Page 76 of A Tale of Treachery

No shade, god, or otherworld creature like me would ever be able to pass through the cobwebs of his power and reach the portal. Not without dying.

I groaned. I could never tell Ryken that I’d found his magic, not when it meant leaving the world defenseless. Redmond couldn’t know, either. He might tell Ryken.

The thought of lying to them both made me sick to my stomach, but there was no other way. Malachi needed to stay here and suffer.

I would make sure of it.

CHAPTER28

The portal spat me out, throwing my body right back into my world. I fell in reverse, landing on my back with a loud smack. My limbs ached, and a shooting pain ran down my spine. I pushed myself off the ground to look around, sighing in relief when I saw the soldiers standing where I’d left them. The river rapids were now softly flowing, the portal eliciting a gentle hum of contentment.

I didn’t see Redmond approach as he grasped my hand and pulled me into his body.

“Are you all right?” Concern lined his eyes.

“Yes,” I mumbled, preparing myself for how to answer the questions that came next. Lying to him would be tricky. He always knew when I was omitting the truth.

“We don’t have to try again,” he whispered low enough that nobody else could hear. “I’m just surprised you didn’t make it through. I really thought it would work.”

“What are you talking about?”

Redmond looked disappointed. “You hit your head pretty hard, didn’t you?”

He rubbed his hand along the back of my head, pain throbbing in my skull at the touch. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. I reached back to touch my head and felt the wound nestled within my hair.

Drops of blood trickled from my fingertips, and I met his gaze before asking, “What happened?”

“You touched the portal, and it immediately blasted you back into the dirt. It looks like you’ve hurt yourself, but nothing so serious that a simple bandage won’t fix.”

Redmond moved along my body, checking my back and bending my arms to evaluate my dexterity. He pulled out his bag and sat me on the ground while he cleaned and bandaged the cut on the back of my head.

My mind raced with what he’d claimed to see. He’d seen the portal spit me back out immediately, but I knew deep within my bones that wasn’t what had happened. I’d been on the other side for more than half an hour while it seemed to the others in my world that less than a second had passed. There would be no need to explain myself after all.

That could only mean one thing: time passed differently in the other realm. What had been a half hour in the otherworld had only been a split second in my world, a length of time imperceptible to the human mind.

A chill raced down my spine. Malachi had been trapped in the otherworld since we were thirteen years old. He hadn’t spent a mere ten years there. He’d spent an eternity, an eternity honing his powers, growing in wickedness and desperation.

I almost felt bad for him, for the boy who had once been like a brother to me, a boy trapped in an endless hell. I couldn’t help but wonder what he would be like after all this time. Alone.

I shook my curiosity away. It was best to never find out.

Nobody would ever know what had happened on the other side. Nobody would ever have to face the true evil that existed.

Just so long as my mouth stayed shut.

“Do you think you can make the trek back to the palace?” Redmond asked with raised brows, assessing my odd silence. “You seem to be a little out of it. We can always make camp here for the night and head back after you get some rest.”

“No, no. I want to go back now. We should leave.” I pushed myself up, determined to get away from the portal. I needed time to think, time away from everyone, Redmond included.

Gods, I hated lying to him.

Maybe I should tell him.

He gave a brief nod before turning to the soldiers and telling them to lead the way back. We moved slowly behind them and made our way through the waters of the riverbed, stumbling through rocks and valleys, daylight waning with every step closer to the palace.

When we reached the Scourged Forest, I relaxed. The cushioned moss welcomed my booted feet with much-needed comfort. Energy charged up from the ground and climbed my legs, renewing my spirit and purpose.

Redmond and I paced next to each other in silence, with George following closely behind. The magic of the forest flowed through my veins, pumping my blood through every vessel.

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