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F anon strode over to Cora, hand on the hilt of his sword. “Tell me how you got here, human.”

Lie. Lie. Lie . Valorre’s panicked words threaded through her mind.

Her shoulders sank with the weight of her own futility. She was tired of lying. Tired of pretending she was someone she wasn’t. Lying about how she’d gotten here hadn’t given her a way home. Hadn’t gotten her through the Veil.

Beneath that lie was a mountain of others she’d told.

She’d lied to the inquisitors and claimed to know nothing of magic. It had earned her her place as princess, solidified Dimetreus’ throne, but where were the fruits of such efforts now? Dimetreus’ council still didn’t trust her. Or him, for that matter. He’d lost his right to rule, was forced to abdicate according to the terms of an alliance that was supposed to be built on trust.

More recently, she’d lied to Teryn and told him nothing was wrong the night she remembered the curse, and he’d gotten possessed by a dead sorcerer.

She’d lied to Lurel. Told her the tower library wasn’t dangerous. The girl was now dead.

She’d lied to the Forest People, kept her royal identity a secret. In later confessing the truth, she’d earned their distrust.

Lies upon lies upon lies.

She used to think they protected her. Saw them as a necessary precaution. But now she found they were circular. Perpetual. Simply a way to delay the inevitable.

Mother Goddess, she was tired of it.

She held Fanon’s gaze, matching his glare with one of her own. I am the very thing you fear . The confession was perched on the tip of her tongue, moments away from leaving her lips, when Etrix stood between them.

Hands grasping the other Elvyn’s shoulders, Etrix forced Fanon back a few steps. “You said the Veil is intact, Fanon. No worldwalker can move through the Veil. You know this. Even if it had been torn, there was no guarantee a worldwalker could have gotten through.”

He pointed a condemning finger at Cora. “Then how is she here?”

Valorre reared back and managed to lift off the ground, hooves flailing, before Fanon’s magic brought him crashing back down to all fours. He let out an enraged whinny, but it was drowned out by a piercing screech that shattered the air in the distance.

Cora’s blood went cold. She glanced at the sky and saw a familiar shape—the dragon—soaring toward them. Fanon shook loose from Etrix’s grip, but instead of rounding on Cora, he faced the oncoming dragon. “Damn it, Ferrah, you unruly beast,” he muttered.

“She wants the unicorn,” Etrix said.

Valorre thrashed and neighed, but Fanon’s restraints refused to give.

The dragon circled overhead, then began her descent.

Cora took a few steps back, angling closer to her unicorn companion. “What does she want with Valorre?”

Etrix’s expression turned wary. “Like I told you, she’s been seen chasing his kind through the Blight.”

He didn’t elaborate, but she feared the worst. She doubted the dragons only gave chase.

As the dragon drew nearer to the ground, Cora got a better look at the creature. She was massive, her sinuous body and tail the length of at least ten horses. Her scales were an opalescent white that glinted pink, blue, and purple in the rising sunlight. Her enormous wings were comprised of white feathers. Additional feathers framed her scaly face, and from her snout protruded long, trailing whiskers. Her eyes were a deep shade of violet with black slits for pupils. She landed with an earth-shaking thud several yards away.

Valorre quivered, ears twitching back and forth. I remember her. Do not like. Not friends .

The dragon took a darting step forth, but Fanon leaped forward too, hand outstretched. “Ferrah,” he said, voice a deep growl. “Stay back.”

To Cora’s surprise, the dragon obeyed. Or was it Fanon’s magic that held Ferrah at bay? The creature swiveled her neck to the side to get a look at Valorre. Her forked tongue flicked out of her mouth, carrying a hiss of steam.

Fanon spoke again, tone firm. “Stay. Back.”

“Fanon,” Garot said, wide eyes locked on the dragon. “The human said she arrived on the unicorn?—”

“Let us not debate the human’s lies until we’ve sent Ferrah back to the caves.”

“Yes, but what if this has everything to do with Ferrah? What if the human is telling the truth?”

Fanon kept his gaze on the dragon a few beats more, then slowly shifted his eyes to Garot. He spoke through his teeth. “In what way?”

“What if unicorns can cross the Veil when no other creature can?”

“How is that possible?” Etrix asked.

“We know their horns have the strongest mora ,” Garot said. “Their powers haven’t been compromised by the Blight unlike the rest of us. And we know they’ve been disappearing for the last two months.”

“I thought Ferrah was to blame for that,” said Fanon, turning his gaze back to the dragon.

“Yes, but what if she hasn’t been chasing the unicorns to harm them? What if she’s been chasing them through the Veil?”

I remember, Valorre said . Yes. Ran from dragon .

Cora’s eyes went wide. If unicorns had been disappearing from El’Ara for two months but had been in her world for about a year now…it lined up, considering the time discrepancy between the two worlds.

Etrix frowned. “To what end?”

“The dragons have been restless for months,” Garot said. “Particularly Ferrah. They’ve never been like this before, which means something has changed. What if Berolla’s hatchlings sense the impending return of our Morkara? What if they sense Ailan or her heir and have sent the unicorns through the Veil to find them?”

Fanon scoffed. “That’s a bit of a reach, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps, but…” Garot glanced at Valorre. “We could test the theory. We do have a unicorn.”

Etrix furrowed his brow, studying Valorre. “What do you propose?”

“We let the unicorn try to move through the Veil,” Garot said. “If the unicorn slips through the wardweaving, we’ll know it was the creature’s horn that allowed him to pass.”

Was my horn , Valorre conveyed to her. Used your travel magic. But was my horn. It will work .

Cora’s chest sparked with hope. “You’ll let us try to leave?”

Garot gave her a warm smile, but before he could utter a word of affirmation, Fanon spoke. “The unicorn can attempt to leave through the Veil, but not with the human. We must test the theory first. If the unicorn returns, we’ll know for certain that the girl was telling the truth. Then we’ll remove the collar and restraints and let her leave with him.”

Her gaze darted to Valorre. Dread sank her stomach. She didn’t like the idea of him leaving without her. What if Garot’s theory was correct about how the unicorns had left, but not about their ability to come back the same way? Valorre had admitted that his horn had allowed them entrance into El’Ara, but that he’d used her ability to astral travel to get here. What if he couldn’t return without her using her magic again?

Valorre voiced an additional worry. What if Veil makes me forget? What if I don’t remember you on the other side? I want to remember. Don’t want to forget .

Her anxiety only grew. Valorre could be right. When she’d met him, he hadn’t remembered where he’d come from. Hadn’t even been able to recall that he’d lived in another realm.

But this might be her last chance at getting home without engaging in further conflict with the Elvyn. She’d been prepared to tell the truth about her powers when it had seemed she was out of options, but this could really work. There was logic involved.

I’ll do it , Valorre said. Worried. But I’ll do it .

“All right,” Cora said, her voice rough. “We’ll send Valorre through the Veil, and when he returns, you’ll free me and let me go back with him.”

Fanon glared at her for a few moments but finally relented. “Very well. Unicorn, approach the Veil.”

Valorre started to walk toward the Veil, head lowered. Cora took a step to follow but felt an invisible tug pull her back. She cut a scowl at Fanon, but he simply stared down his nose at her. Behind him, Ferrah shifted her head, tongue flicking as she watched Valorre with hungry interest.

Mother Goddess, Cora hoped Garot was right about his theory. With how the dragon kept her slitted violet eyes on Valorre, she seemed like a predatory beast, not a creature capable of masterminding a scheme to send unicorns through the Veil to find a lost heir.

Cora swallowed hard and returned her attention to Valorre. He was just a few feet from the swirling mass of mist and shadow now. Another step. Another. Now his horn was just inches from the Veil. He paused and swiveled his head toward Cora.

Will remember , he said.

Her throat went dry and burning tears pricked her eyes. She wished she had access to her magic so she could convey the full weight of her feelings—that she loved him. That he was her best friend. Her familiar. That meeting him was a miracle she’d never ever regret, no matter how much hardship had followed. But she couldn’t touch her magic. She could only hope his was strong enough to read what was in her heart. With a somber smile, she gave him a nod. I know you will .

He held her gaze for several beats more. Then he returned to face the Veil. His next step brought his horn to the misty surface. Then his head. His neck. His shoulders. Then he was…gone.

He’d made it through.

She glanced at her companions, saw the bright awe in Garot’s green eyes, the surprise in Etrix’s raised brows. Only Fanon looked unimpressed. If anything, he looked annoyed. Ferrah, however, seemed calmer now. She’d settled onto her belly, legs curled up beneath her like an oversized feline. Her tail swished lazily over the colorless earth.

Cora turned back to the Veil and watched where Valorre had disappeared. Any moment now, he’d return. Any second, she’d see his horn pierce the misty wall. But with every breath she took, her sense of foreboding grew. These seconds that passed for her were minutes for him. Her minutes were his hours.

So why wasn’t he coming back?

Pain lanced her heart as she considered the possibility that Valorre’s fears had come to pass.

He’d…forgotten her.

No. No, even if he had, she…she’d find him again. She must.

Trembling, she faced the three fae. “Your theory was correct. Now you know how I entered your realm. Let me go home now.”

“Unless you are a worldwalker, you cannot pass without a unicorn,” Fanon said. “We will not send another of ours through the Veil.”

Garot gave Fanon a scathing look. “You said she could leave if we proved she’d arrived like she’d said.”

“I said the unicorn must return to prove our theory.”

Rage simmered in Cora’s gut.

“Fanon,” Etrix said through his teeth, “we’ve proven enough. Let us find another unicorn and send her on her way.”

“We cannot let her leave. She now holds vital information that will allow anyone to cross. The last thing we need is an army led by Darius charging in on the backs of our missing unicorns.”

“You may be steward,” Etrix said, “but you cannot decide this on your own. Take her to the tribunal if you must. Let us debate whether to send a unicorn with her so she can leave.”

Fanon huffed a humorless laugh. “You know what the tribunal will choose. You may be soft, but the others aren’t. They’ll demand her head before she can utter a word in her defense. Better I grant her mercy now.” With that, he unsheathed his sword and marched toward Cora.

Garot and Etrix tried to pull him back, but Fanon’s invisible bonds pulled Cora straight to him. With a flick of his wrist, she was forced to her knees. The edge of his blade glinted in the early morning sun.

Cora’s heart leaped into her throat, but she refused to let her fear show. Instead, she held his gaze, dared him to look her in the eye as he condemned her to her fate.

“Believe me, human,” Fanon said, and there was a hint of pity in his eyes, “this is mercy.”

Garot and Etrix fought to stop him, but he flung them back with his magic.

He lifted his sword.

“Kill me and you kill the blood of Ailan.”

Fanon froze. “What?”

“You heard me. I am of Ailan’s bloodline. Kill me and you kill any chance at getting your Morkara back.”

His lips curled away from his teeth. “Explain.”

Cora spoke quickly, every word laced with her rage. “I don’t know who Darius is, but there’s a man in my world who claims to be an Elvyn prince. He’s been working against me most of my life because he knows I am the mother in a prophecy that claims my child would be his enemy. He calls himself Morkai and is trying to become Morkaius of my world. He plans to harness the magic that seeps from a place we call Centerpointe Rock—a ruin that once was the Morkara’s palace. He will drain magic from this realm. He could come for you next and tear this entire Veil down.”

Etrix and Garot both took stumbling steps forward, suddenly released from Fanon’s magic. Etrix stared at her with wide eyes. “You…are of Ailan’s blood?”

“Yes.” It felt so wrong to say it. So false. Perhaps there was a part of her that still didn’t believe it. Or maybe she just didn’t want to. Admitting to such a role meant bearing the fate of two worlds. “I wasn’t certain until I heard your stories, but now I know. And you can help me stop Morkai. You’re stronger than he is, stronger than anyone in my world. If we don’t?—”

“You’re not the blood of Ailan.” Fanon’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You haven’t got a single drop of Elvyn blood in your body.”

“You don’t know that,” Etrix said. “Only Elvyn blood relatives can sense their kin at close proximity.”

“Then tell me, Etrix, is she your kin? If she’s of Ailan’s bloodline, then she’s of yours too.”

Etrix studied Cora for a few long moments, wrinkles deepening his brow.

Cora’s heart racketed. What if she’d been wrong? What if Morkai had been? She held her breath, waiting for Etrix’s pronouncement, words that would either condemn her as a liar…or confirm her claims once and for all.

He shook his head. “I don’t sense anything?—”

“Then she’s lying.”

“—but we have no precedent for meeting kin from a part-human, diluted bloodline. We don’t know how many generations out she is from Ailan.”

Fanon scoffed.

Etrix stepped in close to Fanon, brought them face to face. “Don’t let your pride get in the way. If this girl truly is Ailan’s kin, if she’s destined to bear our true Morkara, then we must act rationally.”

Fanon didn’t balk at Etrix’s proximity. “Very well. Let’s act rationally. Come, Ferrah. There’s one way to know if the human speaks truth.”

“What are you doing?” Etrix bit out.

“A test,” Fanon said with a smirk, “by dragon.”