Page 55 of Cursed Evermore

I moved against my mind without moving, cried without crying, screamed without screaming. Then I closed my eyes to more darkness.

If there was a way out of this, I had to find it. I had to believe I could. When I found that path, I’d grab anything I could use as a weapon and fight my way out of here tooth and nail. Then maybe try to portal.

I’d been thinking about portaling a lot. About how I’d managed to do it the first time. Grandmother’s grimoire stated that powers were accessed through emotion.

My terror must have opened the portal the other night. I was in far worse danger now, so maybe I could use my fear again to open another portal.

Ihadto try. My gods, I had to try.

Something suddenly tickled my nose, steering my mind away from my newfound plan. There it was again. It was… a scent, a touch, a feeling.

I opened my eyes just as I was being lowered from the air. Moments later, my feet touched the ground and my heartbeat sped up.

Something was happening, changing.

The darkness began to drift around me like mist, but it was distinguishable now, unlike before. And I could feel my body.

I looked around and about me, watching the surroundings brighten lighter and lighter.

Sunshine floated over me, trees came into my view, birds began to sing. It took me a moment to realize I was in the woods. But not just any woods.

Gryffyn Forest.

Just across from me was the clearing where I’d performed the spell. And where my father had disappeared.

Why was I here?

And was I actuallyhere? Or was this just some figment of my imagination?

No, Elariya. Stop asking that.

Over the last few days, everything I'd thought was pulled from my imagination had been real. I’d imaginednothing. Especially the Fae male who took me captive and dragged me to the Underworld like some beastly hell god.

So… in my world, when things didn’t make sense, the answer was magic.

Thiswas magic. But it wasn’t coming from me.

This magic had to be Wolfe’s again.

What did it mean? What was he planning for me?

I looked around at the trees, took in the clear sky above me and the fresh air that seeped into my lungs.

“Why am I here?” I asked the silence.

Not a second passed before pink petals fluttered past me like whispers, soft as breath. They were spring blossoms from the elder trees.

A flurry of them rose into the sky, up and up and up, then they parted and through them stood a white-haired young woman.

I was so stunned to see her my brain slowed as it tried to process that I wasn’t alone. I gazed at her standing in the clearing. She was exceedingly beautiful with her platinum hair flowing around her like a cape made of air and her midnight V-neck gown that made her look like she was floating.

Her face softened to a gentle smile as she stared back at me with bright, bright blue eyes.

She wasn’t Fae. She didn’t have the pointed ears.

She wasn’t human either. I sensed it. Just like Wolfe had counseled. I hated to think of him now, but as I watched this girl I understood what he meant.

Different beings could sense each other. Even if I couldn’t, I could see this girl was too perfect to be human. She had a flawlessness about her.