CHAPTER TEN
The portal wasn’t rightly done, but Isaac made do with its narrow path as he took hold of Roxie’s limp body and hauled her ass off inside it. Unlike portals in his world where there was an icy sensation coating you, fairy portals were all about pain, and he had to wonder if that was their way of discouraging others from traveling too much. He gritted his teeth through it and didn’t let her go, finally seeing a light at the end of the colorful tunnel and leaping for it with all his speed.
Voices were on the other end, but they were immediately gone as that end of the portal closed off, and darkness tried to catch up on them. He was just in time as they crashed to the ground and the other end of the portal became smaller and smaller until it winked out of existence.
The pain was immediately gone, and the only pain left was the damn icicle magic those bastards had used on him. They had landed on something soft—a grassy field, which he was thankful for because he didn’t think he had enough energy as it was should they have landed on…well, a cliff or a spiked path.
He used his senses to check out his surroundings and felt no immediate threat. Isaac shifted to his human form and just lay there, catching his breath for a second or two. Then he immediately turned to his side, where Roxie lay.
She was bloodied and injured, with a thin icicle trail running through the side of her stomach. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him again, and he almost barked out a laugh when he realized she was more concerned about his nakedness than her own wounds. He stifled the laugh and reached out for her.
Then he removed the icicle in one swift pull.
Roxie yelped. Then she sat up and cursed the air blue with words he couldn’t understand, filling it with magic that smelled like freshly cut grass. Blood still trickled out of her, but it slowed down enough as her wounds immediately closed. Last he deduced, she didn’t have any magic inside her anymore and couldn’t even defend herself from that winter guard’s attack.
“So, cursing makes you regain your magic back?”
She cursed again, then glared at him. Those tilted rose-gold eyes were shooting off sparks, and he realized the temper she was containing in that Winter Court was now pouring out in spades.
“No,” she snapped. “We’re in a field of flowers. The Spring Court flowers are good at healing or poisoning.”
Wait, what?
“And there was no need to pull that icicle out so quickly,” she huffed, folding her arms. She removed her second cloak and threw it at him, a silent order to cover himself up. Refusing to do so, Isaac glared instead.
“Hold up. Why are we in the Spring Court? I thought we were escaping to your home.”
Roxie stood up and scanned the flower field, ignoring his question. He stood up as well and towered over her, looking as threatening as possible. She didn’t care—in fact, she kept ignoring him and muttered under her breath, making him think that perhaps she had gone crazy from that icicle’s impact.
That theory was shot out immediately when she threw her hands up in defeat. “If you must know,” she said haughtily, “We cannot create portals to go to whichever fairy court we want. We need to follow the seasons: winter, spring, summer, autumn. It’s a clockwise cycle and can’t be done in reverse or randomly. So, it’s just our luck that autumn is at the very end of the cycle. Happy now?”
Sarcasm dripped from her. He smirked. “Very happy.”
Then he walked off and left her to run after him.
*****
They bickered like children the whole time, and she didn’t let up until he finally wore the cloak around his waist. A few hours of walking, they both realized how hungry they were and reluctantly worked together to find food, which they did find in the fruit trees in a forest ahead. Unlike the white trees and snowy landscape of the Winter Court, the Spring Court was all about colors—flowery fields, rainbow trees and puffy clouds in the sky that were like cotton candy. It was beautiful and innocent at the same time, and Roxie didn’t have to tell him not to be deceived so easily. He already learned that lesson.
The fruit they ate was brown and tangy, but they kept eating until it filled them up considerably. Roxie made a makeshift bag with her own cloak and filled it with food for their journey, then tore off the bottom of her dress to wipe down whatever blood remained on her skin. He noticed her aversion to blood and noted it down for future reference, then ignored her for the rest of the travel.
Until he grew bored.
“So, where’s Spring Castle?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t been here yet. The Spring Court doesn’t really mingle since that whole winter fiasco.”
“Winter fiasco?”
She began to explain about how the Winter King had tried to take over before a new queen was established here. It only confirmed to Isaac how power-hungry Asha was. The image of the man looking cool and impenetrable while Isaac was being tortured for fun flashed in his mind, and he tried to erase it. Asha’s time would come, but now, he needed to focus on escaping first.
“Bastard,” he muttered when Roxie finished her story. Silence followed, and he could feel her staring at him. “What?”
“Wouldn’t you do the same? I thought all royals were hungry for power. My mother is.”
“Has the Spring Court tried to usurp anyone?”
She frowned. “Well, no.”
“Summer Court?”
“Fine. I get your point.”
They passed by another field and forest, and Isaac found himself getting tired of the floral scenery. It just didn’t feel natural to him, and a pang shot straight to his heart when he realized he was missing his home and was worried. Isabella was bound to hear from Simon’s and Robin’s mission report about what he’d done and would figure it all out, unless Dylan kept the reports private even from her. He doubted it. But if she didn’t hear about it, then Urban could be trusted enough to take care of things.
Hopefully.
“How much longer until we travel to Summer Court?”
Roxie shook her head. “I can’t find their ripe spot yet. It should be a ripe spot, and it’s something only fairies can sense.” She looked up, and so did he. The cotton candy clouds were still there, but they were turning steadily darker.
“We might need to get some rest and continue traveling tomorrow,” he suggested. “If it’s safe enough to rest here.”
“As long as we don’t encounter any fairies,” she replied. “They can be…devious.”
“No need to remind me. Your kind always is.”
She shot him a look but didn’t comment on it. Instead, she explained that they shouldn’t stay in the forest because the spring fairies liked playing there at night. They found a spot in the middle of a field, where some bushes and tall, blooming flowers grew. They both lay down and covered themselves, then listened to the silence that surrounded them.
“We take turns sleeping,” he said.
“No. There’s no need. Spring fairies won’t bother you if you’re quiet. Do you snore?”
“No. Do you?”
“No.”
And that was that. Isaac watched as she turned her back on him, and he decided to do the same. Despite her clothes, he was surprised to find that she was warm against him. Almost human. Curious, he voiced out the question that had been swirling in his head since he’d last talked to Pine.
“Do you know who your father is?”
Her head snapped up, and her spine stiffened. Touchy subject, he supposed. He watched her shake her head. “He’s dead. My mother found out he was married and killed him.”
“And that makes you feel nothing?”
“I didn’t know him. And she’s my mother,” she said softly. Her voice didn’t sound all that convincing, and he doubted she believed what she was saying. But he let it go and stared up ahead.
“You talked to my mother?” she asked.
“Yes. She…graced my cell with her presence. Didn’t you?”
“No,” she bit out. Then she went quiet, and for a second he thought she would cry or lash out. But her steady, soft breathing indicated that she was fast asleep.
Isaac sensed around for any movement again, found none. Then, deciding that she knew this place more than he did, he closed his eyes.
Then he followed her to sleep.
*****
He dreamed of flowers and colors that popped in his vision, then girls of all shapes and sizes dazzling him with their touch and kisses. A wonderful feeling came over him, tingly and exciting at the same time. He heard husky voices teasing him, enticing him. Then he heard a shrill voice penetrating the colorful fog.
Isaac woke up with a start. He sat up, where he found Roxie already on her feet and shrilly ordering someone to step back and stop bothering them.
He looked around and found the most beautiful spring fairies surrounding them, giggling and waving.
Something fragrant permeated the air, and he sniffed. It filled his senses and made the tingle come back, and soon he heard the voices again inviting him to come closer. Dazed, Isaac stood up.
Then he went closer.