North hadn’t slept well, which wasn’t that surprising. She’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, and she dreaded her first trip through the portal as much as her destination of Fire & Ice. Someone had thoughtfully left a binder of information for her on the bed she was using, and she’d spent an hour combing through all the data. It was enough to make her head spin, but she hoped she’d gleaned enough to have a basic understanding of their world, and the beings who shared it.

The six of them came for her early in the morning, and she was ready to go. North carried the shopping bag of clothing from the mall, but wore the fae fabric. She’d envisioned carefree and comfortable, and that’s what it had given her as leggings and an oversized T-shirt. She paired them with the sneakers Carol bought her the day before—had it really been just yesterday that everything happened, that she discovered she was a Trueblood and wanted by her parents’ group, so they could control her powers?

She almost snorted aloud at the thought. She had no powers and had difficulty believing she was suddenly going to manifest anything like they were looking for. After seeing each of the men around her reveal part of their powers, she couldn’t deny they existed. North couldn’t imagine she actually had any though. It seemed like a waste of time to be venturing through the portal to play diplomat—or princess—while training to learn magic she didn’t possess. It all sounded fantastical and far-fetched.

She shrugged off those thoughts as they led her into a room she hadn’t visited yet. Even before the doors parted, she could feel a low hum, but it seemed to be more vibration than sound. The pulse reverberated through her, making her teeth ache slightly, sending nausea churning through her stomach, and filling her ears with a weird buzzing sound. She shook her head a few times before catching Orin’s sympathetic gaze.

He smiled at her, his dark face made impossibly more handsome by his grin. “You’ll get used to it, but it emits a form of ultralow frequency that humans can’t handle easily. Most of the races have issues with it, actually.”

She managed to nod as she got her first glance at the portal, robbed of words for the moment. It stood on a tall stone platform with stairs leading up to it. The stone archway itself looked like something ancient and mythological, and it was carved with symbols she didn’t recognize. The inside was nothing more than an empty hole, allowing her to see completely through to the other side of the room, but she could sense there was something more to what stood in front of her. That undefinable spark of power thrummed through her, cluing her in to being in the presence of something unfamiliar, and which she couldn’t explain away.

“Good morning.”

She jumped and turned in the direction Caius had spoken from as he glided into the room. Not even his robes made a rustling sound in there, though that was probably the sound in her ears making it impossible to hear anything as subtle as his robes swishing on the floor.

“Are you ready to travel, North?”

She nodded, though it was the farthest thing from the truth. She dreaded the whole thing, but knowing her parents’ group couldn’t reach her in Fire & Ice, because they wouldn’t be allowed to pass through the portal that served as a nexus point to all the other realms, was one positive reason to visit.

He stepped up first, before gesturing them forward.

North fell in line with the others, ending up roughly in the middle, with Ryland ahead of her, and Eamon behind her. Eli stood behind him, while Kriss and Marek stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the front of the line. She wondered how they would both fit through the portal, but they seemed determined not to yield an inch to the other.

Caius put his palm against the portal, and it hummed even sharper for a moment before settling into a low, less-unpleasant sound instead of the more obnoxious pitch it held moments before. Immediately, a violet-tinged light filled the hole, blocking the other side of the room from view.

It was bright enough to hurt her eyes, and she blinked before shielding them. She wasn’t the only one with the problem, she noted, as Eli and Ryland both slipped on sunglasses. After that, Kriss and Marek stepped through first, both somehow managing to squeeze through the portal without giving up an inch of deference to the other.

Orin and Ryland moved through without any hesitation, but she wasn’t feeling quite so confident. As she neared Caius, she met his gaze. North was hoping for a hint of reassurance, but what she got was a frown of censure.

“You disappointed a lot of people last night when you fled, North. I hope you’ll overcome that selfish impulse when you’re in Haedra and Celestina.”

She didn’t answer, deliberately averting her gaze as annoyance and embarrassment warred for supremacy inside her. His admonishment was probably well-deserved, which explained the guilt accompanying his words. Her annoyance was that he had pointed it out and hadn’t bothered to factor in why she might’ve freaked out and run away. She doubted he’d ever been thrust into such a position.

Stewing over his words, it took a moment to realize she’d reached the portal. She froze, standing in front of it as power washed over her. It was clearly radiating from the portal and felt like static electricity. Every hair on her body was charged, and those on her arms and the back of her neck stood up. She wondered if her hair was doing the same thing, but had no time to check as Eamon placed a hand against her back and gently urged her forward. She wanted to dig in her heels and refuse, but before she could, her foot was already lifting to cross the last step that was part of the portal.

She was through before she could overthink it, and then Eamon was out a second later. Eli brought up the rear, and the portal closed behind them. “How does he do that? Is he a Trueblood?”

“The Council pools its power, and Caius calls on that when there’s need to open the portal.” Marek provided the explanation, but he didn’t look at her. Instead, his gaze remained focused ahead.

North finally mustered her courage and turned from the portal to face Fire & Ice. She gasped at the first sight, never having seen anything like it. “I thought it would all be combined together.” She had pictured something like Iceland, or one of the places where it was cold, yet active volcanoes managed to produce lava that flowed into the icy regions.

Instead, it was like someone had drawn a line directly down the realm, creating the walkway in front of her. Everything to her right side was icy cold, and a few snow flurries blew at them despite the portal feeling separated from the rest of the world. Standing on the platform, she couldn’t feel the temperature of the ice side, but it made her shiver just staring at it.

She switched her gaze to the left side and could feel the heat, though her body temperature remained unchanged. It was lush and thick with vegetation, but she could see several volcanoes in the distance. They appeared active, with lava flowing down the sides of the mountains. She shuddered at the thought of being caught in a lava flow. Her feet wanted to turn around and head right back to the portal, but it was closed. There was probably a way to communicate with Earth from this realm, but she doubted anyone would help her do so if it was just to return without trying to meet their expectations.

Kriss and Marek came to stand beside her, with Marek on the right side, facing Ice, and Kriss on the left, facing Fire. When they started walking forward, she had little choice but to follow them.

The pleasant neutrality of the temperate zone around the portal faded as soon as they stepped off the last stair. “Welcome to CenterPoint,” said Kriss.

“What’s that?”

“The exact center of the planet, located in the middle of the line of demarcation,” said Marek.

“This is neutral ground,” added Kriss.

She stood between the two of them while the other four flanked her. Staring at what was clearly meant to be her welcoming party, she could see the resemblance between the fire beings and Kriss, though the older man had long brown hair rather than flaming red. The older woman had the same shade as Kriss, as did the younger woman, who shared many of his features, though feminized.

She swung her gaze to the Ice side, finding the ice beings uniformly similar. It was a little bit unsettling that their skin tones were almost exactly the same, and all had that silvery blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. All three of them had their wings visible, but folded back in a relaxed state—except for the younger one, whose plumage was fuller and more fully on display.

At first, she thought it was a threatening gesture, but following his gaze led hers to settle on the young fire woman across from him. She was making every effort not to look his way, but that only underscored when she stole the occasional peek at him. Interesting.

They stopped directly in front of both groups, still standing on the line of demarcation that split their world. She was too hot on one side and too cold on the other.

Kriss was the first to speak as he turned her to the group of fire beings. He inclined his head first to the man, and then the older woman before finally nodding at the younger one. “King Thorne, Queen Risa, and Princess Lyssa, allow me to present North Campbell.”

Her heart fluttered with fear at the thought of meeting royalty. His next words wiped that away completely, leaving her in a state of shock instead.

“North, these are my parents and little sister.”

She stared at him for half a second, unable to keep her mouth from gaping open like an idiot. “You’re a prince?”

“The prince,” he said with quite emphasis. “I’m in line for the throne, after Lyssa.”

She shook her head. “You’ll rule all this?”

He lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug. “Only if Lyssa abdicates—and I’d punish her severely if she did,” he added with a wink in his sister’s direction.

North saw the dark-haired man—King Thorne—wince at his son’s words. She managed to swallow the rest of her shock and tried to school her expression into one of pleasantness as she turned fully to face them. The ice side chilled her back as the fire side toasted her front. “Lovely to meet you.” She tried to curtsy, which was harder than it looked. Orin stifled a laugh, and she glared at him over her shoulder as she stood up again. He grinned at her without a shred of repentance.

“Allow me to introduce you to my family,” said Marek after the Drakkens had acknowledged her greeting. He put an arm around her waist and turned her toward the Ice side. “This is Arlo and Tempest Bolos, the rulers of Haedra. And this is my little brother, Milo.”

He’d only introduced the youngest one as his brother, but it stood to reason that the king and queen had to be his parents, since he had called them his family. North’s head spun at the idea of having two princes acting as her guards—and even more heady/terrifying was the idea that she might end up marrying one of them. What did she know about being a princess? What did she know about any of this?

“Don’t curtsy, or you might hurt yourself,” said the one identified as Milo. His voice was harder than Marek’s, like ragged glass.

“For shame,” said Tempest. She shot her son a repressive look before giving North a gracious smile. “We’re honored to have you visit our world, North.”

The woman was so regal it made her want to curtsy again, but she stilled the impulse.

Her husband sounded stiffer as he inclined his head slightly. “Welcome to Haedra.”

“We should get you settled at the palace,” said Kriss, his fingers sneaking around her wrist and tugging lightly to urge her toward the Fire side.

“Indeed, we should,” said Marek. His hand was still on her waist, and he pulled her more tightly against him. “North will stay with us.”

Kriss scowled. “She’s a guest of Celestina.”

“The Haedran royal family is already prepared to welcome her,” said Marek through gritted teeth.

“So are the Drakkens of Celestina,” said Kriss. He took a threatening step forward.

Marek did the same, turning to face the fire-angel. Icy crystal horns sprouted from his head, and his frosty wings started to unfurl.

“That’s enough,” said North softly. There was still a stinging rebuke in her tone. Here she was, already playing mediator, when all she wanted to do was lie down and forget this was happening. Her restless night was catching up with her, or perhaps it was just the stress of the situation.

Making an effort to soften her voice, she gave Kriss’s family a warm smile. “Perhaps since I was introduced to you first, I should stay with the Bolos for a few days first? Then I could stay with the Drakkens?” It seemed like a sensible solution, but she held her breath as she waited to see if they would agree. There was tension in the air that suggested it wasn’t just Marek and Kriss who were on the verge of coming to blows.

Except there was a different tension obvious between Lyssa and Milo. She wondered if she was the only one who could see it. And she wondered if they were already involved, or if they were just interested in each other. Were they allowed to have a relationship with being parts of the royal families with opposite powers? It was a question she would ask one of the other men later—not Marek or Kriss, of course.

“That seems like a sensible solution,” said Queen Risa. “We look forward to hosting you in a few days, North.”

She managed to smile, but was more tired than relieved at finding a workable solution.

“Shall we?” asked Marek as he extended an arm to her.

She slid hers through his as her gaze locked with Eli’s for a moment. He seemed irritated, and she thought perhaps jealous, but couldn’t read his expressions that well yet.

Kriss broke away from them, and she assumed he would be staying with his family, so it was a surprise when he approached the group a moment later as they all stopped near what looked like a crystal ice train. She reached out a hand to touch it and shivered as her fingers brushed the substance. She wasn’t certain what it was. It definitely wasn’t ice, though it had the look of it, but felt strong, like some kind of steel.

“You must be freezing,” said Kriss with a small shiver of his own. “No wonder my people don’t cross the line of demarcation to come here. It’s bloody sub-zero. Don’t know how you icemen handle it.” He tossed the words carelessly in Marek’s direction.

“My people don’t venture to your side because it’s sweltering, you son of flame,” countered Marek in a low voice.

They glared at each other for a moment, so she put up a wary hand without looking at either of them. She was still entranced by the train. She’d never ridden on the Earth version, so she was impatient to board and see if it was as exciting as it looked.

It seemed like magic when a fur cape appeared in Marek’s hands. He draped it across her shoulders and turned her to tie the satin bow himself. “Don’t worry. It’s faux fur.”

She looked down to admire it and grinned when she realized the fae fabric had become fur leggings and a soft cashmere sweater. Kriss put up the hood for her, and she was toasty warm again when they started boarding the train.

The royal couple went first, followed by Milo and Marek, who paused at the top of the step to turn back and offer her a hand up. She took it and followed, with Kriss just a step below her. North didn’t let out an easy breath until all six of her men were on the train. She didn’t like being separated from them—any of them. As the group settled on benches built into each side of the train, she looked out the window to see more of the icy side of their realm. After a moment, she forced herself to look back at the people across the aisle, trying to appear approachable and friendly.

It was difficult and awkward trying to make small talk with those around her. She felt mostly at ease with her guards, especially after they had all bonded the previous evening, but was certain Marek’s family stared at her with icy disregard. She hoped that was simply her imagination, coupled with her own insecurities. Either way, she wished it was all over, though her father would’ve been the first to remind her wishes were an unproductive waste of time.

Suddenly, she wondered if they really were. If there was magic, could she just wish for whatever she wanted? She added it to her list of mental questions to ask one of the men when she had an opportunity, not uncouth enough to verbalize the question at the moment.

The ice train moved quickly, and what seemed like a sparkling glacier in the distance soon manifested itself as a palatial structure the closer the group drew. North craned her neck to stare, no longer caring if she looked gauche in her eagerness to see.

The palace seemed formed directly into the mountain, as though part of it. There were distinct features carved from ice, including several turrets and a tower, but it was a harmonious blend of building and landscape.

It was also freaking huge. That was an unsophisticated thought, but she barely spared a thought for chiding herself about it. It was hard not to seem like a wide-eyed ingénue with the wonderous sight before her. “It’s magnificent.”

“Yes, it is.” The king spoke the words quietly, with perhaps a hint of warmth that had been missing when he briefly spoke before. “It’s a magnificent sight, but even more importantly, it’s structurally sound. It stood during a siege that lasted for a hundred and ten days the last time.”

Sensing an opening, she licked her lips and asked, “When was that?”

“Almost six hundred years ago. We’ve had an existing cease-fire for the last four hundred and fifty, since the Council unified and deemed it necessary.”

Perhaps she’d asked about a sore subject, considering the king sounded irritated as he answered. She nodded, deciding not to ask anything more.

As though Marek could feel the curiosity burning through her, he added, “An outsider from the Baelic realm was tasked with ending the Civil War and bringing us all in line.” He said the words mockingly, with a hint of defensiveness.

“His solution was a doozy,” said Kriss, breaking the silence he’d maintained since they all boarded the train.

Marek nodded. “Balthazar married my ancestor, who was Queen at the time, and split the world.”

“Literally,” added Kriss.

North forced her gaze from the castle to look out the windows across from her, over Milo’s shoulder. She could see some of the Fire world in the distance. “Your world wasn’t always like this then?”

Kriss shook his head as she looked back at him. “The geography was far more homogenous at one point. It snowed where there were volcanoes, and rivers bigger than Earth’s oceans cut through the side of the plane now called Celestina instead of the smaller trickles they call rivers over there these days.”

Her eyes widened at his words. “How did he have that much power?”

“Training and discipline,” said the king firmly, with a note that suggested he was done discussing the whole subject. “That’s something Marek will certainly guide you through, North.”

“As will I,” said Kriss. His words were somewhere between promising and threatening.

It was instinct to reach out to put a hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly as a reminder to keep it civil. “I’m looking forward to training with both of you.” That was a lie. She wasn’t looking forward to any of the training, or anything that was expected of her with this whole Trueblood gig. She’d happily give it all up for free and return to her life in the cabin.

A surge of melancholy shot through her at the thought of not seeing the six men surrounding her ever again. There was a pang in her chest at the thought of never having met them, and she was forced to admit that perhaps the situation wasn’t all bad.

They arrived at the palace a short time later, where there was a bustle of activity from them and the servants as the group split up, with various people showing them to their rooms. Kriss stayed close by, and she wanted to cling to his hand, sensing he was miserable. She wasn’t quite miserable, but she definitely felt out of her element and would’ve appreciated the comfort of his hand wrapped around hers as much is it would’ve given him support.

Marek stopped after they had climbed several staircases, and she was feeling a bit winded. He pointed to a door before looking at Kriss. “That’s your room.”

Kriss smirked at him. “Did you give me the dungeon? Just remember, I’ll be happy to show you the same hospitality.”

Marek rolled his eyes, but didn’t answer.

With a sigh, Kriss moved around her, squeezing her hip as he passed by, and opened the door. She didn’t get to see much, but from the glimpse she caught, it appeared to be lavishly appointed and wouldn’t be considered a dungeon by anyone’s standards.

Then it was just her and Marek, and he walked beside her as he led her down the hallway, past two other doors before stopping in front of one painted a pale shade of gold. “And the gold room is for you.”

She moved back as he leaned forward to open the doorknob for her before pushing the wood open, so she could slide inside.

North walked a few steps into the room, and her jaw dropped again. It was beyond luxurious. Compared to the size of the cabin in which she’d grown up, it was almost ridiculously large. The huge fourposter bed would’ve easily held her and all six of her guards.

She blinked as her mind provided an image of that, which instantly made her squirm and dampened her panties. Clearing her throat, she tore her gaze from the purple brocade bed curtains to continue letting her gaze wander around the room.

There was a sitting room, another door off of it that Marek identified as the dressing room, and finally, another door that revealed an en suite bathroom with a sunken tub big enough to swim in. She shook her head, marveling at the wonders around her, and finding it almost impossible to believe she was standing there. “This is amazing.”

He shrugged, seeming blasé about it. “It is the nicest guestroom. We usually reserve it for visiting dignitaries. Caius has stayed here more than once.”

She nodded at the tidbit of information, but didn’t ask for further names. They didn’t matter, because chances were, she wouldn’t recognize any of them anyway.

He took her hand, and she held onto him as he pulled her gently across the room to the door hiding the dressing room. He opened it a moment later, and she gasped at the sight before her. Clothes of all types were crammed into the closets. There was an excess of fabric, and far more clothes than she could wear in a lifetime. “I can borrow these?”

He flashed a grin. “Of course not. You can have them. Feel free to take anything you want with you, and wear them as you’d like. Most of these are classic pieces, but you’ll have an occasional update to your wardrobe at every visit.” He moved closer, standing behind her with his hand on her hip. “I hope that will be frequently.” He almost growled the word as he lowered his head to rub his cheek against hers. Then he turned his head further, and his lips tickled her earlobe. “I want very badly for you to choose me, North.”

She shook her head, pulling away so she could turn to look at him. “How can you say that? You don’t even know me.”

He shrugged. “And yet I can’t deny how I feel. The moment I laid eyes on you, I wanted you to be mine.”

She frowned skeptically. “Is it some kind of magic thing?”

He grinned. “It’s more of a sex thing, but far more complex than just that.” He took a step forward, twining his hand through her curls. “You have no idea all the thoughts crowding my mind, and all the things I’ve thought about doing to you. All the ways I’ve dreamed about taking you…” He trailed off before clearing his throat. His gaze moved to her lips for a moment, and North was certain he would try to kiss her.

Instead, with a sigh that sounded a lot like regret, he released his hold and took a step back. “Dinner will be promptly at eight, and I’ll come for you a few moments before. Wear something ridiculously frilly and fabulously feminine.”

She eyed the plethora of choices around her. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Is that the norm for dinner?”

He shrugged. “The norm is something formal and stuffy, but I hate the idea of you hiding your curves in something sedate, or diminishing your aura with a dark color like gray or black. I’d much rather see you flirty and feminine.” His ice-blue eyes darkened slightly. “Or naked.”

A flush filled her cheeks, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to stammer or further reveal her embarrassment at his words. “I can guarantee you I won’t be joining the royal family for dinner without clothes on.”

He chuckled. “That’s a shame, but probably for the best. I wouldn’t want Milo to see you and try to steal you away.”

North opened her mouth, about to tease him about his brother’s obvious interest in Lyssa, but held back. She didn’t want either one of them to be in trouble, and she had no idea how relationships between the Fire & Ice beings happened, if they ever did. She didn’t want to inadvertently start an incident.

Instead, she licked her lips. “Thank you for showing me to my room, and for all this.” She waved a hand to encompass the dressing room. Then she looked down at her current garment, which was now a perfectly structured sapphire-blue suit with a long skirt. “Why can’t I keep wearing the fae fabric?”

He shrugged. “You can if you want, but it does need to be washed regularly, just like any other fabric.”

She made a slight sound of comprehension. “Point taken. I’ll see you for dinner then, Marek.” It was a dismissal, but she was still slightly surprised when he actually turned around and left the dressing room. A moment later, the door to the suite opened and then closed, indicating she was alone.

She’d been craving that state since stepping through the portal, wanting a chance to regroup and marshal her thoughts, but now that she was there alone, she hated it. She wanted any of them—no, all of them—surrounding her. She was still confused about what she was doing, or what she was supposed to accomplish on her visits to the realms, but had no doubt about that.

* * *

Marek arrived at the appointed time, and she was ready in a black and red dress. Unlike the one she’d worn to the previous evening’s event, this one didn’t look like a young girl’s dress. It definitely showed she was a woman, and she liked the appreciation in his gaze, which was mirrored in five other pairs of eyes when they stepped into the dining room.

Kriss looked miserable, so she made a point of going to sit beside him even if it disturbed the prearranged seating pattern. She wasn’t sure if it did, but wasn’t going to let that stop her from offering him silent comfort and support. She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed gently before his hand folded over hers and squeezed in return. She couldn’t imagine how much strength it took for him to be in the Bolos’ home when they were clearly engaged in a Cold War, even if there was a cease-fire in place.

She was relieved to see it was a small gathering of just her guards and the royal family, which was stressful enough. At least she didn’t have to deal with a large crowd like last night and all eyes on her.

That wasn’t entirely true. All gazes seemed to rest on her constantly, whether they belonged to her guards, Marek’s family, or the servants who brought out the myriad courses. It was by no means relaxing, but not as intense as being the subject of more than a hundred sets of eyes.

She did her best to make polite conversation and answer questions, but couldn’t remember much of the evening later. It was a relief when it all came to an end after a scrumptious dessert and strong ice-wine. She was feeling pleasantly tipsy and relaxed from the unaccustomed alcohol, and when the six men escorted her to her room, two of them slipping inside to check it out despite what should’ve been a complete lack of danger, she briefly toyed with the idea of asking them all to stay.

She didn’t want to be alone, and she didn’t want to be without them, but North was afraid what kind of message her request would send. What would they expect from her if she asked them to stay? She couldn’t imagine any of them demanding something she wasn’t ready to give, but it wasn’t fair to put them in the position of hoping she would offer something that was nowhere near being on the table yet.

She certainly couldn’t ask just one of them to stay. The others would feel slighted, and she couldn’t decide which one she would ask anyway.

Besides, she was supposed to be trying to choose between the six of them, not flirting with or seducing all of them. She couldn’t deny how her nipples tightened at the thought of being with the six of them, and she still couldn’t believe Caius expected her to pick.

How would she ever choose the best match among the six of them when they all seemed to be complementary to her in some way? She could only hope spending more time with each of them would clarify her choice, because she was incapacitated at the moment just by the thought of having to pick just one to ask to stay with her in her room for the night. She couldn’t face the task of choosing just one for a lifetime. It might be better to pick none than just one.