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CHAPTER ELEVEN

CALLUM

W hen Tai called late last night, I figured he was finally ready to kill me for dating Nova. But he just asked if I’d go to Earth with them because they need to go to my homeland.

Nova didn’t ask me herself. That was the first clue that something was off. The second? Tai said she’d locked herself in the bathroom, showering so long the hot water ran out while she tried to make up her mind.

Her father—the real one—is the former King of Werewolves. And he’s dying.

What a headfuck.

I never planned on coming back to Earth. No part of me wanted to set foot on the land that never came for me when I’d been taken, that let me rot in Espero without a second thought. But if it’s for her? Anything.

She needs me.

Her family has several fae soldiers in the area helping track down a rogue wolf fae who’s been causing a lot of destruction across most of Europe, otherwise the royal guard could’ve helped.

So now they’re stuck with me.

It always seems to happen that way. When I was in Espero, I was the biggest human there, and I wasn’t about to let them snag one of the children to fight, so I volunteered. Let them pit me against all manner of fae orders, so long as they left the bairns alone.

I became their natural leader because I was always the one to hop up and stand in front of the room any time a guard wandered in. Never again would someone be able to come and take anyone from me. I shudder. The nightmares still haunt me.

Nova’s hair whips in front of her face as she holds tight to our hands, dragging me from the memory.

I thought the Highlands were windy, but it’s nothing compared to the portal. If my sneakers weren’t tied so tight, they’d be blown clean off my feet. Gale-force winds take the tartan scarf I lent Nova, blowing it away so fast, by the time we notice it’s missing, it’s but a pinprick in what seems light years away.

“I’m so sorry!” Nova shouts over the roar.

I mouth, ‘it’s fine!’ Because if I were to lose that scarf anywhere, it’s best to do it on the way to the one country I can always find a Clan Mackenzie tartan.

Earth feels close enough to touch now, yet, I can’t help but wonder if it will ever feel like home again. I feel like I’m a stranger to my homeland.

The portal spits us out in a place I visited once on a field trip as a kid. Energy pulses, rippling over my skin, before fading to a low buzz, then disappearing as the doorway shuts. All I can do is stand here and take it in.

Earth.

I’ve dreamed about this moment for years. The ground beneath my boots feels solid in a way the fae realm never quite managed. The scent in the air—a damp mix of rain-soaked grass, moss-covered stones, and a trace of peat smoke carried on the wind—is achingly familiar. For the first time in years, I’m not surrounded by fae magic. It’s just me, the earth I was born on, and the steady bite of the cold drizzle soaking into my coat.

It’s a strange feeling, standing here again. The Clava Cairns rise around us, the ancient stones still whispering of the past, though the fae magic now mingling in the air from our arrival feels foreign. My flat is gone. My old job? Classes? All of it, gone too. For a while, when I was first taken, I’d imagined rescue was coming. Someone—anyone—would notice I wasn’t around and send help.

But nobody did.

I glance at Nova, her head tilted back as she studies the standing stones. Her hair’s already tangled from the wind, damp strands sticking to her forehead as she tucks it behind her ears. They’re blunt now, rounded and human, thanks to the glamour, but even so, she looks far too otherworldly to belong here. Tai lingers behind her, a quiet shadow beneath the drizzle that beads and rolls off his jacket.

This is their first time on Earth. Their first real step into my world.

The thought makes something twist in my chest. I wish it were under better circumstances. I try to shake it off, focusing instead on the distant hum of a passing car, the squelch of wet grass beneath my boots, the wind that cuts across the field in short, brutal bursts.

“Is it always this ... gray?” Nova’s voice draws me out of my head. She spins in place, her boots sinking into the damp earth as she surveys our surroundings.

“Aye.” I pull the collar of my coat tighter around my neck as I grin at her. “This is Scotland, lass. If it’s not raining, it’s just about to start.”

Her smile is quick and bright. It does something to my chest, that grin. I can’t quite name it. She sticks out her tongue, catching the rain on its tip.

Tai’s scrutiny shifts to me, his eyes catching mine for a brief moment before drifting to the stones behind us. The wind lifts his damp hair, and even with the glamour masking his features, there’s something undeniably fae about him. About both of them.

“Here,” I say, stepping closer to Nova and Tai. “Let me explain where we’re headed.”

I reach into my pocket, pulling out a battered notebook. It’s something I’ve carried since my time in the fae realm, filled with scraps of memories from Earth. Maps, sketches, addresses. Anything to tether me to a place I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. I kept it in a hollowed-out brick in the tiny room I’d been held captive in, ferreting it away whenever I heard the heavy tread of guards approaching.

“We’re going to the city of Inverness, but it’ll have to be away from crowds and within walking distance of the hospital,” I continue, flipping to a page with a rough map of the city. “Somewhere small enough to keep things manageable, but big enough that nobody’ll look twice at us. Cars, buses, streetlights—all that noise you’re not used to. We’ll ease into it here before heading further in.”

Nova studies the map over my shoulder, close enough that I catch the scent of her—something warm and sweet, like wildflowers after the rain.

“It’s not far.” I shift my weight, scanning the quiet landscape. “But we’ll need to be careful. Appearing out of nowhere tends to raise a few eyebrows.”

Nova drags her fingers along the rough surface of one of the stones, her gaze flicking to mine. “So, where are we going?”

I glance around, trying to picture a spot in Inverness we can appear in without drawing too much attention, as though I could see it right in front of me. To sift somewhere, you have to be able to visualize it clearly—down to the smallest details. The standing stones have worked before since they’re mostly deserted, but the city? That’s trickier.

“There’s a quiet alley,” I say finally, the words coming slower as I piece it together in my head. “Behind a bookshop I used to visit. Nobody ever goes there. It’ll give us time to adjust before we step into the street.”

Tai nods, already moving closer as I describe the alley in detail, since he’s the only one who will be able to sift us. I used to have to cut through it on my way to campus. It’s narrow, not even big enough for a small car to pass through. Pale blue paint lines the building, and uneven cobblestones mark its entrance.

He rests a palm on Nova’s shoulder. I don’t miss the way her eyes land on him for a moment, her expression softening before she turns back to me.

“Alright, Highlander,” she says, her voice teasing but warm. “Lead the way.”

Tai claps a hand on my arm, and the world almost tugs me off my feet, and the knots in my stomach tighten as we sift to my old stomping grounds.