Page 8 of Beyond the Winter Kingdom (Faeted Seasons #2)

Vareck

A split second. That’s all it was. A single moment of time where I gripped her bag, the next, she was falling through a portal.

I jumped after her without hesitation, tumbling through the threshold in a jarring twist as gravity played tricks with my sense of direction.

The cackle that followed made my blood boil, but there was no time to dwell on anything but the present situation.

We landed with a thud, the air rushing from my lungs before it suddenly stalled, holding my body hostage as the wind knocked out of me.

The metal of my swords clanged against the ground, and her backpack plopped beside it unceremoniously.

Meera and I coughed as our bodies resettled into steady breathing.

Heat saturated the air, baking me from the inside out.

My head swam. I blinked a couple times, trying to clear the black spots in my vision.

I slowly gained a clearer focus, taking in the uneven clay ceiling above us. Meera groaned, long and loud.

“Are you okay?” I asked through another cough as it racked my chest.

“Everything hurts,” she mumbled, wincing as she spoke.

“Anything broken?”

“I don’t think so.” She paused, moving her legs and placing a hand on her stomach. “You?”

“I’ll live.”

I swallowed hard, throat dry, as I heaved myself up into a sitting position.

We were in a small cave. One that had been recently inhabited, by the looks of it.

The remains of a makeshift fire sat near the mouth.

In the distance, rust-colored sand whipped around, twisting midair.

My chest tightened at the sight of the wide-open, peach-colored sky.

Please, for the love of Faerie ...

I got to my feet, untying my cloak. It dropped to the ground, sending a plume of dust everywhere. My swords were secured in their sheaths at my side. I adjusted them, repositioning the halter so they sat crossed over my back.

Meera sat up and frowned, taking off her outer layers before pulling her hair back in an attempt to tame it with the elastic band around her wrist. When she finished, I held my hand out to help her stand.

Despite the dire situation we’d found ourselves in, sparks still lit up my skin when we touched.

“Thanks,” she murmured, reluctantly pulling her attention from me to the entrance. My footsteps were leaden as I went to confirm what I already knew.

Twin suns sat high in the sky, one yellow, the other red.

There was only one realm with two suns.

We were fucked.

“Where are we?” Meera asked, shielding her eyes as she came to stand beside me.

“Eversus.”

“As in the hell realm? That Eversus?” She motioned around us.

“That’s the one.”

Her head whipped around, copper strands tangling in the wind, slapping at her skin with every gust. “How do you know?”

“The two suns are a dead giveaway.” I sighed and cursed under my breath. “Are you familiar with it at all?”

“Well, considering a hell realm isn’t exactly a vacation destination, I’m going to have to go with no. From the looks of it, I can see why.”

I hadn’t expected her to know much. Eversus and its twin realm, Evorsus, were nigh impossible to get to. Few had the poor luck to visit it, and even fewer survived the journey.

I hummed in acknowledgment. “I’ve been here once. Never thought I’d come back.” I adjusted the swords on my back, squinting as the wind billowed the gritty substance around. Everything about this place reeked of scorched air and death.

“You’ve been here?” she asked incredulously.

“Why does that seem so surprising?”

“It’s a hell realm and you’re the king of Faerie. Not exactly the safest move, especially when Damon is your only heir.” Her tone indicated that it should be obvious.

I snorted. “Point made. But royalty aside, I’m also a fury.”

Meera tilted her head, teeth sinking into her bottom lip in thought. “I thought it was just a rumor that furies originated from a hell realm, you know, because your father ...” She trailed off. “So they came from this one? Is that why you came here? To learn more about your fury side?”

I hesitated, thinking about the best way to answer her question.

I didn’t want to lie, but I wasn’t keen on talking about it either.

“Not here, no. They technically came from Evorsus, its sister realm.” Her eyes narrowed a fraction, very much aware that I didn’t answer her question as to why I had been here.

She thankfully didn’t push it. I cleared my throat, though it did nothing for the dryness that was beginning to coat it.

“You should see if your powers work here. Some fae lose abilities in different realms.”

“Do you?”

I shook my head. “Certain magics are less effective in some realms, though. You said you felt a tug leading you toward here when we were at the Witching Hour. Do you still?”

Her eyes brightened a second later, changing from hazel to a sparkling and vibrant green. The green faded almost as fast as it came and a small smile tugged at her lips. “Even better, I see the thread. Sadie’s here.” She took a step outside the cave, and I caught her arm, pulling her to a halt.

“Can you tell how far away she is?”

“Nope,” she said. “I mean I could , but using my tracking that way drains my power really fast and leaves me disoriented. I lose my senses the more I use it. Following the thread is safer and won’t take much out of me.”

My jaw worked as I considered what she was saying. On one hand, her sister was here. Great. Given she was who we were looking for, that was a good thing. On the other hand, we were in one of the most dangerous of the nine realms with no way home.

The portal had dropped us in a cave somewhere then disappeared, which meant it wasn’t an exit route, and I hadn’t filled her in on the worst of it.

“Vareck?” Meera said, looking from my hand to my face. “We’re here to find my sister.”

“I’m aware.”

She gestured to the expansive landscape before us. “Then let me go so we can find her.”

“It’s not that simple. She may not be in Eversus.”

“I literally just told you I see the thread. Of course she’s here.”

I shook my head. “Eversus and Evorsus; twin realms. They are the two sides of the same coin.” Meera started to speak, but I held my hand up, urging her to wait.

“The land shifts at random. One moment you are in Eversus, the next, you are in Evorsus. There is no rhyme or reason. No geographic location that determines where. It’s a hell realm that does what it wants. ”

“Well ... that is a minor inconvenience, but it doesn’t change what we have to do.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose between my forefinger and thumb.

“You said your power can work over any distance as long as what or who you’re looking for is in the same realm.

For all we know, she’s weeks, maybe even months away from here on foot.

There’s also a very real possibility that Sadie could be in the other realm, and no matter where she is at this exact moment, there’s no guarantee she will be in the same realm five minutes from now. ”

“And?” She cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

“You really need more of an explanation?” I pointed at her bag.

“We have only what you have packed. And even if that includes the best survival kit in the nine realms, it won’t change the fact that we don’t have enough water.

We don’t have enough food. We aren’t dressed for these conditions.

The land can shift at any time. None of these things are good. ”

“All true, but it doesn’t matter. You said the land does what it wants for any reason.

That means we could stay in this exact spot, and the shift could still occur.

Whether we sit here and twiddle our thumbs or start walking to find Sadie, those facts remain.

It’s not like the portal is still here to take us back so we can go get changed and grab more supplies. ”

“We have shelter at least,” I countered.

“But we’re not the only ones that know about it,” She jutted her chin toward the sad firepit.

“What if they—” She broke off abruptly, scanning the ground.

Meera pulled her arm out of my grip to walk several feet and kneel down beside the fire.

I came up behind her, watching as she crouched low and blew across the floor.

Sand scattered, revealing stones reshaped into a letter. W.

Wylde.

“Sadie was here,” she breathed.

“How do you know?” I questioned. “Anyone could have done that.”

“Really?” Meera stared at me deadpanned. “I don’t think there are many people hanging around Eversus writing letters in caves. She knew I’d come looking for her. I feel her thread. She was here.”

“And if she comes back?” I asked when she pivoted for the exit once more.

“Then she’s close enough we should find her soon,” Meera called over her shoulder, walking away from me.

Tension rose through my upper body. I worked my jaw, twisting my neck so it cracked. There was no way in hell that I’d let her wander off alone through Eversus. That was not an option. And there was apparently no way to stop her. Not one I was willing to risk, anyway. So like it or not, I followed.

The terrain was uneven leading away from the cave. The ground was mostly sand and silt, making it twice as hard to wade through. Dark brown and black shrubs broke up the otherwise desolate expanse before us.

The moment I left the shade of the cave, the twin suns tried to roast me like a pig on a spit.

I soldiered through without a complaint as I caught up to Meera.

I would have to measure my steps carefully to not end up too far ahead of her.

While she wasn’t short by human standards, she was small compared to my six and a half feet in height.

“So,” I said, attempting to cut through the heat and tension. “We’re mates ...” Internally, I cringed. Was that really the best I could do to segue into the conversation? Much as he was an asshole, Corvo might have a point about my lack of social skills.