CHAPTER ONE
BETH
“There she is!”
My heart beat so loudly in my ears, the furious shout reached me as if I was under water. Several huge men in leather armor, with silver eyes and pointed ears, ran toward me, swords drawn, ready to run me through.
My fight-or-flight reflex kicked in, and let’s be honest, fighting was never gonna be an option.
I whirled around, catching a horrified expression on my best friend’s face before the blue glow of the portal swallowed her up. By the time she and her boyfriends were back in the human realm, I was already sprinting into the cover of the trees, getting away from the horde of angry Fae guards whose prison we’d barely escaped.
Weirdly, nobody came crashing after me through the undergrowth. When I stopped and bent over, catching my breath, I was alone. Only the wind whispered through the boughs of the dark firs, and something small rustled in the brush.
In the distance, somebody shouted and there was the sound of metal striking rock, but the noise didn’t come any closer. I was safe for now, but once the Fae guards tired of trying to force the portal open, they might decide to hunt me for information about my friend Amber.
The trees stood too close together to use the travel sigil my father had taught me a lifetime ago. Once I was clear of the forest, I’d be able to put some distance between those scary guys and me. But if I used the rune now, I’d smack into a tree trunk at high speed. My eyes watered at the thought.
I’d have to escape the old-fashioned way. Suddenly dizzy, I sat down heavily, dropping my head until it passed. Spending time in the Fae dungeon with my friends hadn’t helped my fitness, that was for sure.
The soil smelled of damp plant matter. It was soothing and familiar, a reminder that some things in this foreign world were the same as at home. My magic would work here—I was sure of it.
I dug my fingers through the layer of needles and leaves until I reached the crumbly earth underneath. The magic responded easily, telling me there was a river some miles away. Its cool freshness translated through the biomass that made the forest habitat. If I walked hard, I’d get there in an hour. All I had to do was follow the pull my magic had latched on to.
Halfway there, my lack of fitness caught up with me. My breath whistled in and out of my tight chest, my legs ached, and I had to slow down.
I finally reached the stream as my calves seized up. Grimacing, I dropped at the edge of the river, massaging the tight muscles. I was tired, hungry, and oh so thirsty.
I smacked my lips, keenly aware of how the skin stuck together. Reaching down, I filled the hollow of my hand with liquid, sniffed it, and took a sip. It wasn’t like I had a choice. The water tasted clean, and I felt better immediately. Rocking back on my heels, I drank more while I pondered my situation.
The decision to stay in this hostile world had been a spur-of-the-moment impulse. I knew the answers I wanted were here. Who was my mom? Why had my dad been murdered? Who’d sent a Fae assassin after me?
But the more I sank into my thoughts, the more my anxiety grew. Falling heavily on my butt, I stared at the clear water as it cascaded over rocks and pooled into sparkling mirrors at the banks.
What the hell had I done? My situation was desperate, despite the bravado I’d shown my friends earlier. They’d begged me to return with them. And now I was screwed. I had no money or food. My clothes screamed I didn’t belong here.
What should I do? Where should I go? I hugged my knees and groaned. Swaying back and forth, I murmured a mantra.
“You can do this. You’ll find a way.”
When I got bored with freaking out, I struggled to my feet and brushed my pants off. There was a dusty, but well-maintained road running along the river. In the distance was the silhouette of a large city. There, I’d be more likely to find some charity or at least steal some food, so I’d survive the next few days.