was bigger and greener than I was used to. The forest spread out from the clearing and apart from the building there was no sign of anything that wasn’t natural. It was as if we were in the middle of nowhere. Recalling the view from the top the cliff I realized that we were.

Fin reappeared with a bundle of something wrapped in cling wrap. Probably not actually cling wrap, but it looked just the same. He sat beside me and unwrapped the bundle.

Inside was a flaky pastry-like substance. He broke off a piece for himself and offered the bundle to me. “This is tortita. Travel rations. The taste is only barely tolerable, however you will find your energy is quickly replenished.”

I broke off a piece and took a bite. A rush of something delicious and salty hit my mouth. It was like a cross between fries and bread, with a nutty flavour underneath. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. “If this is only barely tolerable I can’t wait to try something you’d call a feast.”

I broke off another piece and ate it more slowly. I could feel energy cascading down my limbs, invigorating tired muscles and filling me with the sense I could do anything. Even climb back up that damned staircase if I had to.

Fin held out the never-empty flask and I drank. I’d long since gotten over my fear of Fae germs. “Thank you.” I handed the flask back to him. “What now?”

“Now comes the easy part.” He wrapped the remains of the tortita and tucked it into one of his pouches. “If you’re ready?”

I stood, brushing crumbs off myself. “Let’s go.”

He rose to his feet, liquid water, and headed toward the stone building. “Come. This is the transit station.”

We entered the building by an oval shaped wooden door. It reminded me of the hobbit homes on The Lord Of The Rings movie, except the walls were rock, not dirt. Inside, the room was large. There were two doorways at the back of the room, kitchen and toilet if it were an earth building but here I wasn’t sure, and rustic seating on one side. Small tables were scattered between the seats and along the walls. It looked like a cafe back home, but without the customers and coffees. The other side of the room was bare except for a stone pillar and a circular marking on the floor. This was where Fin led us.

He withdrew the gem from his pocket, the one that had opened the Midnight Gate. He took my arm as before, and placed the gem into a slot on the machine. Then he walked us both into the circle.

Unlike with the Midnight Gate, there was no black shimmery pool or water like substance. There was no sensation of being immersed. We were standing there, looking out at the cafe style furniture one minute, and the next minute it changed to a cave wall with a rock ledge running around the edge for seating. I didn’t even get dizzy.

Fin dropped my arm and stepped forward.

“What the hell was that? Where are we?”

He turned around, grinning. He looked happy. “Home,” he said. “Welcome to the Midnight Palace.

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