Page 158 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

I agree he has much to learn. We all do, I think. But he certainly does not hate you,Riordan assured me.

I stopped so fast that Helena almost ran into my back, and Riordan glanced over his shoulder in amusement.

What do you mean?I demanded of him, and his smirk evolved into a full smile before he turned to continue on.

Just watch him, and you will see what I mean.

I was confused by his reassurance but forced myself to continue walking after him as I calmly internalized what he was telling me. After a few moments of consideration, there was only one thing that was very clear to me.

It has taken me a long time to establish my self-worth, and he often undermines it. So if that is what his affection looks like, then regardless of how I feel about him, I don’t just not want it, Riordan. It is notgoodfor me.

My mate was contemplative, and I wanted to push him a little to allow me to follow his thoughts the way he had invited me to the day before. But I let him have privacy to think on what I had said just as he had given me privacy.

You are right,he conceded finally, and I could sense sorrow in him at the realization, but he understood and agreed with my reasoning.Perhaps in time he’ll learn—

His thoughts broke off abruptly, and Orion stopped just ahead of him with his wings flaring defensively.

A gate suddenly appeared in the forest in front of us, materializing out of thin air. Just two pillars and immense double doors made of shimmering, white stone that cast anarray of colours in the light. It was so bright that we all had to cover our eyes until our sight adjusted.

“Damn,” muttered Helena.

Riordan stepped toward the gate, and Orion was right at his side as my mate reached for the middle of the gate and lightly touched the stone.

The gate parted in the centre, opening outward with a low frequency ring like the sound of a tuning fork which made us all wince. Once the gate was fully open, we saw a pearlescent surface inside that rippled like calm water.

The portal Pen had described in her report.

Riordan reached back, and I knew he wanted my hand which I gave him without any hesitation.

Hold onto Orion,he ordered me. I knew he issued the same command to hisskiábecause Orion reached for my free hand and then took Helena’s as well.

Then we stepped through the gate all together.

Chapter forty-three

YOU ARE NOWHERE

Amira

The pearlescent surface felt very much like freezing cold water that did not leave my skin or hair wet as we passed through it. I held my breath, the way I had while passing through the portal to come into the Vale, but this crossing was much easier than that one.

My eyelids were completely white from the brightness, so I kept my eyes closed to prevent myself from being blinded until they turned a soft, greyish red. I peeked my eyes open, squinting in the brightness. I could still feel Riordan and Orion gripping my hands on either side and checked to ensure Helena was next to Orion as well.

We were standing in the same empty space that Pen had described which had no walls, just a white flagstone floor that was covered in a thin layer of white sand. Everything was so bright, but the ceiling and edges of the floor seemed to fade away into a soft, greyish light that wavered so serenely and reminded me of the shadows of trees swaying in beams of sunshine.

Our envoy had told us exactly what to expect, and yet we were all still in shock.

“What is this?” whispered Helena, and I saw her lift a hand to catch some of the shimmering particles in the air.

“Stardust,” Orion answered, and I heard him shift his boot across the grainy floor.

“Where do you think this place is?” I asked Riordan.

“You are nowhere,” answered a voice that was at once too fair to be male and too deep to be female.

Riordan tugged me against him at the same time Orion moved in front of us to face the speaker. They had both dropped my hands in favour of gripping their weapons.

A featureless figure had appeared in the room with us to our left. They were draped in a gleaming, cream veil that draped down their back and to their knees in the front but was shorter around their shoulders. I could see the vague outline of their nose, and their hands were clasped in front of them. Beneath the veil, the figure seemed to be wearing a white, long-sleeved robe that pooled on the sandy floor around them, and white gloves.

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