Journey into the Realm: The Stolen Child (Journey into the Realm Series) Read Free Page B

all the way to the Golden Fairy Realm, but you can at least travel with me until we reach the Element Fairy Realm.”
    He nodded and hesitantly placed his hand on my knee, as much affection as I would allow at this point. I smiled wanly and leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt him relax. I was slowly melting from the cold statue I had been moments earlier. But we both knew I wouldn’t melt completely. Not for a while, at least.
    “Aimee and Tavis are here,” he said, deciding to drop a huge bombshell on me out of nowhere.
    I jerked away from him and met his emerald gaze. “In the palace?”
    “Yes,” he confirmed. “They arrived while you were meeting with Brielle.”
    “You’ve spoken with them?” I assumed.
    Nathan nodded. “They came to apologize for treating you so coldly after your return to Birchwood. They want to make it up to you.”
    I hugged myself as tightly as I could while still being able to breathe. “It’s too late for that now. I have a journey to take.”
    Nathan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, which had grown longer during our stay at the palace. “Can’t you at least meet with them before we leave? They’re truly sorry; I can tell.”
    “So what?” I asked, standing up and crossing to the door. I couldn’t be around Nathan anymore. Too many conflicting emotions. I needed some air. “I don’t need an apology. I just need this war to end.”
    I opened the door.
    “Where are you going?” Nathan wondered. His voice was gentle, but I could still tell how irritated he was by my antics.
    “Nowhere.”
    I stepped out into the hall and shut the door before Nathan could respond.
    ***
    I never planned on going to meet them. My original plan was to find Zora and tell her that I was leaving tomorrow morning, but then I realized I didn’t want to. I didn’t want her to know. Selfish of me, yes, but reality nonetheless. She wouldn’t be able to handle the journey I was about to embark on. And she would probably volunteer to travel with me, and that was something I would never consider. But I didn’t want to reject her when I was already taking Nathan with me, so avoidance was the only option.
    Brielle had given me advice along the same lines. The fewer who knew, the better. The new queen didn’t want to draw attention to her secret weapon and, come to think of it, neither did I. I wasn’t looking for attention. I had received enough of that when the elves discovered I was half-fairy.
    So when I realized I didn’t want to see Zora, I had nowhere else to go but downstairs in search of my visitors.
    I found them in the library. Aimee was sitting on a couch, an open book in her lap. Tavis was inspecting the fireplace or something. I couldn’t tell because he had his back to me. I cleared my throat loudly so they would notice my entrance. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say to them yet, so I didn’t speak.
    “Ramsey,” Aimee said, closing the book and placing it on the end table. She rose from the couch but didn’t travel any closer to me.
    Tavis turned and moved to join Aimee. He regarded me warily. “Hello,” he greeted. I saw confusion in his eyes, probably because I wasn’t wearing my wings. I had furled them upon my arrival at the palace because I couldn’t deal with elves staring at me.
    “Nathan told me you came,” I muttered, clasping and unclasping my hands nervously.
    “We’re sorry it took so long,” Aimee said gently.
    With her kind green eyes and short black hair, it was difficult to imagine a healer like Aimee exiling anyone for being different. She had sure fooled me.
    Tavis was another case. He was tough and impulsive. His reaction to my half-fae heritage had surprised me only because he wasn’t an elf who feared easily. But he had feared me – probably still feared me.
    “We tried to convince Reid to join us, but he refused,” Tavis said plainly. He wasn’t one to avoid the truth.
    “He still blames me for Janie’s death. And