Chapter 8

It was still dark the next morning when Selene hunched over the edge of her bed to tie her hiking boots. She paused, trying to steady her fumbling fingers.A pair of white satin slippers were thrust under her nose.

"What about these?" Hollen asked, hopefully.

Selene wiped her sweaty palms down the thighs of her jeans. She shook her head and gently pushed away the slippers that Hollen held. "No. They're lovely, but Queen Thema said we'll be traveling for weeks on foot. I need things made for hiking, not dancing."

Hollen made a face and pointed to Selene's shoes. "But those are so ugly."

When Selene only sighed, Hollen tossed the slippers over her shoulder. Then she continued to rush around Selene's bedroom, throwing items into a green backpack and muttering to herself, "Breeches and boots? Hideous."

Selene was heartened to see Hollen fold a thick wool cloak into the pack, but then cringed as she stuffed a glittering pink ballgown behind it.

Focus on the positive, she told herself. The good news was that Queen Thema had found someone with a magic stone that could send her home. The fact that he was a vampire was unsettling, but Queen Thema waved away all of Selene's questions, assuring her she"d be safe and welcome in his home. Zaybris owed the queen a favor, she had said, and that debt could be paid by sending Selene home.

The bad news? The only way to get to his home was on foot. Four weeks of travel over God knows what kind of Aurelian terrain. Although she and Cass enjoyed nature trails, Selene had never hiked overnight or stayed in a place without at least a port-a-potty nearby. She was dreading days of trudging through the elements, nights of getting eaten alive by bugs, and sleeping on the ground. And then there was her travel companion…

Last night, when Thema had told her she would be escorted by the demon, Selene's heart pounded so hard it felt like her ribs would crack. Queen Thema must have seen the shock on Selene's face because she had said, "Don't look so frightened. Samael is extremely capable. He will allow no harm to come to you."

A flush of adrenaline coursed through Selene's body. "Isn't there someone else who could take me?"

"There is no one more suitable."

"I see," she said softly.

The queen drummed her fingertips against the back of the couch. "You disapprove of my choice in guardian? Do you not wish to return to your beloved home?"

"No, I do, but… " Selene looked down at her lap, struggling to articulate her reluctance. Just saying he's a demon, didn't seem adequate because there was more to it. She hated how risky situations always made her feel torn between caution and freedom. Kevin used to roll his eyes when she would ask him to walk her back to her car after one of his many late-night gigs. He had made her feel so stupid and overreactive, but not stupid enough to stop.

"In my world, being alone with a strange man is—" Selene paused, then said, "Well, it can be risky."

"I know what human men are like," Thema said with a snort. "Are you asking if you can trust Samael?"

"Yes. I know you said he would keep me safe but—" Selene bit her lip. "Will I be safe from him?"

Thema's eyebrows rose. "A fair question. Let me tell you how Samael and I met. When my sisters and I go into your world, we aren't there to interfere with humans. It's not our role. We are there to keep the balance, not to right wrongs. But many years ago, I interfered. I was on patrol, and I heard a human woman scream. As I prowled closer, I could see two men attacking the female. Probably attempting to do what you fear from Samael."

The queen went on to tell Selene how she had saved the woman but gotten severely injured by the men before killing them. She had been so hurt that once she was back in Aurelia, she couldn't transform out of her cat form and had collapsed in the woods near her portal.

"I don't know if I stayed there for hours or days. One moment my fur was wet with blood, and the next I was warm and dry inside a cave. My wounds were dressed, and I was now in my Malkina form. A male was in the cave with me," Thema's voice turned playful. "Can you guess who it was?"

"Samael," Selene whispered, ignoring the fizzy feeling that rose when she said his name. The queen described how seeing a demon made her fear she had died and gone to the Underworld, but Samael explained that he had been in Aurelia since he was a boy. He had been living alone in a cave and felt called to care for the badly injured cat he came across in the woods.

"Imagine his shock when I became myself again," Thema said, gesturing to her body. "Yet, he said I reminded him of his mother, so I knew he was very homesick. He showed me a different side of the demonic nature. I had been so sure I knew everything about his kind, about their selfishness, their cruelty. But Samael was neither."

"How long were you with him?"

"Weeks. He dug the bullet from my shoulder while I was in cat form, but it took a long time for the gash on my head to heal. The way I transitioned from cat to Malkina meant my ribs never set right, which is why I must wear this," the queen said, tapping her metal breastplate.

"I'm sorry."

"No need, I rather like the look of it," Thema replied. "When I was fully healed, I asked him how I could repay him. He asked for only one thing. A job. Many were critical of my decision to bring him here, but I have never regretted it."

The queen's face was distant for several moments until Selene said, "What an ordeal to have lived through. You're very brave."

Queen Thema swept a hand over her hair, preening at the praise. Then she turned serious and grasped Selene's hands.

"Listen to me. It is very important that you go on this journey."

Selene nodded, touched by Thema's concern. The queen's hands felt warm and unnaturally strong.

"Samael can be ruthless, but only to those who deserve it. His manners aren't pristine, and he finds many of our customs baffling. But he lives by a code of honor that does not include hurting unwilling females."

Her golden eyes locked with Selene's. "There is no one I would trust with you more."

Selene's memory of the conversation was interrupted when a knock sounded at her door. Seconds later, Arkaya swept into the room, carrying a large basket.

"No, no, Hollen. Necessities only," Arkaya said as Hollen tried to stuff two throw pillows in the backpack. "Pack breeches, underclothes, and tunics. Did you add the wool cloak? I have her bedding here."

Arkaya settled next to Selene on the bed as Hollen disappeared into the closet. "The queen has told me of the journey you are about to take. As her enchantress, I've prepared a few things."

Arkaya picked up a silver metal flask from the basket. "Water bottle. Fill this up as you need when encountering a lake or river."

"After boiling it," Selene affirmed. At least she knew one of the basics of camping.

"No need, the bottle's enchanted to purify," Arkaya said. Next, she pulled out a fabric tube about the size of a soda can. "Your bedding, which will stay as warm or cool as you need it to be. Here's a compass, a kerchief charmed to keep away insects, gloves, solar-powered lantern, and a few other necessities. Now, let's show you your tent."

Arkaya produced a white vinyl tube that looked like a roll of paper towels tied with a red ribbon. She placed the bundle on the floor in the center of the room and then said to Selene, "Untie the ribbon quickly."

When Selene tugged the ribbon, the bundle began to expand. It made a whooshing sound as it spread, and continued to groan and stretch until it reached nearly past Selene's head, forming a small dome. When it finally stopped expanding, the whole structure seemed to exhale as it settled into the shape of an igloo.

Selene gaped. Her "tent" was a far cry from the miserable dirt bunk she had imagined, and more like a luxury yurt suitable for glamping. Though her insides buzzed with anxiety, she smiled. When she followed Arkaya through the stooped entryway, Selene was surprised to find her feet sinking into a padded floor. She could comfortably stand, and the tent seemed so wide it could fit a king-sized bed.

"Roof vent here," Arkaya pointed up to the ceiling, then the walls. "Pockets are set into the walls for you both to store away items each night."

Arkaya's use of the word "both" jolted Selene. "Samael and I will sleep in here… together?"

"No, he prefers a hammock," Arkaya said.

Some of the tension in Selene's shoulders relaxed, though a traitorous whisper of disappointment blew across her thoughts.

Arkaya motioned for Selene to follow her out of the tent. "When you're ready to pack up, come out and pull the ribbon." Arkaya demonstrated, and the tent began to shrink until it was back to its original shape. "Then tie it up, and you're ready to go."

"Wow, I was so worried about roughing it. I didn't expect anything like this."

"You think us archaic? Not as cultivated as your people?" Arkaya asked dryly.

"Oh no! Where I'm from, castles and queens are from another period in history. A less advanced time, so sometimes I assume… "

Arkaya's eyes twinkled. "Well, we do take some influence from human inventions. When Aurelia's glorious sisters make their patrols into your world, they occasionally bring back things or ideas that spark their interest."

"Like the zipper! And toothbrush! Oh, and plumbing!" Hollen said, popping her head from the closet. "It took the Goblyns years to figure out Queen Cebna's drawings of indoor plumbing, but now I can't imagine life without it."

Arkaya nodded. "When a queen brings something back from Gaia, they first hold a council to make sure the item is suitable for Aurelia. If approved, it's sent to the Goblyns for replication. With a few improvements."

"What wouldn't be suitable?" Selene asked.

"Anything that could foul our lands or corrupt our people. Queen Aello tried for years to get approval on a motorized carriage. She stalked many a human operating one to understand the mechanisms, but the queens ultimately voted it down. Filthy creations. And too isolating."

"I see."

"We must seem very old-fashioned to you to travel by foot and horse. But the sisters pay careful attention to what comes from human inventions—the good and the bad."

Hollen appeared before them and held out the backpack to Arkaya. "For your inspection." She gave an exaggerated salute to the older Malkina.

Arkaya glanced through it and murmured her approval. Then she handed it to Selene. Although the backpack was very full, it felt like it weighed nothing.

"One last thing," Arkaya said, handing her a small blue jar. "This comes from Queen Cebna herself. Apply it to your face, and it will disguise your skin to look like the scales of a Nereid."

"Why do I need it?"

"You won't as you travel through Malkina territory, but put it on when you leave our forests," Arkaya said. "Unless you wish to draw unnecessary attention to yourself."

Selene unscrewed the lid, and a sea breeze aroma drifted up. It looked like a jar of moisturizer, but when she applied some to her hand, sure enough, it made her skin glimmer like a fish.

After she closed the lid, Hollen surprised her with a fierce hug. Gasping for air, Selene tried to lift her arms to return the gesture, but Hollen's embrace only grew tighter.

When Hollen finally drew back, she asked, "Why can't you stay here in Aurelia? Don't you like us?"

The wave of guilt Selene felt at Hollen's words made her wince. She had heard similar words from her family, and they never failed to cut deeply.

Don't be so greedy,her mother once said when Selene was ten and had shown her a stack of summer camp brochures. Someone had to look after the twins while she met with clients, her mother had argued.

You need to think of the family now,her father chided when Selene needed a permission slip signed to go on a high school trip to Paris. The trip wasn"t happening for two months, but her mom had just been discharged from the hospital for alcohol poisoning.

We miss you so much,her brother Evan had said when she chose to spend her evenings studying in the campus library instead of doing her coursework at home.

Selene patted Hollen back and said, "I"m sorry, but I have to go."

Hollen gave a distressed cry. "But I'll never see you again and—"

"Stop it, Hollen," Arkaya interrupted. "Goodbyes are meant to be quick."

"All right," Hollen said and released Selene.

"Goodbye, Hollen. Thank you for everything," Selene said. She pulled her backpack onto her shoulders, and snapped the hip belt low on her waist. The sooner she started this expedition, the sooner she would be home.