Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Josie

The next day, Kellan woke me before the others to find a river to bathe in. My entire body was sore from our night together and the soreness of sleeping on a bed of leaves.

It was the best bed of leaves I'd ever slept on. Kellan hadn't taken his eyes off me the entire morning. The rough feel of his hands still lingered on my skin. His impressive length had filled me over and over, bringing tears to my eyes.

A shiver worked its way down my spine.

For the briefest of moments, I'd forgotten we were in another realm with Deidamia after us. It'd felt so real. So raw. Everything about his touch set my soul on fire.

Kellan stepped behind me, his whisper soft in my ear. "You better stop thinking about last night before I take you behind that tree and we go for round two."

I looked up at him with a mischievous grin. "No one is stopping you—"

Kellan tossed me over his shoulder. Water splashed up around us as he slung me and began to walk back to camp.

I was laughing when he dropped me to my feet.

Ernest and Fern sat by the campfire, eating another loaf of bread. What I would do for some fried chicken right now.

"Good morning," Ernest said. "Did you find somewhere to bathe close by?"

Kellan's playfulness turned serious. "Yes, it's just a short walk East. Are you ready to attempt a portal today, old man?"

Ernest's gaze lifted to Kellan's. I noticed Ernest smile, as if he appreciated the name. Maybe he sensed Kellan was lighter. Not as tense. "I am ready as soon as I eat this bread. You two eat your breakfast. I think we all need it."

Fern leaned forward and poked the fire with a long stick. "I don't think Josie should go by herself," Fern said. "Maybe I could come with her?"

Kellan glanced over at me. I knew he didn't want me to go. He was afraid I wouldn't return, or Jacob would keep me there. Going with Fern didn't sound too bad.

"Are you curious about Earth?" Ernest asked.

Fern bit her bottom lip. "A little, but I think two is better than one."

It was obvious that Ernest saw through her eagerness to see Earth.

"I think that's a good idea," I said, taking the bread Kellan handed me. "I'm a little nervous about going back."

Ernest looked unsure.

"What would it hurt?" I asked.

Ernest shrugged and rubbed his forehead. "As long as you both come back, I don't see the harm."

Fern smiled ear to ear and gave me a side eye. She shoved the bread into her mouth and stood up. "Let's open this portal, then."

Ernest looked at her sheepishly. "I'm an old man, Fern. There is no guarantee that I'll be able to open it or that Deidamia hasn"t blocked everyone from traveling to other realms."

He was right. It was a long shot. One that we had to take.

Kellan offered Ernest his hand and helped him to his feet. "We'll be over there in that clearing. Call if you need us."

Kellan winked at me and left me with Fern. Once they were out of hearing distance, Fern turned to me and stared.

"What?" I asked, taking a bite of bread.

"How was it?"

I gaped at her. "How was what?"

She gestured toward me. "Kellan is being nice. You're grinning at each other. You totally did it."

I closed my eyes and lowered my forehead to the bread. "No, Fern—"

"Tell me," she begged. "I've never done it because I wanted to, because I was in love with someone. It was always because the fae made me. Was it as magical as they say it is?"

Sadness hit me in the chest. She'd never had sex because she wanted to. I reached over and hugged her.

"It was perfect," I whispered.

She clapped her hands. "I'm so happy for you two. You're gonna live happily ever after, I just know it."

I tore off another piece of bread. I wanted to believe we'd get that one day. Even with the cards stacked against us, I prayed it would happen.

Finding the spindle, giving it to Deidamia and killing her sounded easy on paper. Everything made sense. But everyone knew it wouldn't be that easy.

If killing Deidamia was easy, someone would have already done it.

The distant caw of her crow slithered down my spine. If she was watching us, she"d see our attempt at the portal. I prayed the crow wasn"t as bad as we all thought. Him finding that storybook wasn"t coincidence, was it?

Fern and I finished our bread and found Kellan and Ernest in the middle of a clearing. Kellan stood with his fingers interlaced against the back of his head. His shoulders were relaxed, and he looked good, considering the circumstances. Ernest faced away from us, his robe blowing in the wind. His head was turned upward toward the cloudy sky.

Kellan glanced over at me. I noticed the hint of disappointment on his face even when he smiled.

I sat down next to Fern and rested my chin against my knees.

"You have to pull at the atmosphere," Kellan said with a sigh. "It's difficult to grasp it, but it swirls like a snake around you. Close your eyes and grasp it."

Ernest didn't seem as perplexed by that as I did.

He inhaled deeply and waited.

The patience it would take to pull something like this off was far beyond my capabilities.

"You have to believe that it's in your grasp. That it's your right to travel through realms."

Ernest continued to stand still with his eyes closed. Minutes turned into an hour before he sighed deeply.

"I need to take a break," he whispered. "I need some water."

Kellan nodded. "Do you want to grab some water with me?" he asked.

I stood, leaving Fern with Ernest in the field and joined him. His silence was hard to read.

"What do you think?" I asked.

Kellan shrugged his big shoulders, his dark eyes scanning the tree line in the distance. "I don't know. It's hard to say when you're not experiencing it. Ernest seems to be capable, but it's not easy."

Kellan stopped at the camp, grabbed a canteen and gestured toward the river for me to follow.

I fell into step with him, feeling his arm wrap around my waist and drag me closer. "I don't want you to get upset if he can't do it soon."

I chuckled. "Have you seen me get upset yet, Kellan?"

"You're right. You're awfully chipper, considering our circumstances. Are you already so optimistic?"

"I guess. You are, too, once you get some, apparently."

Kellan halted and stared at me.

I laughed. "Fern asked me how it was as soon as you left. Apparently, a good mood is few and far between for our anti-hero."

Kellan grabbed at my hip. I maneuvered away from him and toward the small creek. His heavy footsteps grew closer to me, so I pushed harder while feeling like a child again.

Kellan caught me at the creek and tugged me back against him. His breath warmed the back of my neck. "Anti-heroes always catch the girl, Josephine. Remember that."

I smiled up at him. A distant scream echoed through the woods. Kellan dropped the canteen at his feet and turned his attention toward the clearing.

I couldn't decipher Fern's voice from the distance, but it sounded like excitement.

Kellan grabbed my hand and ran with me toward the clearing. We dodged the trees and branches until we stood at the tree line.

Ernest stood in the spot we'd left him with a portal open in front of him. Fern jumped up and down, pointing and screaming.

Kellan chuckled under his breath. "Good job, old man."

He turned and looked down at me. There was so much emotion on his face that I couldn't pinpoint what was what. It was time for me to leave him.

The hollow ache inside of me shook with fear. I was afraid. "Will the portal still be open when I get back?"

Kellan nodded. "Unless he tries to close it, yes."

"I'm scared."

"Me too," he whispered.

Kellan tightened his fingers around my own, slightly pulling me forward. The fear sinking into me felt like nails in my skin. I couldn't leave him. What if I didn't make it back?

The cawing of Deidamia's crow came from the tree line. He was watching us. Warning her. What if she closed it after I went through? What if I couldn't get back?

Not seeing Kellan again wasn't an option.

I had to make it back to him. I stopped abruptly and jerked his hand backward. Kellan looked at me over his shoulder with tears pooled in his eyes. It was the first time I'd seen him this sad.

"I can't go," I whispered, shaking my head. "What if Deidamia closes it? You hear the crow—"

"We'll hide it the best we can," Kellan said. "You two have to get through, so you can find the spindle."

He cupped my face, those dark eyes searing into mine like a well-lit fire. "You can do this. You will survive this," he whispered. "You'll make it back."

"And if I don't?" I whispered, my bottom lip trembling.

Kellan bent his mouth against mine, inches away. He whispered, "I'll find you. Always."

Tears raced down my cheeks. I knew I needed to do this. I had to do this to save us.

Kellan pressed his mouth against mine. I tasted my tears along with the savory taste of his mouth. The portal whirled in the distance, a siren's song beckoning me forward while my feet dug into the earth for stability.

"Josie!" Fern yelled, but I couldn't let go.

Kellan broke away, always stronger than me, and gestured toward the portal with his head.

With weak legs, I followed him toward the portal, the wind blowing my hair around my head.

Fern looked excited, while I fought with the reality of what I was doing.

Going to face my family for being thieves.

Going to find a magical spindle that would keep Deidamia young.

Going to leave Kellan in another realm, where I had no way of getting back on my own.

Kellan clasped his palm over Ernest's shoulder. "Good job, old man."

Ernest smiled and stepped to the side, gesturing toward the portal. Fern jumped toward me and interlaced her fingers with mine.

I was nervous about going home. Somewhere I longed to be for many nights.

Somewhere I once called my safe haven.

Now I wasn't sure I even knew the place.

Someone was a liar. Someone was a thief. I had to figure it out and get back to Kellan because I couldn't go without him. I'd tasted my forever, and I wouldn't go without it.

Kellan stepped behind me and kissed the top of my head. "You've got this, Josephine. Jump. I'll be here when you get back. The portal will bring you back to me."

I closed my eyes, hoping he didn't see the tear racing down my cheek or the fact that I didn't want to leave him.

I needed to be brave like him.

Sometimes, the heroes in a story weren't just the prince.

I stepped toward the portal, looked at Fern and jumped into the black void.