Page 41 of Mountains of Mist and Magic (A World of Sun and Shadow #4)

S elenia received a hug from both her brothers, and they told her how they loved her. It felt like she was marching off to her death.

She looked back at Sion. He gave her a nod and a smile, but she could tell he was holding back tears. The Sion she knew from her youth was long gone, and instead, he had been replaced by this man, this sensitive, brave, and loving man.

She moved towards the spot where Renya had disappeared, peering intently. She couldn't see her through the strange divider, but she could almost sense her there. Selenia put her hands up, looked at the nymph, who remained stoic, and then she pressed forward.

Her first thought was that she'd entered another world. The entire landscape around her glowed. The moss underneath her boots seemed to awaken with an intense luminous glow as if responding to her movements. The trees towered above, their leaves shimmering with hues of blue and green, purples and pink. Delicate fungi clung to the trunks of oddly shaped trees, their soft light illuminating the bark like fairy lanterns. Fireflies flitted about, leaving trails of golden light in their wake, creating a moving tapestry of sparkling brilliance. The air was filled with a faint, sweet fragrance, mingling with the cool, fresh scent of the forest.

“It's like the Wizard of Oz, right? When Dorothy enters munchkin land and everything's in color?”

Renya's voice startled her; for a brief second, she forgot that she wasn't the first to enter this strange environment.

“I—what's munchkin land?”

“Forget it,” Renya said. “Human stuff.”

They both looked back at the shimmering screen separating the two very different environments. However, they couldn't see any figures on the beach, just like Selenia hadn't been able to see Renya once she crossed over.

“Do you think it'll be Phillippe?” Selenia asked, looking at Renya.

“The longer it takes, the more I'm less certain,” Renya answered.

Several minutes passed, but then the magical wall began to shimmer and vibrate.

Phillippe emerged, his face bright red and his hair tousled.

“Phillippe!” Even though they'd said goodbye less than five minutes ago, Selenia still hugged her brother fiercely. “You took so long, we thought that you weren't able to pass through.”

He reddened even more, and then Selenia put together his expression combined with his hair.

“Ah. A rather...passionate goodbye?” she said, eyeing him.

He quickly fixed his hair and looked rather sheepish.

“Good for Esmeralda,” Renya laughed.

“What is this place?” Phillippe turned in a circle, taking everything in.

“I think it's the same world,” Renya answered. “I don't feel sick like when I went through the portal. That involved a falling sensation. I still think we are in our world, but just...a locked part of it.”

“I agree,” Phillippe said, and he reached out and gently stroked one giant mushroom that was almost big enough to sit on.

“Well...what now?” Selenia asked. The forest seemed to be in the middle of a canyon created by the mountains on either side, but with no clear path set before them.

Renya looked back at the beach, and Selenia knew she wished Grayden was with her. She felt the same, wanting Sion. But it didn't matter, they were on their own now.

“Up we go, I guess,” Renya said, and Selenia glanced towards the back of the glowing forest. The large forest they were in seemed to be narrower approaching the mountains.

Renya took the lead, with Phillippe following behind. Selenia trailed a bit, mesmerized by the strange, beautiful little ecosystem that thrived behind the shimmering veil of magic. She supposed that Phillippe did enough traveling that not much surprised him anymore, and Renya had fallen through a portal and had lived in two different worlds, but Selenia had hardly left the Snow Lands.

A large insect buzzed around her head, and Selenia was amazed to see that its body camouflaged itself around its background. The flowers were so fragrant that she felt entranced by them. She stopped to smell one, a pretty rose-like plant with swirling shades of cerulean and seafoam green. The smell reminded her briefly of something at the lodge, but she couldn't quite place it. She leaned in, inhaling deeper and rubbing her eyes. All of a sudden, her eyes felt so heavy and tired. It had been such a long voyage, and she had earned a rest. Her muscles ached, and her limbs felt tingly and warm. Perhaps she should rest here...she sat down next to the flower, leaning against a large log. Closing her eyes, she felt a peacefulness pass over her—

“Selenia!” Phillippe's voice boomed through the forest, shaking her awake.

Renya rushed to her side, and she felt herself being pulled away from the beautiful plant.

“What? I'm just going to rest here for a bit...”

“Selenia, that plant...it was doing something to you! Hypnotizing you or something similar...” Phillippe looked at her, wrinkling his broad forehead in concern.

“What?” Selenia was still slightly dazed, her head spinning a bit and a headache forming along her temples.

Renya nodded. “We all need to stay together...and for pete's sake, don't touch or smell anything in here!”

Selenia didn't know who Pete was or why Renya was mentioning him, but she did follow her sound advice. Away from the plant, her sleepiness spell was gone, and her head was much clearer. She was relieved to be free from whatever magic was weaved within the plant but embarrassed that she was so easily drawn in. They'd been in the forest for less than fifteen minutes and she'd already been in danger.

Phillippe seemed to sense her annoyance with herself and tried to assuage her ego. “It was a pretty flower, Sister.”

She gave him a small smile before hoisting her satchel higher on her shoulder.

A tiny stream blocked their path from venturing farther than the base of the mountain. The water was crystal clear, and Selenia could see tiny fish swimming, schooling together in large groups. A loud gurgle made them jump, and a pair of orange toads croaked from the side of the stream.

Selenia and Renya both hopped on a few well-placed stones to make it across the tiny stream, but Phillippe just trudged through the water, leaving a trail of wet footprints as they continued up the path. The rocky terrain on the path wasn't easy to traverse, but they continued on, beginning to scale the base of the mountain, walking on top of and in between the rocks.

The mountains loomed before them, staggered, overlapping, and jagged, creating puzzling peaks that rose upwards to the fluorescent sky. Selenia, Renya and Phillippe climbed higher and higher, with each switchback moving them closer and closer to the peak, and whatever the mountains had in store.

After an hour of hiking, they came upon three separate paths, all leading up farther into the mountains.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” Selenia asked, already fearful of the implications.

“Yes. We're going to have to split up,” Renya confirmed, her voice tinged with resignation.

Phillippe tugged on the hilt of his sword and brought it forth. “Best to be prepared,” he said, and Selenia and Renya withdrew their own weapons.

“Do you have any inkling about what these challenges might be?” Selenia asked.

“Just an old children's tale that Cressida had found in a book from one of the first fae. Selenia, yours, the Fox, had to solve riddles.”

“Riddles? That doesn't sound so bad.”

“What about me, Renya?” Phillippe asked.

Renya paused, and for a second, something flashed across her face. Selenia caught the look before she answered. “Phillippe, you just have to be true to yourself. Be brave in the face of danger.”

Lies , Selenia thought. Whatever Renya knew about Phillippe's challenge, she wasn't sharing. But Selenia knew her sister-in-law well and knew that if she wasn't sharing the full truth with Phillippe, there must be a reason.

“Easy enough,” Phillippe said, swinging his broadsword around, catching the reflection of the sunlight.

“What about you, Renya?”

Renya bit her lip. “Mine was about bravery.”

“Well, you have that in spades,” Phillippe quipped.

Renya's mouth curled into a half-smile. “Thanks, Phillippe. I think we should take a quick break, drink some water, and then see if we can come up with some kind of plan in case we get into trouble.”

“A signal?” Selenia offered.

“That's a good idea. Can we all whistle?” Renya asked. Phillippe let out a loud whistle and Selenia nodded. “Okay, good. If we get into a situation where we need help, whistle and we'll come.”

Selenia didn't think she had ever drunk so slowly. Even Phillippe played with his travel cake, trying to delay the inevitable. But soon there was nothing left to do but go their separate ways.

“Which path is which?” Phillippe asked.

“Mine's on the right,” Selenia said. “I just...know.”

Renya nodded. “Mine's the middle.”

“Well, I can't sense anything. So, I'm guessing I'll just take the left,” Phillippe said grudgingly.

Selenia and Renya looked at each other, and Renya pulled her tight, kissing the top of her head.

“You're my sister, Selenia. I know you can handle whatever's thrown at you. But please be careful—I love you.”

“I love you too, Sister,” Selenia responded, wiping a tear that threatened to fall.

Phillippe wrapped his arms around both of them. “We're a family—just missing Grayden. But let's go do this, and get it done—for every fae in our world.”

Selenia continued up the mountain, her stomach in knots. She knew that Renya had faith in her, but honestly, she didn't feel the same conviction for her abilities that Renya did.

Her eyes fixed upon the path; she tried not to get distracted by the unique flora lining the mossy ground. The path up the mountain was long and winding, consisting of more switchbacks and narrow passages. She walked for an hour, her entire body on edge, waiting for something to jump out of the foliage and attack.

But everything around her was still, as if it had been halted in time. She was just starting to worry that maybe she'd somehow missed the trial, or taken a wrong turn somewhere, when the path before her seemed to end abruptly. As she got closer, she realized it wasn't exactly a dead end—thick twigs and branches made up a huge thicket. Easily twice her height, the thicket was dense and sprawling, a maze of intertwined branches and thick undergrowth.

Selenia gulped as she saw a tiny entrance towards the ground, just large enough for her to crawl through. Her mind suddenly returned to the forest where she'd crawled into the Murcurial's home, only to find her dying in her bed. She quickly rid her brain of the image, instead doing her best to be unafraid.

Luckily, the passageway in the thicket was much shorter than the crawl to the Murcurial's cave. After about ten feet, Selenia came upon a huge opening, with the trees arching and bending overhead, forming a natural room. The leaves shielded the outside light, and there was only a tiny bit of light coming from the center of the wooden cage.

Towering trees, their canopies knitted tightly together, had cast a perpetual twilight over the forest floor. Beneath them, a tapestry of ferns, shrubs, and tangled vines had created a nearly impenetrable barrier. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth and the sounds of rustling leaves, distant bird calls, and the occasional snap of a twig. Patches of moss clung to tree trunks, while fallen logs, in various states of decay, formed natural bridges and obstacles. Unlike the stark, snow-covered landscapes of her homeland, this forest pulsed with vibrant life and magic, making Selenia feel both awed and slightly overwhelmed.

In the very middle of the woody maze, a large mirror, glimmering and shimmering with an ethereal glow, beckoned her forward. She stepped towards it, seeing shadows reflected back at her. However, even as she got closer, the shadows in the mirror didn't clear, remaining dusky and unknown. Selenia looked around the thicket, searching for a clue that would help her riddle out the mystery of the mirror. She was certain that this was the trial, but her eyes couldn't find anything else but the mirror in front of her. Studying it, she saw some words etched into the silver frame of the mirror: The Mirror of Reflection.

The Mirror of Reflection? What help was that? She absentmindedly moved her finger to trace over the words, and when she came in contact with the frame, the figures started swirling, and she was suddenly pulled inward, into the very mirror itself.

A rush of vertigo overwhelmed Selenia as she felt her body being stretched and compressed simultaneously. Colors swirled around her in a dizzying kaleidoscope, and for a moment, she feared she might lose consciousness. Then, as suddenly as it began, the sensation stopped. She felt nauseous as her body seemed to turn inside out, then twisting back as her feet landed on solid ground. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, Selenia found herself on the other side of the mirror, and as she looked behind her, she could see the woods reflected in the surface, now distant and unreachable.

“What in the world?” she mumbled to herself, her voice shaky with disbelief.

Selenia jumped when a voice answered, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once.

“Welcome, Selenia Snowden.”

Startled, she could barely make a sound. Finally, she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, “Who are you?”

The voice, soft and feminine, sweet and inviting, gave her some calmness. “A guardian of the mountains. A keeper and protector of magic.”

“Are you a God?” Selenia inquired, spinning around in the room, looking for the source of the voice.

She was surrounded by whiteness. The floors, the walls, the ceiling. Yet even though the room looked small, Selenia had a sense that it went on forever, and the feeling was enough to send a quick shiver down her spine.

“I'm not a God,” the voice replied, a hint of amusement in its tone. “Just...one close to the Gods.” The source of the voice remained elusive, seeming to come from the very air around her.

“What am I to do?” Selenia asked the mysterious guardian, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her tunic.

There was a sudden flutter of color, and Selenia's eyes were drawn to the far side of the wall. As if by magic, the walls of the room shifted and moved, contorting and twisting until they formed the walls of her bedchamber. She gasped and took a step back, only to have her knees hit the back of something soft. She couldn't catch herself and instead sat down, shocked to see it was her own bed.

“I've missed you, Princess.”

Selenia turned her head and looked directly into Jurel's eyes.