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After an indefinite amount of time that could have been mere seconds or centuries, we arrive within the portal and are pushed through into the Otherworld, bodies intact, souls contained within our dense meat forms.

For a moment, I feel encumbered by the weight of my flesh, and I briefly mourn the feeling I had when we traveled through nothing.

Cole is still holding tight to me, his lips inches from mine. "You catch on fast," he whispers, his dark eyes luminous and intoxicating.

Still caught up in the swirl of emotions, I can't stop myself from pulling his head down and pressing my lips to his. I've dreamed of tasting his mouth again, of feeling his tongue flick over my lips, of reveling in the delight and desire that he brings.

He moans against my mouth, his chest rumbling with untapped longing, and I press my hips against him. He hardens against my stomach and I slide my hand down his chest until I'm caressing him.

He nibbles at my lip, then traces kisses down my neck to my collar bone, his teeth grazing me, nipping at my skin. My other hand is wrapped around his back, nails digging into him. I want more than I can have right now, and the thought sobers me. I gently pull away, my lips swollen with his kisses, my body empty without him.

"I should go," I say reluctantly. "This is too soon."

He caresses my head and nods. "Je comprends. But I am not giving up on us. I hope you do not either."

Tears sting my eyes as he steps back and disappears into smoke.

I look around at the forest, alive with the sounds of the wild, as I wipe my eyes and straighten my back.

Someday I might get him back, but today is not that day, and I need to go home. The others are probably losing their damn minds right now.

I contemplate the easiest way to go back to the castle. I could fly, but that will take a decent amount of time.

Or I could try my new shadow powers. That would get me home in an instant, but it also low key terrifies me.

I opt for being terrified. Because if I can master this, it's a useful trick to have in my tool box.

I close my eyes and pull out my darkness while reminding myself what Cole’s magic felt like when he did this. Then I imagine the gardens just outside the castle, where I first found Moon.

It seems to be the safest place to aim for, and the one which will likely be the most discreet as well, since no one has seen me do this and it might freak them out a bit if I appear before them randomly.

Just as before, I disintegrate into nothing, into shadow and darkness, and then arrive just where I intended. Well, mostly where I intended. Since I was thinking of Moon and how I found him, I actually find myself stuck in the damn bush that he was stuck in when I rescued him. And it hurts like a bitch.

I slowly tear myself out of the dangerous barbed bushes and I'm covered in scratches that are starting to bleed.

That's how Liam finds me.

"What happened?" he asks, running over to me, his eyes filled with worry. "Who attacked you?"

He takes my arms and studies the injuries as I point to the offending bush. "We had a bit of a misunderstanding," I explain.

"I'm sure there's a story in that somewhere, but come in and let's get you cleaned up. Everyone is worried sick about you. Where did you go?"

"I'll explain once we're all together."

Liam slips an arm around me and we walk into the castle, then he leaves to round everyone up and find some ointment for my cuts. Moon greets me in the hall and rubs up against my legs, purring aggressively. I pick him up and nuzzle his soft black fur to my face. "I've missed you," I whisper, and I swear he purrs even louder. I set him down and he follows me as I head to the library.

The great hearth is stoked with a blazing fire and Alina and the baby dragon, Zara—who's presently in her human form—are both in the crib together. They are playing with colorful blocks of wood. Alina lights them on fire and Zara giggles and spits water onto them to put the fire out. Then they both laugh and do it all over again.

Liam arrives with the ointment and smiles when he sees the babies. "They've been like that since the moment they met," he says.

"It looks like the fire proofing has worked," I note. We've been trying a lot of spells over the last several weeks to keep Alina from burning down everything she touches, and nothing has worked until now.

He nods. "I think adding the phoenix feather to the spell really helped," he says. "Good call."

I grin at the compliment as he begins applying the ointment to my skin.

It burns a bit, then creates a cooling sensation that sucks the pain away. By the time he's done, I feel as good as new, and I know my skin will heal in no time. Magic medicine is the best.