The tentative bond we’ve shared since I first held her Armas grew in strength when I drank from her at the penthouse. Then, when she drank from me as we sat alone on that rock, the bond surged with our combined powers, and its strength hasn’t diminished. In that moment, I felt my essence coursing through her just as I feel hers within me.

Any doubts I had have been completely erased. My connection with Taryn is profound and undeniable, and I believe in what my grandmother was trying to tell me all along in her letter. That Taryn and I were destined for each other.

“There it is,” she says.

I pull the Rover to a stop just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the arid terrain. The desert air is cool against our skin, and I wonder how the air in Faerie will feel once we pass through the veil. After a lifetime of dreaming of this moment, it’s hard to believe I’m about to find out. That the experience will be tainted by the reason for which it happens only serves to fuel my hatred for Edevane all the more.

The others join us in front of the truck, their faces set with grim determination. We’re each dressed in black boots, combat pants, and T-shirts and have packs with lightweight sleeping bags and food provisions. We’re as ready as we can be for a place four of us know nothing about and the fifth hasn’t seen in about five hundred years.

“Connor, Conall,” I say. “Keep your eyes peeled in case Edevane left us a welcoming party. I don’t sense anything, but that doesn’t mean much when he has Taryn’s powers.”

“Copy that,” they say together and post up.

Now that we know Edevane knows how to use the spear, we’re all too aware that we’re at a painful disadvantage as a mere party of five. Unfortunately, neither of my brothers are in positions to join us, and Taryn wouldn’t have enough blood to spare to allow the Night Watch to cross the veil with us. The twins already drank what we collected last night, so we should all be good to go.

“All right, everyone, our plan is simple. Taryn says this portal will take us to the center where all six regions meet. As soon as we’re through, we head in the direction of Tír Tairngire and get to the Summer Palace to warn Aine of what’s coming. Then we work together to stop Edevane.”

Taryn swings her pack onto her shoulder. “Providing she doesn’t throw us into the dungeon just for trespassing. And, yes, she actually does have one.”

Conall snorts. “Don’t tell Tier, he’ll have dungeon-envy.”

“One hurdle at a time, guys. First, we need to see if the veil even allows us to cross. If not,” I say regretfully, “Taryn and Dmitri will have to go on alone.”

Dmitri picks his pack up from the ground, his bogatyr swords sheathed at his hips. “Then let us find out now. I am anxious for battle.”

“Let’s go,” Taryn says and leads the way.

We move towards a particular cluster of rocks, where the air seems to shimmer with an otherworldly light. This is where the veil between the human world and Faerie is thinnest, a hidden gateway for those who know how to find it. Taryn pauses, her hand gripping mine tightly. I can feel the tension in her, the mix of grief and resolve that drives her forward.

“This is it?” Dmitri asks. “We go through here?”

Taryn nods, her eyes fixed on the shimmering light. “We have to be ready for anything.”

Conall studies the portal. “Without knowing if three of us can cross, I don’t know what the best order to go through is.”

“I do,” Connor says. “It’s wide enough for three of us, so me, Conall, and Dmitri go through together. If it doesn’t let my brother and I through, Dmitri is still on the other side to greet whatever’s there before you go in, Taryn. If all three of us get through, then we’ll at least get a jump on anything before the two of you join us.”

Dmitri nods, unsheathing his swords. “This is a good plan.”

As our best security strategist, I’m inclined to follow Connor’s suggestion. I’m also used to the Woulfes insisting on protecting me and my brothers on a regular basis, so I’m not fazed by it either. But Taryn’s pride takes immediate offense.

“I appreciate your concern, Connor, but I don’t need anyone’s protection. I’ll go through first. I still hold royal status, so if I encounter anyone from the Elemental Courts, they’ll respect that, and if it’s anyone else, I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second, Your Highness,” Connor says, using her title to show her proper respect and deference. “However, I have to disagree. Out of all of us, you’re the most important as you have the best chance of getting through to your mother. I’m not suggesting you not fight if we encounter a battle. I’m simply suggesting that if we’re able to lessen the chances for you getting in harm’s way, we take the steps to do so.”

Taryn shifts her weight as she contemplates his argument. Then she looks up at me and says, “I can’t argue with that, can I?”

A huge smile breaks out on my face. “No, you can’t. But if it makes you feel any better, he’s been emasculating me like that for decades.”

“It does a bit, yeah.” I chuckle as she turns her attention back to Connor. “Okay, fine, we’ll do it your way. But now I’m hoping it bounces you back on your ass.”

Connor winks. “That’s fair. Come on guys, line up.”

All three males stand in front of the portal, packs on and swords at the ready, as Taryn said modern weapons like guns won’t work over there.

Conall jumps on the balls of his feet, the adrenaline too much for him to stand still. “All right, boys, let’s do this. On the count of three. One, two⁠—”

They step forward and disappear, the landscape behind the portal suddenly visible once again. “Holy shit, it worked,” I say, excitement making my heart pound in my chest. “They’re through.”

“I guess this is it, then.”

The tone of her voice is off and immediately has me checking in with her. Turning her to face me, I frame her face in my hands. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a little nervous. It’s been so long, and with what I did before I left…”

She swallows hard, and I feel her fighting back the fear of how she’ll be received, not only by her mother but by her people. What happened that tragic day was an accident; one Taryn needs to forgive herself for. But that’s not anything she hasn’t heard before, and it’s not going to help her by saying it now.

“Whatever happens, I’ll be right by your side, and we’ll deal with it together. You, me, and the knuckleheads we brought with us. Sound good?”

Letting out a soft laugh, she pops up on her toes while pulling my head down to give me a quick kiss. “Sounds good.”

She gives me a grateful smile and pulls her short swords from the cross sheath beneath her pack, then I do the same. A rush of adrenaline hits me the same as it does right before a UFCO fight. We nod at each other and step forward into the shimmering circle together.

It feels like walking through a curtain of mist, the air charged with a palpable energy as the boundaries between worlds start to blur, and then we emerge on the other side.

All three males are turning around as though they themselves just stepped through, even though we were at least five minutes behind them. In a glance, it’s clear there’s no one waiting for us, and no one around to question our arrival.

Conall frowns in disappointment. “Well, that was anti-climactic.”

His brother gives him a droll look. “That’s what we want, numb-nuts.”

“Speak for yourself,” Conall says, sheathing his swords. “This place is pretty sick, though, am I right?”

We stop and take in our surroundings, and it’s so much more beautiful than the books and family legends described. There’s a resemblance to the lush landscape of Ireland with rolling hills blanketed in green grass and dotted in thick copses of trees; things that appear normal, yet extra somehow. Like the realm was designed by Queer Eye using only the most vibrant of colors with dashes of sparkles.

The sky is spectacular, painted in varying hues of purple that slowly whirl and blend, as though the artist is never satisfied with the result. I breathe in deeply, my lungs filling with air that smells faintly of whimsy, like dreams and wonder and infinite possibilities. And not too far in the distance, a majestic waterfall cascades from thin air, flowing into a pool of crystal blue that sparkles like liquid sapphires under a brilliant white sun.

My senses feel even more heightened here, the connection to my newfound magic more noticeable. But most of all, there’s an overwhelming feeling of being home. My chest tightens with emotions I wasn’t ready for. Despite living my entire life in Vegas with my family, the only other time I felt something even close to this was when I laid eyes on Taryn for the first time.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, I pull her into my side and dip my chin to place a kiss on top of her curls. She responds by tipping her head back to peer up at me, those lavender pools shining with her own mix of complex emotions.

Offering her the only reprieve I can, I give her a mission to focus on. “Lead the way, solnyshko.”

The determination burning inside her returns. Setting her jaw, she points in the direction past the waterfall. “Tír Tairngire is this way.”

Connor adjusts the straps on his shoulders and says, “Okay, listen up. We move as a group with me and Conall out front, then the royals, and Dmitri’s on their six. Agreed?”

We all reply in the affirmative. Conall nods, his usual happy-go-lucky demeanor hardening for the job at hand as he fist bumps his brother, adding, “Everyone stay sharp. Let’s move out.”