Heir of Stardust and Secrets (Mythic Spark #1)

53. Crossing Over

Chapter 53

Crossing Over

I dodged the vile nightmare with a half-spin to the side, and sent a blade toward Luca, freeing him from the tethering branch. The leather reins hadn’t fully slackened before he whinnied, then bolted, swallowed by the mist that caved and swirled in his wake.

I did the same, sprinting in the opposite direction.

The air was thick, and my lungs burned in protest as they labored. Damn it, when had I become this unfit? While annoyed that I’d clearly let myself go, my footing stayed true as my feet flawlessly found their way despite my limited vision and unfamiliarity with these woods.

I risked a glance over my shoulder—nothing. Well, at least I’d gained some distance from the hell-conjured creature that had attacked me. Maybe it’d stopped followi?—

My scream was muzzled by the stifling mist. Digging my heels into the soft ground, I skidded a couple of feet, hurtling three blades in as many heartbeats toward the horrid thing before coming to a stop. The familiar thunk of knives sinking into wood jolted me with terror as the midnight mist of the nightmare reformed, quickly effacing any evidence of my perfect aim.

How did I defend against a creature born of mist and shadows?

It smiled at me—if one could call it that—and my limbs went leaden, exasperating the trembling in my body that tingled like a thousand bees buzzing. Its top lip pulled up from the movement, exposing row upon row of long, pointed teeth like a snarling dog that’d swallowed a porcupine.

Beads of sweat dappled my forehead, like tiny, isolated drops of despair.

There wasn’t a perverse nightmare sinister enough to conjure what towered over me. Ten feet tall, and lanky, its head was more corporeal than the body, which was crafted of black mist and shadow that seemed to consume the vestiges of light that deigned to reflect through the suffocating mist. Slightly almond shaped, its head was slick with the same sticky glean of a slug. It had no nose, but rather two slits that seemed to gather information as it continually expanded and contracted in micro-movements. The eyes were unnervingly large, easily bigger than my hand, and looked as if they were frosted over. Its wing-shaped tips trailed up the sides of its massive head, and although there were no pupils, it could see me as clearly as I could see it.

Faster than I could throw another blade, it gripped me by the throat, its gnarled, misty hand wrapping around the entire circumference of my neck, lifting me off the ground so we were eye to eye.

Abandoning the daggers in my hands, I scraped at my neck, feet kicking to find purchase. I could have sworn it didn’t have hands a moment ago, only tendrils of mist. Was the mist an illusion? But then, why hadn’t my blades struck?

The beast’s tongue slithered from the depths of its never-ending teeth like a snake, not the delicate forked tines that teased information from the air, but a thick serpentine structure that vibrated as it hissed, “Yessssssah.”

My body recoiled from the soft, edged word that brought with it the distinct scent of carrion. Freeing a dagger from my bandolier, I plunged it into the beast’s belly. A cool slickness wrapped around my hand and squeezed hard, like quicksand vice made of slime. I screamed and thrashed, but as I did, it opened its mouth to the limit and sucked in, as if consuming the sound.

Pleasure shuddered through it.

I went to close my mouth but couldn’t. It sucked in a breath, and from deep within, my power shuddered before gurgling up my throat and leaking from me to him. Helpless and frozen, sparks of greens and blues and teals and pinks flew out of me, absorbed by the quills that changed hues until its maw was a terrifying rainbow of color. I couldn’t scream. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t cry for what was being ripped away from me. Stolen. I couldn’t even close my eyes to veil the horrific sight.

As the brightness intensified, my vision swam and my hands fell limp to my sides, my useless dagger falling to the ground.

The creature screeched in ecstasy, and as the shuddering pleasure of my power pooled into it, the mist and shadow knit together, becoming corporeal.

Just as my vision swam, a warm, thick liquid sprayed across my face, filling my mouth before the creature’s grip relented and I tumbled to the ground, the impact brutal on my body. I let out a pained gasp and choked on the bitter, pungent liquid coating my tongue, then rolled over to my hands and knees, yielding to the coughing fit that swiftly had me gagging.

An obscure shape rolled into my vision, and the misty white eyes of the creature looked up at me, now covered in a milky film like a long-dead fish. I didn’t have time to turn away before I vomited onto its almond-shaped head.

“Nyleeria?” a male voice asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

I’d know that voice anywhere. Spitting out the last of the bile, I sat back on my heels as my gaze followed the grounded tip of a blood-coated broadsword up to find Endymion on the other side of the hilt.

He offered me some water, and I swished the fresh, chilled liquid around, then spit it out, repeating the process until my mouth was clear of blood and bile. Finally allowing myself to drink, the gulped iciness stung the back of my throat as it quenched my thirst and soothed my nerves.

Still trembling, I held the canteen up to Endymion, who stared at me with unmasked concern.

“What are you doing here, Nyleeria?” he asked, waving away the canteen.

I took another swig, wondering the same about him while trying to grasp for my wits through the shock that coursed through my veins. Gods, I didn’t know who to trust, what to do.

“Stars.” He sighed, running a hand through his silken hair, which fell back in place, unbothered by the touch. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. How did you make it here?”

“You’ve been looking for me?” I croaked, refocusing on him.

“Everyone’s looking for you. How did you get here?” Worry slipped into his question.

“I rode here.”

“Right, but how did you get here ?”

“I camped here last night, then woke up to that thing, and ran.”

He shook his head. “No, Nyleeria,” he said with genuine calmness. “How did you get here ?”

“Endymion, I’m not sure how else to answer you. Like I said, I rode here.”

He lowered himself gracefully to the ground, resting a relaxed elbow on a knee that didn’t touch the earth. A mix of frustration and genuine worry filled his features. “You really have no clue where you are, do you?” The words held a depth to them, an awareness of something I hadn’t fully grasped.

I could only shake my head, unable to find the right words, as a chilling realization dawned—what if the maps had been wrong ?

Now unsure, I finally answered him. “Heading south along the Feighlan River.”

“No,” he shook his head. “No, you’re not.” He let out a deep sigh. “By the gods, Nyleeria, do you know how lucky you are that I found you? Do you even know what that thing was? What it could have done to you?”

I shook my head, feeling dizzy.

With what looked like practiced calm, he said, “It’s called a na’li, and it sucks magic dry until it can consume soul energy, turning its victim to dust.”

He knew. Of course he did. He was Wymond’s second. Lords, who else knew about the spark, about me?

Refocusing, I said, “I tried to kill it, but my knives went right through.”

“Yes. You have to go for the head. It’s the only fully corporeal segment of the body until it has sucked a soul. But I really need to know how you got here ?”

“Endymion, I honestly don’t know what you’re asking me.”

“Nyleeria, you’re in the Autumn Court.”

No. That was impossible. I couldn’t even cross over at the portal by the lake. The fog having dissipated along with the na’li, I took in my surroundings. The soft, deep scent of decay registered a fraction before the rich auburn and golden hues that were illumined by the rays of sunlight filtering through the canopy, casting a warm glow upon the land. How had I missed it?

I swallowed and looked back at Endymion. “This is the Autumn Court?”

“Yes. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you here right now?”

I shook my head in answer and bewilderment. I’m not sure what he saw on my face, but he softened. “You really didn’t know you’d crossed over, did you?”

“No. ”

“No wonder no one can find you. They’re all searching the human realm,” he murmured, more to himself than to me.

“Were you looking for me here?”

“No. I was heading back to report back to Wymond.”

My heart skipped a beat, and Endymion must have scented my fear and panic, as he raised his hands and said, “I’m not going to take you to Wymond, Nyleeria. I was looking for you in the human lands, but to bring you to the Summer Court, to Caius. It’s safe for you there.”

Stunned, I stared at him, unable to form words. Why in the name of Lumnara would he bring me to Caius over his own high lord?

“Why don’t we get you cleaned up before we set off?” He stood, holding out a hand, as if the question was rhetorical and the conversation over.

I accepted his help, unsure if my fading adrenaline would let me stand easily.

“Shit,” he murmured under his breath, “we’re a lot farther from the Summer Court than I would have liked.”

Releasing my hand, he stepped away toward my camp.

“Endymion.”

He turned, refocusing on me.

“I can’t go with you.” I needed to get to the twins, and I couldn’t afford another detour, especially since word of me leaving had traveled like wildfire.

“Nyleeria, if Wymond gets his hands on you, he’ll lock you up and use you for your powers for the rest of your life—if he doesn’t kill you first trying to take them for himself.”

There was no doubt in my mind that he was right.

Endymion looked at me as if searching for something. His forehead creased, and he hesitated for a heartbeat before saying, “You don’t know, do you?”

Stars, I couldn’t handle any more. I just stood there, waiting for another truth to shatter my world .

He heaved a sigh and ran both hands through his hair, it slipping neatly back into place. “Wymond knows you’re the spark incarnate. He figured it out during the summer solstice. When you returned to the human realm, he paid Thaddeus a visit and threatened your life.”

“Is that all?”

He tilted his head, brows furrowed.

“No,” he said cautiously after a moment. “They made a bargain—Wymond would allow you to live with Thaddeus if the king gave the high lord access to your powers as he sees fit. As leverage for your complicity, Wymond took possession of the twins.”

Cold, heavy dread filled me. I already knew Wymond had the twins, but with a high lord at the table, Thaddeus was that much closer to getting what he wanted, and I doubted Wymond was aware of the king’s genocidal intent.

“What does stasis mean?” I asked, needing but afraid to know what it meant for the twins.

Sadness for me flickered in his eyes. “It’s a form of perpetual sleep. The twins have no idea what’s happening and have not been physically harmed.”

“How do you know?” I pressed.

He hesitated before saying, “Because I’ve seen them Nyleeria. And as the stars are my witness, I promise nothing has happened to them.”

“Oh gods.” The quivering words slipped out of me when an immense relief stole my breath. I bent over, hands on my knees, and forced myself to breathe.

My siblings hadn’t suffered. They weren’t suffering.

“Oh gods,” I sobbed. Unable to catch my breath, I began hyperventilating. Endymion took a step toward me and put a hand on my back, comforting me.

“Don’t touch me,” I yelped, jerking back violently as if his touch were acid.

Eyes wide, he pulled his hand away and stepped back, wary .

I continued to struggle for breath as my mind reeled. Ragged half-sobs, half-gups of air came in as blackness tugged at the sides of my vision. I wasn’t getting enough oxygen.

Endymion took another step back and raised his hands, palms facing forward. I was like a faun, ready to bolt at any sudden movement, and he knew it.

He waited, not moving an inch, allowing me to sort through it myself, to catch my breath. Space and time were the only things he could offer me in lieu of words and a comforting touch. Stars, why had I reacted to him like that? He’d placed a hand on me many times before, and I was fine with it, enjoyed it even.

Slowly calming, I thought through the options, what he’d told me. Yes, I was in the Autumn Court. No, given what I now knew, this probably wasn’t the best place for me. Yes, understanding the mercy of stasis diminished the urgency to blindly attempt to free Cassy and Leighton—risking all our lives. Yes, I’d believed the Summer Court to be safe—but I had no reason to trust anyone right now. Then again, I couldn’t afford not to. So, with only bad options available, the Summer Court was the lesser evil, at least for now.

Finally righting myself, I looked to Endymion as if hoping a different option would magically present itself; alas, it didn’t.

“What do you want to do, Nyleeria? The choice is yours.”

I turned over the scenarios again before squaring myself and holding his gaze. “You swear you won’t take me to Wymond?”

“On my life, and my honor.”

“Okay, then let’s go to the Summer Court.”

To our surprise, we found Luca at the campsite. What wasn’t surprising was that he’d gotten into the food. I couldn’t even bring myself to be mad as I stepped over the mess and wrapped my arms around him.

“Thank you for coming back,” I whispered.

He placed his head on my shoulder and nuzzled me in a little closer .

Wiping tears from my face, I retrieved a set of clean clothes from my rucksack, along with my toiletries. Autumn leaves crunched underfoot as I followed a heavily trod path upstream to shield me from prying eyes while I freshened up.

Even seeing the evidence of the changing season in full swing, no amount of coin would have forced me to admit that swaths of green hadn’t clad the forest the night before. I wondered if it was glamor or if the borders overlapped.

Thoroughly scrubbed, I walked back to where Endymion and Luca patiently waited.

“Thank you for getting her here, Luca,” Endymion’s quiet voice whispered. “She’s been through a lot.”

Pawing at the ground, Luca moved his head up and down.

“Me?” Endymion asked with incredulity. “She’s safe with me, I promise.”

Luca let out a huff, and I couldn’t help but echo the sentiment.

“What are we going to do with him?” I asked, coming up to Luca’s side and running a hand along his thick, soft body.

Endymion’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we can’t valen him…can we?”

His mouth twitching in amusement, he said, “While a horse is no problem, especially a beauty like him, I can’t valen.”

“Yes, you can. You valenned us to the beach.”

“No, sorry, you misunderstand. Normally I can valen, but I’ve spent too much time in the human realm as of late, so I don’t currently have access to my powers.”

“But I thought only elemental magic was affected.”

“That’s only true because we limit the amount of time spent in your lands. I pushed it too far, and it’ll be a day or two until I can access it again.”

“That long?” I blurted out, surprised.

His mouth quirked. “Yes, that long.”

“And you’re okay with that? ”

“No, I’m not,” he said, sobering. “But there’s nothing for it now, and it was a conscious decision.”

“Conscious decision?”

“I risked it, hoping I’d find you before the others, to make sure you were safe.”

“Oh,” I said, unsure how to respond, and I redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand. “So, how are we going to get to the Summer Court then?”

“The good old-fashioned way,” he said with a smirk as he patted Luca on the side.

The idea of sharing a saddle made my mouth dry. I tried to swallow, grasping for any thought or logic that would assuage my newfound fear of touch.

He tilted his head a fraction. Eyes alight with concern, he said, “What’s wrong?”

Damn the fae and their enhanced senses. I didn’t answer, unsure of how to explain it. Not really understanding it myself.

“Nyleeria?”

There was no way around it. We’d be too slow if we walked, and I wasn’t about to risk having something else attack us, especially with Endymion being powerless.

“It’s fine.”

He narrowed his eyes, knowing it wasn’t true, but didn’t press.

“Shall we, then?”

Carefully, I stepped onto his interlaced fingers, accepting the hand up. He placed the rucksack on his back, and had humor not abandoned me, I would have laughed unabashed at the soft fabric clashing with the ruggedness of his holstered sword—like a predator adorned with a diadem of delicate flowers.

The lingering image was replaced by the swift, elegant movement of Endymion’s crafted body swinging onto Luca.

He slid in behind me on the saddle, pressing his body against my back as he reached for the broken reins with his calloused hands. His rich, fresh scent mingled with the lingering eucalyptus in my hair .

Too close. He was too close.

No. I can’t do this. I’m okay. I can do this.

My traitorous body trembled, and I clenched my jaw, trying anything I could to get it to stop.

Endymion froze behind me.

“Nyleeria?” he asked, breath caressing my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold it in, trying to stomp it down. Despite my efforts, a deep, guttural sob escaped me.

Slowly, so slowly, Endymion dropped the reins and dismounted. Without a word, he flipped the leads over Luca’s head and started south, toward the Summer Court.

My hands shook fiercely enough that holding on to the pommel was nearly impossible. While I held back the sobs that bobbed in my throat, begging to be released, there was nothing to be done about the never-ending tears that traveled down my cheeks, across my neck, and onto the collar of my soddening shirt.

Endymion led us for hours. Never faltering. Never looking back.

He eventually brought us to a small stream and stopped, finally turning to face me.

“Let’s rest here,” he said.

Coming over to Luca’s side, he interlaced his fingers, offering me help down. Averting his gaze, he stayed still and didn’t try to help me as I rebalanced after finding solid ground.

Endymion untacked Luca with little effort and placed my belongings next to the gear.

The stallion gave an appreciative huff before making his way to the stream for a drink, then lazily meandering through the field as he grazed.

The water was refreshing against my face, and when the ripples from my hands dissipated, the oranges and reds and pinks of dusk reflected back at me. I slid my gaze up to the heavens and found that the first speckles of glittering stars had claimed their place in the sky. Nightfall wasn’t far off, and I looked forward to exhaustion pulling me under .

A fire wasn’t necessary, but Endymion readied one as I took my shoes off and let the gentle stream flow over my feet. The crackling sound of the fire filled the still air, and its rich familiarity soothed my soul, beckoning me toward its promised heat.

I stared into the red and orange hues of the flames that danced separately and as one, with the same numb vacancy that’d blanketed me all day. No amount of time would’ve sufficed for me to recall a single landmark from our journey—at least not the terrain itself. The landmarks I recalled were of a different nature: The cascading waterfalls that shifted to a mere dribble, slowly creeping down my face. Trembling quakes gave way to aftershocks that restlessly yielded only after being fully spent, a volcano of emotions on the brink of erupting, finally bubbling back down.

Stars, I was drained. My muscles were sore, and my jaw ached.

Silently, Endymion handed me a plate of food, which I mindlessly consumed, still entranced by the fire.

Endymion sat across from me, eating, worry shadowing his features as he took me in.

“I’ve laid out a bed for you,” he said quietly, indicating a dark mass to the side.

Unable to speak, I nodded in acknowledgment, forcing myself to finish the last dregs of the measly dinner, made for the makeshift bed, and retired for the night.

Palms forward, I raised my trembling hands toward Thaddeus’ back. The tremors that took hold were nearly uncontrollable, threatening accidental contact before I was prepared—before I could brace myself for what came next.

Endymion stood sentry to my left, confusion and shock riddling his features. Nodding to him with resolve, I shut my eyes, concentrating on the task at hand.

My palms pressed against his cool, soft skin, and Thaddeus readied himself. Knowing what came next, my body began to revolt as bile rose to the back of my throat.

No. I can’t do this.

I went to release my hands, break the connection, but his unspoken spell reverberated through my mind.