“You will see it this way again, Isiah. And I will be there when you do.”
I want to know this place as he does.
As fast as I fell into the memory, I’m jolted back to the present and find Niethal staring at me.
“Where did you go just now?”
My mind scrambles for an excuse and, lacking any, I go for oblivious. “What do you mean? I’m right here.”
“I gleaned your mind, and it was like you weren’t there. Where did you go that I could not see?”
I step away from him. “How dare you enter my mind without permission!”
Not giving up, he advances the step I retreated. “If you were aware, you would have reacted right away. I sensed you were happy wherever you were, but it was not in your mind. It would be easier if you tell me yourself.”
Like hell I will.
My mouth stays shut, and I cross my arms, not budging.
“You have piqued my interest, my dear. It’s been so long since I’ve felt that.” He stares at me a moment longer before turning toward the border and reaching a hand into the sky. The air surrounding his outstretched palm shimmers before collapsing, leaving a giant black hole in its wake.
Without saying a word, he extends his hand for mine, and I reluctantly step forward and take it, but only because of the vertigo I’ll experience on the other side.
We step inside the crossing and, in a blink, reemerge into full light. I shield my eyes from the brightness. But once my body has a moment to adjust, the breath seizes in my lungs.
We stand in front of my house.
This entire time,my home, my property, was on the border of Anaeris.
The familiar hum of being home vibrates through my bones. It makes sense. My family has been in Trimton for centuries, and apparently the first generation of my human ancestors didn’t travel far. Did the land call to them as it does to me? Maybe we never left because, deep down, we knew where our true home was, even if we could no longer see it.
When I turn to Niethal, a wide grin is plastered across his face.
“You knew all along?” I ask.
“I have planned this for a long time. After Gabriel and Alessandra created the borders and Anaeris disappeared, seeing the human residents of the city staying so close gave me hope my suspicions were correct.”
“So, what, you kept tabs on Trimton for a thousand years?”
“Every decade or so I would check in, but after ten generations of mundane humans came and went, I started having doubts. To my surprise, the last time I returned, there you were—this young child with so much magical potential but completely unaware. I could sense your dormant magic but knew it would not mature for years. The rest you know from the day you set foot in Selen,” When he looks at what must be a stunned expression on my face, his own softens. “Let’s go to your house. There is something we need to discuss.”
As we cross the field, I can’t stop my heart from racing. It’s finally happening, and although I know what I must do, I am terrified to do it.
Niethal opens the door for me, and I step inside.
Everything is the same as the day I left. The only visible sign that time has passed is the fine layer of dust that coats the small entryway table. I drag a finger through it, leaving a trail as I move deeper into my home.
It’s been two weeks, but it might as well be months with everything that has happened. I take a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scents of home, but what would have once soothed me is now tainted. My house is now where my worst nightmare may happen.
His eyes scan my living room, looking over the furnishings and decorations before landing on the sofa, and I scowl. “Is there something wrong with my house?”
He blinks and shifts his gaze toward me. “I didn’t take you for a floral couch person. It’s so very… comfortable.”
My shoulders tense. “It was my parents’ furniture. I haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet.”
He strolls into the living room and sits on the sofa, smoothing his hand over the material.
I glower at him, at how comfortable he makes himself in my home. “You said we need to talk about something, but what more is there to discuss besides my potentially killing myself in your ritual?” I lean against the wall farthest from him with arms crossed over my chest.