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The Connecticut forest had become a war zone. Acrid smoke filled the air, along with a steady stream of explosions and screams. The Variks had started the attack from the south. Xiao Dan led a second group from the north, trapping the fae forces in a two-front battle. If they were lucky, the fighting would keep their attention away from Chen and Moon, who were trying to sneak into the fae compound from the west.

Their job was simple. Get in. Find Yichen. Escape with the missing vampire.

As much as Chen would love to kill King Ash while he was inside the grounds, the elf’s death would not be his to enjoy. If they were lucky, one of his brothers or even a Varik would take out the bastard.

“How much—”

Moon’s question was cut off when Chen released his elbow and shot a blast of ice over his lover’s head. The magic encased a tiny pixie with silver wings in a solid block of ice. The fae fell to the ground with a heavy thunk and didn’t move.

“So, I guess that means we’re close,” Moon stated.

They’d been weaving their way through the woods for close to a couple of kilometers now. Encounters with the fae had been few, and none had escaped to spread word of their approach.

Chen grunted. “Stay close.”

Drawing his sword from over his shoulder, Chen led the way toward the fae’s stronghold. It was more than running across occasional sentries. A tingle hung in the air and was growing more intense with every step. The same tingle he’d experienced when the door had opened on Moving Day.

Was the door still open?

Or was there residual energy hanging in the air from the event?

Didn’t matter. The only thing he needed to focus on was finding Yichen. Huli had woken that afternoon feeling better. He’d provided clear details of what the castle looked like, the size of the army the king had raised, and the exact location of Yichen’s holding cell.

There was no mistaking their didi. Huli had followed their clan for centuries. He’d watched all of them. The huli jing would recognize their didi on sight.

As they reached the top of a hill, feet slipping in the soft mud, they flattened to the cool earth. Peering through the tall grasses and bushes, they spotted the spires of the castle reaching above the canopy of trees. It was almost as if the silvery white oak glowed against the night sky. However, the light didn’t come from the castle or the ground, but the door.

The door between the human realm and the fae realm was still open.

But that was wrong.

More than a century ago, when the door had opened between worlds, it had closed within a matter of hours. There was a timer on the damn thing. Or at least there was supposed to be.

No.

No. No. No.

This was all wrong.

Chen’s heart sped up and his mouth grew dry. What had the fae done?

“Why is the door still open?” he demanded in a harsh whisper. “Why didn’t Huli mention it?”

“Don’t know. Maybe he thought it was supposed to be open,” Moon replied from his left. “Since he reported Yichen was on this side of the door, we can’t worry about it. That’s another problem for a different day.”

Chen’s fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. “Right. Let’s go.”

He pushed to his feet and led the way down the hill, remaining hunched as low as possible to take advantage of the brush and shadows. With every step they took, they encountered more fae. Chen cut through them as they moved forward while Moon provided layer after layer of protection spells to keep them safe.

Through a last ring of trees, they stopped, their breath stolen by the elegant structure that literally sprouted up from the ground. They wove together countless trees to create a castle filled with windows, balconies, and spires. It was reminiscent of a European gothic cathedral, but only if it had a sense of whimsy.

They’d built the castle right against the door, giving the feeling they weren’t seeing the entire structure. That maybe half of the castle existed in the fae realm.

Something pulled Chen forward, leaving him wanting to draw closer and inspect it. Thankfully, Moon grabbed his elbow, jerking his gaze from the wonder. Moon motioned toward his right, where he spotted a low rounded wing with four doors. Beside each door was a single, narrow window.

“Second door from the end,” Moon reminded him.

They paused in the shadows of the trees, watching the courtyard. Cold sweat slid down the nape of his neck and soaked into his sweater, leaving the soft material clinging to him. So close now.

A few elves ran across the courtyard, bows in hand and quivers of arrows slung across their backs. Their footsteps were soundless across the dirt, lost to the pounding of his heart and the sounds of fighting in the distance. The direction they were moving would put them in the path of the Variks. He wasn’t sure what powers the Varik clan had at their fingertips, but he was grateful for everything they were doing tonight.