I gave my friend a hug, because she needed it. “We’l figure something out,” I promised. We could get it shipped out or something. We’d find a way. It didn’t have to be the end of the world. But if we didn’t find and stop the accomplice before she managed to merge realities, the world as we knew it would change. “I know this is going to sound cold, but we’re going to have to deal with the food later. Right now I need you to tel me about the witch. She’s performing the ritual tonight? Did she say where it would take place?”
Hol y’s eyes squeezed shut, blocking more tears as she shook her head. I turned to Falin.
“We have to get to the mortal realm, now.”
“Alex, I’m not even sure what court we’re in.” He stalked across the smal room, glancing at the contents as if the sparse furnishings would give him a clue. I didn’t know enough about the courts to make a guess, but nothing about the room made me think of a season.
Could we be in Stasis?
I froze. Stasis. A powerful witch who was a changeling. A changeling who’d recently been freed but was stil not truly free.
A sick feeling crawled down my skin. I knew someone who fit al those qualities.
Rianna.
“Hol y, what did the witch look like?” I asked, and my
“Hol y, what did the witch look like?” I asked, and my voice came out low, distant.
“I—” She shook her head. “I don’t know. She wore a cloak.”
Damn. When I’d first seen Rianna under the Blood Moon, when she’d stil been Coleman’s bound and subservient Shadow Girl, she’d worn a gray cloak. No. I couldn’t suspect my childhood friend of being a heartless murderer.
Or could I?
I’d felt the kil er’s hope, her joy in that circle by the river.
Tiddlywinx had said the witch wanted to be with her love. If the ritual was opening a way to be with true love, that might cause a lot of hope and joy. Love can cause great and terrible things.
I sank down on my heels, fal ing away from Hol y as I clutched my own knees.
The pieces fit. The timing fit. Rianna knew what I could do. She’d asked me for help around the same time this started. She’d also returned my dagger, which was now fol owing me around and had a tendency to tear holes in reality when used. It fit.
“Alex, what is it?” Falin asked, staring down at me.
I looked around. This room might be in my own castle. It couldn’t be Rianna. But it al fit.
No, not al . What about Desmond? I suspected that he loved her, and there was nothing keeping them apart. And if Rianna was the accomplice and already hunting me when I came to Faerie, why didn’t she trap me then?
So it doesn’t all fit. I breathed out a sigh as that little bit of hope created enough room in my chest for me to breathe.
But not much. The sick, dread-laced feeling stil gripped me hard.
I stood and turned toward Kyran. “You said you can get us to Nekros without passing through the winter court?”
He flashed me a grin. “My dear, I can most likely find the shadow of the witch you seek, but I believe we must hurry.
Time is running out.” He peered into his hourglass again.
Time is running out.” He peered into his hourglass again.
I stared at the rushing sand and again asked, “What happens when it runs out?”
“A moment in time, nothing more. But one I do not wish to miss.”
Right. “Let’s go.” We had a shadow to find and a ritual to stop.
“This would be the one,” the nightmare kingling said as the shadows in the nightmare realm separated to show the one, or real y, the shadows, that he meant.
The shadows danced, leaping and twisting against the pale sand. Not just one or two shadows either, but more than a dozen, al in constant motion. I stared at it. This can’t be right. There was too much movement. Too many people.
It looked more like a party.
“Perhaps a little farther from the action.” Kyran lifted his arms and the shadows slid across the sand. The shapes that replaced them were large and too formless for me to decipher what had cast them, but at least they were stil .
“This, I think, shal do nicely,” he said.
I nodded. As long as we ended up safely in the city we had a better chance of finding the accomplice— not Rianna, please not Rianna—than if we were stuck in Faerie. I waited, but Kyran made no move to lead us through the shadow.
“I have a confession,” he said, turning toward me. “This is the door you need, but I can’t open it.”
What did he mean he couldn’t open it? Falin’s hand on my waist twitched.
I swal owed around the lump suddenly lodged in my throat, but tried to keep my voice level as I asked, “Do we need another shadow?”
Kyran shook his head. “My power does not let me open doors into the mortal realm. But yours wil .”
doors into the mortal realm. But yours wil .”
Damn. And this would be the catch. “What happens if I open a door?”
“You can freely walk from the nightmare realm to the mortal realm until dawn moves the shadows and the realms no longer touch.”
No wiggle room in that statement, so it had to be true.
What does he stand to gain? It hit me suddenly. “If we can walk through, the nightmares can, too.”
“Very good,” he said with a smile, genuinely pleased.
“Alex, what is he talking about?” Hol y whispered, stepping closer to me. I hadn’t told her anything about the whole feykin planeweaver thing. Looked like I’d have some explaining to do—if we survived this. But not now.