"Now, I need to read it."
I guide them back to my room and drop our new illusions. Pete and Es stay with me as I peruse the pages of the old manuscript, using a translation spell to understand the glyphs. Most of what I come across terrifies me: human sacrifice. Nude rituals. "Guys, I really hope I don’t have to do this stuff for Yami to grow stronger." I show them one picture of a woman being cut open from chin to groin, her organs pulled out to 'read'.
Pete recoils and Es bends over. "Think I’m going to vomit."
I flip the page and start scanning for something useful. The longer I have the book open, the worse the chill gets. The pages feel odd to me. Not like paper. And then I realize what they are. "Human skin."
Pete leans over the book to examine it. "There is precedent for that, even in our world."
Es wrinkles her nose. "Ew… this falls into the category of shit I don't need to know about."
I sigh and push on, reading deeper into the text. "Here. Finally. Something." I point to a section they can’t read.
"It says the Druids and Spirits have a shadow form, that which taps into the Darkness. The power of light and dark. Life and death. Creation and destruction. Sometimes this form manifests when the Wild Ones are in grave danger. However, this power can also be summoned at will by those with the right knowledge." I close the book and put it back into the leather wrap. "Varis knew all this. He knew this is the information I needed, and he didn't tell me."
"How do you summon the shadow form?" Pete asks, eyeing the book with a frown.
"Under the light of the moons at midnight I must chant the binding words and connect with my Spirit," I say.
Es walks over to the door leading out to my balcony and opens it, letting in fresh air and a stream of sunshine. "It's sundown. We have time. What should we do until midnight?"
I shrug. "Hang out? Pretend life is normal? Catch up? We've hardly had time to just talk since we got here. Come on. Let's find somewhere in this pleasure domain to drink coffee and eat junk food and talk."
With that plan set, we leave the Pleasure Palace and explore Dean's realm, stopping at different vendors to try their wares and eventually settling on a little cafe by the water.
Once we have food and drink, I look at my best friends… really look at them… for the first time since I pulled them into this mess. "Are you guys okay? Is this completely freaking you out?"
Pete shrugs. "It's actually pretty cool. I mean, there are things I miss. Like phones."
"And television," Es says with an exasperated sigh. "What do people do here to relax?"
I laugh. "I don't know. I haven't had much time to relax since I got here. Unless you count my time in the dungeon relaxing."
Es shutters. "No, thank you. I can't believe that bastard did that to you. I'd cut his manhood off myself if I could."
"Thanks," I say. "But he'll get what's coming to him."
"Are you happy here?" Es asks. "Are you happy with him?"
"I could be," I say honestly. "When I spent my month with Fen in Stonehill… yeah, there were problems, and everyone here seems to be at war with someone, but we also found a routine. I trained with Fen in the mornings and worked with Kayla learning blacksmithing in the afternoons. At night, I would study everything I could about this place under the watchful gaze of Kal the Keeper. I made friends. I learned a lot. And…"
"And you fell in love with the tough-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside sexy Prince of War," Es says, finishing my thought for me in the way only she can.
"Yes, I suppose I did." I think of Fen and wish he were here with us now. It worries me that he's gone into enemy territory. But he should be back soon. "Without Fen, I’m not sure I’d want to be here, but I don't have a choice. I signed a contract. And… this is where I'm from, at least half of me."
Es shakes her head. "That must be so cray-cray! Being a Fae princess after spending your life thinking you're just a poor kid in Oregon."
"It is a bit surreal," I admit.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask. How do you handle… womanly things?" Es raises an eyebrow as if I should know what she's talking about.
"Womanly things?"
She sighs. "You know what I mean. I may have the parts, and sure, they don't all work. But I am familiar with the plumbing. You're young. Fertile. And prone to that monthly visit from every woman's most despised aunt. At least in our world you have the marvels of tampons and pain reliever. What do you do here?"
I laugh. "That's your big question? We're in a magical world with vampires and Fae and dragons and you want to know what I do for my period?"