They were in the forest again, where the Fog was thickest, preparing to open another portal through to the other world. Cato was absolutely right… these had been the longest six weeks of his life, bar none. As grateful as he’d been to get home, and as glad as he’d been to reassure his friends that he was safe, from the moment that first portal had closed behind him, all he’d been able to think about was seeing Mira again. He spent most of that first day agonizing about whether it had been a mistake to leave her behind. Should he have just stayed with her? Or should he have fought harder to convince her to come with him? But the more he thought about it, the more he knew that this was the only option. And that night, as if to confirm his convictions, he’d seen her in his dreams again. It was her, he just knew it… and though their reunion was tearful and bittersweet, he woke the next morning full of hope.
She was waiting for him. All he had to do was find his way back there.
Cato, Lana, and even the Archivists had been hard at work in his absence, working around the clock on improving her ability to manifest portals. The work had been slowed somewhat by how much it affected her—after the first portal that had taken him through to Mira’s world, Lana had almost passed out, and Cato had had to support her out of the forest and call for help from a passing patrol of wolves. It had taken them almost six months for Lana to develop the resilience and the skill to create the portal that had brought him home.
He’d been shocked to learn it had been so long. But he supposed it made sense, that the passage of time worked differently in their two worlds. He and Mira had tried to figure out how long they’d been dreaming about each other, and they’d kept drawing a blank when they’d compared dreams both of them remembered. Sometimes there were weeks or months between dreams for Conrad, where Mira reported only a few days passing… and sometimes the opposite was true.
That was part of the anxiety weighing on him now, as Lana prepared herself to attempt another portal—how much time had passed in Mira’s world? He’d described his soulmate’s house in as much detail as he could, hoping that would help Lana form a stronger connection. And he knew what he was going to say when he arrived. He’d tell her that he loved her, that the only thing he wanted was to be with her. He’d said his goodbyes here, wrapped up his royal duties with an extended leave of absence… everything was in place for him to join her in her world for as long as she wanted to remain there. Forever, if necessary.
“Are you sure about this?” Lana asked him, her eyes serious. “I mean… it’s a rough world, over there.”
He straightened his shoulders and nodded. “You know I’ll miss you all,” he said softly, his voice cracking a little. “But…”
“We understand,” Cato said with uncharacteristic softness. “All the best, Prince Conrad. Really.”
And with that, he heard Lana take a deep breath, then exhale hard, her breath stirring the Fog… which kept moving, faster and faster, whirling into a familiar shape before him. There—he caught his breath—there was a familiar living room. He laughed aloud, realizing that the furniture had been rearranged. Then, with one last look at Lana, he stepped through.
She hit him almost before he’d set foot on the ground, holding him so tightly that the air rushed out of him. Her curly hair, her golden eyes, that unbelievable smile—he was so happy to see her that he almost couldn’t make out what she was saying to him.
“Quick!” she said, frustration snapping in her voice. Conrad was confused, but he knew an order when he heard one. He followed the tugging of her hand, and there was a strange lurching, and then the sounds of surprised voices. The portal vanished… and Conrad blinked to find himself standing in the forest again, Cato and Lana both staring at him with shock.
No, he realized. Not staring at him. Staring at Mira… who was standing next to him, holding his hand tightly in hers.
“You must be Queen Lana,” he heard her say, sketching an odd little bow to the Queen. “My name is Mira. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“The honor’s all mine,” Lana said, lifting an eyebrow. “Your Draconic is incredible. Conrad told me you were a quick study, but…”
“I had a good teacher,” she said, flashing him a smile. He tried to catch up.
“Mira, you—we—I was going to stay with you,” he said faintly. He’d had a whole speech prepared and everything. But Mira shook her head impatiently.
“Absolutely not. I’ve spent the last year preparing for a long stay with you—assuming the invitation you extended is still valid?” she added, glancing at the Queen, who nodded so quickly it was a wonder she didn’t displace her crown. “Vee’s pack has moved into my place, Heather’s running the information network now from her secure server—remind me to tell you about the information network later,” she added, her eyes twinkling. “And I’ve let all my favorite clients know I’m taking an extended leave of absence from work.”
“Did you say a year?” Cato interrupted. Presumptuous of the mage, but Conrad appreciated the breathing room. “It’s only been six weeks on this side. That’s fascinating. I’m Cato, by the way.”
“Mira. Pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re here,” Conrad said finally, feeling like he was about to pass out. “You’re—you’re here, you’re staying.”
“I’d like to,” she said softly. “I’ve missed you so much, Conrad. Every single day, I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again. As nice as the dreams were,” she added, eyes twinkling, “I much prefer the real thing.”
It didn’t feel real. Not when the four of them were flying back towards the mountain where they made their home, taking a scenic, circuitous route there to give Mira a more thorough look at the landscape below. Not when he introduced her formally to the court in the Throne Room, Lana declaring her an official honored guest of the Palace, and permanent resident if she should so choose… though of course, it was likely that the two would make regular trips back to the other world, especially as their understanding of travel between the worlds grew. He especially didn’t believe it when Mira was all but pinned down by Arric and Hartwell, who were both so eager to interrogate her about the other world that he was genuinely concerned they both might pass out.
But then he finally got her back to his chambers and closed the door behind them… and when she melted into his arms, he knew for sure that she was really here.
They talked, then, for hours. All night, he’d been expecting to simply lose control and tear her clothes off the minute they got each other alone… but it was her voice he wanted the most, at the end of the day. She told him all about the long year that had passed without him, about how much she’d missed him, about how hard she’d worked to make sure that she was ready to join him the instant she got the chance.
“I did the same thing,” Conrad said faintly. “I was ready to come to your world and never return…”
“Not until you speak a little more of the language, I think,” Mira said frankly, her eyes twinkling affectionately. They were lying in his enormous bed together, and he’d never appreciated the enormous expanse of it more than he did when Mira had voiced her hearty approval. “Besides, you stayed with me last time. It’s my turn to be the special guest.”
“I won’t argue,” he said softly, leaning over to kiss her. “Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”
She told him about the wolves, about the fast friendship she’d developed with their pack. They’d formed a kind of unofficial alliance of shifters with a few of the ones they’d freed from the Purists, which quickly became an information network dedicated to spreading the word about that elusive enemy and the dangers they posed. A few weeks after that first attack, they’d finally tracked down the final member of the wolf pack… alive and well, to everyone’s great relief, Conrad included.
“You should have seen Ren when we found her. I’ve never seen him so happy. Bouncing around like a kid… or like a puppy, I guess.”
“And the organization is on the retreat?”