The last thing Robin remembered was screaming her guts out as she let her banshee side run free. She didn’t remember passing out, nor did she remember where she was, since it definitely wasn’t the House of the Dark One. Instead of the dark walls and stones that made up Donn’s home, she was surrounded by light and nature. She lay in a bed that was as comfortable as floating on air. Light material covered her, and her body felt relaxed and rested. The walls seemed to be made of trees. Everywhere she looked, it was as though nature had taken over.

Small paintings decorated the walls, each depicting a facet of nature such as the ocean or a mountain. They were all exquisite. As she looked around, she realized that her jacket and shoes were off to the side, resting on a chair that reminded her of Hal’s carvings, but more detailed. Everything about it was filigree and curves. The door that was just past the foot of the bed was mostly fabric where she had expected more wood. She couldn’t see beyond it, and yet, she didn’t feel as though she needed to. Gauzy shapes passed by, but then it was quiet again.

Light streamed in through the window, and when it reflected off the wood, it created a golden glow in the room. A thin curtain fluttered in the breeze, offering her glimpses of what lay beyond. It reminded her of Ireland, all lush and green. The air almost had a sweetness to it that she’d never encountered before. When she sat up, the bed creaked slightly from her movements.

The door to the room slid open slightly, and a woman with a bird-like face peered in. Upon seeing Robin awake, she entered the room fully. “You’re awake, good!”

“Uh, hi. Could you tell me where I am?”

“Oh, you must not remember. Poor thing! You’re in Tír na nÓg, the Land of Youth.” Her face broke into a smile at the end and completely transformed. She no longer looked hawkish, but gentler and excited.

“We made it? Where’s Tlachtga and Chris?” Saying the two names together like that made her want to giggle. They were so different.

“They are here. We were all anxious for you to awaken. Everyone wants to thank you for helping to bring Tlachtga home, but with what she said about your banshee wail, we thought it best to let you rest first.”

Robin wasn’t sure what to say to that. She was glad for the rest, but was eager to get back to Hal and wasn’t sure how she could do that from Tír na nÓg.

“Come, come,” the woman said as Robin rose.

“What’s your name?”

“Fae do not give out their true name, as it holds too much power, but you may call me Aoife.” The woman bowed her head with a shy smile.

“Well, Aoife, would you mind taking me to everyone?” Robin stood, and the room swayed slightly. It was one of the common side effects she suffered after a particularly gut-wrenching scream.

“Follow me!” The woman spun and almost skipped out of the room. Her dress parted, displaying the vivid green pants she wore underneath the light fabric. It was unlike anything Robin had ever seen before, and yet familiar, like something her imagination had shown her before. It wasn’t that hard to formulate a reason as to why. When she’d been under Randall’s tender care, she had lost herself in books to try to distract herself from the helplessness she felt most of the days. Some authors had a way of describing things that left her brain spinning with ideas, like iridescent dresses that seemed both sheer and opaque all at once.

She followed the petite woman down hallways that looked as though they had been carved through the trees themselves. Eventually, they ended up in a large hall ringed by different trees, each one having a doorway that opened into the central space. Robin’s eyes traveled up and up and up. There was no ceiling, just the branches and emerald-green leaves that seemed to glow with the sunlight that hit them. The canopy was so far above them that it added to the feeling of openness.

“Robin!” Tlachtga called, drawing her gaze down from the leaves. “I’m so happy you’re awake.” The woman embraced her with a tight squeeze.

“I’m glad we made it out of there.”

“We wouldn’t have without your song.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call that a song.”

“It was beautiful to me! It granted me my freedom and the peace promised to me after so many years of being Donn’s plaything.”

Robin smiled at the woman, feeling like it might split her face from ear to ear.

“Hey!” a man’s voice called out, and she quickly turned to see Chris standing there, watching the two of them. He was in the same clothing he’d been wearing before, so clearly he didn’t lose it when he turned into a wolf. It didn’t matter either way to Robin; she was just glad they had all made it out of there. His jade eyes searched her own, and when he found no fear or malice, he smiled broadly. Fearing him because of his wolf or the fact that he was a shifter was unacceptable in her mind, since it would be like fearing her own abilities. It might have been something she did as a child, but not as an adult.

“This is the banshee?” a woman who had been walking behind Chris asked.

Robin hadn’t even noticed her at first, but now that she had, the power flowing off her was jaw-dropping. Her black dress was long and elegant, with a corset-like bodice and a sweeping skirt that brushed the floor. The black feathers that were woven into her raven hair looked more like a crown than a headband. Nerves prickled up her spine as she took in the regal woman before her.

“Yes. This is Robin,” Tlachtga said, inclining her head.

“Robin, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for bringing Tlachtga home. She was away from us for far too long. I’m the Morrígan.”

“The Morrígan?” Robin felt her face go slack as her jaw hung slightly open. She rushed to collect herself and bowed at the waist. She didn’t know what protocol was, but the woman in front of her was being treated like a queen by everyone else, so Robin followed suit.

She chuckled. “Yes, that Morrígan. As a thank you, a few of our younger fae have offered to escort you and Christopher home.”

“That’s very gracious of you.”

“It is our pleasure. Now, if you will excuse us, Tlachtga and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Robin bowed once more, and the Morrígan swept away, her dress flowing elegantly behind her while Tlachtga walked by her side, the complete opposite of the woman she talked to. White and black dresses, blonde and raven hair, even their eyes, and yet there was no hesitation between the women, who seemed to be long-lost friends.

“Bran, Ailbhe, Niamh, and I will be taking you home,” Aoife said with a grin.

“Thank you, guys, so much, really!” Robin was relieved to hear that they would finally be leaving. She was sure Hal was probably losing his mind by now, and the sooner she got back to him, the sooner he would stop freaking out.